The Officers of the Gend'armes

Are Lieutenants of the Gend'armes, [Page 3]and Sub-lieutenants in the Kings Gen­d'armes, Ensigns, Guidons, Quarter­masters, first and second Brigadeer. They never fight but with the General, and are not sent out on parties; I mean they are not employed to beat the rode.

The Officers of the Light-horse of Ordinance

Are Lieutenants, Cornets, Quarter­masters, first and second Brigadeer.

The particular Officers

Are the Master de Camp, the first Captain commanding the Regiment, the Captains, the Master de Camp's Lieutenant, Major, the Lieutenant, Cornets, the Aid-major, Quarter-Ma­sters, first and second Cavalier or Trooper.

We have besides in our Cavalrie the Kings Musketeers, who attend his Majesty when they are commanded.

In the Cavalrie then we may ob­serve six sorts of Horsemen.

• 1. To wit, the Kings Gend'armes.
• 2. The Guards du Corps.
• 3. The Light-Horse of the Kings Guard.
• 4. The Kings Musketeers.
• 5. The Cuirasseers.
• 6. The Dragoons.

When two, three, or more Troopers (as necessities require) are sent out to scout on the avenues, or to any place to discover the Enemy, they are called the Vedette, as in Foot the Sen­tinel.

Of the Exercise of Horse.

It is certain the Horse may per­form the same motions as the Foot do, whether it be by Caracols, or by facing about, and other words of Command, which shall be shewed hereafter.

How a Squadron is to be formed.

Double the Cavalrie on the left [Page 5]Wing by three Ranks successively, which is the usual depth of Squa­drons; and when they draw off to march, they are to file off by files, beginning at the right Wing; or o­therwayes the Squadron being form­ed, they are to begin to march by one of the wings without breaking the Squadron, and by Caracol the Squa­dron will be formed.

The Horse fight in a large Front, three, and sometimes four in depth, according as the Army is strong in Cavalrie, and sometime five or six deep, &c. and that is it which we call a Squadron.

The Horse march commonly Troop by Troop, according to their Regi­ment, and every Troop marches in two files; if they march in body of a squadron they make a large Front, and have their depth as is beforesaid.

Two Troops are sometimes squa­droned together, the one marching on the rear of the other, and some­times both a breast; they are each of them to march in one file, and the [Page 6]first has the right, and the other the left hand; but before the Command be given, they must dress their files and ranks, (that is, straighten their files and even their ranks) as hath been shewed in the Exercise of the Foot.

Of Counter-marches.

Here the Command is to be given, is it is done to the Foot, but it is most necessary for Cavalrie, to gain ground on the front.

How Conversion is to be performed.

Before we speak of Conversions, we must distinguish between wheel­ing by conversion, and wheeling by [...]aracol; wheeling by conversion is performed by the front of the squa­dron, so that it is the rank and not the file which makes the motion.

Of wheeling by Caracol.

Wheeling by Caracol is made by [...]he depth of the squadron, and it is [Page 10]the file that makes the motion by Passades, which is a serpentine moving on a ground some this, and some tha [...] way.

Of the volte-face, or facing about.

To face about, one must turn to the right or left about, as shall appear by the following words of Command.

The motions of Conversion and Ca­racol are performed by wheeling, ma­king a circle, or part of one; so that the only difference between them is that wheeling by Conversion is made by the front of the squadron, and the Caracol by the depth or flank of it, as may be seen by the following Com­mands.

How Horse are to fire.

Horse must fire by ranks and by files, and are to detach by Caracol, gaining the hand if possibly they can; [Page 14]that is to say, using their endeavours to have the enemy on the right hand.

They should detach at a trot, then put on to a gallop, and having dis­charged return to their bringers up.

It is to be observed likewise, that they should detach by the right wing, wheeling by Caracol to the left, and by that means they will have the Ene­my on the right hand. The rank may fire by the front, and draw off by ca­racolling to the right and left. They may be made to fire by ranks by con­version, and alwayes fall back to the bringers up of the squadron.

Horse may fire by files, but in that case, the squadron ought to be six or eight in depth, making the right wing-file detach by caracolling to the left, and having discharged, fall back again by the same order to the place from whence they advanced: So that Horse may fire in the same manner as Foot.

How to fight in a retreat.

To fight in a retreat, some small [Page 15]parties backed by greater bodies are sent off; and if it be thought con­venient that they should discharge, then these small parties shall make use of the orders of drawing up in Hay, each party firing at the same time, and retreating by the help and as­sistance of the other small parties who ought to second them, till afterward obeying the same orders again, they come to the assistance of those that seconded them.

How to make Horse file off.

I think it more convenient to file off by files than by ranks, since that three files make a squadron, which one rank does not.

How Horse are to fight against Foot.

When Cavalrie has a design to At­ [...]ack a Battallion of Foot, before [...]hey come within Musket-shot, the Cavalrie must have received their Orders, sending off some out-riders, who ought to advance streight against [...]he Plotons or small Skirmishing bo­ [...]ies, receiving their fire, and vigour­ [...]usly to force them in disorder to re­ [...]reat towards the Pikes, o;r towards [...]he Center of the Battallion, and at [...]hat time the Squadron should ad­ [...]ance by depth, Caracolling and En­ [...]aging the Battallion by one of the Angles, charging the Pikes, and [...]assing sidewayes by them and not [Page 18]advancing streight towards them▪ otherwayes out of every Troop there may be three or four detached in a File, which ought to advance at a gallop, and so soon as they come within Musket-shot, charge the Plo­tons, and afterward by Caracol pass by the Front and wings, obliging the Battallion to charge to the Horse▪ at the same time the Squadron ought to follow, Charging on the angle o [...] the Battallion, setting on the Pikes by the flank, and in that manner the Bat­tallion is to be broken. It is to be ob­served that Horse should alwayes have their files closed, and not their ranks.

Foot may likewise be fought in the following order; making a double Squadron; and when they approach within Musket-shot, the squadron i [...] to be divided by half ranks into fou [...] Troops, and by Caracol to the right and left the two first should pass o [...] the front and on one of the wings▪ the third ought to Charge streight on the angle, or according as occasion requires Attack the Pikes side-wayes, [Page 19]whether it be on the front, or flank, and then the fourth Troop should make good what the third could not. It is to be observed that so soon as the Horse are within ten paces of the Battallion, they ought to fire, and at the same time draw their swords.

How Foot are to fight against Foot.

If a Regiment of Foot marching in an Enemies Country, find a Regiment of the Enemies in an advantagious Post, which hinders their march; the Regiment that is to pass, must use endeavours to draw the Enemy to an Engagement, making as if they intended to retreat, that they may allure them out of their Post; and having drawn them out into a con­venient ground, they are to face a­bout to the right, and march towards the Enemy in order of Battel, and advancing two steps shall let flie their Pistols, and return to their ranks; then all the Musketeers shall fire, three ranks together, at the same time draw­ing [Page 20]their Swords and presenting the Pikes; and all the Companies being engaged pell-mell, should fight til [...] the one be overcome and ask Quar­ters. The figure A clearly repre­sents the way of fighting.

How Squadrons are to be detached and formed at the same time.

The Horse are to Caracol to the right and left, and open the half rank, then form the Squadron fifty in Front.

By Caracols to the right and left, open your half Ranks, and form the Squadron fifty a breast fronting about to the Rear.

How Squadrons are to be formed.

They are to double on the left Wing by three Ranks, and on the same Front with the first. There are two things to be observed when the Squa­dron is formed, and that the Front is to be changed into any other place what­soever; to do it by Caracols, or to do it [Page 21]by Conversion; by half-ranks, or Quar­ter-ranks, if by Conversion; but if by Caracol, it is done in a whole body.

Two Troops that can Squadron themselves together, to form their Squadrons in the order of a march; if they march in the same Front, the first should take the right and the o­ther the left hand, and in that order march. If they desire to form the Squadron, the Troop on the right hand should advance about twenty paces, and reduce themselves to three in depth. That which holds the left in its place shall do the same, and then ought to double on the left of the Troop which hath advanced, and in the same Front, that the Squa­dron may be formed by two Troops: but if the one march in the Rear of the other, by the same orders the Captains severally shall reduce their Troops into three in depth; and thereafter the last ought to double to the left and in the same Front with the first, that the Squadron may be composed of two Troops.

A Regulation made by the late King Lewis XIII. concerning the dis­putes that arose among the Officers of the Army in the year 1635.

We shall in the first place, declare what is to be done betwixt the French Officers and the strangers. It is a thing past all doubt, that a Master de [...] Camp of Horse ought to Command a stranger Colonel, provided the Colo­nel and Master de Camp be one and the same thing. The Colonel shall command all the French Captains, and the French Captains shall com­mand the Lieutenant-Colonels of strangers, as likewise all the French Captains who Command not a body of men; and if a stranger Lieutenant be with a French Corner, the Lieurenant shall command him; but a stranger Cornet shall command a French Quar­ter-master: and wheresoever French and strangers are together the French have the right hand; but if the Cap­tain be a stranger, he shall take the [Page 23]right hand of the French Lieutenant, though his Troop be on the left Wing of the Squadron.

