What if anything is known about the use of a standard unit symbol vocabulary by the commanders/armies of the Napoleonic period? The younger von Reisswitz makes reference in his Kriegsspiel rules to having designed his unit counters/blocks using the standard symbols used on Army maps of the period, about 1824 - but illustrations of the surviving set of his father's system uses similar symbols. And I have just learned of J.A. Messmer's 1819 Strategy game that also uses similar symbols for infantry, cavalry, etc. The broader histories of wargames/wargaming make reference to a symbol vocabulary adopted by the Prussian Army in the years after the Napoleonic wars, but it appears likely that itself was based upon some practices found during those wars. Anyone have any leads towards an answer?
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One of the French General Staff studies of either the 1805 or 1809 campaign has a description of the unit pieces used by Napoleon. Unfortunately I have long since forgotten the details. Perhaps someone here will remember.