(d) Forced marches.

258. Forced marches should be resorted to in unavoidable cases only, for they increase the sick list.

When urgency requires that the arrival of troops be hastened, the uninterrupted march of the infantry must be favored as much as possible. They are assigned to the best part of the main roads and their progress must not be impeded by vehicles or mounted men. In large commands and for long distances increase of pace is

seldom of value.

The duration of a forced march can, as a rule, not be prolonged beyond thirty-six hours. In addition to the usual hourly halts several periods of at least three hours are required to enable the troops to eat and sleep.

The maximum for a day's march of infantry and trains may be assumed at 28 to 30 miles; a repetition of this performance on the next day can not be counted upon unless conditions are quite favorable.

259. Cavalry can not only cover short distances at a relatively rapid rate but can also double the length of its usual daily march for several days in case of emergency. A rate of 50 miles in twentyfour hours can be maintained for three or four days. Under favorable conditions a single march of 100 miles can be accomplished in twenty-four to thirty hours.

The manner of making forced marches depends upon the total distance and other circumstances. If the distance be not more than 100 miles the usual hourly halts are made for the first four or five hours; in addition, long halts of two hours are made at the end of the first and second thirds of the march, during which the horses should be unsaddled and permitted to roll and feed or lie down.

If the total distance be about 150 miles, the forced march should commence at a rate of not more than 50 miles per day. For distances greater than 200 miles the marches should be reduced to 40 and even 30 miles per day. As the size of the command increases the difficulties of the problem rapidly become greater and the distances which can daily be covered without injury diminish. The condition of the command upon arrival will depend upon the fitness of horses and men at the start, the distance to be marched, the state of the weather and the roads, but especially upon the good judgment and resourcefulness of the commanding officer.

The results indicated can be accomplished only when the horses are in proper condition at the start. As forced marches are usually

made in emergencies which can not be foreseen, and as time will therefore not be available to harden the horses for the occasion, it should be the constant endeavor of troop commanders to keep the horses, men, and equipment in as good condition as possible for exigencies that may arise.

(e) Night marches.

260. In southern latitudes or in very hot weather it may be desirable to make the whole, or at least a large part, of a march at night. In order to attack an enemy at night, or, as is oftener the case, to place the troops in a favorable position for an attack at dawn, night marches will frequently be resorted to. An emergency may require the beginning of a march at any hour of the night; on the other hand, forced marches may extend into or through the night.

Bright moonlight and good roads present favorable conditions for a night march. A waning moon is of advantage in case of marches beginning very early in the morning. When practically the whole night is utilized for marching the hardships of the troops are materially increased. All officers and noncommissioned officers must make special effort to maintain good order in the column.

It is of the utmost importance that the command remain on the right road and that contact between the units composing the column be not lost. As far as practicable, such arrangements should be made in the afternoon before the march as will assist officers in maintaining the proper direction at night. The best guides available should be secured and assigned to different parts of the column. The rate of marching is reduced, the units are closed up, and company commanders are held responsible that touch with the preceding unit is maintained. At turning points in the road men are left behind to show the new direction. Field musicians may be distributed along the column to insure prompt repetition of signals.

In going through a town special caution is necessary to avoid going astray at the many turns in the streets. The advance guard may cause lights to be placed in the windows or lanterns to be hung out along the route. In wagon trains the lanterns may have to be lit on very dark nights; the drivers may be required to walk to keep them awake. A wagon master or noncommissioned officer, with a lantern, should precede the leading wagon by about 25 yards. On long night marches it will be difficult to keep the men awake; efforts should therefore be made to prevent them from sitting or lying down.

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When the march is to be a secret one additional precautions are necessary. The command will in many cases have to leave the roads and progress will be slow as the troops are obliged to feel their way. Absolute silence must prevail in the column; mouthpieces of bugles are removed and tin cups and other articles of equipment must be wrapped or secured so as to prevent rattling. The men will not be permitted to smoke. Villages and farmhouses should be avoided on account of the warning given by dogs.

(f) Practice marches.

261. The arrangements for a practice march should conform to the conditions it is intended to simulate. Whether it is simply to accustom the soldier to marching, or to instruct him in field duties, he should be required to carry the full field equipment. The means of transportation for the command, the personal baggage for officers, and the tentage should be kept within the prescribed limits.

