REPORT OF CAPT. GEORGE B. M'CLELLAN. 299 



at remarkable points on the road, (such as towns, rivers, &c.,) and his arrival at halting places 

 and camps. 



§ 101. Upon occupying any town, the commander of the advanced guard should take every 

 means to obtain information as to military movements ; for this purpose, he should at once 

 seize the archives and papers of the authorities of the place, and also the letters and papers in 

 the post office. 



§ 102. Upon receiving from the advanced parties or patrols any intelligence, especially if it 

 concerns the movements of the enemy, he should endeavor to verify it in person, or by means of 

 reliable officers, and then make his own report positively and distinctly, so that no unfounded 

 or exaggerated report may unnecessarily alarm the main body, and arrest its march. The 

 nearer he is to the enemy, the more fi'equently should he send reports to the commander-in- 

 chief. 



§ 103. These reports are made either verbally through aides, or in pencil. The time and 

 place whence the report is sent should be noted on the paper. The greatest attention should 

 always be paid to giving the correct names of towns, villages, streams, &c. 



§ 104. Reports should be written with the greatest care and attention, for upon the comparison 

 of reports the movements of the main body must depend. The most important qualities of 

 reports are clearness, perspicuity, precision, and reliability. They should contain only what 

 the sender has seen himself, or properly inquired into. Everything which he could not examine 

 himself ought to be stated separately, with the degree of confidence to be reposed in the source 

 v.'nence it was derived. 



§ 105. When sending a verbal report, the commander of the advanced guard must satisfy 

 himself not only that the bearer can repeat it word for word, but that he comprehends its pre- 

 cise meaning. If possible, it is best to send with all such despatches some of those who were 

 ocular witnesses of the subject of the re^jort. If the report is important, and there is danger of 

 the bearer being captured, it is best to send a duplicate after the lapse of a short interval. It is 

 useful to number all reports, for should one be captured or arrive before another sent previously, 

 the series of numbers enables this to be detected. These remarks apply not only to the reports 

 sent by the commander of the advanced guard, but, in general, to all reports sent in time of 

 war. The adoption of a simjile cipher will often be of advantage. 



§ 106. The commander of the advanced guard attends to the repairs of the road, bridges, 

 causeways, &c. If the repairs are heavy, and exceed the means at his disposal, he promptly 

 informs the commander-in-chief. 



§ 107. When the commander of the advanced guard is informed of the appearance of the 

 enemy, he at once takes the measures rendered proper by the object of the march and the orders 

 he has received : i. e. — 



1. He takes up a position in order to keep the enemy in check until the arrival of the main 

 body ; or 



2. Marches to meet and attack the enemy ; or, finally, 



3. Falls back upon the main body, endeavoring to delay the enemy as long as possible, so as 

 to give the main body time to form and change from the order of march to that of battle. 



§ 108. For camps, the commander of the advanced guard selects places advantageous for 

 defence, and secure against sudden attack. Entire detachments should not be placed in woods, 

 defiles, towns, or villages, but they should be occupied only by a part of the command, the rest 

 remaining near by. If there are defiles in advance, through which it is intended to march, 

 their debouches should be occupied in force, in order to secure them for our ulterior movements. 