As to the disputes that happen be­tween the Horse and Foot, for the Command in the Field, and in Quarters that are not walled, which are called places of Approach, the Horse ought to Command there: but in all places that are inclosed with walls, having Gates that lock, and draw-bridges, and are invironed with Ditches, in such places it belongs to the Foot to Com­mand. The Master de Camp of Ca­valrie in places that are open, shall Command the Colonels of Foot; but the Colonel of Foot ought to Com­mand the Master de Camp of Horse in Towns and Walled places. Now the Charge of Master de Camp of Horse being above that of a Captain, if he be in a walled place, where the Foot have no Officers above Captains, the Master de Camp of Horse should Command the Captains; and in all open Quarters the Captain of Horse should Command Lieutenant Colo­nels [Page 24]and Captains of Foot; and the Captains of Foot should Command the Lieutenants of Horse; and in close places where there are none but Lieutenants of Foot, and a Cap­tain of Horse, the Captain must Command, because the Captains have their Commissions from the King, and not the Lieutenants; and in open places the Lieutenant should Command the Cornets of Horse; and in walled places, the Lieutenant is to Command the Ensign, and the Cor­net the Serjeants: so that the one has no advantage of the other, it is but only ambition; for the persons who discharge these Offices are rather to be considered, than any difference that is between the Charges; and therefore they ought to make a right choice.

There is also a regulation between the Serjeants of Battel, and the Ma­sters de Camp of Cavalrie and Colo­nels of Foot, who pretend not to be obliged to obey the Serjeant of Bat­tel; but seeing it is true that he Com­mands [Page 25]in absence of the Mareschals de Camp, his Charge is above the o­ther Officers.

There happen many times some contests between the Captains of the Gend'arms, and the Master de Camp of Horse. The Captains of the Gen­d'arms, and the Master de Camp of Horse, meeting together, the Cap­tain of the Gend'arms is to Com­mand the Master de Camp, the Ma­ster de Camp the Lieutenant of the Gend'arms, the Lieutenant of the Gend'arms the Captain of the Light Horse, the Captain the Ensign of the Gend'arms, the Ensign the Lieutenant of the Light-Horse, the Lieutenant of the Light-Horse the Guidon of the Gend'arms, the Guidon of the Gen­d'arms the Cornet of the Light-Horse, the Cornet of the Light-Horse the Quarter-masters of the Gend'arms, and the Quarter-master of the Gend'arms the Quarter-master of the Light-horse.

There hath been heretofore great dispute between the Masters de Camp of Foot, and the Captains of the [Page 26]Guards; which dispute was thus de­cided by the King.

That the Masters de Camp of Pi­cardie, Piedmont, Champagne, Na­varre, and Normandie should com­mand the Captains of the Guards, and the Captains of the Guards all other Masters de Camp; and that the other Masters de Camp should Command all Lieutenant Colonels, and the Captains of the old Regi­ments should Command the Lieu­tenant Colonels of other Regiments, and that the Lieutenants of the Guards should obey the Captains of the old Regiments.

All these regulations were made to prevent the disorders that might hap­pen amongst Officers: the King hath very well provided against them, and by his sage conduct obliges the Officers to discharge their duties, and to have no other passion but of do­ing good service; and for that end his Majesty gives them an example, making the Troops of his Houshold do their exercises frequently, he hath [Page 27]made injunctions to all the Officers of his Armies, to see his forces well exercised, and made dextrous in handling of their Arms; to wit the Pikes, to manage their Pikes aright whether by themselves or in Battal­lions; the Musketeers to use their Muskets skillfully by giving quick fire. It is a thing very necessary that a Musketeer know to hit a mark, to the end that on occasion he may be able to fire to purpose. Musket­teers may be taught to shoot well in Garisons especially, the Officers giv­ing some reward to those that shoot best at a mark; that encourages, and obliges them to shoot well, which makes a Musketeer very considerable on several occasions, and especially in fighting against Horse.

How Foot are to Fight against Horse.

If Foot march in Battallia in an Enemies Country, and some Body of the Enemies Horse be discovered, then shall the Foot make a Batrallion [Page 28]with four strong Plotons or parties for skirmish, and double ranks of Pikes to resist the Horse, whilst three ranks of Musketeers shall prepare to give their Vollee at the first Pistol­shot, which is ten or twelve paces from the Foot; then if the Pikes with swords in hand, pursue them vigorously, without doubt the Squa­dron will be put into great disorder, and all by the means of good Mus­keteers who have had the right art of pitching on their men, and have made as many fall as they have fired shot, being thereto taught by their good discipline: so ought all the Of­ficers study to be capable of their Charges, and by that means the Com­manders may make good use of their Troops in what place soever the Ar­my be, and especially when the Ene­mies are in a condition to fight. Horse are very necessary in an Army; on them depends the good success of all enterprises; by them an Army becomes master of the field, if it be stronger in Cavalrie than the [Page 29]Enemy: by them the Forces and all Garison-places have daily their Provisions by means of Convoyes and Forrages, which cannot be securely brought without Guards of Horse: they reduce the Enemy to great streights, by intercepting their Con­voys and Foragers, ravaging their Country by continual Parties, beat­ing up their Quarters, and making frequent courses and inrodes amongst them.

In so much that there is hardly any Enterprise wherein Horse are not with great profit employed. Now seeing the Cavalrie is composed of several Regiments, and the Regiments of se­veral Troops, that they may render the service and advantage that is ex­pected from them either in general or particular; it is necessary that the Troops be made up of good riders, and that they be led and Commanded by Officers of note, and expert in the Art of War.

It is most important for the service of the King, that the Troops which [Page 30]make up the Forces of his Majesties Cavalrie, be not only compleat, and furnished with men well mounted, well armed, and in good Equipage; but that they be also led and com­manded by Officers of experience and merit, that so they may be better o­beyed by their Troopers, who will have a far greater esteem for them, when they know their valour and good conduct.

Of the principal duties of a Lieutenant.

The Lieutenant ought to know all the men of the Troop by name: he ought to punish the swearers, quar­rellers, drunkards, and the other­wayes debauched, conniving at no vice in them: he ought to be kind to those that have merit, and upbraid such as fail in their duty, punishing them rigourously if they continue to [Page 32]be negligent: that is the way to be­come both beloved and feared of the Troopers. He should procure him­self esteem by his conduct, having the qualities of a man of honour, wise and discreet, sober in his diet, pru­dent in his discourse, and above all valiant and stout, which makes the brave Souldiers in imitation of him, emulous to be men of worth, and to serve their King well.

He ought sometimes to visit their Horses and Arms, recommending to them the care of them, publickly and smartly rebuking those that are neg­ligent of either, and severely punish­ing them if they abuse his goodness and patience.

Of a March.

In a March the Lieutenant ought to march at the Rear of the Troop or Squadron, to make the Troopers keep close, taking heed that none stay behind, obliging them to follow their File-leaders, suffering none to [Page 33]quit their ranks, nor leave the Stan­dard without permission.

When there is an opportunity of fighting the Enemies, the Lieutenant ought to be at the rear of the Squadron with his Sword in hand, obliging the Troopers to do their duty, making the last rank, well closed, and in good order, follow the other two; punish­ing him that would flie and turn his back, and by that example oblige the rest to do their duties.

When the Captain on such an occa­sion is absent, as at any other time, the Lieutenant is to take the Captains Post, and march at the head of the Squadron, placing at the rear, and in his own Post, the Quarter-Master; and in the Post of the Quarter-Master on the Wings, the first Brigadeer, fil­ling up all the places of the Officers, that no disorder may happen by the Captains absence.

Of the Guard of a Camp.

When the Captain is Commanded out for the guard of the Camp, or of a Quarter, or to relieve it, and is come to his Post, the Lieutenant is to put the Troop into Battallia, keeping at the head of the Squadron, expect­ing till the Captain be informed of what he has to do, and that he go with the Quarter-Master to place the Vedettes, instructing them in the mean time what they are to do, until the Captain return and give the other necessary Orders for the security of his Guard.

Of the duties of the Cornet.

The Captain ought to chuse a man for Cornet to his Troop, who is of the same integritie and hath the like qualities as we have assigned to the Lieutenant, because he is often obli­ged to mount the Guard, and perform the other duties in absence of him. [Page 35]A young Gentleman who hath seen and served in a Campagn, and some­times by favour, is commonly placed in that charge: his Function is to carry the Standard on a day of entry or muster, that he may salute the King, or in his absence, the General of the Army. His Post is at the Captains left hand, the length of his Horse, or about seven foot more backward to­wards the Squadron. In day of Bat­tel he ought to carry the Standard, and preserve it with the danger of his life.

Moreover, the Cornet ought to have a great respect for his Captain. He should likewise behave himself towards his Lieutenant with marks of esteem and submission, whereby he will gain the good will and esteem of his Superiour Officers. He should have a regard to the Quarter-Master, and be civil to the Brigadeers; in a word, he should strive to procure the love and esteem of the Troopers, and interpose amongst them to take up their quarrels, and make them friends; [Page 36]but if he find difficultie in the matter, and that the authority of the Captain or Lieutenant be requisite, he shall inform them of the business, repre­senting to them the ground of the quarrel, and the reasons of either party, that they may do Justice, and by their authority kill the resent­ments, which either may entertain against other, that so the troublesome accidents may be avoided which con­tests produce in a Troop, when the Officers prevent them not.

