Chapter IX: Section X: When the Picquet Is Attacked

_By Day._

The first to be done is to report what is going on, and in a mountainous and woody country at the same time to acquaint the Picquets on the flanks with it. After this the Picquet advances, but in such a manner that it cannot be cut off, and begins to skirmish. It will seldom be practicable or suitable to advance farther than the chain of Videttes. Is the Officer obliged to retire, it must be done as slow as possible, to gain time for the Corps to turn out. If the Commander of the Picquet has previously fixed upon places where to make a stand, as prescribed in Section II., it is now time to make use of them, when he has retired so far. The best way for cavalry to defend a bridge, ravine, or ford, is the following (fig. 2):

When the Picquet has been obliged to retire three or four hundred yards to the bridge, the Officer is to gallop over it with the same, and to post himself in A, as close as possible, with his right flank on it, leaving the passage open. As soon as his skirmishers see that he has taken up his position, and that the passage over the bridge is open, they likewise gallop over it, and face about again in B. The Enemy will certainly halt, and if he pushes on, those in A have only to cut him down as he is not in a state of defence, being obliged to expose his left flank: those in B charge likewise, or fire upon him at eight yards' distance. In this manner the Enemy must halt, and is obliged to retire a little, in order to throw skirmishers in C, to drive away the Picquet by their fire. However, time is gained by this, on which sometimes the honor and welfare of the Corps depend. This consideration only could induce me to be so circumstantial upon this subject.

When the Picquets on the flanks are not attacked at the same time, they can be sometimes of service in acting upon the Enemy's flanks; yet the nature of the ground must not endanger them to be cut off. But however favorable the ground may often be, it appears sometimes surprising to see that the nearest Picquets frequently do not undertake anything on such occasions, and behave exactly as if the whole business did not concern them at all.

In general, it is a rule that the Picquets that are not attacked, retire in a line with those engaged.

_By Night._

It is mentioned in Section VII. that when the Videttes have fired their fire-arms, they must gallop back by the road pointed out to them. It is of the highest importance to instruct the night Videttes, that, in case the Enemy should rapidly attack them, they are not to retire towards the Picquet, but a hundred and fifty yards to the right or left of it, firing constantly in the meantime, and trying by these means to mislead the Enemy, and draw him after them. The Picquet hereby gains time to mount, and to fall in the Enemy's flank and rear, with a great noise, who will certainly suspect to have fallen in an ambush, be puzzled, and perhaps lose some prisoners. Immediately after this attack is made, it will be best to fall back again on the road fixed upon for a retreat. It is therefore necessary to show the men in the day the road which the Videttes are to take, when they are attacked in the night, and likewise whereabout they are to rejoin the Picquet. The other part of the retreat is nearly the same as in the day, with this difference only, that there cannot be skirmishers in front, but only two or three men at the head. It is necessary to fire as much as possible, but wherever a stand can be made, an obstinate defence is desirable. It is unnecessary to remark that a report is to be sent as soon as attacked.

II. ADVANCED GUARD.

_By Day._

Suppose the same consists of one Officer, two Non-commissioned officers, and twenty-four men, the officer commanding tells them off as in fig. 3.

This gives an extension of 1,500 yards, which is sufficient for twenty-four men. If the column is larger, the Advanced Guard is likewise stronger and more extended. A rule is, that the Advanced Guard should take up so much ground, that when it discovers the enemy, the column has sufficient time to form and make dispositions, either for attacking or retiring. The several divisions of the Advanced Guard must always keep their support in sight, and be careful to preserve the same distances. When the column halts, the Advanced Guard does the same, but the three men at the head instantly occupy the neighbouring heights, in case the enemy should be within four or five hundred yards.

If the Advanced Guard comes to a wood which is supposed to be 2,000 yards broad, the Sergeant reinforces the three men at the head with six more, who extend themselves so far to the right and left as to be in line with the first three, that they can see each other, and what is concealed between them, and he follows with the two men left him, the three men in advance on the road. Should the wood be too large, the Officer must send two men to the right, and as many to the left, round it, who are carefully to examine whether they can see the traces of troops marched into the wood, which is to be immediately reported. The column halts until this is ascertained.

