Section 2. Sketching.
Noncommissioned officers and selected privates should be able to make simple route sketches. This is particularly useful in patrolling as thereby a patrol leader is able to give his commander a good idea of the country his patrol has traversed. Sketches should be made on a certain scale, which should be indicated on the sketch, such as 3 inches on the sketch equals 1 mile on the ground. The north should be indicated on the sketch by means of an arrow pointing in that direction. Any piece of paper may be used to make the sketch on. The back of the field-message blank is ruled and prepared for this purpose. The abbreviations and conventional signs shown on the following pages should be used in making such simple sketches.
Field Maps and Sketches.
The following abbreviations and signs are authorized for use on field maps and sketches. For more elaborate map work the authorized conventional signs as given in the manual of "Conventional Signs, United States Army Maps," are used.
Abbreviations other than those given should not be used.
ABBREVIATIONS.
| A. | Arroyo. | G. S | General Store. | Pt. | Point. |
| abut. | Abutment. | gir. | Girder. | q.p. | Queen-post |
| Ar. | Arch. | G. M. | Gristmill. | R. | River. |
| b. | Brick. | I. | Iron. | R. H. | Roundhouse. |
| B. S. | Blacksmith Shop. | I. | Island. | R. R. | Railroad. |
| bot. | Bottom. | Jc. | Junction. | S. | South. |
| Br. | Branch. | k.p. | King-post. | s. | Steel. |
| br. | Bridge. | L. | Lake. | S. H. | Schoolhouse. |
| C. | Cape. | Lat. | Latitude. | S. M. | Sawmill. |
| cem. | Cemetery. | Ldg. | Landing. | Sta. | Station. |
| con. | Concrete. | L. S. S. | Life-Saving Station. | st. | Stone. |
| cov. | Covered. | L. H. | Lighthouse | str. | Stream. |
| Cr. | Creek. | Long. | Longitude. | T. G. | Tollgate. |
| d. | Deep. | Mt. | Mountain. | Tres. | Trestle. |
| cul. | Culvert. | Mts. | Mountains. | tr. | Truss. |
| D. S. | Drug Store. | N. | North. | W. T. | Water Tank. |
| E. | East. | n. f. | Not fordable. | W. W. | Water Works. |
| Est. | Estuary. | P. | Pier. | W. | West. |
| f. | Fordable. | pk. | Plank. | w. | Wood. |
| Ft. | Fort. | P. O. | Post Office | wd. | Wide. |
SIGNS--FIELD MAPS AND SKETCHES.
[CHAPTER XI.]
MESSAGE BLANKS
The heading "From" is filled in with the name of the detachment sending the information: as "Officer's Patrol, 7th Cav." Messages sent on the same day from the same source to the same person are numbered consecutively. The address is written briefly, thus: "Commanding officer, Outpost, 1st Brigade," In the signature the writer's surname only and rank are given.
This blank is four and a half by six and three quarters-inches, including the margin on the left for binding. The back is ruled in squares, the side of each square representing 100 yards on a scale of 3 inches to one mile, for use in making simple sketches explanatory of the message. It is issued by the Signal Corps in blocks of forty with duplicating sheets. The regulation envelope is three by five and one-fourth inches and is printed as follows:
[CHAPTER XII.]
SIGNALS AND CODES.
(Extracts from Signal Book, United States Army, 1916.)