Of the Quarter-Master.

The Captain should chuse for his Quarter-Master, an active and expe­rienced man, who is wise and well affected to the service; for the ma­nagement of the subsistance and ser­vice of the Troop, is performed by his order. He ought to know to read, write, and cast account, as far as the rule of Society, for he ought to keep the Roll and Catalogue of all the Troopers, with their Names, Sir­names, [Page 37]places where they were born, and their Countrey, as also of their casual goods, booties and prizes gain­ed from their Enemies. It is his duty likewise to go daily and receive the word. He ought to be exact, when he has received it, to write it down with the Counter-word, that he may remember them, and according to the duty of his place, carry it to his Of­ficers where they are. He ought to have a care to learn the manners of every private Trooper, that on occa­sions he may know who are fit to be commanded, having considered their Horses, and from thence being able to judge of those who are most pro­per to execute the intended service. It is his part to be careful frequently to visit the Troopers Horses, obliging them to feed, dress, and shoe them well, to keep their Equipage in good condition, and severely to punish those that neglect that duty. He is also to take notice of their Arms, and oblige them to keep them always clean, and cause them to be refitted [Page 38]when they want any the least thing. It belongs to him to entertain friend­ship amongst the Troopers, making them live orderly, punishing the quar­relsome and those that love tumult; as also Swearers, Drunkards, and such as lead a life of bad example; and if he cannot reclaim them by reproofs, he is to complain of them to the Cap­tain, that he may order them, either by Prison, or dismounting and shame­fully casheering them, as men un­worthy to carry a Sword, far less the name of Trooper; and on the other hand, he is to shew kindness to such as are of merit, doing them all the good Offices he can, either of himself or with the Officers, yea, and in their Quarters, and that so long as they shall not abuse them, and shall do their duties.

In Marches, the Quarter-Master should daily receive Orders from the Captain to go to the Quarters, and take occasion to go before, that he may arrive in time. So that the Cap­tain when he comes with his Troop [Page 39]may find his Quarters, and the pro­visions if any be to be given out, ready, that the Troop may not be obliged to remain long on Horseback in the Streets; which wearies and spoils the Horses, particularly after a long march, and especially in the heat of Summer, or otherways in bad wea­ther, when the days are short, and they come late to their Quarters, a thing that may prove very prejudi­cial to the service of the King, and of the Captain himself. And there­fore the Quarter-Master, when he goes to take up Quarters, should with his Captains consent, take with him two or three Troopers whom he may judge fit to assist him in preparing the Quarters with greater diligence; and he should not fail so soon as he is come to the place, and has shewed his Orders to the Magistrates, and those that have authority, to inform them of the number of servants that the Captain entertains, and of the condition of his Equipage, and of the Equipages of the other Officers, [Page 40]that the Magistrates or others in au­thority, may commodiously quarter them. He shall therefore with all ex­pedition cause the Officers Billets be made, or else shall inform himself of their Quarters, and go view them, that he may see that their Lodgings be convenient, and that they may not have afterwards cause to complain of his negligence; and when he knows that the Troop draws near, he is to go meet them, that he may conduct the Captain and Troop to their Quar­ters; provided, he be intrusted to deliver them their Billets. But if the Magistrates or others in authority have a mind to reck on the number of effective Quarterings, he is to con­duct the Captain with his Troop to the Town-House, causing the effective Quarterings to be reckoned; and their Billets being delivered, he is to conduct the Captain to his Quarters, where he is to draw up the Troop in Haye before the Gate or Door, to whom he is to distribute the Billets, making them in order draw them out [Page 41]of a Hat, desiring all the Troopers to be civil to their Landlords, and to have a care not to give them any cause of complaint.

If they be to stay there any time, in distributing the Billets, he ought to take in writing the names of the Troopers, and their Landlords, and to make a list of them, then next day go and visit the Horses, to see if any be hurt, and if any Landlord com­plain, to the end he may remedie every thing by bringing necessary or­ders for that effect.

When the Trumpet sounds to Horse, and that they must be gone, the Quarter-Master ought to be the first on Horse-back, to hasten the Troopers, and make them in diligence repair to the Captains Quarters, chi­ding those that come last; and if he observe that any of them be accu­stomed so to do, whether it be for laziness, or out of design to stay be­hind to steal and pilfer from their Landlords, he shall severely punish them for an example to the rest.

When he comes into Winter-Quar­ters, he ought to visit all the Troop­ers Quarters, and know the conve­niences of them and the condition of the Landlords, and acquaint the Cap­tain therewith, to the end that he may order the distribution of a part of the Billets, that he may accommo­date those who have most need, and then cause the rest to be drawn by Lot.

On a march of importance, he is to march on the Wings of the Troop or Squadron, and from time to time go from the Front to the Rear, and from the Rear to the Front, to make them keep their distances, and march in good order, hindering the Troop­ers to break out without permission. If there be an occasion of fighting, he should march on the Wings of the Squadron, with his Sword in his hand, making them close their ranks, ob­serve their distances, and hinder them from breaking.

Of the duty of Brigadeers.

The Brigadeers ought to be men of experience, old Troopers, and as ca­pable as the Q [...]arter-Master, and en­dowed with the same qualities, be­cause in his absence one of them must always discharge his Functions, and besides they must read and write, and each of them keep a Roll of their Brigade; that they may make the Troopers do duty by turns. The Troop being so divided into Brigades, the duties will be far better perform­ed, and the detachments made in or­der and without confusion, whether by Brigadeer, with his whole Brigade, and successively the one after the other, or by Troopers detached from each Brigade, with one of the Briga­deers at their head, and by that means the Quarters will be given out with less confusion, when the Troop is to be separated that it may be the more easily quartered and lodged in scatter­ed Houses, dividing these Precincts by Brigades.

Cautions that are to be taken in force­ing of a Quarter.

In all the service of Horse, there is no occasion wherein the Captain ought to be so circumspect, as in the enterprise of forcing an Enemies Quar­ter; for there is not any from which he can reap greater advantages, ei­ther for his honour or profit; and on the other hand, there is no occasion wherein he runs greater risk of ruin­ing his reputation, by losing himself and his men: and therefore he ought to be a man of much experience, good judgment, and high resolution; other­ways he can never well succeed in such enterprises; for in War there are none more difficult, nor harder to be atchieved. And that is the reason that few Captains run the hazard of such undertakings.

Experience has made always ap­pear that it is more easy to force the Enemies Quarters, when they are at a good distance, than when they are [Page 56]near, because the more the danger is remote, the less vigilant are men to avoid it. And therefore, I say, that the most usual cause of a surprise, is too much confidence; for men are never sooner defeated than when they least apprehend it.

When a Captain has a design to force a Quarter, he ought to be assu­red of the nature of the Enemies Post, with all its circumstances; if the avenues be barricado'd, or not; if the flanks be better barricado'd than the avenues, and if there be marshes or other things that hinder an ap­proach, in what place is their field of Battel, or place of Arms; if any River or Brook run through the Quarter, or any thing else that di­vides it; but above all things he should be informed by his spies of the number and quality of the Forces that are in the Quarter, and of the temper of the Commander; if he be a man of experience, vigilant and resolute, or if he have any contrary qualities, to the end that the Captain accord­ing [Page 57]to the instructions that he has of these things may take the best mea­sures for accomplishing his design.

Being well informed of all, and having laid down his measures, he is to march with all his men in great di­ligence, that he may come up with the Enemies, and surprise them a lit­tle before day: on his march he is to observe the cautions that we have hinted at before, that is to say, that he is to make sure of good guides, and send Out-riders before him until he come near the Quarter; he is also to avoid marching by inhabited pla­ces, or from which he may be disco­vered; or in the night time on the great Rodes, but cross the Countrey, because some body may discover him, or his tract, and give speedy notice of it to the Enemy; for it often hap­pens that the Enemy having intelli­gence of the design and march of the contrary party, do take so good mea­sures, that the Commander of the party with all his men become a prey to those against whom they were [Page 58]marching. And therefore the Cap­tain ought to make use of his pru­dence, and consider the inconvenien­ces that may befal him; and as he ought to march resolutely and with­out fear, so likewise should he neg­lect no care and circumspection, and therefore he should take the best mea­sures he can to facilitate his retreat, by Posting some Horse and Foot Com­manded by an Officer, in the middle or some part of the way, to guard some passage, or some advantagious Post.

