PREFACE.
The following work was undertaken with the hope of meeting, to some
extent at least, a long-felt want among the volunteers and militia; that
is, a manual, which, besides containing every thing which may be necessary
for mere tactical instruction, should also embrace more or less instruction
on various other subjects of equal importance with tactics; subjects that
few men who have not been regularly trained in the military service, have
much familiarity with. In the regular service the necessity for such a
work is not felt, at least not to the same extent as among the volunteers
and militia, from the fact that the military system being in constant operation,
and each individual, no matter what his present rank may be, having gradually
risen from a low, or perhaps the very lowest grade, has abundant opportunities
for becomming familiar with it in all its details, before he is called
upon for any extensive exercise of his professional knowledge. With the
volunteers and militia, however, where no such process for the acquisition
of important practical knowledge is attainable, the case is very different.
Called suddeny into active service, from the various pursuits of civil
life, all, even the highest in rank and the best informed, meet with difficulties
on every side; what would seem to be comparatively plain and simple to
the old campaigner, must of be more or less obscure to the volunteer or
militia officer, whose opportunities for the attainment of military knowledge
have been limited.
It
is not intended, nor indeed would it be desirable, that the present work
should embrace every thing which is proper to be known by our citizen soldiery;
its aim is, simply to aid the inexperienced so far as to enable them to
become familiar with such principles, and practical details of the military
service,as are absolutely essential to those who would be competent officers.
If it accomplishes this, it will not have been compiled in vain.
The
Introduction, or "Glossary," will, it is hoped, be found useful to the
student of military art or science, and to the reader of military history.
Article I., On
Army Organization, commences with a general account of the four arms of
the service,--Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, and Engineers,-- the duties
of each in the conduct of a campaign, and the proportion they should bear
to each other in an army. The latter part of the Article enters more fully
into the details of the organization of each of the three leading arms,
and closes with a short account of the duties of the various departments
of the staff.
In
Article II., upon Arms and Ammunition, will be found a condensed account
of the various arms and kinds of ammunition used by infantry, cavalry,
and artillery, together with the manner of preparing and using the latter.
From
Article III. to Article XI., inclusive, will be found the tactical portion
of the work; it embraces very full instructions for every kind of Infantry
troops, from the School of the Soldier to that of the Battalion; Cavalry
tactics, from the School of the Trooper to the Instruction of the Regiment;
and Artillery tactics, from the School of the Piece to the Evolutions of
a Battery. The whole will be found to be in strict conformity with the
requirements of the United States service.
Article
XII. embraces directions and forms for the conduct of every form of parade;
the kinds and duties of guards; together with much other matter of a kindred
nature.
In
Article XIII. the duties of captains, and other company officers, in regard
to the internal management, police, and morale of their companies;
together with the proper equipment of officers and men, to secure
efficiency as well as comfort, when in the field, camps, marches, etc.,
are discussed.
Article
XIV. is devoted to the Staff, and embraces such directions for the conduct
of those departments of the staff upon which the efficiency of an army
in the field must mainly depend, as seemed most necessary. In this
Article will also be found directions and forms for the preparation of
the morning reports of Companies, Regiments, Brigades, and Divisions, together
with such forms for requisitions, returns, etc., as are in most frequent
use.
In
Article XV. will be found some account of the various orders of battle,
together with an outline of the manner in which the different kinds of
troops should be handled in action.
Article
XVI. contains
directions for the organization and conduct of Military Courts; and lastly,
the Appendix, containing the Articles of War, presents us with the MilitaryLaw
now
in force.
VIRGINIA MILITARY
INSTITUTE December, 1860.
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