THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
251 
There is an art even in making a bivouac fire with which all troops 
should be acquainted. The Prussians drive a stake upright into the ground 
where they intend the centre of their fire to be, and then build a pillar or 
mound of earth or sods around the stake about 2J feet high, round this they 
pile the logs of wood. With the straw which is issued to them in bivouac 
they twine a rope with a fringe of long straws (like our straw edging in 
gentlemen's stables), with this and a number of stakes they make a slight 
wall in a circle of about 24 ft. diameter round the fire, and within this 
circle the men lie in some degree protected from wdnd and weather. 
Arms are piled, and knapsacks, &c. laid in rows on the ground where the 
columns would fall in. 
An important point in the Prussian system is the employment of senior 
officers as schied’s ricliter or referees; two of these were always in the 
field, they were distinguished by a white handkerchief, bound round the arm, 
their duty being to prevent collisions between the troops, to determine in 
cases of dispute when one or other of the opposing bodies should yield, or, 
in cases where in actual war one of them would have suffered very severely 
or have been liable to be taken prisoners, to decide, whether it should retire 
from the field altogether, whether it should retire to a certain distance, or 
whether it should be regarded as hors de combat for a given time. At our 
field days, when the force is divided, detachments have sometimes been 
made prisoners, this is humiliating and may lead to quarrels, the Prussian 
system of schied’s richter or referees prevents any difficulty from this 
source. 
During the engagements the expenditure of ammunition was small 
compared to ours; the infantry used 6 to 7 rounds per man per day, 
artillery 10 to 15 rounds per gun, thus economy is ensured and the 
contraction of a wasteful habit on service is avoided. 
On the field orders of importance were frequently sent in writing, an 
orderly being then employed instead of an officer; much trouble is taken to 
ensure success in this respect. 
I noticed that several of the cavalry trumpeters were made available in 
the field as orderlies ; the Divisional General usually caused himself to be 
accompanied by two or three, this was of great advantage when any sound 
of general import had to be given, as three trumpeters blowing together 
could be heard to a great distance. With our troops I have often seen 
one trumpeter made to sound over and over again, and perhaps gallop 
half a mile and sound again before he could be heard, whence delay and 
irritation. 
The advantage to officers and troops of being exercised over new ground 
presenting new forms and features, and cultivated as ordinarily met with in 
campaigning must be very great; a real experience is gained which perhaps 
no other system can give, judgment and coup d 3 ceil are improved, artillery 
and cavalry learn what they can do in heavy ground and the operations 
are regarded by all with enhanced zest and interest. Every officer almost has 
his staff map ; it is constantly in his hand, and he learns to work his way across 
a new country by its aid. On both days when the force I saw acted in two 
detachments, the space of ground worked over was so great, and the roads 
so far intricate, that success or failure depended in great measure on their 
proper appreciation by aid of the map* 