When the Captain has laid his de­sign, and has all his men mounted; if, for instance, he intend with four hundred Horse, to go and attack eight hundred of the Enemies Cavalry, and beat up their Quarters, he is to dis­pose his men in this manner. Being come near the Quarter he shall di­vide them into six Squadrons, of sixty Troopers a piece, and shall di­vide the fourty remaining into two Plotons or small parties of twenty a piece, under good Commanders, and [Page 59]shall give to each of them one or two Trumpeters, to the end that when he shall set upon the place by which he hath proposed to himself to enter the Quarter, these little bodies, with their Trumpets, may give the Alarm on all hands, some on the right, and some on the left, and at the places which are strongest and best guarded, by that great noise to perswade the Enemies that the Assailants are very numerous and stronger than they, and by that means to put them into con­fusion, and hinder them from escape­ing or drawing out, that they may rally and put themselves in defence. And therefore he shall prohibit these little Bodies to enter the Quarter, commanding the one to keep on the avenues, the others to ride always round the Quarter, with prohibition to make Prisoners of any that would come out to save themselves, or to rally, but on the contrary, they are to be ordered to kill all without quarters, until they receive new Or­ders. The Captain having so dispo­sed [Page 60]his men an hour before day in the order that we have said, and having Commanded them all to put white Paper in their Hats, that they may know one another, he shall order the little bodies to march without make­ing of noise towards the flanks of the quarters, and in the mean time he shall march with the six other Squadrons, each according to their ranks, in good order, with great silence, and with­out Out-riders, that he may not be so soon perceived nor heard by the Vedettes; and so soon as he is disco­vered, he ought instantly, without the least hesitation or pause, make the first Squadron fall in and beat back the Vedettes with great dili­gence, the other five following close behind, and in good order, and all (if it be possible) should be in with the Court of Guard as soon as the Vedettes, that they may desperately fall on, surprize and force the Court of Guard, and enter all together in­to the quarter; and when the Cap­tain is entered with his six Squadrons, [Page 61]he shall cause one of them seize the place of arms, and in the mean while without losing of time, shall cause the other five to advance as far as the ex­tremities of the quarter, and to all the sides of it, with order to kill and destroy all they meet with, and pro­hibition to make any other Prisoners but the Commander of the quarter if they find him, that the Enemies may not mount on Horseback and rally to put themselves in defence; and that is to be continued so long till the Captain be absolutely Master of the quarter, and that he shall find the Ene­mies no more in a condition to draw out, nor to gather together to make resistance; and then he shall make as many of his men as he thinks conve­nient to alight, that they may enter into the Houses, make Prisoners, take Horses, set on fire, and force the Houses that are refused to be opened, and where the Enemy would make resistance; and in the mean, he shall keep a body of men moving up and down through the quarter, because [Page 62]part of the Enemy may perhaps rally together in some places; and all this while the other little bodies shall keep still without the quarter, exactly obeying their orders; and by this means the Captain may render him­self Master of the quarter, force the Enemies and bring off a considerable booty.

When the Army leaves the Field to go into Winter Quarters, the King sends as many of the Cavalry as is re­quisite into the frontier places, there to lie in Garison during the Winter, by reason of the great advantages that arise therefrom; for by that means the Countrey about is preserved, the Enemies not daring to make courses and inroads to waste and pillage it, without running great risk of being lost. By that means the Cavalry have occasion to keep themselves in exer­cise, having daily opportunity of see­ing the Enemy, making frequent Courses into their Countrey, and sub­sisting at their cost: so that the pla­ces are in far greater security against [Page 63]the Enemies attempts, than if there were no Horse in them. There is no­thing truer, than that the General of the Army during the next Campagn, finds a great deal of difference be­twixt the Horse that have had their Winter Quarters on the Frontiers, and who have kept themselves in War­like exercise, and those that have spent the Winter in idleness and in Quarters remote from an Enemies Countrey. When a Captain of Horse is in Garison in a frontier place, and that there are other Troops in Gari­son with his own, all which he com­mands, yet he cannot go out with the Cavalrie, nor part of them, without giving notice to the Governour of the place, and receiving his approbati­on; as likewise the Governour can­not dispose of them without acquaint­ing the Captain who Commands them, and without his permission. But if the Captain be in Garison in any Frontier Town, where there is no Governour, but that the Magi­strates keep the Keys and give the [Page 64]word (which happens but seldom, though it may happen;) Then may the Captain dispose absolutely of the Horse, without acquainting the Ma­gistrates of the Town, or asking their consent and approbation.

Of the duties of the Horse in a frontier place.

A Captain being in Garison in a Frontier place, ought to keep conti­nually two Troopers in the Gover­nours Court of Guard, or in the Court of Guard of the place of Arms, who are to be relieved from time to time; that these Troopers may be always ready to give him notice so soon as they have any news of the Enemy, and of the least Alarm, and to bring to him also the Governours Orders with all expedition. More­over, the Captain shall appoint daily twenty or five and twenty Troopers for a guard in the place of Arms, or near the Gate that looks to the ave­nues of the Enemies, to the end that [Page 65]being always ready to mount on Horseback, they may sally out in di­ligence, in case the Enemy does ap­pear, or that they send a small body as far as the Gates of the place, to make Prisoners, or to carry away bootie, or cattel; which the Ene­mies do commonly to oblige all the Horse to sally out upon them, and to engage them to pursue them, in hopes of great booty or rewards from the Prisoners whom they might retake, and by that means to draw them into some ambush. But if these Troopers of the Guard sally out in time and with diligence, they will be sufficient to hinder the Enemies design, though they should even come in great num­ber, because these twenty five sallying out upon them with diligence under a good Leader, may amuse and keep them in play, and give leisure to all the Horse that are in the place, to mount and come out; that will give time also to all that are abroad to re­tire and carry off their Cattel: And if the place may be surprised by Sca­lade [Page 66]or otherways, the Captain shall appoint the same Court of Guard, or part of them, to keep all night long without the Gate that looks to the Enemy, yet so, as they be posted un­der covert of the half Moon, or bar­rier, which covers the Gate, com­manding them to Scout all night to the right and left, two and two, or four and four, according as it shall be necessary, and successively one after another, by all the avenues by which the Enemy may come to surprise the place; which will be hard to be done if these Troopers do their duty. It will be also requisite that these Troop­ers, before any come out of the place, go and view the neighbourhood about the place, to a quarter of a Leagues distance or more, and see if there be no ambush of the Enemy, and they be not posted in some place, to carry away all that is to come out or enter into the place: by such care and diligence, the Horse will secure the place from all kinds of surprise.

Of the duty of a Captain being in Ga­rison in a Frontier Town, during the Campagn.

When it is time to begin the Cam­pagn, and when the King sends Or­ders for the marching of the Troops to their Rendezvous, to make up the body of an Army, there is always left in the Frontier places, a sufficient number of Horse, to guard the Gon­voys, and those that are to go and come daily from the Army, and like­wise to be a curb to the Enemies that are in the neighbouring Frontier Ga­risons.

If the Captain who remains in Ga­rison in a Frontier place during the Campagn, perceive that the Enemy has a neighbouring Frontier Garison stronger in Horse than his own, he is to make use of ambushes and courses, and to keep the Enemy in fear. If in the first courses that he shall make, he cause assemble the Troops of the Au­xiliary Cavalry of other neighbouring [Page 68]Garisons, that are of his party, to such a competent number as may fight the Enemies Garison, in case they come out upon him, and for that end, if he shall assign to these Auxiliary Troops, a place of rendezvous on the rode with such requisite circumstan­ces, as may prevent the mistaking of the place, and shall join them with his men, at the hour prefixed, that so he may effectuate his design without inconvenience; If I say, he come out two or three times in that manner, there is great probability that after­ward he may hazard out with his Ga­rison alone; for the Enemy's being terrified by his first courses, will not easily come out against him, believing that he may have the same Forces with him still. And if the Captain remain in Garison, and have notice given him by faithful spies, that the Ene­mies are to lay an ambush on some great rode, to fall upon the Convoys, or those of his party that are going to join the Army, or are coming from thence, and that he be not comman­ded [Page 69]out for a Guard, in that case he may go out in the night time and lay himself in ambush on the way by which the Enemies are to go to put themselves in their usual place of am­bush. The Captain knowing the Map of the Country, may chuse an ad­vantagious Post on the way, if he have good guides that know it; for in all Rodes there are places which must of necessity be passed over, as some narrow passages, or between two woods distant from one another two hundred paces, or otherways be­tween a Wood and a Village, and other such like.

The Captain should set forth sea­sonably, that he may come in good time to the Post, where he is resolved to expect the Enemy, and enjoin his Guides not to lead him by places in­habited, for the reasons mentioned before; and being come to the Post that he intends to possess, expecting until the Enemy pass, if it be near a Wood, he is to have it viewed be­fore he draw near; and being assured [Page 70]that there is no body there, then he is to approach with his men, and shall place his Squadrons at a just distance from one another, along the side of the Wood, without entering into it, facing to the way that the Enemy is to take. He shall always keep his men on Horseback in good order, and in the mean time place some Out-Ve­dettes, with order, that if they see or hear the Enemy coming, to retire without being discovered and with­out noise, to their Squadrons, have­ing first given him an account of what they have heard or seen; and with or­ders also on the other hand, that if they be surprised by the Enemies Scouts, they advance some steps to­wards them to view them, and having fired upon them, fly with all speed, and in their flight to pass beyond, and fourscore or a hundred paces wide of the Ambuscade, that the Enemies Scouts may pursue them, who will not fail to follow their Scouts close, without perceiving the Ambuscade, by reason of the darkness of the night.

