CONGDON'S

CAVALRY COMPENDIUM:

CONTAINING INSTRUCTIONS

FOR NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND PRIVATES

IN THE

Cavalry Service.

EMBRACING

FULL INSTRUCTIONS IN DISCIPLINE, DRILL, CARE AND
MANAGEMENT OF HORSES, CLEANLINESS, COOKING,
CARE OF ARMS AND EQUIPMENTS
TARGET PRACTICE, ETC.

WITH

Portions Of The Cavalry Tactics That Should Be Learned By Every Cavalry Soldier.

TOGETHER

WITH ALL THE REVISED ARMY REGULATIONS AND ARTI-
CLES OF WAR THAT APPLY TO ENLISTED MEN.

BY

JAMES A. CONGDON,
MAJOR TWELFTH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.

PHILADELPHIA;
J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO.

1864

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1864, by

J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO.

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for
the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

PREFACE.

   The design of this book is to furnish enlisted men in the cavalry service with all the information necessary to enable them to understand their duties; also, to show them their rights, privileges, and allowances and to point out the relations that exist between them, the Government, the superiors appointed over them, and each other.
    A large portion of the information contained in this work is spread through a great number of expensive books, that soldiers would find it difficult to procure, and impossible to carry in the field. Much of the instruction here contained, although observed for many years in the regular cavalry, has never before appeared in print.
   As it is almost impossible for officers, during active operation in the field, to instruct non-commissioned officers and privates in their duties, it is hoped they will find this book a valuable assistant.
   The above are the reasons which impelled the author to prepare this little work. If it will lighten the labors of his brother officers, and tend in any degree to make the persons for whom it is designed more efficient, he will feel well rewarded.

J. A. C.

HARRISBURG, PA., April 22,1864.

CONTENTS.

CONGDON'S

CAVALRY COMPENDIUM.

______________

INTRODUCTION.

   To serve our country in a just war is the most noble duty on earth. The citizen of the United States who becomes a soldier should be actuated by the grandest and purest motives that were ever harbored in the human breast. He has a more glorious country to defend, better institutions to perpetuate, and more freedom to fight for, than any soldier ever had since the creation of the world. He is well clothed, fed, and paid. If he survives the privations and dangers of war, he will be the idol of his friends while he lives; if he falls in the line of duty, he is sure of a glorious immortality. If this is true of the Union soldier in general, it applies to a greater degree to the cavalry, who are subjected to more privations, hardships, and dangers than any others in the service. He

 

CONGDON'S CAVALRY COMPENDIUM.

should therefore, fight bravely, and, if necessary give his life more freely than the soldier of any other nation.
   I make the following extracts from Roenier's invaluable work on the "History, Management, and Uses of Cavalry in War,"--a book that should be owned by every cavalry officer. In that work it is shown conclusively that all the late great improvements in fire-arms, infantry drill, &c. have in no way affected the usefulness of cavalry, and that his is the view taken of the subject by every nation in Europe.
   "At Solferino, the Austrians fired about eight million four hundred thousand cartridges; which killed about two thousand French and Sardinians, and wounded some ten thousand more. On an average, then, one shot in seven hundred took effect; and one man was killed for every four thousand two hundred shots fired."
   To get an idea of what good cavalry can do, read the following extracts: 
   "One of the most remarkable cavalry exploits on record is that achieved by the cuirassiers of Montrun at the battle of Borodino, where they captured the great redoubt in the middle of the enemy's position, defended by the flower of the Russian infantry. General Caulaincourt was directed

 

INTRODUCTION.

to penetrate through the Russian line, and, wheeling around, enter the redoubt by its gorge. Setting off at a gallop at the head of his followers, the glittering mass was soon lost in a volume of smoke as he approached the entrenchment. The Russians hastened to support the point of attack, Caulaincourt, advancing with the utmost rapidity, overthrew the regiments of horse, which Kutusoff opposed to him; while the great redoubt continued to vomit forth an incessant fire upon its assailants. Eugene, with his infantry, was advancing to the attack; the bayonets of his troops were already gleaming on its slopes, when the columns of the cuirassiers were seen ascending through the clouds of smoke, which enveloped the entrenchment. Its sides seemed clothed in glittering steel; and the fire from its summit, after redoubling in fury for a few seconds, suddenly ceased. The flames of the volcano were extinguished in blood, and the resplendent casques of the French cuirassiers appeared, when the smoke cleared away, above the highest embrasures of the entrenchment.''
   "General LaSalle, with only five hundred hussars, took Stettin, defended by six thousand Prussians with two hundred guns. In the same year --- 1806 --- General Curely, at the head of twenty hussars and fifty miles away from the army, filled Leipsic with

 

CONGDON'S CAVALRY COMPENDIUM.

