Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	battle_n	left_a	wing_n	1,482	5	9.1514	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48253	The military duties of the officers of cavalry containing the way of exercising the horse according to the practice of this present time : the motions of horse, the function of the several officers, from the chief captain to the brigadeer / written originally in French by the Sieur de la Fontaine, ingineer in ordinary to the most Christain king and translated for the use of those who are desirous to be informed of the art of war as it is practised in France, by A.L.	La Fontaine, sieur de.; Lovell, Archibald.	1678 (1678)	Wing L178; ESTC R32445	50,400	157

interlining if the infantry who have fired have suffered any check the Cavalrie which is at hand may maintain them and give them time to rally The most honourable Post of all is the Van-guard next the main body claims the honour but we must except the Regiment of Guards and the Kings Gend'arms because both are in service and are always put in the second line There is in every line also the honourable Post the old Bodies according to the Order of their Seniority have always the right Wing and the second in seniority is placed on the left and so from rank to rank so that the middle of the line is the lowest Post in honour If we consider the number of men who as we have said compose the Batallions which at most consist of a thousand men apiece and the number of Troopers that make up a Squadron which is at most of two hundred it is evident that though there be but very few Cavalrie in an Army yet the number of Squadrons is double yea and triple the number of Batallions so that for every Batallion in the middle of each of the three lines there will be two or three Squadrons in the Wings of the same line When an Army is drawn up in Batallia they observe five foot of interval interval between each Trooper and three foot between each foot man which is for the front or distance of one file from another but when they come to the shock the files close and the front is lessened almost one half There are left about an hundred paces between the first line and the second and two hundred between the second and third that the Troops if they be broken may have ground to rally on and if less ground were allotted them it would happen that the Troops of one line giving ground would break the Troops of the second as being too near them In every line the Batallions are distant from Batallions and the Squadrons from Squadrons to a distance almost equal to their front so that the front of a Squadron extending about two or three hundred foot the interval between two Squadrons shall be two or three hundered foot more or less and the front of a Batallion being between an hundred and seventy or a hundred and eighty foot the interval between two Batallions shall be within a little equal to their front These intervals are left because the Squadrons and Batallions of the second line are placed just behind the intervals of the first and in the same manner the Bodies of the Rear-guard are placed just behind the intervals that are between the bodies of the main Battel to the end that by these intervals both may more easily advance against the Enemy and that if the first line be broken instead of falling back upon the Troops of the second as must needs happen if the bodies of all the lines made but files it might rally behind its own ground and leave the intervals free for the second line to advance and maintain the other that gave ground If the Army on a march have the Enemy on head and that they march in an open and razed Country they keep together in a posture of fighting The Cavalrie are placed upon the Wings but the Gend'arms come behind the second line the Cannon march at the head of the first line next comes the second backed by the Gend'arms on the same front march the provisions baggage and equipage of Artillery and for the security of these equipages the Rear-guard comes after but if they must come to a fight the Rear-guard advances on head of them and leaves only two or three Squadrons on the rear of the baggage and provisions When the Enemy is on head of an Army in a close Country that is divided by cross ways by Lanes and Ditches covered with wood or beset with Hedges the front of each of the three lines must of necessity be contracted and one body must file off after another In such a Country the Horse and great Cannon are but of little use the Cavalrie being unable to fight there and having frequently need of succour Commonly the march begins by one or two Squadrons a Front then a Batallion or two a Front and so successively according as the passages are more or less open The Cannon Provisions and Baggage march only after the Troops of the second line for the Cannon would be so far from doing any good effect if it were on the Front that it would hinder the march of the Troops in case the Enemy were on head and would attack the first line In such kind of marches there are many skirmishing parties mingled amongst the Baggage to secure them against the Enemy who might cut them off by the advantage of the Woods The infantry hath a particular order for the march of the Baggages for the Baggage of the oldest Regiments march first though these old Regiments were even in the third line When there are two or three narrow Passes the Army marches in two or three Pillars to march in Pillars is when the lines instead of making a large Front make a long File so to march in three Pillars is to march in three long Files If an Army march by Pillars one half of the Cannon is placed in the intervals of the Troops of the Vanguard and the other half in the intervals of the main body There are but very few put in the Pillar of the Rear-guard because it is supposed to be weaker than the other Pillars and less able to defend the Artillery When the Enemy is on the flank in a large and open Country the Army marches likewise in three Pillars the first Pillar that sides to the Enemy shall be composed of the Regiments of the Van-guard the Cannon shall march between that first Pillar and the Enemy the second Pillar shall be made up of the Troops of the main Battel and the third of the body of the Rear-guard so that when the Enemy appears making the three Pillars turn to the right or left according as the Enemy shall appear to the right or left all the Army by that motion will be in order of Battallia and the Cannon on the Front Of a Council of War It is to be supposed that he who Commands an Army is a man endowed with all the good qualities that are necessary to the General of an Army The first thing that a General should do when he has received his Orders from the King written and countersigned by his Secretary of War is to endeavour to follow punctually the same orders that he may the better succeed in them and give no advantage to his Enemies who are jealous of his glory He ought have a Journal Book wherein he shall cause to be inserted by his chief Secretary all the Orders Letters and Answers which he shall have received or given that he may be thereby always in a condition to give his Soveraign an account of his duty

