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A35316
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Military instructions for the cavallrie, or, Rules and directions for the service of horse collected out of divers forrein authours, ancient and modern, and rectified and supplied according to the present practice of the Low-Countrey warres.
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Cruso, John, d. 1681.
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1644
(1644)
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Wing C7433; ESTC R23795
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103,386
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72
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Cavallry so as they be not able to stirre without your knowledge It must be also considered that if you go to assail your enemies quarter he may have means to discover your purpose by his scouts or otherwise and so be prepared for you therefore must you have a care to be provided for it by taking good order beforehand and securing your g Nam disciplinae bellicae exemplorum periti nusquam majus periculum imminere testantur quà m in recessu ab hostibus Veg. lib. 3. cap 21. retreat by placing a good number of Infantery or Dragoneers in the midway at some convenient place Going about this exploit in the night as the fittest and safest way every souldier must have some token or signe of a h This kind of service is called a Camisado because the souldiers use to put shirts over their arms to be distinguished by So did the Duke of Alva his souldiers Anno 1571. in the night assail the Prince of Orange his quarter donnant une Camisade Petit. lib. 10. white colour on their casks to distinguish each other by It often falleth out that the enemy having got intelligence of some intention to set upon his quarter keepeth extraordinary guards and is very vigilant in the night but in the day time they all go to rest and are carelesse as fearing no danger at which time many have been so found and defeated CHAP. II. Of giving the charge TO know rightly how to charge the enemy is a matter of great consequence If you meet the enemie marching in the day time and he retreat whereupon you resolve to charge him you are first to send a troop of Harquebusiers to charge him on the rear as followeth The Lieutenant shall first give on with 25 horse charging the enemie upon a full trot or gallop him shall the Captain follow with the rest of that troop These are to be seconded by a company of Cuirassiers as fittest to sustain the enemy if he resist But if the way be narrow the said Cuirassiers shall follow immediately after the first 25 Harquebusiers and then the Captain with the rest of them The other troops shall second these keeping alwayes a hundred paces distance between every company If you meet a troop of the enemies horse your self having also but one troop both of equall number and that it so fall out that the enemy retreat you are to send your Lieutenant with twenty horse to charge him in the rear following him with fifty to the same effect closed as firm as may be the rest must follow at a good distance under a good Corporall which shall not engage himself to fight though the enemy turn head unlesse he see his Captain and Lieutenant in great danger and then he shall couragiously charge the enemy to give time to those of his company to reunite themselves a Milites lectissimos habeat Dux postaciem in subsidus praparatos ut sicubi hostis vehemennùs insâ—ilis nè rumpatur acies provolent subitò suppleant loca additâque virtute minticorum audacrant frangant Hâc dispositione nulla melior invenitur Veg. lib. 3. cap. 17. there being nothing more dangerous in combat then to engage the whole troop at once because if they never so little disorder themselves they cannot reassemble unlesse they have fresh men to sustain the enemy Besides the mere sight of a reserve gives a terrour to the enemy which upon occasion may charge him on the flank And if there be but fifty horse in a troop yet some ten or twelve would be left for a reserve If the troop which retreateth be of sixty horse at least fifteen must be sent with the Lieutenant to charge the enemy so as he be constrained to entertain them to give time to the rest that follow to arrive in grosse and united for by your sending of a smaller number they might save themselves without losse by leaving onely some few to make the retreat CHAP. III. Of embuscadoes IT is an ordinary thing in warre to study how to endamage an enemy and to distract his forces to which purpose all possible means must be used especially when the camps lie near each other The Cavallry must principally be employed to travell and molest the enemy sometime by hindering him from his victuall sometime by endamaging his forragers sometime by sending some troops even up to his camp to take some booty by that means a Boni duces no capertomarte in qâ—o est commâ—ne periculum sed ex occulto sempeâ— auemant ut integris suis quantò possunt holles interimant cerie vâ—l terrerat Veg. lib. 3. cap. 9. to draw him forth and to make him fall upon some embuscadoe disposed beforehand in some fitting place To order your embuscadoes or ambushes as they ought you must first know what number of Cavallry the enemy hath if he have fewer horse then you you may employ all yours attempting to draw out all his and to rout them Or else you may employ some small number by which you may at severall times make some good booty the enemy not daring to issue out of his quarter But if the enemy exceed you in horse it is not convenient for you to make embuscadoes unlesse it be with some few horse for being a small number you may easily retreat but being a grosse it might be entertained by part of the enemies Cavallry presently issuing and those seconded by more whereby you should be hardly able to retreat without disorder and losse b Count Philip of Nassaw anno 1595. intending to set upon Mondragons forragers with 600 horse passed the river Lippe to lay an embuscadoe But being discovered by some of the enemies souldiers or betrayed as Meteren hath it lib. 17. was taken unawares and routed himself and Conut Solâ—us wounded to death many others slain and divers taken prisoners The Romanes were enquisite in laying and discovering of ambushes The good successe of an embuscadoe consisteth chiefly in their not being discovered for which cause they are usually appointed to march in the night or being to march a great way to cause them to passe by those places in the night where the enemy might most likely discover them So proportioning the time as that they might arrive at the place appointed for ambush before day that so they may give time to lay their embuscadoe under favour of the night The said troops arriving long before day they are to be kept firm on the plain and Sentinels are to be placed on every side In the mean time you c Qui superventus insidias subsessas passus est culpam suam non potest excusare quia haec evitare potuit per speculatores idoneos ante cognoscere Veg. lib. 3. cap. 22 must diligently search and discover about the place appointed for your embuscadoe lest there should be any ambush of the enemies then being assured for that you are to lay your embuscadoe before the dawning
