169. Glittering objects of uniform or equipment should be covered up. It will seldom be necessary to fix bayonets except at night, in a dense fog, or in very close country.

170. General orders for sentinels will embrace the following: They will watch to the front and flanks without intermission and devote special attention to unusual or suspicious occurrences. As soon as they perceive indications of the presence of the enemy they will notify their immediate superiors or the commander of the picket. In case of imminent danger, or when an attack is in progress, they will give the alarm by firing rapidly.

By day, officers, noncommissioned officers and detachments fully recognized as part of the outpost, and officers known to have authority over it will be allowed to pass in or out; all others will be detained and the noncommissioned officer in charge notified, or they will be sent to the examining post if so ordered. Individuals who fail to halt or otherwise obey a sentinel will be fired upon after a second warning, or sooner if they attempt to attack or escape. At night the sentinel will cock his piece as persons approach his post and then challenge and advance them in a clear tone of voice as prescribed in the Manual of Guard Duty; subsequent action will be as indicated in the preceding paragraph.

Deserters will be required to lay down their arms; the commander of the picket will send out a patrol to bring them in. Deserters pursued by the enemy will be ordered to drop their weapons, and the picket will be alarmed. If they fail to obey the order the picket will open fire.

Bearers of flags of truce and their escorts will be halted and required to face outward. They will be blindfolded before being taken to the commander of the picket. No conversation with them is permitted. The commander of the outposts will be notified of their arrival.

A sentinel will not assume a sitting or lying position at night, except when specially authorized or ordered to do so. In the daytime a sentinel will make full use of natural or artificial cover and assume such positions as may be necessary, but without impairing his power of observation. He may carry his weapon at will, with muzzle elevated. The presence of a superior must not be allowed to interfere with observation of the enemy. Patrols touching his post will be informed of what he has seen.

171. The special orders of a sentinel should cover the following points: The number and designation of his own post; the number and position of adjoining posts; the position of the examining post,

the picket and the support, and the best way thereto; the position of advance detachments; where the roads lead to; the names of villages, streams, and prominent features in sight; the countersign, if one is issued.

Detached posts.

172. Detached posts consist of from 3 to 12 men under a noncommissioned officer or an officer, and are detailed for special purposes. Thus, detached posts may be sent out to hold points which are of importance for the outpost cavalry, such as a ford or a junction of roads; or to occupy positions especially favorable for observation, but too far to the front to be included in the line of observation; or to protect the flanks of the outpost position. They may be detached from a picket, a support, or the reserve, according to location. They may also be employed to keep up communication between the main body and the reserve at night and between pickets which are placed far apart.

Special orders will be given to the commander of a detached post by the commanding officer sending him out. The men will be constantly under arms, and no fires will be made. Detached posts should be relieved every six hours, if practicable.

Examining posts.

173. These are double sentinel posts stationed on important roads or at designated points. Their reliefs, and such additional men as may be necessary, are close at hand under cover, the whole being under command of a noncommissioned officer, or of an officer in important cases. Persons not clearly recognized as belonging to our troops will be halted by the sentinels, whether coming in or going out, and will then be examined by the commander, who either allows them to pass or has them conducted to the commander of the picket. Strangers approaching other points of the line are generally passed on to the examining post.

174. Although the employment of examining posts is not general in field operations, their duties being performed sufficiently well by intelligent sentinels and noncommissioned officers, there are many occasions when their use is highly important; for example, when our soldiers do not speak the language of the country or of the enemy, in which case interpreters will be necessary at examining posts; when preparations are being made for a movement and strict scrutiny at the outposts is ordered; at sieges, whether in attack or

defense; or when a force holds the seaports and the enemy can not obtain information or supplies except by passing through the lines. No one except the commander is allowed to speak to persons presenting themselves at the examining post. Prisoners and deserters will be sent to the rear at once under escort.

The commander of the examining post is held to strict compliance with his instructions and should be careful that strangers do not have an opportunity to observe the dispositions of the outpost troops.

Relieving the outpost.

175. Cossack posts and sentry squads should be relieved every six hours-in trying weather every three hours, if practicable. It will be an advantage if the sentinels going on duty at night have become acquainted with the ground by the performance of duty at the same place in the daytime.

Pickets and supports should be relieved every twenty-four hours. The whole outpost should ordinarily be replaced once a day, but it may be kept on duty for two days. All movements should be made quietly and under cover.

The relieving force must be formed in time so that its supports and pickets may replace those on duty at daybreak, this hour being cnosen in order to have the advantage of double strength at the time of special danger.