caracol face about to the right By half file face about to the right and left To draw up in Haye By half ranks to the right and left draw up in hay to the front To reduce them again By Caracol to the right and left as ye were By half rank and by Caracol to the right and left draw up in hay to the rear To the front as we were By half rank to the right and left draw up in hay By Caracol to the right and left as ye were By Caracol to the right draw up in hay By Caracol to the left as we were How Horse are to fire Horse must fire by ranks and by files and are to detach by Caracol gaining the hand if possibly they can that is to say using their endeavours to have the enemy on the right hand They should detach at a trot then put on to a gallop and having discharged return to their bringers up It is to be observed likewise that they should detach by the right wing wheeling by Caracol to the left and by that means they will have the Enemy on the right hand The rank may fire by the front and draw off by caracolling to the right and left They may be made to fire by ranks by conversion and alwayes fall back to the bringers up of the squadron Horse may fire by files but in that case the squadron ought to be six or eight in depth making the right wing-file detach by caracolling to the left and having discharged fall back again by the same order to the place from whence they advanced So that Horse may fire in the same manner as Foot How to fight in a retreat To fight in a retreat some small parties backed by greater bodies are sent off and if it be thought convenient that they should discharge then these small parties shall make use of the orders of drawing up in Hay each party firing at the same time and retreating by the help and assistance of the other small parties who ought to second them till afterward obeying the same orders again they come to the assistance of those that seconded them How to make Horse file off On the right wing file off by ranks On the left wing form the squadron File off by ranks on the left wing Form the squadron on the right File off by three files On the left wing form the squadron I think it more convenient to file off by files than by ranks since that three files make a squadron which one rank does not CHAP. II. How Horse are to fight against Horse HE that commands the Squadron must know who they are he is to fight to wit if they be Gend'arms Light-horse Dragoons or Musketeers because the two former of these are to be attacked by the left wing and the others by the right H. A Fight of Horse against Horse We have told you that in fighting ●gainst Dragoons and other Musketeers they must be Attacked on the ●●ght wing which is a considerable ●dvantage being taken seasonably ●or it is getting the hand of those against whom we fight How Horse are to fight against Foot When Cavalrie has a design to At●ack a Battallion of Foot before ●hey come within Musket-shot the Cavalrie must have received their Orders sending off some out-riders who ought to advance streight against ●he Plotons or small Skirmishing bo●ies receiving their fire and vigour●usly to force them in disorder to re●reat towards the Pikes o r towards ●he Center of the Battallion and at ●hat time the Squadron should ad●ance by depth Caracolling and En●aging the Battallion by one of the Angles charging the Pikes and ●assing sidewayes by them and not advancing streight towards them otherwayes out of every Troop there may be three or four detached in a File which ought to advance at a gallop and so soon as they come within Musket-shot charge the Plotons and afterward by Caracol pass by the Front and wings obliging the Battallion to charge to the Horse at the same time the Squadron ought to follow Charging on the angle o● the Battallion setting on the Pikes by the flank and in that manner the Battallion is to be broken It is to be observed that Horse should alwayes have their files closed and not their ranks Foot may likewise be fought in the following order making a double Squadron and when they approach within Musket-shot the squadron i● to be divided by half ranks into fou● Troops and by Caracol to the right and left the two first should pass o● the front and on one of the wings the third ought to Charge streight on the angle or according as occasion requires Attack the Pikes side-wayes whether it be on the front or flank and then the fourth Troop should make good what the third could not It is to be observed that so soon as the Horse are within ten paces of the Battallion they ought to fire and at the same time draw their swords How Foot are to fight against Foot If a Regiment of Foot marching in an Enemies Country find a Regiment of the Enemies in an advantagious Post which hinders their march the Regiment that is to pass must use endeavours to draw the Enemy to an Engagement making as if they intended to retreat that they may allure them out of their Post and having drawn them out into a convenient ground they are to face about to the right and march towards the Enemy in order of Battel and advancing two steps shall let flie their Pistols and return to their ranks then all the Musketeers shall fire three ranks together at the same time drawing their Swords and presenting the Pikes and all the Companies being engaged pell-mell should fight til● the one be overcome and ask Quarters The figure A clearly represents the way of fighting How Squadrons are to be detached and formed at the same time The Horse are to Caracol to the right and left and open the half rank then form the Squadron fifty in Front By Caracols to the right and left open your half Ranks and form the Squadron fifty a breast fronting about to the Rear How Squadrons are to be formed They are to double on the left Wing by three Ranks and on the same Front with the first There are two things to be observed when the Squadron is formed and that the Front is to be changed into any other place whatsoever to do it by Caracols or to do it by Conversion by half-ranks or Quarter-ranks if by Conversion but if by Caracol it is done in a whole body Two Troops that can Squadron themselves together to form their Squadrons in the order of a march if they march in the same Front the first should take the right and the other the left hand and in that order march If they desire to form the Squadron the Troop on the right hand should advance about twenty paces and reduce themselves to three in depth That which holds the left in its

