by the Vedettes or Court of Guard who hearing the signal may instantly give notice to the Captain and Court of Guard that the Enemies are at hand and by that means he may have time to put himself and men in posture acquaint the Generals with the matter and give the Alarm to the Quarter or the whole Army expecting more certain news In the mean time he shall Command the Quarter-Master with his little Court of Guard to advance to the Posts of the Vedettes or farther if need be that he may view the Enemies and make head against them keeping them in play in some narrow pass to the end all may get on Horseback and put themselves in Arms in the Camp or Quarter The Captain in the mean time shall be with the rest of his Guard on Horseback and in good order not quitting his Post upon any account without the Generals Orders he should stay there until he be attacked by the Enemy against whom he is to make head to stop them and if he can to beat back their charge with the danger of his life and the loss of all his men When a Captain Commands the Cavalrie in a Quarter then he is exempted from mounting the Guard though his Troop be to mount it in turn because many inconveniences might happen if the Captain should be upon the Guard when Orders came from the Generals and that he who was to execute them should not be in the Quarters for the Captain that is on the Guard cannot quit his Post and the Enemy might attack the Quarter upon another side than that of the Court of Guard so that if the Captain who Commanded the Cavalrie were upon the Guard he could not give the necessary Orders in an Alarm of that nature nor in any other accident that might happen but except on that occasion he ought without pretext or excuse mount the Guard as often as his Standard is commanded for that effect If the Captain Command the Cavalrie in a Quarter and have notice of the march of the Enemy and that the quarter be in danger of being attacked he ought to Command all the Horse to mount and draw them up in Battallia without the quarter in some advantagious Post according to the Orders of the Officer General who Commands in the quarter ordering the Troopers to carry with them Forage for their Horses during the time that they are to be in Arms. If that Alarm happen in rainy and tempestuous weather so that the Horse cannot go out and lie in the Fields without great dammage and that the necessitie be not so extream as that they should expose themselves in that manner then the Captain by Orders from the General needs do no more but having caused sound to Boots and Saddle go through all the quarter and send where he cannot go himself Commanding all the Bodies of Horse to keep together in as few Houses and Coverts as they can to the end they may be the more conveniently joined to march out in good order against the Enemy in case of necessitie and in the mean time he shall go the round and send about Officers to keep the men awake He shall send out men towards the Courts of Guard that are without the quarters that he may have exact intelligence of all that happens These are cautions very necessary in a quarter to prevent a surprise Cautions that are to be taken in forceing of a Quarter In all the service of Horse there is no occasion wherein the Captain ought to be so circumspect as in the enterprise of forcing an Enemies Quarter for there is not any from which he can reap greater advantages either for his honour or profit and on the other hand there is no occasion wherein he runs greater risk of ruining his reputation by losing himself and his men and therefore he ought to be a man of much experience good judgment and high resolution otherways he can never well succeed in such enterprises for in War there are none more difficult nor harder to be atchieved And that is the reason that few Captains run the hazard of such undertakings Experience has made always appear that it is more easy to force the Enemies Quarters when they are at a good distance than when they are near because the more the danger is remote the less vigilant are men to avoid it And therefore I say that the most usual cause of a surprise is too much confidence for men are never sooner defeated than when they least apprehend it When a Captain has a design to force a Quarter he ought to be assured of the nature of the Enemies Post with all its circumstances if the avenues be barricado'd or not if the flanks be better barricado'd than the avenues and if there be marshes or other things that hinder an approach in what place is their field of Battel or place of Arms if any River or Brook run through the Quarter or any thing else that divides it but above all things he should be informed by his spies of the number and quality of the Forces that are in the Quarter and of the temper of the Commander if he be a man of experience vigilant and resolute or if he have any contrary qualities to the end that the Captain according to the instructions that he has of these things may take the best measures for accomplishing his design Being well informed of all and having laid down his measures he is to march with all his men in great diligence that he may come up with the Enemies and surprise them a little before day on his march he is to observe the cautions that we have hinted at before that is to say that he is to make sure of good guides and send Out-riders before him until he come near the Quarter he is also to avoid marching by inhabited places or from which he may be discovered or in the night time on the great Rodes but cross the Countrey because some body may discover him or his tract and give speedy notice of it to the Enemy for it often happens that the Enemy having intelligence of the design and march of the contrary party do take so good measures that the Commander of the party with all his men become a prey to those against whom they were marching And therefore the Captain ought to make use of his prudence and consider the inconveniences that may befal him and as he ought to march resolutely and without fear so likewise should he neglect no care and circumspection and therefore he should take the best measures he can to facilitate his retreat by Posting some Horse and Foot Commanded by an Officer in the middle or some part of the way to guard some passage or some advantagious Post When the Captain has laid his design and has all his men mounted if for instance he intend with four hundred Horse to go and attack eight hundred of the Enemies Cavalry and beat