terror and consternation, though it was held by three thousand Prussian infantry. The same officer, in 1812, at Polosk, at the head of one hundred chasseurs, took twenty-four guns, and made the general in-chief of the Russian army his prisoner."
   "And if we would learn what may be done by a single platoon, let us open the official record of service of Lieutenant, afterwards General Desmichels, and read that on the 28th of October, 1805, after the battle of Ulm, when the Archduke attempted to make a junction with the army of General Wornock, Lieutenant Desmichels, being very near Nuremberg, with thirty chasseurs of the Imperial Guard attacked and captured five hundred men of infantry, two standards, twenty pieces of cannon with their caissons, charged and pursued on a road four hundred dragoons of Thurn, made one hundred of them prisoners, killed and wounded as many more, and took with his own hands the colonel of the regiment."
   To illustrate what can be accomplished by a few cavalry, with but little training and no experience, when enthusiastic in a noble cause, read that on the 26th of October, 1961, Major Charles Zagonyi, with one hundred and fifty of General Fremont's bodyguard, made a forced march of over fifty miles to Springfield, Mo., charged through a rebel am- 

 

INTRODUCTION.

buscade, took down a fence under fire to get at the enemy, attacked and routed five hundred Confederate cavalry and fifteen hundred infantry, killed one hundred and six, wounded a large number, and captured thirty-six prisoners, sixty stands of arms, and the enemy's colors, with a loss of seventeen killed and twenty-five wounded.
   Captain E. A. Jones, of the 1st New York Cavalry, with a detachment of the 1st New York and 12th Pennsylvania Cavalry regiments, numbering one hundred and sixty men, attacked the rebels while they were retreating from Gettysburg, Pa., July 4, 1963. He disposed a few of his men so as to deceive the traitors as to his numbers: with the remainder he boldly attacked the enemy, capturing three cannons, three hundred and fifty loaded wagons, and over seven hundred prisoners. He secured his prize while the bewildered Confederates were making arrangements to repel what they supposed to be the attack of a whole cavalry corps.
   After such deeds, we may exclaim, with Marshal Saxe, "There is no telling what cavalry cannot accomplish.''

 

CONGDON'S CAVALRY COMPENDIUM.

CHAPTER I.

ENLISTED MEN.

   A solder, on entering the service of his own free will, taken a solemn oath to serve the Government faithfully, and to obey the orders of the superiors appointed over him. He should constantly keep this obligation in view: it is a duty he owes to God and the country. A violation of the oath is perjury, which makes a man infamous, and is punished by law as felony.
   The President, as commander-in-chief of the army of the United States, has published army regulation for its government. They are the most binding orders that can be given, because they emanate from the highest military authority and can be altered by him only. All of these order that affect the enlisted man are contained in this book.
   It costs the county about one thousand dollars a year to keep a cavalry man in the field. To render a just equivalent for this sum, a soldier should learn and do his full duty.
   On joining a company, the cavalry-recruit should

 

DISCIPLINE.

apply himself closely to the study of his duties, which are principally as follows. Military discipline. The care of his effects, horse, and arms. The use of his arms, and rudiments of drill. He should learn to ride well and boldly. He should become an expert swordsman and a good shot. He should learn to preserve his health and cook his rations. He should strive to be remarkable for his gentlemanly and soldier-like deportment, also for intelligence and bravery. The soldier who will make these things his constant study may attain any position in the Union army. If he fails to obtain high rank, he will gain what is worth more, - the esteem and respect of his comrades.

Discipline.

   All inferiors are required to obey strictly and to execute with alacrity and good faith the order of the superiors appointed over them. (Sec. I, Army Regulations.) On the manner in which the above order is observed depends the efficiency of the army: it applies with equal force to all grades in the service.
   Strict obedience to an order consists in doing exactly what the person who gave the order desires, in every particular.
   Alacrity requires that the order should be

 

CONGDON'S CAVALRY COMPENDIUM.

executed as soon as the person who gave it wishes it complied with.
   Good Faith requires that an order should be obeyed so as to accomplish the object that the person who gave the order desires.
   When you receive an order, determine what you should do, and where and when you should do it. If you do not understand the order, you should ask for an explanation.
   If from any cause a soldier should be unable to fulfill an order, he should report the reason as soon as possible to the person who gave the order.
An enlisted man is not allowed to make any remarks about what he may consider the justice or propriety of an order, but should obey promptly, to the letter, and without a murmur. The person giving the order is responsible for the legality of it, and is liable to be punished for any improper order he may give. A soldier has a right to complain to higher authorities of any order he may have received that he does not think just, but is not allowed to make that complaint until he has obeyed the order. Complaints must always be made at the proper time, in a respectful manner, and through the regular military channels.
   An enlisted man is not allowed to speak disrespectfully of his superiors, or do or say any thing

 

CONGDON'S CAVALRY COMPENDIUM.