Generally only two men march at the heads, but this is wrong; there ought to be three, whose duty is the following: Is a height in front, the centre man of the three trots on until he can look over it; if there is one to the right or left of the road, one of the other two men does the same. Near an enemy this must always be done, supposed even that the hill is 1500 or 2000 yards distance. Men that go on the top of a hill to reconnoitre in this manner, (they may belong to an Advanced Guard or a Patrol,) must proceed more carefully than is generally done. As a great deal depends upon seeing the Enemy, and not to be seen by him, they must, when nearly on the top of the hill, take off the cap, and only go as high as just to be able to look over; this produces the great advantage, that the Commanding Officer may observe the marching Enemy, and make his arrangements accordingly for a retreat, an attack, or an ambuscade. All these advantages are lost when the Enemy discovers us.

Should the march be directed towards a village, one man goes round it to the right, the other to the left, and the third through it, if the situation of the village permits to do so. The Non-Commissioned Officer of the Advanced Guard also trots on until he arrives near the village, and reinforces the men going through it with three more; one of these four men goes to the right, the other to the left, through the bye-roads; two men proceed through the middle of it, at such a distance from each other, that the hindmost always keep in sight the one before him. Should these men in patrolling the village find no inhabitants, they are to look into the windows, ride into the yards, and examine carefully if perhaps the Enemy concealed himself; those going round the village look at the entrances to see if Troops marched into the village. The Sergeant, with his men, follows slowly; when he has passed through the village he collects his men, sends three men again at the head, and reports to his Officer, who has halted behind the village, that the same is patrolled, &c.

It is unnecessary to observe, that these and other precautionary measures are not requisite when the Enemy cannot be expected.

_By Night._

The Advanced Guard is told off as by day, but the distances between the several divisions must not be as large. The Officer's Division is a hundred yards from the column, the Sergeant a hundred from the Officer's, and the head fifty from the Sergeant's party. Between these Divisions, single men are to ride, who can see each other, to prevent the communication being lost.

If an Advanced Guard is unexpectedly attacked during the night, or meets with the Enemy, it has no other choice but instantly to fall upon him. The Non-Commissioned Officer must be instructed to disperse, in such a case, to the right and left, and to fire as much as possible; but the Officer advances rapidly with his Division, and charges. This is the only way to give time to the column to prepare for an attack. It is an unpardonable fault in an Advanced Guard to be frightened, and to retire upon the column, every thing will then be in confusion, and it would have been better, if there had been no Advanced Guard at all; but if it advanced with intrepidity the column has time.

Should the Advanced Guard be obliged, by a superior force, to retire, after having fought bravely, this retreat ought to be made on either side of the Column, but never on the Column, because the latter would be fired upon, and the confusion increased.

On all these subjects the men should be previously well instructed. Every Commanding Officer of a detached party must consider it as one of his first duties to give clear and circumstantial instructions to his men, without which they will frequently act contrary to his ideas, even with the best intention.

III. REAR GUARD

Is told off in separate divisions, the same as an Advance Guard, only in reverse order (fig. 4.)

The object of a Rear Guard is to prevent the enemy's approaching the column unperceived; two men in the Rear are sufficient, but these must be picked men. When the march is undisturbed, they often halt on the heights so as just to be able to look over to the rear, to discover the enemy. When a mountain is near, the Officer will do well to ride on the top of it, and to look about the country with his spy-glass.

If the enemy follows closely with a few men, to see the strength of our column, it is to be tried to lead them into an ambuscade, and to make prisoners, or to drive them off. But in case the Rear is attacked, it is instantly to be supported by the Serjeant's Troop, and this by the Officer's Troop, which both immediately advance for that purpose, in order not to allow the enemy to come too near the Column. The Commanding Officer of the Column will then support him, or give directions to retire slowly. If the enemy follows with a more considerable force, suppose one squadron, _without_ attacking, the Rear Guard will follow the Column in the subsequent manner. When the Column is a thousand yards distant from the Officer's Troop, he trots on to the ordinary distance of five hundred yards, halts, and fronts; as soon as the Serjeant sees that the Officer has fronted, he trots on to five hundred yards' distance from the Officer, and fronts likewise, the two men in the rear trot on to the same distance from the Serjeant's Troop. In this manner the Rear alternately follows the Column, which prevents the enemy from coming too near; at the same time an engagement is avoided, and the horses saved. Whenever the Column halts, the different parties face towards the enemy.

At night, the Rear Guard behaves in the same manner as prescribed for the Advanced Guard; that is to say, the intervals between the several Troops are to be shorter, and a sufficient number of single men placed in them not to lose sight of the Column and each other.

IV. PATROLS.