up their Quarters he is to dispose his men in this manner Being come near the Quarter he shall divide them into six Squadrons of sixty Troopers a piece and shall divide the fourty remaining into two Plotons or small parties of twenty a piece under good Commanders and shall give to each of them one or two Trumpeters to the end that when he shall set upon the place by which he hath proposed to himself to enter the Quarter these little bodies with their Trumpets may give the Alarm on all hands some on the right and some on the left and at the places which are strongest and best guarded by that great noise to perswade the Enemies that the Assailants are very numerous and stronger than they and by that means to put them into confusion and hinder them from escapeing or drawing out that they may rally and put themselves in defence And therefore he shall prohibit these little Bodies to enter the Quarter commanding the one to keep on the avenues the others to ride always round the Quarter with prohibition to make Prisoners of any that would come out to save themselves or to rally but on the contrary they are to be ordered to kill all without quarters until they receive new Orders The Captain having so disposed his men an hour before day in the order that we have said and having Commanded them all to put white Paper in their Hats that they may know one another he shall order the little bodies to march without makeing of noise towards the flanks of the quarters and in the mean time he shall march with the six other Squadrons each according to their ranks in good order with great silence and without Out-riders that he may not be so soon perceived nor heard by the Vedettes and so soon as he is discovered he ought instantly without the least hesitation or pause make the first Squadron fall in and beat back the Vedettes with great diligence the other five following close behind and in good order and all if it be possible should be in with the Court of Guard as soon as the Vedettes that they may desperately fall on surprize and force the Court of Guard and enter all together into the quarter and when the Captain is entered with his six Squadrons he shall cause one of them seize the place of arms and in the mean while without losing of time shall cause the other five to advance as far as the extremities of the quarter and to all the sides of it with order to kill and destroy all they meet with and prohibition to make any other Prisoners but the Commander of the quarter if they find him that the Enemies may not mount on Horseback and rally to put themselves in defence and that is to be continued so long till the Captain be absolutely Master of the quarter and that he shall find the Enemies no more in a condition to draw out nor to gather together to make resistance and then he shall make as many of his men as he thinks convenient to alight that they may enter into the Houses make Prisoners take Horses set on fire and force the Houses that are refused to be opened and where the Enemy would make resistance and in the mean he shall keep a body of men moving up and down through the quarter because part of the Enemy may perhaps rally together in some places and all this while the other little bodies shall keep still without the quarter exactly obeying their orders and by this means the Captain may render himself Master of the quarter force the Enemies and bring off a considerable booty When the Army leaves the Field to go into Winter Quarters the King sends as many of the Cavalry as is requisite into the frontier places there to lie in Garison during the Winter by reason of the great advantages that arise therefrom for by that means the Countrey about is preserved the Enemies not daring to make courses and inroads to waste and pillage it without running great risk of being lost By that means the Cavalry have occasion to keep themselves in exercise having daily opportunity of seeing the Enemy making frequent Courses into their Countrey and subsisting at their cost so that the places are in far greater security against the Enemies attempts than if there were no Horse in them There is nothing truer than that the General of the Army during the next Campagn finds a great deal of difference betwixt the Horse that have had their Winter Quarters on the Frontiers and who have kept themselves in Warlike exercise and those that have spent the Winter in idleness and in Quarters remote from an Enemies Countrey When a Captain of Horse is in Garison in a frontier place and that there are other Troops in Garison with his own all which he commands yet he cannot go out with the Cavalrie nor part of them without giving notice to the Governour of the place and receiving his approbation as likewise the Governour cannot dispose of them without acquainting the Captain who Commands them and without his permission But if the Captain be in Garison in any Frontier Town where there is no Governour but that the Magistrates keep the Keys and