THE CAPITULATION.
110. Should the defensive policy of the state not require a place to be held to extremity, the governor must be fully informed of the fact, and the extent of the defence and the conditions of capitulation must be fully understood by him before the investment. As a rule, however, no excuse will be received for the surrender of a place until every means of defence is exhausted, and further resistance is not only hopeless, but impossible, the only rule which can guide the governor being that “one additional day of defence may be of incalculable benefit to his country.” The old rule, copied from the French, but no longer observed by them, requires the defence to sustain at least one assault on a practicable breach in the body of the place.
Within recent years, in civilized warfare, no cases have occurred in which such assaults have been made, the places having been reduced by the more distant attack; but assuming such an assault to be repulsed, it will not justify the surrender of the place so long as a possibility of repulsing similar assaults exists. The garrison must withstand all attacks of whatever nature to the last extremity, and continue the defence up to the full requirements of duty and honor—surrendering only when nothing else is possible.
JOURNAL OF THE DEFENCE.
111. A Journal of the Defence, entirely similar to that of the attack, will be kept by the besieged for use by the War Department in case of a successful defence. Nothing should be entered in the journal which might be of special value to the besieger in case the place is taken, but a separate journal of such matter should be kept in cipher, or should be destroyed before the surrender of the place.
CHAPTER VII.
PARKS AND DEPOTS, SHELTERS AND HUTS, KITCHENS, OVENS, SINKS, LATRINES, WATER-SUPPLY, ETC.
PARKS AND DEPOTS.
112. The Engineer and Artillery Parks and Depots are located and arranged for security against the artillery-fire and the attack, by surprise or otherwise, of the defence, and also for facility in receiving, storing, and distributing materials and supplies.
The first condition is fulfilled by placing them at a safe distance, concealing them from the view of the defence if possible, and guarding them against attack, and the access of incendiaries, etc., by strict application of ordinary defensive tactics, and a most thorough system of interior guards. Powder depots, trains, etc., especially are guarded against the access of all unauthorized persons.