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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
As long as the cavalry remains inactive, its position should be covered as 
far as possible. 
A cavalry detachment detailed as protection to a battery should place 
itself on its flank and rear under cover, and at such a distance only, that 
when necessary, it may be instantly at hand. 
(c) Batteries Attached to Brigades . 
These should be placed at the commencement of the engagement in 
favourable situations, and except in rare instances, should not be subdivided. 
The battery should change its position as seldom as possible, and only when 
absolutely necessary, for by so doing it relinquishes its advantage of firing 
at known ranges, and during its change of position it is at once powerless 
and defenceless. 
When a brigade battery finds itself at the moment of a cavalry attack in 
a favourable position on the flank of the brigade, it should never leave this 
position (as is laid down also in the Regulations), for by so doing it would 
not only miss the favourable moment of materially damaging the enemy's 
cavalry, but would also run the risk of being surprised whilst on the 
move. 
Should the supposed case actually occur, that is, should the battery 
placed on the flank of a brigade be surprised by an enemy's cavalry, limbers 
and ammunition wagons should be sent to the rear at the gallop while the 
detachments fire case shot as long as possible, and then take refuge under 
the bayonets of the nearest square of infantry, whither also the mounted 
commanders betake themselves; the men of the guns which are furthest off, 
who have not time for this, throw themselves under the gun carriages, in 
order to re-open fire the moment the hostile cavalry retires. 
Horse artillery batteries must trust for their protection to the bravery of 
the cavalry, the able dispositions of its chief, and lastly, to the presence of 
mind and circumspection of the commandant of the battery. 
General Buies for the Commencement of an Engagement. 
Should the' advanced guard of a brigade come in contact with the enemy 
and become engaged with him, the Brigadier should betake himself imme¬ 
diately to the advanced guard, in order to judge of the situation and make 
his plans. The principle should be observed that such engagements should 
be maintained by the troops of the advanced guard alone until the entire 
brigade has marched up to the scene of action. The battery of the brigade 
should however be brought to the front, and should open fire at once. 
Nothing is more prejudicial than the successive bringing forward of single 
battalions for the support of an engagement, since by so doing the perhaps 
weaker but better prepared enemy has the opportunity afforded him of 
beating us in detail. The history of war contains in its pages many a 
deplorable instance of this. 
With a corps d’armee the same rule should be observed, its advanced 
guard maintaining any engagement which has been begun, until the whole 
of the corps d’armee has marched up. As the brigade battery should take 
