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  INSTRUCTIONS

  FOR OFFICERS AND NON-COMMISSIONED
  OFFICERS OF CAVALRY,

  ON

  OUTPOST DUTY;

  BY

  LIEUT.-COLONEL VON ARENTSCHILDT,
  First Hussars King's German Legion:

  WITH

  AN ABRIDGMENT OF THEM

  BY

  LIEUT.-COLONEL THE HON. F. PONSONBY,
  Twelfth Light Dragoons.


  J.W. RANDOLPH:
  121 MAIN STREET, RICHMOND, VA.
  1861.




  THIS
  VALUABLE DIGEST
  OF
  INSTRUCTIONS FOR OFFICERS AND NON-COMMISSIONED
  OFFICERS OF CAVALRY ON OUTPOST DUTY,

  IS REPRINTED FROM THE LONDON EDITION
  BY ORDER OF
  BRIG'R GENERAL PHILIP ST. GEO. COCKE,

  WHILST COMMANDING POTOMAC MILITARY DEPARTMENT
  OF VIRGINIA,
  AND DEDICATED BY HIM TO

  CAPTAIN LAY AND HIS "POWHATAN TROOP"
  OF CAVALRY.

         *       *       *       *       *

  THIS DIGEST IS EARNESTLY COMMENDED TO THE ATTENTION
  OF THE OFFICERS AND NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
  OF CAVALRY OF VIRGINIA, AND OF THE
  CONFEDERATE STATES.




  OUTPOST DUTY.


  I.

  INSTRUCTIONS FOR OFFICERS AND NON-COMMISSIONED
  OFFICERS:

  BY LIEUT.-COLONEL VON ARENTSCHILDT.


  II.

  AN ABRIDGMENT OF THE SAME:

  BY LIEUTENANT-COLONEL THE HON. F. PONSONBY.




  LIEUTENANT-COLONEL VON ARENTSCHILDT'S
  INSTRUCTIONS ON
  OUTPOST DUTY.




 INSTRUCTIONS FOR OFFICERS AND NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ON OUTPOST
 DUTY.


 I. ON THE CONDUCT TO BE HELD BY AN OFFICER, OR NON-COMMISSIONED
 OFFICER, ON PICQUET.


 SECTION I. PARADING THE PICQUET.

 The Commanding Officer of a Picquet, as soon as the same has been
 given up to him, should take care to have the names of his men written
 down, as well as the Regiment and Troop they belong to; inspect their
 ammunition and fire arms; and order them to load. He likewise should
 inquire if the men are provided with provisions and forage, and in
 case they are not, it must be reported to the Regiment, in order that
 supplies may be sent after them. Inquiries are likewise to be made
 where the reports are to be sent to.


 SECTION II.

 MARCHING FOR HIS DESTINATION.

 On the march to the spot where the Picquet is to be placed, the
 Officer must pay great attention in examining the country, and
 particularly observe the places where he would make a stand in case
 the Picquet should be attacked by the Enemy: for instance, behind a
 bridge, a ravine, between bogs, &c., in order to keep off the enemy as
 long as possible. This is of the utmost importance to give the Corps
 time to turn out. The Commander of a Picquet who retires with his
 men at full speed, and the Enemy at his heels, deserves the severest
 punishment; he must retire as slow as possible, and constantly
 skirmish.


 SECTION III.

 IF NO PICQUET WAS ON THE SPOT BEFORE.


 _By Day._

 Being arrived at the spot chosen by himself, or pointed out to him,
 he forms his Picquet, and takes out as many men as he thinks he has
 occasion for as Videttes. To fix upon the number of Videttes, is
 much facilitated by riding on the top of a hill, and observing the
 number of roads and hills in front. With these Videttes he goes on,
 and places them in such a manner that every one of them is able to
 see individually what is coming towards the Picquet, as well as the
 neighbouring Videttes. The remainder of the Picquet dismounts in the
 mean time, with the exception of one Sentry, who is to be placed a
 little in advance. The bridles are not to be taken off. In placing
 the Videttes the Officer will have acquired a sufficient knowledge of
 the country to be able to judge whether any of them are superfluous,
 (which is much to be avoided, as men and horses are unnecessarily
 fatigued by it,) or whether there ought to be more. Two-thirds of
 the Picquet now unbridle: it is to be recollected that the whole of
 a Picquet should never unbridle. The Officer then reconnoitres the
 country. Every one ambitious to do his duty well will make a little
 sketch, in which the following are to be marked;

  1. Roads; 2. Rivers; 3. Bridges and Fords; 4. Morasses, cavities,
  hollow roads, and mountains; 5. Wood; 6. Towns, Villages and their
  distances.

 If the Officer does not acquire such an exact knowledge of the
 country, he cannot be responsible for the security of his Picquet, and
 of the corps to which he belongs.

 By this time he will have had opportunity to fix upon the spot where
 his Picquet and Videttes ought to be placed at night.


 _By Night._

 It is impossible to lay down any fixed, principles on this subject;
 but the general rules are, to advance the Picquet at least two or
 three English miles in front of the main body: to place it behind a
 bridge, ravine, wood, or bog through which the road passes, in order
 to be enabled to make a stand immediately on being attacked, and to
 place Videttes in front and flanks. Small Patrols of two or three men
 in front, and flanks at half an hour's interval, and constantly kept
 in motion, will give perfect security, particularly if one of the
 men sometimes dismounts, and listens with his ear on the ground: he
 will hear the march of troops at a great distance. This precaution is
 indispensable in stormy weather. Upon coming by night to a new spot,
 particularly in a mountainous or woody country, small Patrols must be
 pushed forward immediately in all the roads, &c., to secure in the
 first instance the placing of Videttes, &c., &c.

 If the enemy is near, no fire is to be lighted, and the spot where the
 Picquet stands should be changed very often; one-half of the Picquet
 should be mounted, the other stand with the bridles in their hands.


 SECTION IV.

 RELIEVING ANOTHER PICQUET.

 Great part of what is said in sections I. and II. is likewise to be
 applied here. As soon as the Officer is arrived at the Picquet that
 is to be relieved, he forms at its left flank, or behind it, as the
 nature of the ground requires, draws out a non-commissioned officer,
 and as many Videttes as he has to relieve, (the remainder dismounts,)
 and proceeds with the Officer commanding the old Picquet and his own
 non-commissioned Officer to relieve the Videttes. The Officers should
 be very particular in delivering the detail of their duties, and the
 following is to be observed on such occasions.

 1. All written orders or instructions must be delivered, and the
 verbal orders written down and signed by the Officer who is relieved.

 2. The outlines of the sketch belonging to the Officer commanding the
 old Picquet are to be copied and filled up afterwards--

 3. To whom the reports are to be sent.

 4. Where the Picquets on the flanks are stationed; what roads lead to
 them; how often Patrols are exchanged between them in the night. In
 case the roads to them are little known, or difficult to be found, the
 Non-commissioned Officer of the old Picquet must show them to that of
 the new one, who takes another man with him.

 5. Inquiries must be made as to the knowledge the Officer has of the
 enemy, particularly where he patrols to; whether he thinks that the
 Picquet has been well posted, at night as well as in the day, or
 whether improvements can be made. If such an improvement is found to
 be necessary by placing one or two more Videttes, they ought to be
 posted immediately, but the same is to be reported without delay.

 At the relief