give the word which happens but seldom though it may happen Then may the Captain dispose absolutely of the Horse without acquainting the Magistrates of the Town or asking their consent and approbation Of the duties of the Horse in a frontier place A Captain being in Garison in a Frontier place ought to keep continually two Troopers in the Governours Court of Guard or in the Court of Guard of the place of Arms who are to be relieved from time to time that these Troopers may be always ready to give him notice so soon as they have any news of the Enemy and of the least Alarm and to bring to him also the Governours Orders with all expedition Moreover the Captain shall appoint daily twenty or five and twenty Troopers for a guard in the place of Arms or near the Gate that looks to the avenues of the Enemies to the end that being always ready to mount on Horseback they may sally out in diligence in case the Enemy does appear or that they send a small body as far as the Gates of the place to make Prisoners or to carry away bootie or cattel which the Enemies do commonly to oblige all the Horse to sally out upon them and to engage them to pursue them in hopes of great booty or rewards from the Prisoners whom they might retake and by that means to draw them into some ambush But if these Troopers of the Guard sally out in time and with diligence they will be sufficient to hinder the Enemies design though they should even come in great number because these twenty five sallying out upon them with diligence under a good Leader may amuse and keep them in play and give leisure to all the Horse that
are in the place to mount and come out that will give time also to all that are abroad to retire and carry off their Cattel And if the place may be surprised by Scalade or otherways the Captain shall appoint the same Court of Guard or part of them to keep all night long without the Gate that looks to the Enemy yet so as they be posted under covert of the half Moon or barrier which covers the Gate commanding them to Scout all night to the right and left two and two or four and four according as it shall be necessary and successively one after another by all the avenues by which the Enemy may come to surprise the place which will be hard to be done if these Troopers do their duty It will be also requisite that these Troopers before any come out of the place go and view the neighbourhood about the place to a quarter of a Leagues distance or more and see if there be no ambush of the Enemy and they be not posted in some place to carry away all that is to come out or enter into the place by such care and diligence the Horse will secure the place from all kinds of surprise Of the duty of a Captain being in Garison in a Frontier Town during the Campagn When it is time to begin the Campagn and when the King sends Orders for the marching of the Troops to their Rendezvous to make up the body of an Army there is always left in the Frontier places a sufficient number of Horse to guard the Gonvoys and those that are to go and come daily from the Army and likewise to be a curb to the Enemies that are in the neighbouring Frontier Garisons If the Captain who remains in Garison in a Frontier place during the Campagn perceive that the Enemy has a neighbouring Frontier Garison stronger in Horse than his own he is to make use of ambushes and courses and to keep the Enemy in fear If in the first courses that he shall make he cause assemble the Troops of the Auxiliary Cavalry of other neighbouring Garisons that are of his party to such a competent number as may fight the Enemies Garison in case they come out upon him and for that end if he shall assign to these Auxiliary Troops a place of rendezvous on the rode with such requisite circumstances as may prevent the mistaking of the place and shall join them with his men at the hour prefixed that so he may effectuate his design without inconvenience If I say he come out two or three times in that manner there is great probability that afterward he may hazard out with his Garison alone for the Enemy's being terrified by his first courses will not easily come out against him believing that he may have the same Forces with him still And if the Captain remain in Garison and have notice given him by faithful spies that the Enemies are to lay an ambush on some great rode to fall upon the Convoys or those of his party that are going to join the Army or are coming from thence and that he be not commanded out for a Guard in that case he may go out in the night time and lay himself in ambush on the way by which the Enemies are to go to put themselves in their usual place of ambush The Captain knowing the Map of the Country may chuse an advantagious Post on the way if he have good guides that know it for in all Rodes there are places which must of necessity be passed over as some narrow passages or between two woods distant from one another two hundred paces or otherways between a Wood and a Village and other such like The Captain should set forth seasonably that he may come in good time to the Post where he is resolved to expect the Enemy and enjoin his Guides not to lead him by places inhabited for the reasons mentioned before and being come to the Post that he intends to possess expecting until the Enemy pass if it be near a Wood he is to have it viewed before he draw near and being assured that there is no body there then he is to approach with his men and shall place his Squadrons at a just distance from one another along the side of the Wood without entering into it facing to the way that the Enemy is to take He shall always keep his men on Horseback in good order and in the mean time place some Out-Vedettes with order that if they