232 MANUAL FOR NONCOMMISSIOITED CFPICERS. 



A night march, being slow and fatiguing to horses and men, 

 is seldom undertaken unless as a forced march to seize a 

 position or to surprise an enemy by attacking him at dawn. 

 In a forced march frequently the gait, if the footing is favor- 

 able, and always the number of hours in the saddle, are in- 

 creased. Under favorable conditions a rate of 50 miles in 24 

 hours for three or four days can be maintained. During such 

 a march, in addition to the usual hourly halts, a halt of 2 

 hours is made toward the end of the first half of each day's 

 march, during which bits are removed, horses unsaddled, 

 watered, fed, and their legs hand rubbed ; the rate should be 

 about 5 miles an hour, exclusive of halts. 



Under very favorable conditions a single march of 100 

 miles can be made in from 24 to 30 hours. During a march of 

 this character, in addition to the usual hourly halts, halts of 

 2 hours are made toward the end of the first and second thirds 

 of the march, during which bits are removed, the horses 

 unsaddled, watered, fed, and their legs hand rubbed ; the rate 

 of march should be from 5 to 6 miles an hour, exclusive of 

 halts. 