and actions The General knowing into what place he is to carry the War and if it be only to enter into an Enemies Country or to give a diversion to their Forces or if it be in effect to besiege a place force some Posts or to search the Enemy to give him Battel he is to hold a Council upon these several occurrences and shall call to it the chief Officers of Horse Foot and Artillery with the Commissary General of the Provisions to the end that amongst themselves they may determine the several days marches and the places for provision on the way In that council where they treat of the securitie of the Army in going to the place proposed they shall inquire into the nature of the Country to wit if it be commodious for the march of the Cavalrie or more favourable for infantry or if these two bodies may march both together In fine they must there treat of Carriages and the General of the Artillery and Commissary of Provisions shall declare the advantage or inconvenience of the Country for the conduct of the Provisions and Baggage of the Army When the General hath received orders from his Soveraign to depart on a day prefixed or having resolved it in his Council he ought to write to the chief Officers who were not at the Council General Now seeing it is usual that the Enemy entertains always Spies in the Capital Towns and in the place where the General has his abode he is to send his Letters by secret and extraordinary ways so that they who pry into his actions may be deceived He may pretend some indisposition that he may have time to write his Letters He shall begin to send to those who are most remote from him and the place whither he intends to go which will give them occasion to arrive at the place of Rendezvous as soon as they who are very near to whom the General is not to make known his thoughts but when the time is at hand Four or five days before the General is to depart he should cause a report to be spread that he intends to go to a match of Hunting in a place at some considerable distance from the way his Army is to march This or some such like pretext puzles the Spies especially when they see that there is some probability in it The Evening before he is to depart he shall cause notice be given at the receiving of the word that the Forces that are with him shall repair next day to their colours that they may be ready to march according to Orders The Generals of Artillery and the Commissaries of Provision receive the first Orders to the end they may have time to make provisions without hurry or noise and furnish the stores from whence the Army is to receive refreshment and that obliges them to keep their order very secret The Rendezvous of an Army is a certain place which the General hath chosen or is appointed him by Orders from his Prince whither all the Regiments that are to compose his Army ought to be present at the day prefixt to them notwithstanding of the badness of weather The Rendezvous ought to be commodious not only for lodging the Army but also for furnishing it with provisions and all other things necessary and therefore it should always be near some places scituated on Rivers that both Horse and Foot may be furnished with sufficiency of water When the Rendezvous of an Army is made in some Town and that the Army is to stay there but for one night the most commodious way both for the inhabitants and for the Souldiers is to encamp without the Walls of the Town giving permission only to some Horse and Foot to come and buy provisions for themselves and Comrades If the Army be to lie some time at their Rendezvous and that the place is capable to receive them then they may be freely quartered in the Town provided there be water enough both for the inhabitants and Army for otherways they must go quarter elsewhere It is to be observed that when the Army lies in the Field the Quarters are to be placed as near one another as possibly they can that it may not be weakened and though the Rendevous of the Army be distant from the Enemies Country and that there seem to be no fear of danger nevertheless as fast as the Regiments shall arrive at the Rendezvous and enter into their Posts or Lodgings they shall be careful to place their Courts of Guard and advance Sentinels for security of the Camp Of cautions to be taken before an Army be drawn into the Field The General before he draws out into the Field is to agree with the Mareshal de Camp and the Mareshal of Battel about the order of his march That that may be done in the most convenient manner the General should know the force of the Army that he is to Command and likewise of the Enemies It will be no hard matter to know the state of his own for by making a Roll of the number of Regiments of Horse and Foot that compose it and having set down in it the number of the men that are in them and the number of Squadrons and Batallions that they may form he shall know how many men he has to Command and according to that number may proportion the Van guard main Body and the Rear-guard but he ought first by his Spies and Scouts be informed of the convenience or inconvenience of the ways if they be solid and plain that he may carry with him his Artillery if the Country be Mountainous close or open Champian if there be many Woods and Rivers to pass if the ways be cut by Marshes Ditches Canals or other incommodious places if there be many narrow passes if the Enemy may have advantage to attack or surprise by Ambuscades in the narrow passages Finally being well informed of all that may be advantagious to him he shall frame the order of his march that he may depart when he shall think fit Before he draw out into the Fields he ought above all things give orders for raising recruits making Convoys which are two things absolutely necessary for the preservation of an Army that hath a design to march in an Enemies Country The General having caused notice to be given at receiving of the word the Evening before he designs his Army should march that every one should be in readiness to march next day by the break of day the Horse and Foot early in the Morning shall repair to their Standards and Colours which is the place of the gathering together of the several Troops and Companies All the Troops being formed there they shall put themselves upon the march and rank themselves into Squadrons and Batallions that they may afterward draw up in Batallia in the place appointed them by the Mareshal de Camp or his Aids Above all things the Mareshal de Camp ought to be well informed