see or hear the Enemy coming to retire without being discovered and without noise to their Squadrons haveing first given him an account of what they have heard or seen and with orders also on the other hand that if they be surprised by the Enemies Scouts they advance some steps towards them to view them and having fired upon them fly with all speed and in their flight to pass beyond and fourscore or a hundred paces wide of the Ambuscade that the Enemies Scouts may pursue them who will not fail to follow their Scouts close without perceiving the Ambuscade by reason of the darkness of the night Then the Captain may charge them in the flank as they pass by him or in the rear when they are passed according as he shall judge convenient It is not enough to place Out-Vedettes he must be careful likewise to send off Scouts well mounted with order to halt now and then and even sometimes to alight and lay their ear to the ground to hearken if they hear the march of men giving them also the same order that he gave to the Vedettes if they meet with the Enemies Out-riders and to fly as the Vedettes having made a shew of viewing them and having fired upon them and to pass by the Ambuscade at the forementioned distance that so they may draw the Enemy after them on the same rode and if the Scouts can view the Enemy without being discovered they are to be ordered to return with all speed and without noise that they may give the Captain an account of what they have seen and heard and to the end there happen no inconvenience when the Scouts are upon their return and pass by the Vedettes the Captain shall give both a night-signal whereby the Vedettes may at a distance know that they are the Scouts who are returning back If the Captain Post himself at the entry or coming out of some narrow passage he may use the same circumspection in a manner it is of importance also that if the Captain upon his march or when he is come to his Post hear an extraordinary noise in some Village he detach four or six Troopers whom he knows to be discreet ordering them without noise to go round the Village if it be small to see if they can find any tract of the Enemy and to hearken if they can hear them and when they shall have gone round the Village without knowing the cause of the noise that
has been heard two or three of them to alight giving the rest their Horses to hold and enter softly into the Village that they may hearken if the Enemies by chance or otherways be there to refresh themselves and in all haste bring him back news of what they have seen or heard if the Village be great it will be enough to send some Troopers to the entry of it ordering them to go in with the circumspection abovesaid As to spies the Captain ought to know if they be persons of wit good judgment and faithful for otherways he ought not to trust in them There is nothing of greater importance in an Army than to be able to dive into the designs of the Enemy and to know their Posts their goings and comings for by that means many troublesome rancounters are avoided many surprises both made and prevented and likewise many ways found to do them prejudice For that effect it is necessary to have good and faithful spies whom the Captain should gain by money and rewards that by interest he may engage and win them to expose themselves to all kind of dangers and do what seems even impossible to learn the enterprises of the Enemies and without delay to come and give notice of all The Captain ought to chuse the most dextrous of those whom he knows to have the best conduct and most of fidelity and judgment to employ them as good and faithful spies who dextrously pretending to be weary of his service should go to the Enemy and so order matters that they might be listed amongst the Horse because that being made Troopers they may have better opportunities of giving intelligence whether they be in the Field or Garison But it is likewise necessary to have some in divers Regiments and in divers of the Enemies Garisons who are not acquainted together with whom the Captain should be in terms and condescend on the place whither they should carry their Letters of intelligence as to leave them at the root of some tree or at a certain cross or under some great stone or other places that are remarkable and easy to be found These Spies should be obliged themselves to bring the intelligence of great consequence as the Enemies designs of surprising some place or forcing a Quarter and other like enterprises The Captain may likewise make use of some Souldier disguised into the habit of a Peasant or into some other fashion who speaking the language of the Countrey or of the Enemies may under some pretext go to their Camp or Quarter to view their Posts with all the circumstances and to get information of the actions of the Enemy that he may be able to give notice of the same He may likewise employ Peasants because they are free to go every where being but little suspected and less observed by the Enemies especially in conquered Countreys where they have the liberty to enter into the Enemies Camp and all their places and to travel by night so that they may easily bring news and give good intelligence but above all things he ought to have Spies who insinuate themselves or have access into the quarters of general persons and of the Governours of places that he may more easily have thereby knowledge of the Enemies designs He may also make use of double Spies but they must be such as are very affectionate and faithful to him who that they may gain credit and obtain access to the Quarters of general persons may give them sometimes true intelligence of the marches of those of the contrary party but only in matters of small consequence