to bring them into contempt or weaken their authority. The good of the service requires that discipline should be firm, strict, sometimes perhaps even severe, but never requires that it should be harsh, cruel, or tyrannical. Unnecessary severity, punishments which are not awarded by proper authority, are not allowed. Orders should be given in a firm decided manner. A soldier who refuses to obey should be confined, and the fault immediately reported to his company commander. Cases may arise when it is necessary to enforce discipline, as in battle, or when a detachment has not means to confine a prisoner; but in all such cases a noncommissioned officer must be sure that the emergency of the case will justify him, and that the means used are not more severe than the case calls for. In all minor cases, a soldier should be reported before confined. In cases of mutinous conduct, refusing to obey an order given, riotous or disorderly conduct, and in any case where it may be necessary to preserve orderly or quiet deportment on the part of the men, he will confine any one who so conducts himself, and report the facts immediately to the soldier's company commander. If a soldier thinks he has been wrongfully confined, he can complain of it to his company commander, or, if he sees fit, to higher authorities, through the commander of

 

CONGDON'S CAVALRY COMPENDIUM.

the company. Would he complain without reasonable grounds for doing, he will render himself liable to be punished for making a false statement.
   There is nothing degrading in military discipline. A soldier with a sincere desire to do his duty, and a cheerful disposition, will find no difficulty in being happy in the army.

The Cavalry Private.

   DAILY DUTIES.--The following are the daily duties, as they are practiced by privates in the regular cavalry in the field. They may be modified by the orders of company or regimental commanders; but, in the absence of any regulations, the private in the volunteer service will do well to observe them.
   At the first call before reveille, get up, dress in fatigue clothes, then arrange your bedding. Take your place in the ranks at the first note of the assembly (under arms, if ordered). After answering your name, when dismissed, return your arms (if used). The men are then paraded for stable duty. If ordered, conduct or ride your horse to water (see instructions for watering, page 24). After watering, groom our horse (see instructions for grooming, page 25). When you finish grooming, feed your horse ( see instructions for feeding); after which, if

 

THE CAVALRY PRIVATE.

you have groomed your horse thoroughly, you will be dismissed from stables. You should next repair to your tent or quarters, and wash yourself thoroughly, brush your clothes, &c. By this time, breakfast call will be sounded, when you will join your mess and eat your breakfast. Do not consider it your special duty to abuse every thing cooked for the meal: console yourself with the reflection that if you are on quarter rations you may be proud to tell of it some day. After breakfast there is usually parade, guard-mounting, drill or fatigue duty to perform. Whatever duty you are detailed for, make it a rule to be punctual and have your accoutrements, arms, &c. in perfect order. After those duties have been performed, you may have from one to two hours' leisure. Your next duty will be to attend midday-water and feed call, immediately after which dinner is usually served. There may be a drill in the afternoon; but it is not usual unless the regiment is very backward in drill. At an hour designated in orders, evening-water and stable calls will sound, After you are dismissed from stable duty, wash yourself thoroughly, and dress in your jacket and best pants. Put your equipments in perfect order for evening inspection. At retreat, take your place in the ranks in the dress ordered, with your arms on, ready for inspection. Give strict

 

CONGDON'S CAVALRY COMPENDIUM.

attention to any orders that may be read, and notice if you are detailed on any duty for the next day. Supper will then be ready.
   From retreat until tattoo you should employ your time in some pleasant recreation or study. At tattoo, arrange your bedding and retire for the night; placing your arms, saddle, bridle, and all your effects where you can find them in the dark.
   At all times be civil and obliging, Avoid annoying your superiors with unnecessary questions and requests: they have other duties to perform, that require their attention. If every private in a company would ask the attention of the captain once a day, he would find it difficult to attend to his other duties. The surest way to forfeit the esteem of those above you, is to be too obtrusive and familiar. If you loiter about an officer's quarters, you may prevent others from calling on important business. In the regular service, when an enlisted man enters an officer's tent he removes his hat, states his wants, and retires. No matter what former relations have existed between you and your company commander, such should be your deportment.
   This minutia may seem unnecessary, or even absurd, to that oracle who is known in camp as the old soldier: you may soothe the old gentleman by telling him that this little book was not intended for persons of his age experience.

 

THE CAVALRY PRIVATE.

   The cavalry soldier's surest and best road to advancement is by bravery displayed on the field of battle, which may be illustrated by the following:- "At the siege of Padua, in the year 1509, when the French, commanded by La Palisse, were united with the troops of the Emperor Maximilian, a singular affair occurred. Chevalier Bayard had in his company of gendarmes a young man of sixteen years, named Boutieres. This youthful warrior having engaged in a hand-to-hand fight with an Albanian officer of the light-horse of the enemy, made him prisoner, and brought him to the emperor. Surprised at their disproportionate strength, this prince remarked to the Albanian that he was astonished that so huge a colossus had allowed himself to be taken by a child, who would not have a beard for four years to come. The Greek, more ashamed of the reproach than his defeat, replied that he had yielded to numbers alone, having been seized by four horsemen. Bayard, who was present, turned to Boutieres and said, 'Do you hear that? It is contrary to your statement. This concerns your honor.' Boutieres, looking like a thunderbolt at his captive, exclaimed, 'You lie! and, to prove that I alone have taken you, let us mount again, and I will kill you, or make you cry mercy a second time.' The Albanian did not wish to fight again.