horse of service by reason that with them they must go to forrage for want of bidets or nags after their march and presently enter into guard in the armie or quarter without any rest to refresh their horses He is not to suffer the Captains either to make officers or to absent themselves from their companies without his leave and approbation He hath his officers apart and in that which concerneth the Cavallrie neither the Lord Marshall nor Lord Generall himself useth to dispose of any thing without his advice If he passe among the quarters of Cavallrie or Infanterie his trumpets are to sound but not where the Lord Generall lodgeth or where he is in person When he commandeth in the armie in absence of the Lord Generall upon occasion of fight his place is in the battel that he may be able to give order to all He hath usually a companie heretofore of lances to lodge with him and to serve him as his guard having usually six souldiers or more of his companie attending on him u Of Cesar it is said Dubium cautior an audentior Suet. A good Commander should rather look behind him then before him said Sertorius Plutarch in Sertor He should not resolve upon any enterprise unlesse he first consider seriously of all that might happen that so propounding to himself greater difficulties in the action then in effect they be he may prepare remedies surpassing all the said difficulties it being a benefit not to be expressed to be able to x Temeritas praeterquam quòd stulta est etiam infelix Livius 22. foresee with good judgement those things which might succeed in the uncertain and variable accidents of warre Especially he must be y Intentus sis ut neque tuae occasioni desis neque suam hosti des Ibid. ready in execution for suppose a determination never so well grounded yet it may prove vain and hurtfull if it be not executed with requisite promptitude CHAP. III. Of the Lieutenant Generall of horse THe charge of the Lieutenant Generall of the horse hath ever been held of very great importance and therefore must be supplied by a person of great experience and valour one that must be very carefull and diligent because he usually marcheth and lodgeth with the Cavallrie For which cause he ought to be well versed in the opportunitie of the wayes upon occasion of meeting the enemie in marching a Erat Philopoemen praecipua iâ— ducendo agmine locisque â—â—piendis soleâ—tiae atque usus Nec belli tâ—ntum temporibus sed etiam in pâ—ce ad id maximè animum exercuerit Vbi uer quopiam faceret ad difficilâ—m transitu saltum venissâ—t contemplatus ab omni parte loci naturam cùm solus iret secum ipse agitabat animo cùm comitâ—â— haberet ab iuquaerebat si hostis eo loco apparuisset quid si à fronte quid si à latere hoc aut illo quid si à â—â—â—go adoriretur capiendum consilii foret T. Livius dec 4. lib. 5. He must alwayes have his thoughts busied about the motions of the enemie discoursing with himself from what part they might shew themselves with what number of men whether with Infanterie or not in how many houres they might come upon him from their armie or garrison and whether they might present themselves in a place of advantage that so it might be prevented as need should require He must also advisedly choose commodious places for the quarters or lodgings providing good guards causing the highwayes to be scoured or discovered placing men on those passages where the enemie might make head not neglecting to send out rounders and omitting no diligence to secure the quarter in which the Cavallrie findeth it self exposed to greater dangers then can befall it any other way especially being lodged without Infanterie He must also procure to have spies not onely in the enemies armie but also upon their frontiers to penetrate their designes and intentions omitting no inventions which may stand him in stead to avoid inconveniences knowing that diligence is the mother of good fortune b Cui enim tantae poteilaâ—is insignia tribuâ—ntur cujus fidâ—â— atque virtuti possessorum fortunae tutela virium salus militum reipublicae creditur gloria non tantion pro universo exercitu sed etiam pro singulis contubernalibus debet esse solicitus Veg. l. 3. cap. 10. His particular care is to see that the Captains wrong not their souldiers that they keep their companies in good state and well armed and that themselves and their officers do their endeavours and observe good order and discipline Towards the souldiers he must be no lesse affable and ready to heare them willingly in their just complaints and to help them in their necessities then rigorous in punishing He should also himself being free from covetousnesse give order to others to use no c Extortions of divers kinds are punishable with death by the edict of Marshall law published by the States of the united provinces Artic. 41. extortion whereby the countrey is ruined and the souldier made odious to the prejudice of the Prince his service it being evident that too great a liberty of the souldiers produceth nothing but very bad effects Upon divers occasions of sending a good part of the Cavallrie to divers places the charge is given to the Lieutenant Generall not onely of the horse but also of the foot which accompanie them according to the occurrences for which cause he must also know how to command the Infanterie In absence of the Generall the whole weight resteth upon him and to him are the orders sent from the Lord Generall or Lord Marshall and to him as Chief reports are made of all the occurrences of the Cavallrie He may sequester a Captain from his companie upon just cause and demerit but cannot restore him without order from the Generall who first gives notice thereof to the Lord Generall He was wont to have a companie of lances which usually were lodged near his person whereof foure souldiers alwayes attend him When he passeth by the quarters of Cavallrie the trumpets sound but not in the Generalls quarter or where he is When the Generall of horse commandeth the whole armie and therefore takes his place in fight in the battel the Lieutenant Generall placeth himself in the vanguard of the Cavallry where otherwise the Generall useth to be CHAP. IIII. Of the Commissarie Generall THe Commissarie Generall commandeth in the absence of the Lieutenant Generall and therefore must be a man of great experience This charge was first instituted by Don Ferrand de Gonzagua afterward continued by the Duke of Alva and confirmed by the Duke of Parma and so remained He must be vigilant and carefull to appease dissentions which grow among the souldiers as he which dealeth most with them He is to send and distribute the orders and keep a The Romanes were very exact in keeping records and lists