and at such a time as the Enemy can make no advantage of them The Captain ought also to be upon his Guard against the double Spies of the Enemy And therefore if he intend to march out against his Enemies upon the report that hath been made to him and upon the intelligence that some Spies of whom he is not assured hath brought him he ought to detain the Spies under pretence of shewing them kindness and recompensing them and in the mean time he shall give order to his servants to treat these Spies kindly but withal to have a care that they make not their escape nevertheless the Spies must not have occasion given them to think they are distrusted to the end that if their intelligence be true he may largely recompense them at his return and so oblige them to persist in giving him faithful advices and these Spies being well rewarded will not only rest satisfied but will also for the future expose themselves to every thing being allured by the profit which may likewise draw in others upon hopes of the like rewards If the Captain be advertised by Spies of whose fidelity he is not fully assured that the Enemies are abroad or that he hath some fair opportunity offered him He will do well before he march out of his Garison or Quarter to send out three or four Pietons or Footmen towards the quarter and place designed to him by the Spies who knowing the Countrey shall go an hour before him to some narrow pass or some certain place that he shall tell them wherein he may suspect that the Enemies wait for him in ambush lest that the Spies may have given him false intelligence This circumspection is especially to be taken in a close and covered Country wherein he may be surprised before he can discover the Enemies at a distance and in such places also where the ways are narrow and where his men cannot march but by Files because in such a case if the Pietons have wit they cannot be lost nor be taken by the Enemy and the Captain shall appoint them a place where they may meet him to inform him of what they have learnt When he is upon a march against the Enemy he ought likewise to Command his Troops to have a care of their Arms and to keep them in a condition of doing service These are the principal Maximes that a gallant Captain ought to observe in his charge of Horse let us now proceed to the duties of the Serjeant Major CHAP. V. Of the charge of a Serjeant Major THE charge of Serjeant-Major ought to be possessed by an old Officer of Foot a man of middle age of virtue and good example and most affectionate to the service of the King consummated in the experience of War and especially in the conduct of infantry The Major is a Demi-Governour and though of himself he hath no Command over the Troops yet it is his duty to watch over all that concerns his Majesties Interests He carries about the Governours Orders and all the Officers are obliged to receive and obey them as if they had been given by the Governour himself for he is as it were the Kings Proctor General in the matter of War and in that his Office is gentile and of importance but of great fatigue If he be Major of a Town or Citadel he ought every Morning
of the condition of the Country through which the Army is to march instructing himself by the general and particular Maps of the Country and also by the relation of Peasants He shall then draw up his Troops in Batallia according as he shall judge convenient or as the General hath ordered him If it be to march in a plain and open Country convenient for the Cavalrie Artillery and the Carriages then he may extend the Wings of his Army and march in this manner He shall divide the whole Army into three bodies that in the middle shall be two thirds of all the Foot tanked in gross and by Batallions of two Regiments a piece upon the flanks of that infanterie the greater pieces of Artillery shall be placed accompanied by some Batallion of Foot At the right and left Wing of that middle-line shall be the Cavalrie disposed into Squadrons each Squadron consisting of two Cornets The rest of the infantery marching in little bodies shall close in between them and the Horse the Baggage and Ammunition of the Army with some Field pieces as we have said in the proper place When an Army marches in a streight Country on a rode way no accidents give it greater umbrage than to be obliged to march through long and narrow passes When the ways lie between Hills the General is to send out Riders to post themselves on the way that they may discover even to the lowest places if the Enemy be not entrenched there observing the nature of the plains and always asking news of the Enemies march If the way be covered with Trees two or three days before the Army come there Carpenters and Pioneers must be sent before with a Guard of Horse to defend them whilst they are cutting down the Trees and enlarging the ways that they make space for the Army to march by Pillars At first there must advance a Squadron of Horse and then a gross body which is to be backed by Foot then the Artillery shall follow mingled with some Batallion of Foot and afterward the rest of the Army which is to be brought up by the rest of the Cavalrie but if the Country be incommodious and that neither Waggons nor Artillery can be brought through it the ways stretching along Mountains little Hills Valleys navigable and un navigable Rivers and other difficult places and that nevertheless there is a necessity of Cannon in such a case the General drawing a little aside out of the way shall cause the Fords and ways to be sounded and tried he shall always send out some to get intelligence of the Enemies and when he is well informed of the ways and that he hath made some of them fit for the passage of Cannon he is to