 

CONGDON'S CAVALRY COMPENDIUM.

'Boutieres,' then said Bayard, 'you have done as splendidly as ever young man did: go on thus, and you will one day become a great personage!' This prophecy of the French hero was verified, and Guignes Guifray, Sieur de Boutieres, became a famous chieftain. He was a lieutenant general under Francis I of France."
   Next to bravery rank education, deportment, and manners. A private, with these four recommendations, will soon be promoted to a corporal.

 

 

THE HORSE.

CHAPTER II.

THE HORSE.

The horse is the most important care of the cavalry soldier. No one is fit to be in the mounted service who will not look after the welfare of his horse with more solicitude than he does after his own. The Government offer the following inducements to all who desire to own their own horses:- "That each non-commissioned officer, musician, artificer, and private of cavalry shall furnish his own horse and horse-equipments, and shall receive forty cents per day for their use and risk, except that if the horse shall become disabled, or shall die, the allowance shall cease until the disability be removed or another horse be supplies." (Sec. 5, Act July 22, 1861.)
   "Every officer and man should be the owner of the horse in his use. No officer or other person belonging to the command (company or regiment) can be the owner of, or in any manner have interest

 

CONGDON'S CAVALRY COMPENDIUM.

in, the horse in use by another."  (Instructions to mustering officers, p. 000.)
   In selecting a horse, get one between five and nine years of age.  Those of dark color are easier kept and cleaned.  If you are a large, heavy man, get a large and powerful horse.  Small men should have medium-sized horses.  Fourteen hands high is the smallest size allowed.
   Strive to keep your horse in good spirits and condition.  Never give the horse drugs to make him fat; it ruins his wind and renders him unfit for hard service.  If your horse gets sick, report the fact at once to the company farrier or veterinary surgeon.  Under all circumstances, treat your horse with the utmost kindness and gentleness.  (for instructions in management, see Extracts from Cavalry Tactics, p. 105)

Watering.

Horses should be watered three times a day, in June, July, August and September.  First, immediately after reveille.  Second, about eleven o'clock A.M.  Third, immediately before grooming in the evening, about half-past three o'clock P.M.  During the rest of the year the watering after reveille may be omitted.
   Horses should be ridden to water bare-back, and at a walk going and returning.

GROOMING.

The daily allowance of water to a horse is four gallons; but he should be permitted to drink all he desires.  Pure, soft, running water is the best.  When drawn from wells in the summer, it should, if possible, be allowed to stand until the chill is taken off, before being given to the horse; otherwise it may injure him.  Horses should not be watered immediately after eating, or when very warm.
   On the march, horses should not be watered, except when ordered by the commander of the detachment, who should order halts occasionally for that purpose.

Grooming.

Grooming should be done in the morning and evening.  The horses should be groomed at the picket-rope.  To strike a horse at the picket-rope, or in the stable, is apt to make him vicious.  It is strictly prohibited.
   The whisp, currycomb, brush, and horse-comb are implements used in grooming.
   THE WHISP is a small bundle of straw or hay twisted tightly, and as large as can be conveniently held in the hand.  It is used when the horse is warm or wet.  The horse should be rubbed against the hair with whisps until dry.
   THE CURRYCOMB should be used when the horse is dry and very filthy.  It's application should be

 

CONGDON'S CAVALRY COMPENDIUM.

regulated by the length and foulness of the coat.  When the coat is long and full of dust, use it freely.
   In the spring of the year, use the currycomb judiciously, as a removal of the hair too soon exposes the horse to changes of the weather.
   Commence on the near side.  Use it freely on the neck, shoulders, chest, arms, back, quarters, belly, loins, and flanks.
   The legs below the knees, parts thin of hair, the head, mane, and tail, should never be touched by the currycomb.
   THE BRUSH is the usual implement with which grooming should be done.  Take the brush in the left hand, the currycomb in the right, commence at the head on the near side, brush with the hair, clean the brush frequently with the currycomb, and brush the coat all over perfectly clean.
   When you have finished the near side, take the brush in the right hand, commence on the off side at the horse's head, and clean that side also.
   The brush should clean every hair on the horse thoroughly.  The skin under the flanks and between the hindquarters must be soft, and so clean as not to soil a white cloth.  The coat, when cleaned, should be smooth and glossy.
   THE HORSE-COMB should be used to clean the 

 

FEEDING - SHOEING.

mane and tail, so as not to pull out the hairs.  The mane and tail must never be cut.
   The men must observe strict silence while grooming.  Singing, whistling, &c. are prohibited.

