I have some good experience on marching whilst in the Royal Navy.
In 1957 some of us on 'upgrading courses' at various 'shore'
establishments were detailed to attend the Remembrance Day parade in
London.  The final selection were 88 of us to do intense marching for
three weeks of around three miles each day in the Portsmouth area,
with rifles and fixed bayonets (the long type of World War One).

We marched to a Navy band at, I would say, 90 to 100 beats per minute.
At any faster pace you lose the grace and style of a military march.
On a lengthy march at 120 beats per minute you will get tired soon,
and the marching column will get 'raggedy'.

In London at the parade, we march off from the Guards Barracks to the
Cenotaph [war memorial] -- about one mile -- with a Royal Marine Band.
After the service we had to march about two-and-one-half miles,
including the Waterloo Bridge.  By this point in time we were fully
fit after the three weeks of practice and rifle drill.

To an army like Napoleon's, I cannot see this happening on a prolonged
basis and to a half-starved army.   Sousa's marches were fast and that
is his 'style'.

I arranged my march "O" Roll SB-2 of Classic European Marches at a
tempo between 90 and 100 beats per minute.

Steve Bentley - SB "O" Rolls
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

 [ Steve's style "O" roll SB-2 contains these 9 marches:
 [ The Great Little Army, Old Comrades, Colonel Bogey, El Abanico, Sons
 [ Of The Brave, The Thin Red Line, Viscount Nelson, On The Quarterdeck.
 [ The rolls are stocked by Play-Rite, ordering information is at
 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/Digests/200301/2003.01.23.13.html 
 [ -- Robbie