Then the Captain may charge them in the flank as they pass by him, or in the rear when they are passed, ac­cording as he shall judge conveni­ent.

It is not enough to place Out-Vedet­tes, he must be careful likewise to send off Scouts well mounted, with order to halt now and then, and even some­times to alight and lay their ear to the ground, to hearken if they hear the march of men, giving them also the same order that he gave to the Vedettes, if they meet with the Ene­mies Out-riders, and to fly as the Ve­dettes, having made a shew of view­ing them, and having fired upon them, and to pass by the Ambuscade at the forementioned distance, that so they may draw the Enemy after them on the same rode: and if the Scouts can view the Enemy without being dis­covered, they are to be ordered to return with all speed, and without noise, that they may give the Captain an account of what they have seen and heard; and to the end there [Page 72]happen no inconvenience, when the Scouts are upon their return, and pass by the Vedettes, the Captain shall give both a night-signal, whereby the Vedettes may at a distance know that they are the Scouts who are returning back. If the Captain Post himself at the entry or coming out of some nar­row passage, he may use the same cir­cumspection in a manner: it is of im­portance also, that if the Captain upon his march, or when he is come to his Post, hear an extraordinary noise in some Village, he detach four or six Troopers, whom he knows to be discreet, ordering them without noise to go round the Village if it be small, to see if they can find any tract of the Enemy, and to hearken if they can hear them; and when they shall have gone round the Village, without knowing the cause of the noise that has been heard, two or three of them to alight, giving the rest their Horses to hold, and enter softly into the Village, that they may hearken if the Enemies by chance or [Page 73]otherways be there to refresh them­selves, and in all haste bring him back news of what they have seen or heard; if the Village be great, it will be enough to send some Troopers to the entry of it, ordering them to go in with the circumspection above­said.

As to spies, the Captain ought to know if they be persons of wit, good judgment, and faithful, for other­ways he ought not to trust in them.

There is nothing of greater impor­tance in an Army, than to be able to dive into the designs of the Enemy, and to know their Posts, their go­ings and comings, for by that means many troublesome rancounters are avoided, many surprises both made and prevented, and likewise many ways found to do them prejudice. For that effect, it is necessary to have good and faithful spies, whom the Captain should gain by money and rewards, that by interest he may en­gage and win them to expose them­selves to all kind of dangers, and do [Page 74]what seems even impossible, to learn the enterprises of the Enemies, and without delay to come and give no­tice of all. The Captain ought to chuse the most dextrous of those whom he knows to have the best con­duct and most of fidelity and judg­ment to employ them as good and faithful spies, who dextrously pre­tending to be weary of his service, should go to the Enemy, and so or­der matters, that they might be listed amongst the Horse, because, that be­ing made Troopers, they may have better opportunities of giving intel­ligence, whether they be in the Field or Garison: But it is likewise neces­sary to have some in divers Regi­ments, and in divers of the Enemies Garisons, who are not acquainted to­gether, with whom the Captain should be in terms, and condescend on the place whither they should car­ry their Letters of intelligence, as to leave them at the root of some tree, or at a certain cross, or under some great stone, or other places that are [Page 75]remarkable and easy to be found. These Spies should be obliged them­selves to bring the intelligence of great consequence, as the Enemies designs of surprising some place, or forcing a Quarter, and other like en­terprises. The Captain may likewise make use of some Souldier disguised into the habit of a Peasant, or into some other fashion, who speaking the language of the Countrey or of the Enemies, may under some pretext go to their Camp, or Quarter, to view their Posts, with all the circumstan­ces, and to get information of the actions of the Enemy, that he may be able to give notice of the same. He may likewise employ Peasants, be­cause they are free to go every where, being but little suspected, and less ob­served by the Enemies, especially in conquered Countreys, where they have the liberty to enter into the Ene­mies Camp, and all their places, and to travel by night; so that they may easily bring news, and give good in­telligence; but above all things he [Page 76]ought to have Spies, who insinuate themselves, or have access into the quarters of general persons, and of the Governours of places, that he may more easily have thereby knowledge of the Enemies designs. He may also make use of double Spies, but they must be such as are very affectionate and faithful to him, who that they may gain credit, and obtain access to the Quarters of general persons, may give them sometimes true intelligence of the marches of those of the con­trary party, but only in matters of small consequence, and at such a time as the Enemy can make no advantage of them. The Captain ought also to be upon his Guard against the double Spies of the Enemy: And therefore, if he intend to march out against his Enemies, upon the report that hath been made to him, and upon the in­telligence that some Spies, of whom he is not assured, hath brought him, he ought to detain the Spies under pretence of shewing them kindness and recompensing them; and in the [Page 77]mean time he shall give order to his servants to treat these Spies kindly, but withal to have a care that they make not their escape, nevertheless the Spies must not have occasion gi­ven them to think they are distrusted, to the end that if their intelligence be true, he may largely recompense them at his return, and so oblige them to persist in giving him faithful advices: and these Spies being well rewarded, will not only rest satisfied, but will also for the future expose themselves to every thing; being al­lured by the profit, which may like­wise draw in others upon hopes of the like rewards. If the Captain be advertised by Spies, of whose fidelity he is not fully assured, that the Ene­mies are abroad, or that he hath some fair opportunity offered him, He will do well before he march out of his Garison or Quarter, to send out three or four Pietons or Footmen towards the quarter and place designed to him by the Spies, who knowing the Coun­trey, shall go an hour before him, to [Page 78]some narrow pass, or some certain place that he shall tell them, wherein he may suspect that the Enemies wait for him in ambush; lest that the Spies may have given him false intelligence. This circumspection is especially to be taken in a close and covered Coun­try, wherein he may be surprised be­fore he can discover the Enemies at a distance, and in such places also where the ways are narrow, and where his men cannot march but by Files, be­cause in such a case if the Pietons have wit they cannot be lost, nor be taken by the Enemy; and the Captain shall appoint them a place where they may meet him, to inform him of what they have learnt. When he is upon a march against the Enemy, he ought likewise to Command his Troops to have a care of their Arms, and to keep them in a condition of doing service.

These are the principal Maximes that a gallant Captain ought to ob­serve in his charge of Horse; let us now proceed to the duties of the Serjeant Major.

Of a Council of War.

It is to be supposed that he who Commands an Army, is a man endow­ed with all the good qualities that are necessary to the General of an Army. The first thing that a General should do when he has received his Orders from the King, written and counter­signed by his Secretary of War, is to endeavour to follow punctually the same orders, that he may the better succeed in them, and give no advan­tage to his Enemies who are jealous of his glory. He ought have a Jour­nal Book, wherein he shall cause to be inserted by his chief Secretary, all the Orders, Letters, and Answers, which he shall have received or given, that he may be thereby always in a condition to give his Soveraign an account of his duty and actions.

The General knowing into what place he is to carry the War, and if it be only to enter into an Enemies Country, or to give a diversion to [Page 108]their Forces; or if it be in effect to besiege a place, force some Posts, or to search the Enemy to give him Bat­tel; he is to hold a Council upon these several occurrences, and shall call to it the chief Officers of Horse, Foot, and Artillery, with the Commissary General of the Provisions, to the end that amongst themselves they may determine the several days marches, and the places for provision on the way.

In that council, where they treat of the securitie of the Army, in going to the place proposed, they shall in­quire into the nature of the Coun­try, to wit if it be commodious for the march of the Cavalrie, or more favourable for infantry; or if these two bodies may march both together: In fine, they must there treat of Car­riages; and the General of the Artil­lery, and Commissary of Provisions, shall declare the advantage or incon­venience of the Country, for the con­duct of the Provisions and Baggage of the Army.

When the General hath received orders from his Soveraign to depart on a day prefixed, or having resolved it in his Council, he ought to write to the chief Officers who were not at the Council General. Now seeing it is usual that the Enemy entertains al­ways Spies in the Capital Towns, and in the place where the General has his abode; he is to send his Letters by se­cret and extraordinary ways, so that they who pry into his actions may be deceived. He may pretend some indisposition that he may have time to write his Letters. He shall begin to send to those who are most remote from him, and the place whither he intends to go; which will give them occasion to arrive at the place of Ren­dezvous as soon as they who are very near, to whom the General is not to make known his thoughts but when the time is at hand. Four or five days before the General is to depart, he should cause a report to be spread that he intends to go to a match of Hunt­ing in a place at some considerable [Page 110]distance from the way his Army is to march. This or some such like pretext, puzles the Spies, especially when they see that there is some pro­bability in it. The Evening before he is to depart, he shall cause notice be given at the receiving of the word, that the Forces that are with him shall repair next day to their colours, that they may be ready to march ac­cording to Orders. The Generals of Artillery and the Commissaries of Pro­vision receive the first Orders, to the end they may have time to make pro­visions without hurry or noise, and furnish the stores from whence the Army is to receive refreshment: and that obliges them to keep their order very secret. The Rendezvous of an Army, is a certain place which the General hath chosen, or is appointed him by Orders from his Prince, whi­ther all the Regiments that are to compose his Army, ought to be pre­sent at the day prefixt to them, not­withstanding of the badness of wea­ther. The Rendezvous ought to be [Page 111]commodious, not only for lodging the Army, but also for furnishing it with provisions, and all other things ne­cessary: and therefore it should al­ways be near some places scituated on Rivers, that both Horse and Foot may be furnished with sufficiency of water. When the Rendezvous of an Army is made in some Town, and that the Ar­my is to stay there but for one night, the most commodious way both for the inhabitants, and for the Souldi­ers, is to encamp without the Walls of the Town, giving permission only to some Horse and Foot, to come and buy provisions for themselves and Comrades.