divide his Army into two Bodies and shall make one of them march in file and afterward the Artillery which is to be followed by the second body or Rear-guard If the War be to be carried into the Enemies Country and that there be a necessity of passing through some one of his Provinces whether it be to lay down a Siege or to bring relief to some place that is to be protected then either the Enemy has been already defeated in open Battel or keeps the Field to bring succours into the place besieged or to hinder relief from being brought to the Camp of the Besiegers On all these various occasions whether the Army Camp in the Field or in a Village the General is to have special care that the Commissary General of Provisions and the Treasurers of War behave themselves with the fidelity that their charge requires especially as to the matter of Provisions which ought incessantly be provided either by Victuallers or Convoys If the Enemy hath been beaten and that they are not in condition to make a body of an Army then the General may order his march as has been said before either in an open and plain or in a close and covered Country but if they have rallied again after their rout and of the wrack of their Forces have made up an Army considerable enough to cross the designs of the victorious Army then must he march in a close body and to the end that the Army may be in freedom to pass into all sorts of places being disposed into Pillars the Cavalrie shall march on the flanks on the Front and at the rear of the Pillars the Infantery shall be in the middle and in gross Batallions the Artillery and Baggage on one side all attended by some old Regiments to cover and hinder them from being cut off Of the march of an Army in a close and covered Country An Army passing through a close and covered Country suffers many inconveniencies especially if it be engaged in an Enemies Country for it cannot march in Batallia far less bring up the Artillery the ways being often broken by Woods Rivers and other incommodious places and passages If the Army be obliged to pass through such kind of places the General or Mareschal de Camp is to send before some Ingineers with a party of Horse and some Companies of Foot and Pioneers to fill up the Ditches make Bridges build Boats and in a word to do all that the Ingeniers shall Command them who are to take the best measures they can for facilitating the march of the Army and during the time that these things are a doing the General is to take special care to send out some parties of Horse a scouting that they may learn intelligence of the Enemy and know if they be in the Fields what way they march and in a word all that may conduce to the avoiding of ambushes and surprises That is the time when the General should set his Spies at work to discover the Enemies designs which is an extraordinary advantage in such an enterprise The General by his Scouts shall inform himself of the Enemies Countenance to which he is not slightly to give credit unless confirmed by many and if he know that the Enemies wait not for him at some place or pass he shall advance his Army and go in search of them if his orders be so but if he be informed that the Enemy has a mind to surprise him in some narrow passage or in crossing a River he is to use all circumspection in passing such places that he may preserve his Troops from the surprises of the Enemies In all these various occurrences whether he encamp in the Field or in some Village He is to take most special care that the Commissary General of Provisions and the Treasurers of War act with all the faithfulness that their offices require and particularly as to the matter of Provisions which must be daily supplied as well by Convoys as Victuallers The Commissary General ought to be very careful in the choice of the Corn which he is to gather together into Granaries and Stores by his under Officers who ought to be skilful and faithful that they may have a care not
are or pass for strangers are Colonels Lieutenant-Colonels the first Captains who are commonly Majors Lieutenants Cornets and Quarter-masters The Officers of the Gend'armes Are Lieutenants of the Gend'armes and Sub-lieutenants in the Kings Gend'armes Ensigns Guidons Quartermasters first and second Brigadeer They never fight but with the General and are not sent out on parties I mean they are not employed to beat the rode The Officers of the Light-horse of Ordinance Are Lieutenants Cornets Quartermasters first and second Brigadeer The particular Officers Are the Master de Camp the first Captain commanding the Regiment the Captains the Master de Camp 's Lieutenant Major the Lieutenant Cornets the Aid-major Quarter-Masters first and second Cavalier or Trooper We have besides in our Cavalrie the Kings Musketeers who attend his Majesty when they are commanded In the Cavalrie then we may observe six sorts of Horsemen 1. To wit the Kings Gend'armes 2. The Guards du Corps 3. The light-Light-Horse of the Kings Guard 4. The Kings Musketeers 5. The Cuirasseers 6. The Dragoons When two three or more Troopers as necessities require are sent out to scout on the avenues or to any place to discover the Enemy they are called the Vedette as in Foot the Sentinel Of the Exercise of Horse It is certain the Horse may perform the same motions as the Foot do whether it be by Caracols or by facing about and other words of Command which shall be shewed hereafter How a Squadron is to be formed Double the Cavalrie on the left Wing by three Ranks successively which is the usual depth of Squadrons and when they draw off to march they are to file off by files beginning at the right Wing or otherwayes the Squadron being formed they are to begin to march by one of