448 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
Officers are to be thoroughly instructed that they are on all occasions, and 
therefore also in action, to consider themselves as the leaders of their 
detachments, and that they should not quit the places assigned them. 
Personal bravery is certainly a virtue, yet it loses none of its value in being 
manifested at the right time and place. A detachment which has lost all its 
officers (and this is usually the result of their exhibiting such blind impe¬ 
tuosity), is generally to be regarded as no longer fit for action. On every 
march of an independent detachment either to front or rear, the prescribed 
military precautions of safety are uniformly to be observed. 
Camp guards when prescribed are always to be mounted, not too many 
of them, but these properly placed; it must also be looked to that they 
fulfil their proper duties. 
Orderlies and officers employed at head-quarters, should when sent on 
messages, confine themselves strictly to the fulfilment of their orders, and 
should then return without delay and report the accomplishment of their 
errand. Should they not do this, but on the contrary take advantage of 
this opportunity to engage in action on their own account, they would by 
such unmilitary behaviour leave their superior in ignorance whether or 
not the order had been delivered, and was in the way of execution. It would 
result as a further consequence, that even in the case of a sufficiently 
numerous staff the superior officers would be left, if the engagement were 
a little protracted, entirely unattended. 
Out-post duty is to be conducted with as few vedettes as possible, on the 
other hand the greatest attention is to be paid to the duties of patrols in 
general, and to those directed towards the front in particular. 
Where cavalry is allotted to infantry outposts, they should not be detailed 
for the stationary duties, but should by preference be employed as patrols. 
Every column marching independently should take with it one or more 
guides , even when marching on the great roads, and although it may be 
possessed of the best maps. 
The saving of men and horses will always form a principal point for the 
attention of commanders even in action. Under this head is to be under¬ 
stood every alleviation which is compatible with strict discipline, as for 
example:— 
(a) More particularly in hot weather, loosening of neck cloths and 
stocks, partial unbuttoning of coats and cloaks, &c. &c. 
(b) During pauses in action the troops should refresh themselves with 
the provisions brought with them, yet without leaving the ranks; smoking 
is to be permitted unconditionally. 
(c) Infantry may as long as they are not themselves firing, lie down 
without breaking the ranks; they are often thereby withdrawn out of sight 
and out of fire. 
(i d ) Cavalry and artillery drivers may dismount, as long as they are not 
themselves under fire. 
When these relaxations are ordered by command from higher authority, 
they appear merely as proofs of the consideration of the superior in command, 
and it will occur to no one to see in them any intermission of discipline; 