If the Army be to lie some time at their Rendezvous, and that the place is capable to receive them, then they may be freely quartered in the Town, provided there be water enough both for the inhabitants and Army, for otherways they must go quarter else­where.

It is to be observed that when the Army lies in the Field, the Quarters [Page 112]are to be placed as near one another as possibly they can, that it may not be weakened; and though the Ren­devous of the Army be distant from the Enemies Country, and that there seem to be no fear of danger, never­theless as fast as the Regiments shall arrive at the Rendezvous, and enter into their Posts or Lodgings, they shall be careful to place their Courts of Guard, and advance Sentinels for security of the Camp.

Of cautions to be taken before an Army be drawn into the Field.

The General before he draws out into the Field, is to agree with the Mareshal de Camp, and the Mareshal of Battel, about the order of his march. That that may be done in the most convenient manner, the General should know the force of the Army that he is to Command, and likewise of the Enemies. It will be no hard matter to know the state of his own; for by making a Roll of the number of Re­giments [Page 113]of Horse and Foot, that com­pose it, and having set down in it the number of the men that are in them, and the number of Squadrons and Ba­tallions that they may form, he shall know how many men he has to Com­mand, and according to that number may proportion the Van guard, main Body, and the Rear-guard; but he ought first by his Spies and Scouts be informed, of the convenience or in­convenience of the ways; if they be solid and plain, that he may carry with him his Artillery; if the Coun­try be Mountainous, close, or open Champian; if there be many Woods and Rivers to pass; if the ways be cut by Marshes, Ditches, Canals, or other incommodious places; if there be many narrow passes; if the Enemy may have advantage to attack or sur­prise by Ambuscades in the narrow passages. Finally, being well inform­ed of all that may be advantagious to him, he shall frame the order of his march, that he may depart when he shall think fit. Before he draw out [Page 114]into the Fields, he ought above all things give orders for raising recruits, making Convoys, which are two things absolutely necessary for the preservation of an Army that hath a design to march in an Enemies Coun­try.

The General having caused notice to be given at receiving of the word the Evening before he designs his Ar­my should march, that every one should be in readiness to march next day by the break of day; the Horse and Foot early in the Morning shall repair to their Standards and Colours, which is the place of the gathering together of the several Troops and Companies. All the Troops being formed there, they shall put them­selves upon the march, and rank them­selves into Squadrons and Batallions, that they may afterward draw up in Batallia in the place appointed them by the Mareshal de Camp, or his Aids. Above all things the Mareshal de Camp ought to be well informed of the con­dition of the Country through which [Page 115]the Army is to march, instructing himself by the general and particular Maps of the Country, and also by the relation of Peasants.

He shall then draw up his Troops in Batallia, according as he shall judge convenient, or as the General hath ordered him. If it be to march in a plain and open Country, conve­nient for the Cavalrie, Artillery, and the Carriages, then he may extend the Wings of his Army, and march in this manner.

He shall divide the whole Army in­to three bodies: that in the middle shall be two thirds of all the Foot, tanked in gross, and by Batallions of two Regiments a piece: upon the flanks of that infanterie the greater pieces of Artillery shall be placed, ac­companied by some Batallion of Foot.

At the right and left Wing of that middle-line, shall be the Cavalrie dis­posed into Squadrons, each Squadron consisting of two Cornets; The rest of the infantery marching in little [Page 116]bodies, shall close in, between them and the Horse, the Baggage and Am­munition of the Army, with some Field pieces, as we have said in the proper place. When an Army marches in a streight Country on a rode way, no accidents give it greater umbrage, than to be obliged to march through long and narrow passes. When the ways lie between Hills, the General is to send out Riders to post themselves on the way, that they may discover even to the lowest places, if the Ene­my be not entrenched there, obser­ving the nature of the plains, and al­ways asking news of the Enemies march. If the way be covered with Trees, two or three days before the Army come there, Carpenters and Pioneers must be sent before, with a Guard of Horse to defend them whilst they are cutting down the Trees, and enlarging the ways, that they make space for the Army to march by Pil­lars. At first there must advance a Squadron of Horse, and then a gross body, which is to be backed by Foot, [Page 117]then the Artillery shall follow, ming­led with some Batallion of Foot, and afterward the rest of the Army, which is to be brought up by the rest of the Cavalrie: but if the Country be incom­modious, and that neither Waggons nor Artillery can be brought through it, the ways stretching along Moun­tains, little Hills, Valleys, navigable and un navigable Rivers, and other difficult places, and that nevertheless there is a necessity of Cannon, in such a case the General drawing a little aside out of the way, shall cause the Fords and ways to be sounded and tried; he shall always send out some to get intelligence of the Enemies; and when he is well informed of the ways, and that he hath made some of them fit for the passage of Cannon, he is to divide his Army into two Bodies; and shall make one of them march in file, and afterward the Artillery which is to be followed by the second body or Rear-guard. If the War be to be carried into the Enemies Coun­try, and that there be a necessity of [Page 118]passing through some one of his Pro­vinces, whether it be to lay down a Siege, or to bring relief to some place that is to be protected; then, either the Enemy has been already defeated in open Battel, or keeps the Field to bring succours into the place besieged, or to hinder relief from being brought to the Camp of the Besiegers. On all these various occasions, whether the Army Camp in the Field, or in a Vil­lage, the General is to have special care that the Commissary General of Provisions, and the Treasurers of War, behave themselves with the fi­delity that their charge requires, es­pecially as to the matter of Provisions which ought incessantly be provided either by Victuallers or Convoys. If the Enemy hath been beaten, and that they are not in condition to make a body of an Army, then the General may order his march, as has been said before, either in an open and plain, or in a close and covered Country; but if they have rallied again after their rout, and of the wrack of their [Page 119]Forces have made up an Army consi­derable enough to cross the designs of the victorious Army, then must he march in a close body; and to the end that the Army may be in freedom to pass into all sorts of places; being disposed into Pillars, the Cavalrie shall march on the flanks, on the Front and at the rear of the Pillars; the Infantery shall be in the middle and in gross Batallions, the Artillery and Baggage on one side; all attended by some old Regiments, to cover and hinder them from being cut off.

Of the march of an Army in a close and covered Country.

An Army passing through a close and covered Country, suffers many inconveniencies, especially if it be en­gaged in an Enemies Country, for it cannot march in Batallia, far less bring up the Artillery, the ways being often broken by Woods, Rivers, and other incommodious places and passages. If the Army be obliged to pass through [Page 120]such kind of places, the General, or Mareschal de Camp, is to send before, some Ingineers with a party of Horse, and some Companies of Foot and Pioneers to fill up the Ditches, make Bridges, build Boats, and in a word, to do all that the Ingeniers shall Com­mand them, who are to take the best measures they can for facilitating the march of the Army; and during the time that these things are a doing, the General is to take special care to send out some parties of Horse a scouting, that they may learn intelligence of the Enemy, and know, if they be in the Fields, what way they march, and in a word, all that may conduce to the avoiding of ambushes and surprises. That is the time when the General should set his Spies at work to disco­ver the Enemies designs, which is an extraordinary advantage in such an enterprise.

The General by his Scouts shall in­form himself of the Enemies Counte­nance; to which he is not slightly to give credit, unless confirmed by many; [Page 121]and if he know that the Enemies wait not for him at some place or pass, he shall advance his Army, and go in search of them if his orders be so: but if he be informed that the Enemy has a mind to surprise him in some narrow passage, or in crossing a River, he is to use all circumspection in passing such places, that he may preserve his Troops from the surprises of the Ene­mies. In all these various occurren­ces, whether he encamp in the Field, or in some Village, He is to take most special care that the Commissary General of Provisions, and the Trea­surers of War act with all the faith­fulness that their offices require, and particularly as to the matter of Provi­sions which must be daily supplied, as well by Convoys as Victuallers.

The Commissary General ought to be very careful in the choice of the Corn, which he is to gather together into Granaries and Stores by his under Officers, who ought to be skilful and faithful, that they may have a care not to buy rotten and spoil'd Corn, [Page 122]which might be destructive to the Souldiers; as also in the entertaining of honest and faithful Bakers, such as can resist the temptations which might be made to them by the Ene­mies money.