Feeding.

   Horses should be fed three times a day.  First immediately after they are groomed in the morning.  Second, about noon.  Third, immediately after grooming in the evening.
   It is advisable to give a horse one-third of his grain at each meal, and most of his hay in the evening.  Horses should never be fed grain when overheated: it is apt to founder them.
   The men of squads will water, groom, and feed the horses of their sergeants, together with those of the men on extra dismounted duty, &c.  The above directions may be modified by company commanders, according to circumstances.

Shoeing

   The usefulness of a horse will greatly depend on the manner in which he is shod.  The shoes should be carefully examined every time the horse is groomed.  If a shoe is loose, he should be taken at once to the company blacksmith.  On the march, 

 

CONGDON'S CAVALRY COMPENDIUM.

every trooper should carry in his saddle-bags, nails and two shoes that have been fitted to his horse's forefeet.  He should also be instructed in the "cold shoeing," that he may be able to shoe his horse on the march.

 

HEALTH.

CHAPTER III.

HEALTH.

   The Happiness of the soldier depends, in a great degree, upon attention to the laws of health.  The health can be preserved as well in the army as in private life, if proper attention is given to cleanliness, clothing and diet.

Cleanliness and Clothing.

   To keep clean, the soldier should always have one coarse comb, one fine comb, one tooth-brush, one coarse sponge, a piece of soap, and two towels.
    He should wash his face, neck, and hands daily.  He should brush his teeth and comb his head every morning, and wash his entire body at least twice a week.  One quart of water, applied with a good sized sponge, will clean the person thoroughly.  In warm weather the feet should be washed daily.
   Underclothing should be changed at least once a week, and oftener in June, July, August, and September.

 

CONGDON'S CAVALRY COMPENDIUM.

A soldier should not sleep in the underclothing worn during the day:  if he has others, he should wear them at night, and air those worn during the day.  If he has but one set of underclothing, he will find it refreshing in warm weather, to turn them inside out and shake them well. Turning the stockings inside out will tend to keep the feet cool on the march.  The blankets and bedding should be well shaken and aired every morning.
   Each trooper should be supplied at all times with the following articles: - One overcoat, one jacket, one blouse, one pair pants, three shirts, two pair stockings, two pair drawers, one pair boots, one cap, one canteen, one haversack, one blanket, - all of which should be kept clean, in good order, and carried on the person or horse.
   The chiefs of squads must see that the above effects are in the possession of every trooper, and that the men keep themselves clean.
   A little mercurial ointment applied to the underclothing will keep the person free from vermin.  Soldiers infested with vermin or any cutaneous disease must be excluded from the tent or quarters, and immediately reported to the company commander.

 

DIET.

   To ensure the health of the soldier, particular attention must be given to the quantity, quality, and preparation of the food.  Scrupulous cleanliness must be observed in cooking.
   Coffee-pots, camp-kettles, &c. may be cleaned by boiling a little carbonate of soda or wood-ashes in them.

The following recipes may be found useful.

COFFEE.

   To make one pint of good coffee, take two tablespoonfuls of ground coffee, mix it with a little cold water, pour the mixture on a pint of boiling water, and boil the whole fifteen minutes; then remove it from the fire, pour in a few tablespoonfuls of cold water, let it stand a few minutes to settle, add sugar and milk according to taste, and drink while hot.  Any quantity of coffee can be made by observing the above proportions.
   One pint of coffee in the morning and evening is as much as it is healthy to drink each day.

BEEF SOUP.

   To make a good soup, take three-fourths of a pound of beef, bones and all; wash the meat well, put it in a clean camp-kettle with five pints of cold

 

CONGDON'S CAVALRY COMPENDIUM.

water, cover the kettle, let it boil slowly one hour; then add four ounces of vegetables, cut in thin slices, one teaspoonful of salt, a little pepper, and boil the whole about two hours, or until the vegetables are thoroughly cooked; you will then have one quart of good soup.  For greater quantities, observe the above proportions.  Soup should be eaten as hot as possible.

DRINKING.

   Intoxicating liquors should never be drank by soldiers unless proscribed by the surgeon.  Before  starting on a march, fill your canteen with pure spring-water.  A few drops of vinegar poured into it will correct any impurities that may be in the water.  The canteen holds two quarts, and should last a man during the day's march in warm weather.  To drink more is dangerous.  A tablespoonful of water taken every ten seconds will slake more thirst than a quart drank at once.
   If the water in the canteen gets warm, it is better to dip the canteen in cold water than to refill it.  Purity is of more importance than coldness in water.

EXERCISE.