176. Commanders of the various fractions of the old outpost, from reserve to cossack post, and sentinels on post, turn over their instructions and special orders, written or verbal, with latest information concerning the enemy, and explain the important features of the country. With a similar object the first patrols will, if practicable, be composed of men of both the old and the new outpost. Upon completion of these dispositions the old supports draw in their outlying detachments and return to their reserve, which then joins the main body; or the supports may each return to the main body by the most convenient way, preceded by the reserve.

When relieved by an advance guard, the outpost resumes its place in the main body as the column passes.

Outpost patrols.

177. Outpost patrols are divided into those which operate beyond the lines and those whose duty lies principally within the lines. The former, called reconnoitering patrols, examine the ground in the

direction of the enemy; the latter, called visiting patrols, maintain communication between the parts of the outpost and supervise the performance of duty on the line of observation.

178. The system of patrols should be so arranged as to make exploration continuous. Although scouts and detachments of cavalry will remain in contact with the enemy, or at least be pushed forward to a considerable distance, more detailed exploration by infantry patrols in the foreground must not be neglected. The best results will be obtained only by careful selection of the members of patrols, especially of the leaders.

179. Reconnoitering patrois are composed of at least two men and a skillful leader who, in important cases, should be an officer. The knack of quickly finding one's way in a strange country; indefatigability born of pleasure in the work; presence of mind and shrewdness, which in moments of danger always manage to surmount difficulties, are desirable qualities for duties of this kind. The strength of the patrol varies according to circumstances and may even consist of an entire company or troop.

180. The object of patrols is not to fight, but to obtain information, ascertain the presence of the enemy, or discover his approach. Patrols move cautiously and silently; they halt frequently in order to listen; they make themselves familiar with the ground so as to be able to report on it and, if necessary, to act as guides; they guard against danger of being cut off, sometimes by taking a different return route. They usually go in light marching order. It may be necessary to indicate the time for their return. The rattling of equipments and glittering of metallic parts must be prevented.

181. All patrols, when they cross the line of observation, must communicate to the nearest sentinel the direction in which they are about to advance; on their return they will similarly report what they have seen of the enemy within the nearest sentinel's range of observation.

182. Any ground near the line of observation which might afford cover for bodies of troops, or for scouts or spies, and the entrance to which can not be observed by sentinels, should be frequently searched by patrols.

183. Definite information concerning the enemy should be reported The patrol will not fire unless danger to its members or the command is imminent.

at once.

Pickets on the flank of an outpost position will cause some of their patrols to explore toward the outward flank.

184. Visiting patrols usually consist of a noncommissioned officer and two or three men. They are sent out by the picket every hour

or two to the support, the adjoining pickets, and the sentinels. They examine suspicious points too distant for the sentinel's inspection, relieve sick or wounded sentinels, and take charge of detained persons.

Visiting patrols and reliefs should not expose the position of concealed sentinels by marching in the open.

Cavalry outposts-Outpost cavalry for mixed commands.

185. The distribution and duties of cavalry outposts conform in a general way to what has been prescribed for the outposts of mixed commands. The principal modifications result from the greater mobility of the cavalry and the necessity of providing for proper care of the horses.

186. As cavalry usually covers a wide extent of territory in the performance of its duty, and must, moreover, take advantage of scattered watering facilities and stores of forage, it will seldom be practicable to assemble large bodies in restricted spaces for the night and protect them by continuous lines of outposts. Each camp or bivouac will generally be required to furnish its own outposts, the strength of the latter depending upon circumstances.

187. Proximity of the enemy and hostility of the inhabitants will entail arduous duty in the service of protection; it must, however, be confined to the lowest limit consistent with safety in order to preserve the efficiency of the command.

188. Far-reaching patrols will protect cavalry against surprise by infantry, affording sufficient time to make preparations to meet the attack by dismounted fire, or to recover freedom of action by withdrawing from camp. But a rapid and determined advance of hostile cavalry will suffer but little delay if opposed only by the mounted shock action of weak outposts.

189. When the roads are blocked by a succession of obstacles defended by dismounted men, even superior forces of cavalry may be held in check. By holding villages, bridges, fords, defiles, etc., with their rifles, cavalry outposts will contribute more to the security of the main body than by mounted action.

Mounted engineer troops may be utilized in preparing obstacles and strengthening positions.

190. When cavalry is encamped on a wide front it covers itself by sending forward only outpost squadrons or outpost troops, which act as supports to and are protected by smaller bodies. In the exceptional cases when large bodies of cavalry are closely concentrated. outpost reserves may be added to this formation.