Marches of instruction are often made by troops proceeding from their garrisons to autumn maneuvers. Familiarity with difficulties of all kinds in a march in time of peace will enable officers and men to overcome them with greater facility in time of war when their authority is enlarged and many restrictions are of necessity eliminated.

(g) Crossing of bridges, fords, swamps, and frozen bodies of water.

262. Before attempting to cross with bodies of troops, careful examination should be made of fords, boggy places, bridges of doubtful character, or of the ice, as the case may be.

Roads leading through swamps or quicksands, or across streams with treacherous bottoms, should have their limits marked by stakes or bushes; or warnings may be placed at the dangerous spots only. At night lanterns should be hung from the stakes and a fire built at the landing or a lantern displayed there.

The crossing of a military bridge must not begin until the engineer officer in charge announces that the bridge is open for use. His instructions as to methods to be pursued must be strictly observed.

Infantry will cross in column of fours or column of twos; cavalry in column of twos; artillery and wagon trains in single file of carriages. Mounted soldiers and men on wagons will dismount, except those on wheel horses; animals are led, with the men on the outside of the column.

Drivers must keep in the middle of the roadway.

Foot troops will march at a quick pace, but without keeping step. An officer at the entrance stops the column at that point as soon as he observes a check on the bridge.

If a horse should fall into the water he is turned loose.

Every unit, as soon as it has passed the bridge, must clear the exit. This is done by taking up a quicker step and turning the heads of units off in different directions as they leave the bridge. Before cavalry and artillery halt to remount they must leave the main road leading from the bridge entirely free for the use of the troops that follow them.

A mounted officer is stationed at the entrance of the bridge to see that the troops take up the proper formation about 100 yards before going on the bridge, and that they follow each other without loss of

time.

263. When practicable, fords should be passed first by infantry, then by artillery and trains, and finally by cavalry.

Shallow fords may be crossed without changing formation except to increase intervals and distances slightly.

When the current is strong and the water deep, the troops should cross on as broad a front as possible, the men marching abreast and holding each other's hands. They should not look at the water, but at the opposite shore.

Fords that are at all difficult will cause much delay to long columns unless the troops can cross at several places. Additional fords should be looked for in spite of denial of their existence by inhabitants. The crossing of many animals and wagons may deepen a ford and render it impassable; new places thus become necessary.

In small commands, or when ample time is available, the men may be required to remove their shoes and lower garments in order to cross streams the bottom of which is of a nature not to injure their feet. In other cases the shoes, without stockings, may be put on again to protect the feet while crossing; the same applies to landings from boats when the beach is covered with sharp stones or shellfish.

The depth of a ford with rapid current should not exceed 4 feet for cavalry, 3 feet for infantry, and 23 feet for artillery and wagons; in sluggish water this may be increased 6 inches for infantry and cavalry, and 3 inches for artillery.

264. Íce about 3 inches thick will bear small groups of men; 4 to 7 inches, cavalry and light guns; 8 to 12 inches, heavy guns. The formation of troops would vary according to the thickness and solidity of the ice.

(h) Crossing of streams on ferries.

265. When an engineer officer is in charge of the means of transfer, his instructions should be followed; in other cases consideration should be shown to the persons operating the ferry and their methods interfered with as little as possible.

The men enter a pontoon or barge singly at the bow, and gradually move toward the stern; larger vessels may be entered in column of twos. They retain the places assigned to them so that the handling of the boat may not be interfered with. In small boats when the water is rough they will be required to sit down; when there is danger they should remove their equipments.

Horses are led onto the ferry one at a time. When there is room for a single row only, they alternate heads and tails; in two rows they face inward.

Guns, caissons, and wagons are loaded by hand; the teams are sent on the same vessel if practicable.

Unloading also is from the bow, in good order, without crowding. Men sitting down should not rise before their turn comes. When rafts are used, special precautions are necessary. The center of the raft is first occupied and then the load uniformly distributed. Unloading is carried out in inverse order, the center of the load being the last to leave.

The crossing of beef cattle on boats or rafts is dangerous on account of uncontrollable crowding. It will in most cases be better to swim them.