   It is the duty of a soldier not only to preserve

EXERCISE.

his health, but also to become strong and athletic; he should take strengthening exercise, and be able to run at least eight miles in an hour, jump nearly five feet high, clear seventeen feet in a running leap.  He should practise throwing weights, playing ball, sparring and fencing.  He should practise riding, and teach his horse to clear a four-foot wall or ten-foot ditch with a flying leap.
   A strong, healthy man is generally endowed with good judgement, indomitable energy , rapid decision and execution.  These are likewise the characteristics of a model trooper.  It should be borne in mind that it takes brave hearts and strong hands to win battles.

 

CONGDON'S CAVALRY COMPENDIUM.

CHAPTER IV.

TARGET PRACTICE.

   The War Department furnishes each company with instructions for target practice, which every soldier should read.  The following is based upon that work.  To become a good marksman, you should first learn how to load the gun; second, to know how to regulate the aim according to the distance of the object to be hit; third, you should be able to estimate distances within the range of your piece; fourth, you should be able to aim with ease, and not incline the sights to the right or left; also to support the recoil of the piece.
   To load the carbine or revolver, see Cavalry Tactics, page 95.
   AIMING. - The line of fire is a straight line extending through the centre of the barrel, indefinitely produced.  The line of sight is a straight line passing through the middle of the notch of the rear-sight and the top of the front-sight.  A 

CARE OF ARMS.

ball describes a curved line in its flight, which line is called the trajectory.  When fired from a gun, the ball crosses above the line of sight; after going a certain distance, -according to the arm used - it crosses below the line of sight: this point is called point-blank.  Suppose the point-blank of your carbine to be one hundred yards: to hit  an object at that distance, aim at it; if the object is closer aim below it; if farther off, aim above it.  Good aiming can only be attained by proper instruction and careful practice.  Pressing the trigger is apt to derange the sight; although properly directed before touching the trigger, it may not be so the moment of discharge takes place.  The soldier will attain this if he holds his breath from the moment he touches the trigger until the gun is discharged, - pressing the trigger steadily and by degrees with the last joint of the forefinger.  A good shot with a Colt's revolver can hit the size of a man's head at fifty yards; with a carbine, the same object at one hundred and fifty yards.

Care of Arms.

   A soldier should take the best possible care of his arms; his usefulness in battle depends upon it, and his life may depend on their reliability.

 

CONGDON'S CAVALRY COMPENDIUM.

THE SABRE.

   The sabre should be kept clean and bright; the edges sharp as possible.  It is the trooper's and most trusty weapon.  If the sabre is rusty or dull, observers will justly think that its owner will never have the courage to wield it.
   The scabbard should be kept clean and free from rust but not polished.
   Sperm or sweet oil and flour of emery should be used in cleaning the sabre and scabbard.  Beef marrow is good to keep them from rusting.

THE CARBINE.

   The carbine should be kept in the condition in which it was received from the armory.  It should never be taken apart to clean, except when absolutely necessary, and with express permission of the company commander.  The barrel should never be polished.  The lock should never be taken apart except by an armorer.  After firing, the carbine should be cleaned with warm water, dried, and slightly oiled.  Any infringement of these instructions should be severely punished; because the rendering of a fire-arm unfit for use is one of the gravest offenses an enlisted man can commit.

 

CARE OF ARMS.

THE REVOLVER.

   The revolver is cleaned in the same manner as the carbine.  The trooper should always know the number of his revolver.  When ordered on any detached duty (without arms), he should place his arms in charge of the orderly sergeant, who is obliged to take charge of them and give the owner a receipt for the same.
   At night, near the enemy, it is advisable to sleep with the arms under the head, unless otherwise ordered.
   If compelled to surrender in battle, always render your arms useless before giving them up, if possible.
   Belts, cartridge-boxes, &c. must be kept in the condition in which they were issued from the arsenal, due allowance being made for actual wear.  Belts must never be cut without express permission of the company commander.
   HORSE EQUIPMENTS should be kept clean and dry as when issued, allowance being made for proper wear.
   ACCOUTREMENTS AND EQUIPMENTS must be marked with the letter of the company and the number of the owner.
   To MARK A BLANKET, trace the letters and numbers required with a little gun-powder, then

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ignite the powder, and the blanket will be permanently marked.
   Company commanders will usually supply stamps to mark on leather, &c. &c.

 

 

 

 

 

DUTIES OF SENTINELS.

CHAPTER V.

DUTIES OF SENTINELS.

