alarm the reserve prepares for action without delay, and word is sent to the main body. In the ensuing combat, if it is impossible to drive off the enemy, the principal endeavor will be to delay him as much as possible.

The supports.

151. After taking out the reserve, the remainder of the infantry of the outpost troops will be divided into supports. These in turn send forward about half their force as pickets or smaller groups.

The number of supports and their positions will vary with the number of troops available, the conditions imposed by the enemy, and the lay of the land, especially of the roads. They will usually be placed on the important roads leading toward the enemy and should occupy good defensive positions, at the same time affording assistance to adjoining supports and forming a suitable part of the general line of resistance.

The position of the line of resistance is generally about 1,000 yards in rear of the line of observation, but the configuration of the ground may require it to be much nearer, or even to coincide with that line. The supports should be placed so as to provide for prompt occupation of the line.

The principal resistance may, under exceptionally favorable circumstances, be made some distance in advance of the line of observation; for example, a low range of hills astride the enemy's line of advance might be occupied by placing sentinels on the crest, and the carefully concealed trenches of the line of resistance near the foot, thus securing a destructive grazing fire. At night the front of such a position should be covered by a far-reaching system of small mounted patrols.

152. A support consisting of one battalion would, with its pickets, form an outpost group covering a front of about 2,500 yards.

The distance of the supports from the reserve, or from the main body when there is no reserve, will be 800 to 1,000 yards-somewhat less in commands smaller than a brigade.

As soon as a support arrives at its designated position it adopts temporary measures of security and remains under arms until the pickets have been established.

The commander of each support should be accurately informed as to the limits of the section in which his responsibility lies. The dividing line between supports should never be placed on a road if it can be avoided.

153. When practicable the commander precedes his support and makes a rapid examination of the surrounding country. As soon as possible he sends out pickets or smaller groups and establishes communication with adjoining supports.

The support then stacks arms and the men may remove their equipments, except cartridge belts.

Cooks' fires should be concealed as much as possible; feeding and watering to be done by sections.

The pickets and the cossack posts or sentry squads of each support will be numbered from right to left.

Mounted orderlies, whether of infantry or cavalry, will not unsaddle, but will mess, water, feed, and shift saddles, one at a time, at the support.

154. The commander of the support, as soon as practicable, makes a more careful reconnaissance of the section assigned to him, rectifies the position of the pickets, gives instructions as to what to do in case of attack, orders construction of trenches and obstacles, selects places for additional posts to be occupied at night or during a fog, and questions subordinate commanders in order to test their grasp of the situation and knowledge of their duties. Upon return from this inspection he will prepare a report to the commander of the outpost, appending a simple sketch showing the position of sentinels, pickets, and support.

All the arrangements should, if possible, be completed before nightfall, so as to give the troops time to become acquainted with the ground and the preparations for defense.

155. A single sentinel will be posted with the support for security. In some cases two sentinels may be placed over the stacks; in very close country it may be necessary to have several posts near by.

Nobody is allowed to leave the support without permission. 156. The commander of the support is responsible for the position of all its parts, for the proper performance of duty, and for communication with adjoining supports. Under dangerous circumstances, or in compliance with orders received, he may require a part or even the whole of the support to remain in ranks; but ordinarily the men of the support stack arms and merely remain in the vicinity of the stacks ready to fall in.

nels and patrols, to report promptly hostile movements and other information relating to the enemy, to prevent unauthorized persons from passing the line of observation, and to drive off small parties of the enemy or to make temporary resistance to larger bodies. Pickets usually consist of complete sections or platoons under command of an officer or a selected noncommissioned officer.

158. The picket proceeds to its assigned position with caution, being preceded by patrols unless other troops are already on the ground.

The commander immediately posts double sentinels in places favorable for observation and sends out patrols to examine the ground in the vicinity. He divides the picket into reliefs and personally makes all details.

A single sentinel is placed over the stacks or in the vicinity. He reports all signals and unusual occurrences. When the picket is under cover a double sentinel may be necessary.

When the sentinels of the line of observation can not be seen from the picket a connecting sentinel will be necessary for purposes of communication.

Any of the sentinels, except of the interior guards, may be placed on high points to increase their range of vision.

The commander of a picket should, as soon as practicable, communicate with adjoining pickets with a view to mutual support, and report his arrangements to the commander of the support.

159. Roads from the direction of the enemy should be commanded by pickets placed on or near them.

The picket should be concealed from view of the enemy, and be in or quite near to a strong defensive position with a good field of fire to the front and flanks.

A picket must not take post in a house or an inclosure with high walls, unless ordered to do so by superiors.

160. The intervals between pickets are very variable, usually from 400 to 800 yards in the daytime. At night and in thick weather additional pickets or sentry squads may be necessary.

The distance of the pickets from the support will, as a rule, be about 600 yards.

161. For every sentinel and for every patrol there must be three reliefs; therefore one-third of the strength of the picket gives the maximum number of men which will be on duty as sentinels or patrols at one time. The picket commander will make the best dispositions he can with the means available. It is of less importance to form a continuous chain of sentinels than to occupy the important points and the roads and trails coming from the enemy's direction, the intermediate territory being watched by patrols.

ling. The groups are, in effect, small pickets. The fatigue of marching the reliefs is saved, there is a more economical use of men, and silence-important at night-is maintained.

When the line of resistance coincides with the line of observation or is so near to it that the supports would not be more than 400 yards distant, the line of sentinels would ordinarily be established without the intermediary of pickets, cossack posts being employed when it is practicable to use single sentinels, and sentry squads when double sentinels are requisite. Patrolling to the front is performed by patrols from the support, but patrolling between the posts and back to the support would be done by small patrols from the groups. The advantages of cossack posts or sentry squads are such that they will generally be used instead of pickets. Prompt reinforcement of threatened points is provided by requiring of the supports the same vigilance that would otherwise be required of the pickets.

Small commands may protect themselves by cossack posts or sentry squads, without pickets, supports or reserves, reinforcement being provided by requiring a portion of the main body to remain on the alert.

The sentinels.

166. Sentinels should be concealed from the enemy when practicable, but their positions must always afford a clear view to the front. Double sentinels must be near enough to each other to be able to communicate easily in the ordinary voice.

Sentinels will ordinarily be on duty two hours out of six. In severe weather or under exceptional conditions they may be relieved hourly or oftener.

167. Skillful selection of the posts of sentinels will increase their field of observation. A high point, under cover, will be of advantage by night as well as by day on account of greater facility of seeing lights and hearing noises.

The double sentinels established by pickets should not be more than 400 yards away.

The interval between double sentinel posts would seldom exceed 400 yards. For single sentinels and in.close country the interval may be as low as 100 yards.

The sentinel posts of each picket will be numbered from right to left, irrespective of the location of their reliefs.

168. Sentinels will remain motionless, except when it is necessary to move for purposes of observation. Reliefs and inspecting officers should approach from the rear and remain under cover if possible.