the wings without breaking the Squadron and by Caracol the Squadron will be formed The Horse fight in a large Front three and sometimes four in depth according as the Army is strong in Cavalrie and sometime five or six deep c. and that is it which we call a Squadron The Horse march commonly Troop by Troop according to their Regiment and every Troop marches in two files if they march in body of a squadron they make a large Front and have their depth as is beforesaid Two Troops are sometimes squadroned together the one marching on the rear of the other and sometimes both a breast they are each of them to march in one file and the first has the right and the other the left hand but before the Command be given they must dress their files and ranks that is straighten their files and even their ranks as hath been shewed in the Exercise of the Foot To close the Files The right wing file stand Close your files to the right To the left as ye were The left wing file stand To the left by files close the squadron To the right as ye were The right and left-wing file stand By half ranks close your files to the right and â—â—ft The Command may be given thus Cleave the Squadron by closing your files All these Motions are performed in Marching To close the Ranks File leaders stand By ranks close the squadron to the front On the front as ye were Or thus Open your ranks on the front to your first distances To double the Ranks By half files to the right double your ranks to the front File-leaders advance your ranks Half files take your ground The same Command is made to the left The first half-file stand By half-file leader on the left wing double your ranks to the front To reduce them again the Command must be given Right-wing half-rank advance your ranks Half file-leaders take your ground The first half-file stand By half file-leaders on the right and left wings double your ranks to the front caracolling to the right and left The last half-file stand The first half file by Caracol to the right and left on the wings double your ranks to the reare By half-file leader in the centre double your ranks to the front At this word of Command the first half file must open the half rank to the right and left The first half file by caracol to the right and left double your ranks to the reare To the front as ye were For obeying of this word of Command the last half file must open the half rank to the right and left It is to be observed that the Horse turn neither to the right nor left about to reduce themselves as they were nor to close their ranks to the rear A Fight of Foote against Foote Of Counter-marches Here the Command is to be given is it is done to the Foot but it is most necessary for Cavalrie to gain ground on the front How Conversion is to be performed Before we speak of Conversions we must distinguish between wheeling by conversion and wheeling by â—aracol wheeling by conversion is performed by the front of the squadron so that it is the rank and not the file which makes the motion Of wheeling by Caracol Wheeling by Caracol is made by â—he depth of the squadron and it is the file that makes the motion by Passades which is a serpentine moving on a ground some this and some thaâ— way Of the volte-face or facing about To face about one must turn to the right or left about as shall appear by the following words of Command The motions of Conversion and Caracol are performed by wheeling making a circle or part of one so that the only difference between them is that wheeling by Conversion is made by the front of the squadron and the Caracol by the depth or flank of it as may be seen by the following Commands The words of Command Mind me to the right by conversion At this word of command the right leg is to be closed to the Horse and the knee to touch the right hand mans The same command is made to the â—ft thus Close the left wing Close the left leg Words of Command By half ranks and by conversion divide the squadron into two Troops And to reduce the squadron this word of command is to be given Mind me by Conversion the squadron into one Troop Or otherwayes thus Mind me the left wing advance by conversion The words of Command for wheeling by Caracol Mind me the right wing to the left by Caracol face about to the rear The Caracol may be performed by half ranks but it is to be observed that they who command the half rank make use of the word of command above-mentioned The word of Command By quarter-ranks and by Caracol divide the squadron into four Troops To reduce them again Quarter Ranks mind me the squadron into one Troop To Command the Volte-face or to face about To the right about is taken for facing about as in the subsequent words of Command The words of Command Face about to the right Face to the right By conversion face about to the right By
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
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
