BRIEF MEMOIR OF GENERAL CLAUSEWITZ

(BY TRANSLATOR)

THE Author of the work here translated, General Carl Von Clausewitz, was
born at Burg, near Magdeburg, in 1780, and entered the Prussian Army
as Fahnenjunker (i.e., ensign) in 1792. He served in the campaigns of
1793-94 on the Rhine, after which he seems to have devoted some time
to the study of the scientific branches of his profession. In 1801 he
entered the Military School at Berlin, and remained there till
1803. During his residence there he attracted the notice of General
Scharnhorst, then at the head of the establishment; and the patronage of
this distinguished officer had immense influence on his future career,
and we may gather from his writings that he ever afterwards continued
to entertain a high esteem for Scharnhorst. In the campaign of 1806 he
served as Aide-de-camp to Prince Augustus of Prussia; and being wounded
and taken prisoner, he was sent into France until the close of that
war. On his return, he was placed on General Scharnhorst's Staff, and
employed in the work then going on for the reorganisation of the Army.
He was also at this time selected as military instructor to the late
King of Prussia, then Crown Prince. In 1812 Clausewitz, with several
other Prussian officers, having entered the Russian service, his first
appointment was as Aide-de-camp to General Phul. Afterwards, while
serving with Wittgenstein's army, he assisted in negotiating the famous
convention of Tauroggen with York. Of the part he took in that affair he
has left an interesting account in his work on the "Russian Campaign."
It is there stated that, in order to bring the correspondence which had
been carried on with York to a termination in one way or another, the