I hadn't seen this before, but I can't exactly find myself surprised by this bit of number crunching. Speed on a route march is more dependent on organization and leadership than anything, and the armies of the linear era certainly had those aspects.

What do I mean by "leadership and organization"? Simply the process of getting the troops out on the road in a timely manner, with clear orders that prevent major traffic snarls and the like. I recently read (ok, skimmed) the route march orders for the first phase of the French Waterloo campaign, and they're pretty detailed as to who marches when and where. That's the kind of detail work it takes to allow the soldiers to get their feet moving. (I am surprised the Russians rated as well as they did though, they could be a bit sluggish at times.)

Gary... can I post a link to those orders u skimmed?

Could be an interesting read.