that is the reason that such Sieges are commonly very dangerous because of the many accidents which happen daily in the attacks sallies mines and other actions of War practised by both parties the one to defend themselves with more resolution and the other to attack with greater vigour Of the ravage that is made about places which are intended to be Besieged It is usually made by parties of Horse and Foot joined together to the end they may be in better condition of Foraging and burning all the Corn and other Commodities that are about a place whereof they who are to be assieged might make any advantage In this action as well as in the rest of the whole Siege the General should act with great prudence for from the beginnings there is good conjecture to be made of the progress of a Siege and the parties whom he shall send out ought to be Commanded by men skilful in War such as Masters de Camp Majors and other Officers who have the prudence to shun the Ambushes of the Enemy to abide their sallies and to make head against their parties beating them back to their defences They who are Commanded out to make the ravage ought to draw off from the Army about two Leagues or at least a League from the Town which is to be besieged they shall put all to fire wheresoever they pass with discretion though to preserve such things as they may judge useful to cover their Camp as Woods private Houses Churches and other sacred places provided the besieged might not make use of them to favour their sallies and dispute the ground for in such a case the sacred stones of Altars the holy Reliques and the rest of what is useless may be carried away and the materials may serve to build more considerable places of that nature after the Siege Whilst this ravage is making the Mareschal de Camp with his Ingeneers goes to view the place as near the Out-works as possibly he can that with more distinct knowledge he may judge of the strength or weakness of the place that is to be besieged A General engaging himself in an Enemies Countrey should leave nothing behind him that is to say no place whereof he is not Master to the end he may facilitate the march of his Recruits and of the Convoys that are to come to him otherways he would take very bad measures should he besiege a place in the usual way whilst the Enemy continues Master of the Castles and other places which might hinder him from the liberty of the Field When a place to be besieged stands in the middle of a State such as are commonly those of a people that have revolted against their Prince and that a General is Commanded out to reduce them to their duty he is to consider if it be convenient to attack their places by force and storm or by long Sieges if they cannot be succoured by their Allies or if they trust only to the strength and scituation of their places and Ramparts The General being well informed of the condition of those of the place and knowing that they cannot be relieved from any part that all their force consists in their obstinacy in the depth of their Ditches and height of their Walls then it shall be enough for him to overcome them by Famine by blocking them up which is nothing else than a way of distributing his Troops amongst the Castles Villages and other places which lie on the avenues of the place prohibiting all and every one to communicate with those of the Town and to carry them provisions upon pain of death imprisoning those that shall come out of the place that they may be punished according to their deservings If a Siege is to be formed the ravage being made by order of the Mareshal de Camp of the Army The General is to make his Troops march to begin the Siege On that occasion the General should make his Forces double their march to the end he may deprive the Enemies of occasion of fortifying the place with provisions and men if they had neglected to do it before When the General is within half a League of the place he is to send some intelligent person to the Mareshal de Camp that the Mareshal may inform him of the most advantagious Posts that are about the place The General being thus informed of the advantage and disadvantage of the ground where he is to lay down his Camp shall go a little before that he himself may take a view of all the Posts being accompanied by the Mareshal de Camp and Ingeneers who may shew him the advantage of the places whereof he has had a relation that there he may draw off his Troops distributing the Cavalry into the plains and places near Rivers and the Infantry upon the little Hills and Mountains within Cannon shot of the place At that first comeing it is very difficult to give to every Regiment the just measure of ground that is necessary to them or to determine precisely the extent which the Parks of Artillery and the Quarters of Provisions should possess Nevertheless that the matter may be made more easy we shall deduce it into particulars It is to be observed that when the Army is composed of several Troops of Strangers it is better to put all the Regiments of one Nation together than to separate them that the quarrels may be avoided which happen but too frequently amongst men of different Nations Of the Encamping of the Horse Though we have in our first part spoken of the Cavalry we must still tell you that a Horseman is called a Trooper He ought commonly to have a servant and two Horses or at least two Troopers ought to have betwixt them a servant and three Horses that the third Horse may go out a forageing To lodge a Troop of Horse of a hundred men which go by the name of Troopers in French they are called Masters or Cavaliers there is assigned them for the whole Troop seventy foot in front and two hundred in depth To two Troopers that lodge together is assigned eight foot in breadth and twelve in length to make their Huts or Baraques on As to the Baraques or Huts of the Horses there is allowed to each four foot in breadth and ten in length The men and Horses are both lodged in two ranks The Captains lodging is at the head of the Baraques of his Troop the whole front of which he possesses and the breadth of it is fourty foot Between the Huts and Stables there is a lane eight foot broad The Horses Heads stand towards the Huts or Baraques of their Masters The Lane between the Stables is ten foot broad that the Horses may have room to come forth Between the lodging of the Captain and the Troop there is a Lane twenty foot broad Behind the Troop are posted the Sutlers divided from the Troop by a Lane twenty foot broad If many Troops encamp together