Guard mounting

“ The usual service of mounting guard was still continued, but the citizens, with very few exceptions, were armed only with pikes, and even those were not entrusted to their own care, each delivering up his arms when he retired more exactly than if it were an article of capitulation with a successful enemy. ”

“ For a moment I caught Mount's eye, as he stood like a deeply breathing bull at bay, then swinging the steel manacle which was locked on my right wrist, I beat my way to Mount's side, and faced the thief-taker and his bailiffs.
They rushed us against the fence of the burying-ground, bruising us with their heavy cudgels, and knocking the war-hatchet from Mount's fist. I had my sword out, but could not use it, the manacles on my wrist clogging the guard and confusing me. In the uproar around us I heard cries of: "Death to the highwaymen!" "Kill the rogues!" ”

“ They are thrown out for the purpose of gaining information of the enemy, to protect the main body from surprise, and to hold off the enemy a sufficient length of time for the main body to prepare for action.
“The covering detachment that goes ahead of and protects the march of a marching column is called an ‘advance guard.’ It consists of a series of detachments or groups increasing progressively in strength from head to rear, each being charged with the protection of the group immediately following it from surprise and thus gaining time for the latter to get ready to fight. ”

“ In all guards remember that it is not sufficient to oppose some part of your weapon to your adversary’s. You must meet him, if possible, with what the old masters called the “forte” of your blade, that is, the part from the hilt to the middle of the sword, with which you have naturally more power of resistance than with the lower half of the blade. Of course all guards must be made with the edge of the sword outwards, and make sure that you really feel your enemy’s blade (i.e. make a good clean guard) before attempting to return his attack. ”

“ In some cases it may be necessary to detach a small rear guard, as in the case where a flank guard has been attacked by a comparatively large force of the enemy and has taken up a position to hold them off until the main body can pass the danger point and the flank guard resume its march.
“The general duties of the flank guard are much the same as those of an advance guard; that is, to do everything possible to provide for the uninterrupted progress of the main body. ”

“ The simple cross-guard disappears with the commencement of the second half of the century, and the pas d’ane guard becomes common. The sword-hand now becomes adequately guarded, and you get the counter-guard, which later becomes amplified into one or more branches for encircling the back of the hand, while the quillons more generally assume curved forms and eventually merge into the knuckle-bow or finger-guard; and it was during the second half of the sixteenth century that the rapier hilt became completely developed. ”

“ Field Service Regulations, 1909, speaking of rear guards in mountain warfare, says: “Mountain artillery should usually form part of a rear guard, and machine guns may be usefully employed. The withdrawal of the artillery is usually an encouragement to the enemy to press on, and on such occasions machine guns will often find scope for action....” “If the rear-guard commander considers it impossible to reach camp before nightfall, it will generally be advisable for him to halt and bivouac for the night in the most favourable position for defence.” ”

“ The strength and composition of the rear guard is the next item, and this is regulated by its function of supervision of the retirement of the picquets.
Such being the case, it appears that, in no circumstances, should a large force be detailed as a rear-guard. There is not space in a narrow valley for a strong rear-guard to manœuvre, so that it will merely afford the enemy a good target, without corresponding advantage; besides, the rear-guard can, if necessary, be continually reinforced by incoming picquets. ”

“ On a march, there will always be an advanced and rear guard; the advanced guard of one day becoming the rear guard of the next. On arriving on the ground where the battery is to be parked, the advanced guard will immediately pitch their tent, and post sentinels. When the battery quits its ground, the non-commissioned officer of the guard is responsible that nothing be left behind. ”

“ Thus matters moved along, the noise and fun increasing, until the hour of twelve, at which time the guard were to return to head-quarters, make their report, and be relieved. As the bell tolled forth the hour, they seemed to regain possession of their senses; visions of the guard-house floated across their minds, and they well knew it was their doom unless they immediately departed. But now all was confusion: “Where is my musket?” was the general cry; but no muskets were to be found. ”

“ Although I have been taught to use the hanging guard myself ever since I began to play, I unhesitatingly say that the upright guard is the better one, as enabling a player to save time in the attack. In the hanging guard the knuckles (i.e. the edge) are up and away from the enemy; the wrist must be turned before the edge can be brought into contact with his body, and this takes time, however little. In the upright guard the knuckles (i.e. the edge) are towards your opponent, the arm is ready flexed, everything is in readiness for the blow. ”

“ To place any piece of ordnance on its frame, for the more easy carriage and management of it in firing. Hence to dismount is to take cannon from any serviceable position.
To MOUNT a breach, to run up in a quick, and determined manner to any breach made in a wall, &c.
To MOUNT guard, to do duty in a town of garrison, in a camp, or at out quarters.
To MOUNT, to place on horseback, to furnish with horses; as, twelve thousand men have been well mounted, without any considerable expence to the country. A cavalry regiment may be said to be well or ill mounted ”

“ When the enemy’s dispositions are nearly complete, the rear guard moves off by successive retirements, each party as it falls back covering the retirement of the next by its fire. This action is repeated on the next favourable ground.... A rear guard may also effectually check an enemy by attacking his advanced troops as they emerge from a defile or difficult country. ”

“ Could the remainder carry all that stuff if he told off a strong advance-guard and rear-guard? And, if so, what could a strong advance-guard or rear-guard do in single file if the column were attacked in front or rear? How could he avoid an ambush on either flank by discovering it in time—in country which rendered the use of flank guards utterly impossible? A man could only make his way through that jungle of thorn, scrub, trees, creepers p. 100and undergrowth by the patient and strenuous use of a broad axe and a saw. A strong, determined man might do a mile of it in a day. ”

