The Director: “Lieutenant Baker, what class of cavalry detachment do you estimate this to be?”
Lieutenant Baker: “I should say it is a contact patrol sent out from a larger body to reconnoiter. If it were the point of an advance guard we would now be seeing other troops farther to the rear of them.”
The Director: “What would you do?”
Lieutenant Baker: “I would open fire on the cavalrymen.”
The Director: “When would you open fire?”
Lieutenant Baker: “There are only eight of them. We have an ambuscade and ought to be able to bring down practically all of them. There would be no danger in letting them come close up.”
The Director: “How close would you let them come?”
Lieutenant Baker: “Well, sir, I would let the leading men come within 50 yards, if they would do so, before opening fire. The man farthest away would then be about 450 yards distant. I would assign a target to each man beginning at the right man taking the rear trooper and so on through the squad to the left. I would make it my particular business to see that no man passed this point.”
The Director: “Just what orders would you give? I want you to state the exact words that you would employ in meeting the situation.”
Lieutenant Baker: “As soon as I determine how close I am going to let the enemy come before opening fire I will order: