250 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
traversed in manoeuvring necessitated their taking up fresh quarters nearly 
every day. 
Except on the last day, when the whole division was united for manoeuvres 
against an indicated enemy, u markirter feind the troops were divided 
into bodies of unequal strength, the north detachment and the south 
detachment, and different officers were put in command from day to day 
who manoeuvred against one another, being bound by the strategical plan 
laid down beforehand, but otherwise acting quite independently. 
The first manoeuvre which I witnessed was on the 8th, see p. 256, and 
it proved a very instructive one. General v. Glumer commanded the north 
detachment (which was distinguished by carrying green boughs in their 
helmets) and was opposed to a weaker detachment supposed to have been 
sent out from a corps d ’armee understood to be engaged in blockading 
Saarlouis. This south detachment being inferior in numbers, and having 
no good position was compelled to retreat. Its rear guard was engaged in 
taking up a position at Heusweiler when the general commanding the 
division, v. Barnekow, sent an order to the officer commanding the south 
detachment informing him that the investment corps had retreated, see p. 258, 
and that in consequence his retreat was no longer to be directed on 
Saarbriicken but towards Illingen, at a right angle therefore to the former 
line, and towards the east. Similar information was at the same time given 
to the north detachment. The generals had now to extricate themselves 
as best they could. The result was interesting and instructive, shewing 
the importance of a good eye for country, and of having the habit of 
rapidly and correctly interpreting a map. No sooner had the attacking 
detachment penetrated the village and ascended some heights beyond, than 
it was perceived that the enemy had missed the direct line of retreat, and 
that he had left some commanding ground which was on the direct line of 
retreat entirely unoccupied; the mistake was speedily perceived and a 
struggle took place for the possession of this commanding ground which 
was obviously the key of the position; it was too late however, and the 
heights, though occupied for a moment by the retreating force with artillery 
and a few infantry, had to be abandoned. Then the General Halt was 
sounded, and this very interesting day's manoeuvres were terminated by 
all mounted officers being summoned to hear and take part in the usual 
Kritik , which always takes place at the close of each day, when the general 
who has been quietly riding about making his observations, remarks on 
everything which has come under his notice, and any officers who have 
occasion to do so frankly explain their conduct in any particular instance. 
On this day both detachments bivouacked in the open without any other 
shelter than the low thatched wall, which they quickly put up in a circle of 
about 24 feet diameter round their bivouac fire; as on every other day, 
outposts were thrown out by both sides, these consisted of feldwache } 
replis, and the. pros der Vorposten, or serjeants' pickets, pickets, and a 
main reserve to which some cavalry and artillery were attached. 
The practice of bivouacking gives useful experience; I had never seen 
it done before on a large scale, and doubtless the greater portion of our 
officers are equally inexperienced. The Prussians bivouac in line of close 
columns at small intervals, artillery in rear; the order is too close in their 
own opinion, but it gives great facility of supervision. 