   Guard duty is the most important duty of a soldier.  The neglect of a sentinel may cause the loss of an army.  Sentinels should be dressed in fatigue (blouse) and be armed as ordered.
   Sentinels receive orders, and allow themselves to be relieved by the order of the commanding officer, officer of the day, or an officer or non-commissioned officer of the guard.
   A trooper, on being posted as a sentinel, should pay strict attention to the instruction he receives, and thoroughly understand what he is to notice.  Sentinels will at all times walk their beat, keep themselves on the alert, observe everything in sight or hearing, and correct any breach of regulations or orders, detain the party, if necessary, call the corporal of the guard, and report it.  In case of disorder, a sentinel calls out "Guard" and the number of his post.  Sentinels are on no account to quit their arms while on post, or to speak to any

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one, except, when their duty may oblige them to.  When in charge of prisoners, they are not allowed to converse with them or permit others to.  Misconduct of prisoners should be promptly reported.  A sentinel who desires to leave his post for any proper reason calls for the corporal of the guard, who will stand guard in his place, or relieve him with another sentinel, according to circumstances.
   A sentinel may be stationed at a post of great danger.  Even under fire, he should remain at his post, if required, at all hazards.  If it costs him his life, he can have no more honorable death.  A sentinel should never allow himself to be captured without firing his gun: although defense may be useless, the alarm given may save an army.
   A sentinel is supposed and required to know the duties laid down in the Articles of War and Army Regulations.  If he neglects them, no plea of ignorance will save him from the terrible penalties herein prescribed.

Outpost and Patrol Duty, &c.

   VEDETTES. - Vedettes are mounted sentinels posted outside all other guards, and next to the enemy.  In daylight they are generally placed on high ground, but so placed as to be concealed from the enemy.

 

OUTPOST AND PATROL DUTY.

   When vedettes are posted in such a manner as to be able to overlook their front and see each other and the ground between them, so as nothing can pass them unperceived, they are placed as they ought to be.
   BY NIGHT. - Vedettes are taken off the hills and placed on the roads, behind fords, bridges, ravines, &c. by which the enemy might approach the guard; and at the bottom of hills, so as more easily to discern, against the sky, objects moving over the top.  In clear moonshine, they ought to be near a tree or bush, to prevent their being seen by the enemy.  In a close country, they should redouble their vigilance; for it may happen that he will approach them unperceived, in spite of all their care.
   BY DAY. - When a vedette discovers any thing suspicious in the direction of the enemy, as, for instance, a rising dust or the glittering of arms, he should move his horse round in a circle, or make any other signal ordered by the officer of the guard, on which the officer should instantly proceed to the vedette, accompanied by a corporal and four men, and if he cannot distinctly discover the cause of the dust, &c. he should send off the men that accompanied him to reconnoitre, or go himself; for if he sees troops, he should be able to report how strong they are, whether cavalry, infantry or artillery, and

 

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particularly, in which direction they are marching. If the vedettes positively observe troops marching towards them, but at a great distance, they ride the circle in a trot. If the enemy's troops approach to within a mile, the vedettes circle at a gallop. If the enemy us so close at hand that the vedettes are obliged to gallop to their guard for their own security, they should first discharge at him both their carbine and pistols.
   Should a deserter approach, the vedette is to make a signal to the sentry of the guard, and a party will be immediately sent to bring him in.
BY NIGHT. - As soon as the vedettes hear a suspicious noise, even though a great distance, such as the rattling of carriages or artillery, the barking of dogs in the villages in front, or if they observe any fire, one of the vedettes must instantly report it to the officer of the grand guard, in order that the circumstances may be inquired into by a patrol.
   Any person approaching the vedette at night must be challenged in a loud tone and made to halt. Should the person refuse to halt, being challenged twice in a loud tone, the vedette is to fire, retiring, if in danger of being overpowered, by the road pointed out to him, &c. Vedettes will not allow a mounted man, nor more than one man at a time to approach nearer than three yards, and

 

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they will keep their cocked pistol directed against him.
   If deserters come from the enemy, the vedettes must order them to halt at some distance, and by no means allow them to come too near. The guard is sent for and advances; the deserters are ordered to approach, one by one, and are immediately disarmed and sent to the rear. Vedettes or enlisted men must hold no conversation with deserters from the enemy.
   FLAGS OF TRUCE. - No person coming from the enemy with a flag of truce must be allowed to advance farther than the chain of vedettes. When they approach, the vedette signals for the officer of the guard, but holds no conversation with the bearer of it; for flags of truce are frequently only pretexts by which the enemy hope to gain information.
   Vedettes should obtain full and explicit instructions from the officer who commands them, and under all circumstances exercise their best judgement: in cases of doubt, err on the side of strictness rather than the reverse.
   Vedettes must not hesitate to shoot deserters or others who pass through the lines towards the enemy without permission. They must not consider this an authority to wantonly kill ignorant, unarmed persons.
   ADVANCED GUARDS. - Advanced guards are

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usually selected from the best-disciplined, coolest and bravest men. They are generally composed of a corporal and two men in advance; two hundred yards in rear, a sergeant, and eight men; five hundred yards in rear, a sergeant, an officer and twenty-four men; and five hundred yards between the officer and the column. The head of an advanced guard is never composed of less than three men. Their duty is as follows. If there is a height in front, the center man of the three trots on until he can look over it and beyond; if one is seen to the right or left of the road, one of the other two must do the same. Near an enemy, this precaution must never be omitted, not even if the hill be two thousand yards distant. Men that go up a hill in this manner (they may belong to an advanced guard or patrol) must proceed with more than ordinary caution, remembering that it is of as much importance not to be seen by as to see the enemy. For this reason, when nearly on top, they should take off their caps and creep up only just far enough to be enabled to look over. If he sees any person, he must act according to the instructions of the officer. There is no service when men should give more cheerful and implicit obedience to the orders of their superiors. The honor of the regiment is involved in the conduct of a few men in the advance