The Commissary ought to know the weight that a Bushel of good Wheat should weigh, and by conse­quent all the other measures that are in use. In the first place he ought to know what weight of bread so much Wheat will yield, and how many men that Bread is sufficient to feed in a day, and then how much Wine or Water, according to the u­sual proportion, is sufficient for the same number of men, and what weight it weighs. These things should be known to the Commissary General, and his Clarks, that they may take their measures to prepare the neces­sary Provisions for the Body of an Army during a Campagn.

How an Army made up of Horse and Foot, is to be Encamped.

To Camp an Army aright, it must be always put into two lines, with a Body of reserve, provided the ground be fit for it; so disposing them, that between the two lines there be two hundred paces distance. All the Squa­drons of Horse of each line are to possess thirty five paces of ground a piece, and there must be as much void betwixt them, that a Squadron may march by the intervals, when there is occasion of fighting.

The Batallions of Foot who Camp commonly in Batallia six men deep, have about eighty paces of ground al­lotted to them, more or less, accord­ing to the scituation of the place.

Between the Squadrons of Horse and Batallions of Foot of the same line, there is usually left a distance of fourty or fifty paces.

As to the Artillery, the Cannons are placed in the first line of the Foot, [Page 124]at such places as shall be thought most advantagious.

The Waggons and Ammunition are to be Camped between the second line and the body of reserve, on the right hand; and the Provisions on the left, or near the Tent of the Com­missary General.

The Officers as well of Horse as Foot, Camp at the head of their Squa­drons and Batallions.

The place of Arms and chief Court of Guard, are always at the head of the Camp, where the Arms, Stan­dards, and Colours are lodged.

A General marching in an Enemies Country, and having on his march met with a Post, which we suppose to be a Bridge, before which there are some Courtins, Bastions, and de­my-Bastions, flanked by some heights or little Castles, he is to take care to view it, or to send some Ingeneers to observe if the Bridge be for resistance, divided by little draw Bridges, or uni­ted and entire; and at the same time shall detach a small party to try if the [Page 125]River be fordable, for in such a case the General may make some Horse pass over carrying Foot behind them, and by that means attack the Bridge at both ends. But if the Bridge be defended by some eminence, where­on Cannon is planted, a cross Battery is quickly to be raised, in such a man­ner that the pieces may be out of aim, and that those of the height cannot bear against them, from which they cannot fire but out of the openings or Gun-holes, which look against and defend only that which is opposite to them on the Front: from the Battery they must fire constantly, until the Embrasures, or Gun-holes be broken down, and the Enemies Cannon dis­mounted. If the entry of the Bridge be fortified with some Bastions; with­out spending time to attack it by Trenches, some Cavalier must in haste be raised to make a breach, which must be assaulted with Sword and Pi­stol, that so the Bastion may be car­ried in a trice. That is a vigourous way of attack; the truth is, the [Page 126]Souldiers are much exposed thereby, but it is the surest way for such Posts, which by a long delay might consume more men, and occasion the loss of opportunity of effectuating the design, if it were set upon by Trenches.

When an Army on a march meets with Villages, heights, or other like Posts, which the Peasants have forti­fied to defend themselves, and to se­cure their goods in; The General shall observe, if the Post deserve that the Army should halt, or that if pro­ceeding in his march a detachment will be sufficient to reduce these Muti­neers to reason. If he find it conveni­ent to make a halt, the Mareshal de Camp, attended by the Ingeneers, is to search for the most convenient ground for encamping the Army, such as places where are Rivers, Waters, or Fountains. The Quarter-Masters of Horse, and the Brigadeers of Foot of the Army, shall distribute the ground for the Camping of their For­ces, according to the Orders of the Quarter-Master-General. The Law of [Page 127]War forbids Peasants upon pain of death, to shut themselves up within bare Walls without Cannon, to give thereby stop to a Royal Army. If the General causes them to be summoned to render, it is an extraordinary fa­vour shewed them; but if he resolve to force them, he is to name the Of­ficers who should begin the attack, that with their men and those that are to back them, they may warmly ply them with fire, some furnished with short Arms, others with Petards, Granadoes, Bosses, fire Pots; and some others shall carry Ladders: the first by the help of Mantelets or port­able defences, shall approach the Gates, and apply the Petard, whilst others scale the Walls, every one ma­king use of Fire-works, and continu­ing the action with vigour, until the Post be gained. The success is fatal to the Commanders of the Post, who are rigourously to be punished for so insolent a piece of rashness.

In the attacking of places, so ma­ny different accidents and subjects do [Page 128]occur wherein the General of an Ar­my ought to employ the best of his Judgment, and make use of his ex­perience and conduct in War, that as we have said in our first part, and as may be with good reason averred, the most part of the actions of War are no more but continual consequences of occurrences that many times de­pend more on chance, than on the Conduct of a Commander.

Of the continuance of a Siege.

It is very difficult to find two Towns of the same scituation and force; it is likewise a hard matter to make two Sieges of a like dispositi­on, and much more still to determine the continuance thereof; for if there be some Towns, to which the Besie­gers without opening or carrying on of Trenches, may the first day of the Siege approach, and lodge themselves on the Counterscarps of their Fossé, by means of a Rideau, or some hol­low way; sometimes of a River, or [Page 129]some ill fortified Suburbs. There are likewise other Towns where the ground about is so well ordered, that within Cannon shot of their Ram­parts, or at greater distance from their Out-works, there is neither any rui­nous place, nor hollow way, that may facilitate an approach to them. To such kind of places there is no coming but by Trenches, or by gain­ing ground piece and piece; and that is the reason that such Sieges are com­monly very dangerous, because of the many accidents which happen daily in the attacks, sallies, mines, and other actions of War, practised by both parties, the one to defend themselves with more resolution, and the other to attack with greater vigour.

Of the ravage that is made about pla­ces which are intended to be Be­sieged.

It is usually made by parties of Horse and Foot joined together, to [Page 130]the end they may be in better condi­tion of Foraging, and burning all the Corn and other Commodities that are about a place, whereof they who are to be assieged might make any advantage. In this action as well as in the rest of the whole Siege, the General should act with great pru­dence, for from the beginnings there is good conjecture to be made of the progress of a Siege: and the parties whom he shall send out ought to be Commanded by men skilful in War, such as Masters de Camp, Majors, and other Officers, who have the prudence to shun the Ambushes of the Enemy, to abide their sallies, and to make head against their parties, beating them back to their defences. They who are Commanded out to make the ravage, ought to draw off from the Army about two Leagues, or at least a League from the Town which is to be besieged: they shall put all to fire wheresoever they pass, with discre­tion, though, to preserve such things [Page 131]as they may judge useful to cover their Camp, as Woods, private Hou­ses, Churches, and other sacred pla­ces, provided the besieged might not make use of them to favour their sal­lies, and dispute the ground; for in such a case the sacred stones of Altars, the holy Reliques, and the rest of what is useless may be carried away; and the materials may serve to build more considerable places of that nature af­ter the Siege.

Whilst this ravage is making, the Mareschal de Camp, with his Inge­neers, goes to view the place, as near the Out-works as possibly he can, that with more distinct knowledge he may judge of the strength or weakness of the place that is to be besieged. A General engaging himself in an Ene­mies Countrey, should leave nothing behind him, that is to say, no place whereof he is not Master, to the end he may facilitate the march of his Re­cruits, and of the Convoys that are to come to him; otherways he would [Page 132]take very bad measures, should he besiege a place in the usual way whilst the Enemy continues Master of the Castles and other places which might hinder him from the liberty of the Field. When a place to be besieged stands in the middle of a State, such as are commonly those of a people that have revolted against their Prince; and that a General is Com­manded out to reduce them to their duty, he is to consider if it be con­venient to attack their places by force and storm, or by long Sieges, if they cannot be succoured by their Allies, or if they trust only to the strength and scituation of their places and Ramparts. The General being well informed of the condition of those of the place, and knowing that they cannot be relieved from any part, that all their force consists in their obsti­nacy, in the depth of their Ditches, and height of their Walls, then it shall be enough for him to overcome them by Famine, by blocking them [Page 133]up, which is nothing else than a way of distributing his Troops amongst the Castles, Villages and other pla­ces which lie on the avenues of the place, prohibiting all and every one to communicate with those of the Town, and to carry them provisions, upon pain of death, imprisoning those that shall come out of the place, that they may be punished according to their deservings.

If a Siege is to be formed, the ra­vage being made by order of the Ma­reshal de Camp of the Army, The Ge­neral is to make his Troops march to begin the Siege. On that occasion the General should make his Forces double their march, to the end he may deprive the Enemies of occasion of fortifying the place with provisi­ons and men, if they had neglected to do it before.

When the General is within half a League of the place, he is to send some intelligent person to the Mare­shal de Camp, that the Mareshal may [Page 134]inform him of the most advantagious Posts that are about the place.

