It is of course of the highest importance that this formation, in the whole of its progress, (maintained frequently through a long day’s march, in thick weather, and through intricate roads,) should be preserved in perfect unity by links of ocular connexion. No one portion of it should ever be, for many minutes at least, unseen by some other portion. For this reason, the distances of separation must vary with the hour of the day, the nature of the country, and the state of the weather, and one or two files of communication should remain midway between the several detachments.
The ordinary mode of forming an advanced guard of course is, for the body composing it to proceed along the intended road, dropping its different portions and files of communication as they successively attain their relative distances.
A rear guard is an advanced guard faced to its proper rear.
The foregoing details of the common rules and practice of Light Infantry drill are susceptible of being extended into a very wide range of field application. Upon this subject, much has already been advanced in the Ist, VIth, VIIth and VIIIth Articles of “The Essentials of Good Skirmishing.”
Bugle Sounds
No. I. Extend.
No. II. Close.
