United States. War Department

“ The successful conduct of a march is one of the surest tests of the ability and good judgment, not only of the commander, but of all subordinate officers as well. Certain general principles and some exact rules are laid down to fit the case of a normal march, but tactical considerations as well as the condition of roads and weather, the necessary forage, water and shelter, sanitation, and other circumstances render a march of any considerable body of mounted troops one requiring the most unremitting attention to details on the part of the commander and his subordinates. ”

“ The troop, platoon, or squad must be formed promptly at the prescribed time—not a minute or even a second late. All must wear the exact uniform prescribed and in the exact manner prescribed. When at attention there must be no gazing about, no raising of hands, no chewing or spitting in ranks. The manual of the rifle, the pistol, the saber, and all movements must be executed absolutely as prescribed. A drill of this kind (p. 013) teaches discipline. A careless, sloppy drill breeds disobedience and insubordination. In other words, discipline simply means efficiency. ”

“ His duty is, first, to understand just what the order requires, and, second, to proceed at once to carry out the order to the best of his ability.
"Officers and men of all ranks and grades are given a certain independence in the execution of the tasks to which they are assigned and are expected to show initiative in meeting the different situations as they arise. Every individual, from the highest commander to the lowest private, must always remember that inaction and neglect of opportunities will warrant more severe censure than an error in the choice of the means." ”

“ Any officer or soldier who misbehaves himself before the enemy, runs away, or shamefully abandons or delivers up any fort, post, camp, guard, or other command which it is his duty to defend, or speaks words inducing others to do the like, or casts away his arms or ammunition, or quits his post or colors to plunder or pillage, or by any means whatsoever occasions false alarms in camp, garrison, or quarters, shall suffer death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct. ”

“ It is a terrible truth that one man who violates any of the great rules of health may be the means of killing many more of his comrades than are killed by the bullets of the enemy.
It is therefore most important that every soldier should learn how to take care of his health when in the field and that he should also insist that his comrades do not violate any of the rules prescribed for this purpose. ”

“ Superiors are forbidden to injure those under their authority by tyrannical or capricious conduct or by abusive language. While maintaining discipline and the thorough and prompt performance of military duty, all officers, in dealing with enlisted men, will bear in mind the absolute necessity of so treating them as to preserve their self-respect. Officers will keep in as close touch as possible with the men under their command and will strive to build up such relations of confidence and sympathy as will insure the free approach of their men to them for counsel and assistance. ”

“ The duties of the outguard are to observe the enemy, to guard the outpost from surprise, and to make a preliminary resistance to the enemy's advance. The strength of the outguard will vary according to its object. When an important road, which at night will afford a line of advance, or a bridge is to be covered, or when several posts are established from an outguard it should be of considerable strength, a section or a platoon. When mere observation and alarm are all that is required four men will suffice. One corporal and seven privates are a good number to use as an outguard ”

“ For an order is but the will of your superior, however it may be expressed. Loyalty means that you are for your organization and its officers and noncommissioned officers—not against them; that you always extend your most earnest and hearty support to those in authority. No soldier is a loyal soldier who is a knocker or a grumbler or a shirker. Just one man of this class in a troop breeds discontent and dissatisfaction among many others. You should, therefore, not only guard against doing such things yourself but should discourage such actions among any of your comrades.
Section 4. Discipline. ”

“ Every part of the rifle must be kept free from rust, dust, and dirt. A dirty or rusty rifle is a sure sign that the soldier does not realize the value of his weapon, and that his training is incomplete. The rifle you are armed with is the most accurate in the world. If it gets dirty or rusty it will deteriorate in its accuracy and working efficiency, and no subsequent care will restore it to its original condition. The most important part of the rifle to keep clean is the bore. If, after firing, the bore is left dirty over night, it will be badly rusted in the morning ”

“ In making an attack the infantry is always supported when possible by its own artillery, which continues to fire over its head until the infantry arrives very close to the enemy's trenches. This fire is helping you a great deal by keeping down the fire of the enemy's infantry and artillery. Therefore, don't think you are being fired into by your own artillery because you hear their shells and shrapnel singing through the air or bursting a short distance in your front, but rather be thankful you are receiving their help up to the very last minute. ”

“ It adds a great deal to the value of a soldier if he knows how to use a map to find his way. If he knows how to make a rough sketch of the country showing the position of roads, streams, woods, railroads, bridges, houses, villages, fields, fences, hills, etc., he has added to his value as a soldier very much, indeed, because a rough sketch of a country will give more and better information at a glance than can be obtained by reading many pages of written description. ”

“ A successful Cavalry march whether in peace or war is one that places the men and horses at the time and place needed in the best possible condition for the service required. Failure of mounted troops to successfully carry out a mission is due as a rule to exhaustion or injuries to the horses rather than to the men.
The training of officers of all grades must be such that solicitude for the condition of horses on the march is second nature; constant effort should be made, however severe the work, to stimulate the pride of the trooper in having and in keeping his mount in fit condition ”