“ The tall guard stood moveless until the weapon was actually in sight, and then the arm in the blue coat shot out, strong, swift, straight from the shoulder, and the pistol-arm dropped, the weapon fell to the ground, and the man staggered back, to be received in the unwilling arms of the head-waiter, to struggle there for a moment, and then to submit, quite as much to the fire in the young guard's eye as to the strength of his arm. ”

“ But while the distance separating the Rear Guard from the Main Body must be sufficient, it must not be too great, or the enemy may penetrate between it and the Main Body, and not only will the Rear Guard be cut off and liable to destruction but it will cease to protect the Main Body. ”

“ The cavalry and other mounted troops, aided by a strong force of artillery, will meanwhile check the enemy’s advance, and the remainder of the force, with the exception, if possible, of a rear guard in support of the mounted troops, will move as rapidly as possible to the shelter of the rallying position and there reorganise. Steps should be taken immediately to secure any bridges, defiles, or other vital points on the line of retreat at which the enemy’s mounted troops might intercept the force. ”

“ There was considerable divergence of opinion in the cavalry as to the best method to be employed in a mounted attack. As there were no reliable precedents in modern warfare, with its machine guns and quick-firing artillery, brigadiers had been given a free hand to develop the tactics they favoured, subject to the principle that fire support should always be provided if available, and that the line of fire and the direction of the mounted attack should be as nearly as possible at right angles to one another. ”

“ The only parts of a rifle that an enlisted man is permitted to take apart are the bolt mechanism and the magazine mechanism. Learn how to do this from your squad leader, for you must know how in order to keep your rifle clean. Never remove the hand guard or the trigger guard, nor take the sights apart unless you have special permission from a commissioned officer. ”

“ Cavalry skirmishers scout their corps, to prevent the enemy reconnoitring it too closely.
9. When a cavalry rear-guard has to defend, temporarily, a defile, a bridge, or a barricade, a part should dismount, and use their carbines till the rest are safe.
So, a cavalry vanguard, by its fire, dismounted, may prevent the enemy from destroying a bridge.
In these, and in similar cases, the cavalrymen should habitually dismount, in order to render their fire effective; acting and manœuvring as skirmishers. ”

“ This is a Guard, that I find not any proper Name for, though it is sometimes used as very necessary, how ever, as to the holding your Sword in this Guard, keep your Body exactly in the Posture of the Quart-Guard with the strait Point; but joyn your Left-hand to your Sword, about eight or ten Inches from the Hilt, the Blade being held between your formost Finger and Thumb, secure your self within your Sword, as soon as you present it, viz. Present the Point towards your Adversaries Right-thigh, with your Point sloping towards the Ground a little ”

“ And if instead of pushing, he waits for your Thrust to take the Time upon it, you must press close upon him and push strait in Quarte, with the Point low, opposing with the Left hand, in order to throw off his Sword, or push at his Arm, of which you are in Reach, though he is not in Measure of your Body.
These Sorts of Guards are not so much practised, with Sword in Hand, as the middling Guard, People being more careful of parrying with the Sword, and a Man is in much better Condition to parry from the middling Guard than from any other. ”

“ The Bazingers on the flanks were well provided with buglers, in order to give timely warning of an alarm. The rear guard I made stronger than the flank guards because the Arabs generally attack from the rear, and I considered that in case of a flank attack I should have ample time to reinforce from the main body in case of necessity. The rear guard had, of course, the most troublesome duty to perform, as they had to look after any camels that broke down, and keep a careful lookout for men who fell out or attempted to desert ”

“ The formation of the advance guard must be such that the enemy will be met first by a patrol, then in turn by one or more larger detachments, each capable of holding the enemy until the next in rear has time to deploy before coming under effective fire. ”

“ Troop stable guards will not be used except in the field, or when it is impracticable to guard the stables by sentinels from the main guard.
311. Troop stable guards will be under the immediate control of their respective troop commanders; they will be posted in each cavalry stable or near the picket line, and will consist of not less than one noncommissioned officer and three privates.
Stable guards are for the protection of the horses, stables, forage, equipments, and public property generally. They will, in addition, enforce the special regulations in regard to stables, horses, and parks. ”

“ Bill Smiler mounted guard on the spring at two o'clock of a warm and windless afternoon. His bayonet was fixed and a cartridge lay in the breech of his rifle. He stood and regarded the spring, his mind busy with the wording of his duty, as passed over to him by the old guard.
"Challenge anyone approaching the spring, and shoot anyone who approaches to within a yard of the spring in disregard of your second challenge and your threat to fire, and shoot to kill!"
Bill mumbled the words over several times, memorised them, and considered them. "Shoot to kill!" ”

“ The Guardsmen spur into the midst of the rout, and their fast-falling swords work a terrible revenge. Some of the boldest of the Southrons retreat into the woods, and continue a murderous fire from behind trees and thickets. Seven Guard horses fall upon a space not more that twenty feet square. ”

“ In camp, I drew a beautiful musket, new, clean, undented, with a curled walnut stock, and my mechanical experience enabled me to make it the handsomest gun in the corps. At guard mount it was the adjutant's duty to select three cadets having the cleanest uniforms and rifles for the "color guard." When the corps stacked muskets at dress parade in the morning, these three color guards walked post in front of these rifles for two hours only, after which they were given freedom for the day. ”

“ These things depend upon whether the mobility of a mounted man is regarded as secondary to his function as a rifleman, or whether his weapon be merely adapted to his mobility. In other words, are mounted men wanted for their riding or their shooting? The arming of our cavalry with rifles, and certain modifications in its training, together with the formation of corps of mounted infantry, show that those who held the ear of the Secretary of State for War a few years ago pinned their faith to the superior value of shooting, and regarded mobility in a mounted man only as a means to an end. ”