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guard, and the slightest alarm given to the enemy may prevent his being defeated.
   On approaching a village, one of the three goes round it to the right, another to the left, and the third straight through. The non-commissioned officer of the advanced guard quickens his gait, reinforces this last man with three others, of whom one is sent to the right, the other to the left, through the by-streets, while a third, keeping the leading trooper always in sight, follows him through the middle of the village. These men should examine the village thoroughly, and all the paths leading into it. The sergeant, with the rest of the men, follows slowly on, passing through the village. The guards resume the original position.
   If the advanced guard at night should unexpectedly meet the enemy, it has no choice but instantly to attack him. The non-commissioned officer at once disperses his men to the right and left, and fires as much as possible. The officer advances with his division and charges. In no other way can the column gain time for preparation. It is, therefore, an unpardonable fault in an advanced guard to get frightened and fall back on the column. Everything would then be confusion. It would be better to have no advance-guard at all. Should an advanced guard, after a gallant struggle

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with a superior force, be compelled to retire, its retreat must be made on either side of the column; but never on the column, for fear of throwing the latter into confusion.
   On all of these subjects the men should be well instructed beforehand. Every commanding officer of a detached party must consider it as one of his first duties to give his men clear and circumstantial instruction how to act in every case. Unless he do so they will frequently act in a manner contrary to his ideas, even with the best intentions. He should always take the name of every man in the advanced guard, and bring any to punishment who misbehave in any manner, and request the commanding officer to mention all those in orders who display gallantry, courage, &c.
   REAR GUARD. - The object of the rear-guard is to prevent the enemy approaching unperceived. Two men at the extreme rear are sufficient; but them must be picked men.  They should often halt on the heights they are passing, carefully screening themselves from observation while doing so, to see if perchance the enemy is not following.  If the enemy should follow closely with a few men, it may be well for the whole rear-guard to try and drive him off, or form ambuscades and take some prisoners from him.  But, should the rear be attacked, it must

 

OUTPOST AND PATROL DUTY.

instantly be supported by the sergeant's and officer's troop.  Both of these must immediately advance, and do their utmost to prevent the enemy coming too near the column.  If the enemy should follow with a considerable force (say one squadron), without attacking, the rear-guard will follow the column in the manner about to be described.  Halting until the column has got a thousand yards, the officers party trots on to the ordinary distances of five hundred yards, halts, and faces his party to the rear; as soon as the sergeant sees this done, he trots on to within five hundred yards of the officers party, faces his men to the rear; the two men in the rear do the same.  In this way the enemy is kept off, while at the same time an engagement is avoided, and the horses are saved.  Whenever the column halts, the different parties of the rear-guard face to the rear.
     Acting as rear-guard in a retreat in the presence of the enemy is a good test of a soldier's qualities; and those who will act well should be, and generally are, promoted.
   Enlisted men must not be depressed by retrograde movements.  In war, retreating sometimes helps the general success of a campaign more than gaining a battle; and good cavalry always place confidence in the wisdom of their commanders.

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    FLANKERS . - Flankers are bodies of troop thrown out from the sides of columns, to protect them from being harassed on the march.  The duties of flankers are similar to those of advanced and rear guards.
    PATROLS. - Patrols are usually instructed by the officers who send them out; they should have advance, rear-guards and flanks, according to their strength.
    Patrols should move very noiselessly.  Their scabbards should be placed between the leg and the saddle, that they may make no noise; and the rest of the equipment should be so arranged as to prevent the metal parts from rattling against each other.  The horses should move where the roads are soft, so their steps may not be heard.  In Portugal, the French wrapped their horses' feet in sheepskins, and in that way marched over stony roads, near the English pickets, without being heard.
   By day, the men steal along the hedges, walls, fences, shrubs, hollow ways, ravines, &c.  They should disappear in woods, peep through the glades, in short, see every thing, and avoid being seen themselves as much as possible.
   At night they avail themselves of every irregularity, remain on low ground, and avoid hills, lest their forms be seen standing out in relief against

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the sky.  They often stop to listen, and occasionally alight to hearken, with their ear to the ground, whether an enemy be advancing.  Smoking and conversation are absolutely forbidden.
   If the enemy is met, the patrol should, ordinarily, neither fire nor show himself; he should count his numbers and endeavor to find out his intentions.  For further information on this subject, see authorized "Instructions on Outpost Duty," published by the War Department.  Enlisted men must always bear in mind that the officer in command can modify these instructions according to circumstances.