Fig. 5.
The two men in A must not only from time to time communicate with the Advanced Guard—that is to say, one of them incline to the left until he can see it—but the other, when there is a height near, even at a thousand yards' distance, must ride so far on the top of it that he can look over. When attacked, Side Patrols behave as Advanced and Rear Guards. They meet the enemy, and do not suffer him to come too near the Column.
When a Side Patrol meets with a wood in the direction of its march, the disposition is altered (fig. 6).
Fig. 6.
The officer detaches the Serjeant's Troop to the right, the Corporal's and four men to the left, and himself remains with his men in the centre. The Serjeant sends two men to the skirts of the wood; these must look at the tracks, and one of them ride on a height, if any is near; the remainder divide themselves to the left of these two men, at such a distance that they can keep each other in sight. The Corporal divides his men in the same manner from the Right Flank of the Column to the Officer's Troop. If the Officer perceives that these two lines are not extensive enough to cover the ground towards his Troop, he detaches a sufficient number of men to the right and left to form a perfect line, which line must be careful never to get at the head of the Column. The Non-commissioned officers endeavor to keep their men in the same line with the Officer's Division.
It sometimes excites pity to see the men unnecessarily gallop and fatigue their horses on such occasions, only from want of instructions, without doing more good than they would have done at a walk.
SECTION II.