The following is the composition of a regularly organized general staff in the French service, for an army of forty or fifty thousand men divided into two corps d'armée and a reserve.
1st. The marshal (or general) commanding-in-chief; and one colonel or lieutenant-colonel, one major, three captains and three subalterns, as aides-de-camp.
2d. A lieutenant-general as chief-of-staff, with the title of major-general, assisted by one colonel or lieutenant-colonel, three majors, five captains, and one subaltern, as aides-de-camp.
3d. Three lieutenant-generals, commanding the corps d'armée and reserve. Each of these will be assisted by aides in the same way as the major-general, and each will also have his regularly-organized staff of corps d'armée, with a general of division or general of brigade as chief.
4th. Six or nine generals commanding divisions, each having his own distinct and separately organized staff. In the French army, the staff of an officer commanding a division is composed of one colonel, two majors, three captains, and six subalterns.
5th. Twelve or more generals of brigade, each having one captain, and one subaltern for aides.
6th. There is also attached to the staff of the general-in-chief of the army, the commandants of artillery and engineers, with several subordinates, inspector-generals, and the ranking officers of each of the administrative departments, with their assistants.
The generals select their aides and assistants from the staff corps, or from either of the four arms of service.
The troops of these arms may be distributed as follows:
| 52 battalions of infantry, | 35,000 men. |
| 42 squadrons of horse | 6,500 |
| 13 batteries of artillery, (4 mounted and 9 foot,) | 2,500 |
| 5 companies of sappers, 2 of pontoniers,[[29]] and 1 of artificers | 1,500 |
| 45,500 |