AN

ELEMENTARY TREATISE

ON

ADVANCED-GUARD, OUT-POST,

AND

DETACHMENT SERVICE OF TROOPS,

AND THE MANNER OF

POSTING AND HANDLING THEM

IN PRESENCE OF AN ENEMY. 

WITH A HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE RISE
AND PROGRESS OF TACTICS, &C. &C.

INTENDED AS A 

SUPPLEMENT TO THE SYSTEM OF TACTICS
ADOPTED FOR THE MILITARY SERVICE OF THE UNITED
STATES, AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE USE OF
OFFICERS OF MILITIA AND VOLUNTEERS

______________

BY D. H. MAHAN,

Professor of Military and Civil Engineering, and of the Science of War,
in the United States Military Academy.

______________

NEW EDITION.

______________

NEW YORK:
JOHN WILEY, 56 WALKER STREET.
1861.
 

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1847, by
D. H. MAHAN,
in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the Southern
District of New York.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

______________ 

[Editors’ note: the original book’s table of contents was much abbreviated.  I have expanded it to make navigating though this work easier.]

PAGE.

PREFACE

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.  HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE MOST REMARKABLE EPOCHS IN THE MILITARY ART FROM THE TIME OF THE GREEKS TO THE PRESENT

Tactics of the Greeks (No. 5)

Tactics of the Romans (No. 22)

Feudal Period (No. 45)

Rise of Art in Modern Times (No. 46)

Epoch of Gustavus Adolphus (No. 48)

Epoch of Louis XIV (No. 55)

Epoch of Frederick II (No. 60)

Epoch of the French Revolution, and its Sequel (No. 66)

CHAPTER I.  TACTICS

Habitual Order of Battle (No. 77)

Manœuvres (No. 82)

Army Organization (No. 84)

CHAPTER II.  MANNER OF PLACING AND HANDLING TROOPS

INFANTRY

Position and Formation (No. 123)

Defence (No. 127)

Attack (No.  131)

Pursuit (No. 134)

Retreat (No. 135)

Measures for Protracting an Engagement (No. 137)

Defence against Cavalry (No. 138)

Defence, &c., against Artillery (No. 139)

Attack of Artillery (No. 140)

CAVALRY

Position (No. 141)

Formation (No.  142)

Defence (No. 144)

Attack against Infantry (No. 145)

Attack against Artillery (No. 148)

ARTILLERY

Position (No. 149)

Defence (No. 150)

Attack (No. 155)

CHAPTER III.  POSITIONS

Positions for the Defensive (No. 167)

Attack (No. 185)

Positions in Obstructed Ground (No. 194)

Positions in Forests (No. 202)

Positions in Mountains (No. 209)

Positions near Rivers (No. 216)

CHAPTER IV.  ADVANCED-GUARDS AND ADVANCED-POST

Advanced-Guard (No. 224)

Advanced-Posts (No. 232)

Out-Posts (No. 240)

Sentinels (No. 243)

Grand-Guards (No. 244)

Pickets (No. 245)

Strength of Advanced-Posts (No. 248)

Duties of an Officer Commanding an Out-post (No. 254)

Advanced-Guards (No. 265)

Head of Advanced-Guard (No. 270)

Dispositions of Advanced-Guard (No. 275)

Flank Patrols (No. 282)

Rear-Guard (No. 285)

Advanced-Posts in Cantonments (No. 289)

CHAPTER V.  RECONNAISANCES

Duties of Reconnoitring Officer (No. 297)

Guides (No. 302)

Reconnaissance (No. 307)

Armed Reconnaissance (No. 313)

Patrols (No. 317)

Duties of Officer in Command of a Patrol (No. 322)

CHAPTER VI.  DETACHMENTS

March of Detachments (No. 333)

Defensive Measures of Detachments (No. 345)

Defence of Defiles (No. 349)

Villages, &c. (No. 358)

Inclosures and Houses (No. 366)

General Measures for the Attack (No. 369)

Attack of Defiles (No. 378)

Attacks of Villages, &c. (No. 384)

Handling of Skirmishers (No. 391)

Escalading (No. 413)

CHAPTER VII.  CONVOYS

Distribution of the Train (No. 425)

March of Train (No. 427)

Halt of Train (No. 429)

Parking of Train (No. 430)

Duties of Escort (No. 432)

Attack of Convoy (No. 437)

CHAPTER VIII.  SURPRISES AND AMBUSCADES

Surprise (No. 440)

Ambuscade (No. 449)

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Transcribed by Scott Gutzke, 2007.

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