256 MILITARY COMMISSION TO ELTROPE. 



The daily service, manner of performing outpost duty, &c., varies with circumstances, and is 

 regulated in orders by the general of division. For some six months, during the first winter in 

 the Crimea, the horses were kept saddled all day ; in the fall of 1855 there was hut one squadron 

 on outpost duty on the Tchernaya; the horses of the other squadrons were at their picliet ropes, 

 unsaddled. Of the squadron on duty, one-half was in advance of the Tchernaya, saddled and 

 bridled ; it threw out videttes and pickets ; the other half remained in bivouac south of the 

 stream, saddled, but not bridled. The videttes were always double, and relieved every hour, or 

 two hours, according to the weather ; if anything occurred, one vidette rode in to inform the 

 picket, the other remaining at his post to watch. 



In the African chasseurs, the men being old soldiers, less minute attention to details was 

 required from the officers ; for instance, if it was intended to start at 4 in the morning, it was 

 only necessary to announce the fact to the men ; the hour for rising, feeding the horses, break- 

 fasting, &c., need not be specified ; but the men can be trusted to be in the saddle at the hour 

 appointed. 



In order to arrive at the end of a march sooner, and thus give the horses more time to repose, a 

 part of the march is usually made at the trot, not faster than 5 miles an hour ; the horses must 

 be brought to a walk 20 minutes before every halt, and one hour before reaching camp. 



In crossing long and steep slopes, the men dismount ; but they must not dismount and mount 

 very often. 



The march ought not to be greater than from 25 to 31 miles. 



Very full instructions as to the manner of conducting marches, and the general duty in the 

 field, are to be found in the French regulations ; in practice, these regulations are followed as 

 closely as circumstances will permit. 



The cacolets, mentioned when giving the allowance of transportation, are mule litters ; each 

 mule carries two, slung on each side of an ordinary pack saddle ; their frame is of jointed iron, 

 and can be arranged either in the form of a chair for those who are but slightly wounded, or as 

 a couch for more severe cases. They are well worthy of examination for adoption in our own 

 service, in cases where commands move without wagons ; they will be found to be described in the 

 report of another member of the commission. 



TKANSPORTATION OF MEN AND HORSES BY SEA. 



The American vessels, the Great Kepublic and the Monarch of the Seas, were fitted up at 

 Marseilles by the French government as horse transports, and present good examples of the 

 system pursued; the arrangements were the same in both. 



The Great Eepublic is 317' by 53' over all, 30' hold, tonnage, 3,424 ; she has carried 497 

 horses and 500 men at the same time ; 240 horses on each "between decks," the rest on the spar deck. 



A donkey engine, of 8-horse power and 12" stroke, was employed to hoist the horses in and 

 out ; a load of horses taken in, or discharged, at the rate of one horse per minute. 



In one voyage, of 21 days, out of 497 animals, 9 horses and 4 mules were lost ; most of these 

 were sick when brought on board, and suffered much from the heat at Malta. 



Three additional ventilating ports were cut on each side of each deck ; three weeks were 

 occupied in putting up the stalls. 



Th6 Monarch of the Seas is of 2,360 tons burden. 



She carries 300 horses, or 950 soldiers and 28 officers ; loads and discharges, by means of a 

 donkey engine of 8-horse power, at the same rate as the Great Kepublic. The cost of putting 



