Posse Comitatus. A sheriff or marshal, for the purpose of keeping the peace and pursuing felons, may command all the people of his county above fifteen years old to attend him, which is called the posse comitatus, or “power of the county.”—Blackstone.
Possession. To take possession, is the act of occupying any post, camp, fortress, etc., which might facilitate the operations of an army, or which previously belonged to the enemy.
Post. Any sort of ground, fortified or not, where a body of men can be in a condition of resisting the enemy.
Advance post, a spot of ground seized by a party to secure their front, and the post behind them.
Post is also the walk or position of a sentinel.
Post. In the British service, a bugle-sound. The first post is the bugling which precedes the tattoo; the last post that which follows it. Also, the piece of ground to which a sentinel’s walk is limited; any place or office assigned to a soldier or body of soldiers on duty.
Post, Abandoning a. See Appendix, [Articles of War], [42].
Post, Advantageous. Every situation is so called which an enemy occupies in such a manner that not only mere force of arms, but great military skill, and many stratagems, are required to dislodge him.
Post of Honor. The advanced guard is a post of honor; the right of the two lines is the post of honor, and is generally given to the eldest corps; the left is the next post, and given to the next eldest, and so on. But the laws of military discipline forbid an inconvenient accordance with this practice, as the circumstances of the case may require a very different arrangement, which it would be wanton to oppose.
Post, Sleeping Upon. See Appendix, [Articles of War], [39].