“ No provost marshal or commander of a guard shall refuse to receive or keep any prisoner committed to his charge by an officer belonging to the forces of the United States, provided the officer committing shall, at the time, deliver an account in writing, signed by himself, of the crime or offense charged against the prisoner. Any officer or soldier so refusing shall be punished as a court-martial may direct. ”

“ Generally speaking, about one-half the Infantry of the advance guard should be in the supports. As each support arrives at its position it sends out observation groups, varying in size from four men to a platoon, to watch the country in the direction of the enemy. These groups are called outguards. For convenience they are classified as pickets, sentry squads, and cossack posts, and should be sufficient in number to cover the front of the section occupied by the support and connect with the neighboring supports. The horses of the outguards may be left at the position of the support. ”

“ The instruction of the recruit in the use of cover is continued in combat exercises of the squad and platoon, but he must then be taught that the proper advance of the platoon or troop and the effectiveness of its fire is of greater importance than the question of cover for individuals should the two considerations conflict. He should also be taught that he may not move about or shift his position in the firing line except to get a better view of the target. ”

“ Success with the pistol and saber will be dependent upon that familiarity with their use that can be gained only by daily practice extending over a considerable period. The dismounted instruction already prescribed in connection with the use of the weapons must be supplemented by thorough mounted work at all gaits, when passing obstacles, etc. The trooper must learn to control his horse thoroughly with one hand while carrying and using his weapon in the other; he must learn to handle his weapon mounted with a minimum of danger to himself, his comrades, or his horse. ”

“ In the old days the free men of Europe were all allowed to carry weapons, and when they met each would hold up his right hand to show that he had no weapon in it and that they met as friends. Slaves or serfs, however, were not allowed to carry weapons, and slunk past the free men without making any sign. In this way the salute came to be the symbol or sign by which soldiers (free men) might recognize each other. ”

“ Fire discipline implies, besides an unquestioning habit of obedience to commands, a control of the rifle by the soldier (the result of training) , which will enable him in action to make hits instead of misses. It embraces taking advantage of the ground; proper understanding of orders as to target designation; care in setting the sight and delivery of fire; constant attention to the orders of the leaders, and careful observation of the enemy; an increase of fire when the target is favorable, and a cessation of fire when the enemy disappears; economy of ammunition. ”

“ Any person who in time of war shall be found lurking or acting as a spy in or about any of the fortifications, posts, quarters, or encampments of any of the armies of the United States, or elsewhere, shall be tried by a general court-martial or by a military commission, and shall, on conviction thereof, suffer death. ”

“ Any soldier who, without having first received a regular discharge, again enlists in the Army, or in the militia when in the service of the United States, or in the Navy or Marine Corps of the United States, or in any foreign army, shall be deemed to have deserted the service of the United States, and, where enlistment is in one of the forces of the United States mentioned above, to have fraudulently enlisted therein. ”

“ In training we can not go far wrong or fail to accomplish the best results if we keep before our minds the spirit as well as the wording of paragraph 352 of the Infantry Drill Regulations: "The duties of infantry are many and difficult. All infantry must be fit to cope with all conditions that may arise. Modern war requires but one kind of infantry—good infantry." Cavalry, dismounted, should be as efficient as infantry under all conditions of service. ”

“ With reasonable practice the more essential changes of formation that are executed toward the direction of march can readily be taken by the squad by conforming, without other indication, to the movements of the troopers nearest the leader. As many movements in service must be executed under conditions of noise, dust, etc., that will render it difficult for the commands or signals of the leader to be understood except by those near him, practice, in conforming promptly and intelligently to the movements of the elements nearest the leader is important and must be given careful attention. ”

“ When a platoon is firing, all noncommissioned officers watch every opportunity to make the fire more effective. The section chiefs and corporals should constantly watch the men to see that they do not become excited, fire too hastily or without aim, that their sights are set at the correct range, that they are obviously firing at the designated target, and that they assume steady firing positions and take advantage of cover. ”

“ When intrenching under fire cover is first secured in the lying position, each man scooping but a depression for his body and throwing the earth to the front. In this position no excavation can be conveniently made for the legs, but if time permits the original excavation is enlarged and deepened until it is possible to assume a sitting position, with the legs crossed and the shoulder to the parapet. In such apposition a man presents a smaller target to shrapnel bullets than in the lying trench and can fire more comfortably and with less exposure than in the kneeling trench. ”

“ In order to allow men to regain their wind, or should the fire of the enemy be so effective as to prevent a further advance without reinforcement, advantage may be taken to lie close in cover, or hasty fire trenches may be thrown up in order to allow the line to maintain its position. "To go back under fire is to die." ”