8 
GERMAN MANOEUVRES. 
4. —The advanced guard will reconnoitre to the front and left 
flank and will keep in touch with the Zwingenberg detach¬ 
ment, which will march at 8.30 on Unter Schwarzach by 
Neunkirchen. Officer’s patrols will be sent in the direc¬ 
tion of Waibstadt. 
5. —The heavy baggage will remain temporarily at Diedesheim. 
6. —I shall march with the infantry of the advanced guard. 
Distribution of troops : — 
Advanced guard—Commander Major Regenaur, f of a Squad., 
\ Battalion. 
Main body—Distance 500 metres. 
Remainder of 1/113tli Regiment, 1^ Battalions, 1 Battery F. 
(Signed) Yon. Bonin. 
By 2 a.m. the Pioneers with the Pontoon Train were hard at work 
bridging the Neckar at Zwingenberg, the current was very strong, and 
the breadth of the river about 60 yards. Soon after 5 o’clock it was 
ready for the passage of all arms; and having regard to the fact that 
the- work was all done in the dark, and that none of the Pioneers 
except the Unter-offiziers had as much as two years’ service, the per¬ 
formance must be looked upon as a highly creditable one. 
Shortly before 6 a.m. I left Zwingenberg with Major von Lindenan 
and Major von Schwerin, a direct descendant of Frederick the Great’s 
celebrated old Marshal, and proceeded to Eberbach, about 8 miles off 
to see the crossing of the river by the right detachment of the force. 
There is no bridge here and two battalions and two squadrons had to 
be conveyed over as quickly as possible, for although their start was to 
take place two hours before that of the detachments at Zwingenberg 
and Diedesheim, and not only had a bridgeless river to be crossed 
without any bridging materials, but they had a march of over twelve 
kilometres to the place of concentration at Michelbach, while those at 
the latter places had bridges available and about three kilometres less 
distance to perform. 
A number of country boats, some of them large barges, had been 
procured, and the two “ folding boats ” of the Dragoons were ready. 
The horses, about 300 in number, were stripped, a dragoon rode one 
and led another, the men’s legs being bare; about 30 horses at a time 
entered the water and, with very few exceptions, crossed quietly 
enough; by 7.15 a.m. all were over. I asked if the men could swim, 
but was told that nothing was known as to this; for the period of the 
men’s service was much too short, and too much had to be done in it 
to teach them to swim. No one can doubt as to the truth of this 
statement. Down stream, a few yards below the place of crossing, 
ropes were stretched across the stream as a succour to any soldier who 
parted company with his horse. No man however did this. In the 
meantime the rest of the Dragoons, their saddlery, arms and appoint¬ 
ments were being rapidly conveyed across in the two regimental and 
other boats; and further down the infantry, the Jager battalion lead- 
