134 
ATTACK AND DEFENCE OF A POSITION 
tunity when lie should (if consonant with the general plan of the 
battle) send forward his own immediate reserves to change the enemy's 
cessation of advance to a retrograde movement, and send word at once 
to the Commander in-Chief, that he may be able to take further 
measures to reap full benefit from the new aspect of affairs. In so 
acting, however, care must be taken, and careful judgment exercised 
not to be deceived by ruses on the part of the enemy. 
In this way will the direct attacks be met. Flank attacks will be 
direct on the flank assailed, and will be met in the same way by the 
troops occupying that flank, and ought moreover to be attacked in 
flank and rear by the troops placed for that purpose, as already pointed 
out. 
The action of the artillery will be that already sketched out, at 
first to force the enemy to deploy and to endeavour to prevent his 
establishing a superiority in artillery fire, and later, to use all its 
efforts to aid its own infantry to ward off the infantry attacks. In 
performing the latter task, its last positions should be such as to 
sweep, if possible with cross fire, all the ground in front of the points 
of attack, and batteries kept in reserve from the beginning for the 
purpose, or withdrawn from the action at an earlier period, should be 
brought up when assault is expected, and should fight to the last, 
regardless of losses or of coming under infantry fire, to co-operate 
with the infantry when the assault is actually delivered. 
The cavalry will watch the flanks so as to give timely notice of 
turning movements. They may also, by excursions into the rear of 
the attacking army, try to create confusion and delay among the 
ammunition and other trains, and any cavalry not so employed, will 
be held in reserve to complete the defeat of repulsed troops, or, at 
critical moments, to sacrifice themselves in desperate charges to gain 
time for expected reinforcements to arrive. 
The engineers will, of course, have their occupation in works for 
the strengthening of the position, and perhaps in laying and working 
telegraphs to and from different parts of the battle field or signal 
stations. 
Finally, with regard to the employment of the reserves. They 
should be kept intact as long as possible for decisive counterstrokes, 
as already touched upon, but yet no important point of the defensive 
line should be permitted to be lost for want of timely aid. A General's 
powers will be shewn in the management of his reserves, so as not to 
be too late in sending reinforcements, while not using them unneces¬ 
sarily early. If an important point in the defensive line should un¬ 
fortunately be captured, strong efforts should be made to re-take it 
before the enemy has time to settle himself in it. Even if the re¬ 
capture is not effected, such a course of action will reduce him to the 
defensive at that point, and the battle may be won elsewhere. Troops 
should, however, not be wasted in costly efforts to re-take positions in 
front of the main line that may have been captured, but whose loss 
does not necessarily endanger the position. 
With respect to the artillery with the reserve, the General must 