The General being thus informed of the advantage and disadvantage of the ground where he is to lay down his Camp, shall go a little be­fore, that he himself may take a view of all the Posts, being accompanied by the Mareshal de Camp and Inge­neers, who may shew him the advan­tage of the places whereof he has had a relation, that there he may draw off his Troops, distributing the Cavalry into the plains and places near Ri­vers, and the Infantry upon the little Hills and Mountains, within Cannon shot of the place. At that first come­ing it is very difficult to give to every Regiment the just measure of ground that is necessary to them, or to de­termine precisely the extent which the Parks of Artillery, and the Quar­ters of Provisions should possess: Ne­vertheless, that the matter may be made more easy, we shall deduce it into particulars. It is to be observed, [Page 135]that when the Army is composed of several Troops of Strangers, it is bet­ter to put all the Regiments of one Nation together, than to separate them, that the quarrels may be avoid­ed which happen but too frequently amongst men of different Nations.

Of the Encamping of the Horse.

Though we have in our first part spoken of the Cavalry, we must still tell you that a Horseman is called a Trooper. He ought commonly to have a servant and two Horses; or at least two Troopers ought to have betwixt them a servant and three Horses, that the third Horse may go out a forage­ing.

To lodge a Troop of Horse of a hundred men, which go by the name of Troopers (in French they are cal­led Masters or Cavaliers) there is as­signed them for the whole Troop se­venty foot in front, and two hundred in depth.

To two Troopers that lodge toge­ther, is assigned eight foot in breadth, and twelve in length, to make their Huts, or Baraques on. As to the Ba­raques, or Huts of the Horses, there is allowed to each four foot in breadth, and ten in length. The men and Horses are both lodged in two ranks. The Captains lodging is at the head of the Baraques of his Troop, the whole front of which he possesses; and the breadth of it is fourty foot. Between the Huts and Stables, there is a lane eight foot broad. The Horses Heads stand to­wards the Huts or Baraques of their Masters. The Lane between the Sta­bles is ten foot broad, that the Hor­ses may have room to come forth.

Between the lodging of the Cap­tain and the Troop, there is a Lane twenty foot broad. Behind the Troop are posted the Sutlers, divided from the Troop by a Lane twenty foot broad.

If many Troops encamp together [Page 137]near to one another, the space be­twixt them is commonly twenty foot broad.

I shall not in this place speak of the quartering of the Infantry, when up­on a march they come to a Village, nor of the Quarters of those that are in Garison in a place; because the first Quarter in the Peasants Houses by Billets, and the others with the Towns people by Chamberfulls, or singly; I speak of the Infantry that are ob­liged to Encamp and to build Huts. That manner of Lodging is called En­camping.

We have in our first Part, given all the measures for Lodging a Compa­ny of Foot, and of an entire Regi­ment.

Of the way of making the Lines of Circumvallation and Contravalla­tion.

If the General find that he cannot by storm carry the place which he [Page 138]intends to attack, and that besides, he may be in apprehension that the Enemy will relieve the place, then shall he cause a Line of Circumvalla­tion to be made round his Camp; and if he know the Town to be strong in men, and that the Governour may make frequent sallies, to incommode his Camp, and make Prisoners: to oppose these attempts, he must make a line of Contravallation on the side of the Town. The Forces being in­camped, the Ingeneers shall go round the place, that they may observe the ground by which they are to draw the line of Circumvallation, taking a Plan or draught of the ground cir­cumjacent to the place, observing in it all the heights, little Hills, Val­leys, Rivers, Churches, and generally all that may serve for Lodgings, as well for Horse as Foot, as Vineyards, Hedges, ruined Houses, and other places of covert. The Ingeneers have­ing presented that draught to the Ge­neral, and with him condescended on [Page 139]the way by which the line of Circum­vallation is to be carried, they are to mark it out with pegs and cords, of the breadth of two fathoms, make­ing the basis of its Parapet eight foot broad, the interiour height of the Parapet six foot, and the exteriour five, with a Banquette three foot broad, and a foot and a half high; the Line of Circumvallation on the side of the Country, and the Earth cast up on that of the Camp. The Line of Contravallation is made by the same measures, having its Ditch to­wards the Town, and the Earth on the side of the Camp, to cover the Souldiers that are behind it.

How the Attacks and Trenches are to be determined, and ordered.

The Circumvallation being finish­ed, and the Parks fortified by some Star-works, or half Bulwarks, the Mareshal de Camp, attended by the Ingeneers, and guarded by some [Page 140]Horse, is to approach as near as pos­sibly he can to the Out-works or Counterscarps of the place, that he may discover the strength or weak­ness of the Fortifications of the Town, the force whereof consists in the goodness of its Out-works, when they are well flanked by the defen­ces of the place, and not commanded by adjacent places, its Ditches being large and very deep, the Bastions so­lid, big, and well defended by Case­mates and Cavaliers, with Parapets Cannon proof. We shall tell ye like­wise, that the weakness of a place is to have great Out-works commanded by the adjoining heights, and ill flanked by the place, with narrow Ditches, and half filled up, decayed Ramparts, ruined Parapets, small Ba­stions, and ill filled with Earth, that, and the nature of the ground being observed, the Ingeneers are to make their report to the General, that the number of attacks may be adjusted, which are to be but two or three at [Page 141]most, if he have no Army strong enough to make four or five at a time, and to furnish them all that is necessary. The number of the Trench­es being determined, the Ingeneers are to mark them out on the very place with pegs and cords, and the way by which they must be carried on; taking their advantage of the ground, as of little Valleys, hollow ways, dry Brooks, low Bottoms, Ditches, Hedges, little Hillocks, and in a word, of every thing that may put the Souldiers under Co­vert.

Of the carrying on of Trenches.

Many who have written of Lines of approach, especially such as have never been present at them, have spo­ken of the working, and of the ad­vancing and conducting of a Trench, as of a matter so easy, that they have boldly undertaken to limit the time that should be employed in carrying [Page 142]it forwards to the Counterscarp of a place besieged, and to measure how many paces and fathoms the Pioneers should carry on their work in a day, in a night, and in an hour. For my own part who have conducted some, I found the matter far more difficult in the execution, than it is in imagi­nation and theory in a study: In ef­fect, the advancement of a Trench depends on so many accidents, that I wonder at those that would limit the time for it. That I may speak to the matter with some exactness, I do say, that the Ingeneer, or in his place, he that hath the ordering of the work, ought first of all consider the quality of the ground through which he is to carry his Trench, that he may observe if it be of plain Earth, or if it be sandy, stony, or altogether Rocky, or if it be cut by Ditches, or boggy and marish. When he hath well considered that, if the ground be good, he is to make provision of Mattocks, Spades, Pick-Axes and [Page 143]Shovels, that he may make use of them to open, dig, and enlarge the Trench, according to the measures we shall give hereafter: but if the ground be rocky and too hard to be cast up, (which is to be learnt by the relation of the Country people about) the Ingeneer is to make provision of a great quantity of Sacks full of Earth, Faggots and Gabions that he may make use of them to de­fend himself against the works of the place, and to cover his Trenches, as we are about to tell you. The dif­ference that we make betwixt the opening and carrying on of the Trenches, is this, that under the word of opening, is expressed, the beginning of the working of the Trench, the tail whereof looks al­ways towards the Besiegers; and that by the word carrying on, the advance­ment of the work is signified, the end of which looks always to the place that is besieged, and is called the head of the Trench. The place of open­ing [Page 144]them should be marked out by the Mareshal de Camp, or General. The true place to begin the opening in, should be without Musket shot of the nearest of the Out-works, yea, and without Cannon shot, when it is judged that the Labourers may be incommoded thereby. When in the Neighbourhood of the place there is some House that interposes betwixt the Musket and Cannon of the Be­sieged, and that to go thither there is but very little ground which lies open to the place, in that case it is to be made use of for the opening of the Trenches, sending thither Pio­neers under shelter of some Mante­lets, followed by those who are to back them, who are usually Horse, and seldom Foot, the Horse having the advantage of riding and scouring the Field, which the Foot cannot ea­sily do.

It is to be observed, that in open­ing the Trenches, the first Pioneers kneel, and work not but by night, [Page 145]wherein they do five or six times more work in three hours time, than they can do in ten by day. At first they make but a little Ditch, which they that follow enlarge and dig by little and little, until it be about two fa­thoms wide, and three or four foot deep, especially when they draw near the place, that by the earth which they cast up before themselves, and those that are in the Trench, they may be covered from the defences of the Town.

There is nothing that heartens the Labourers in the Trenches more, than to see themselves backed by those of their party; for there is hardly ever any approach made, but that the be­sieged make sallies out, to incom­mode the Pioneers, fill up their works, and set upon those that defend them. This ought to oblige the Besiegers to make places of Arms, and some Re­douts and Bastions, with half Bul­warks at competent distances.

The most commodious Posts for [Page 146]places of Arms, as well for the Horse as Foot, are such as may easily assist one another, and are secure from the works of the Town, as hollow ways, and especially when these ways are cross, for their depth serves for a Pa­rapet to the Foot; but for want of a natural depth these places of Arms are to be defended with Gabions, Sacks full of Earth, or other ways with Trunks of Trees, and all that can be found, to hinder those of the place to annoy them: sometimes there is a Ditch made round them, and the place of Arms is fortified like a Field Fort.

When the men work at the ap­proaches, and find hollow ways, they are to make use of them for opening of the Trenches, raising there at first some Redout, to clear them all along, in case that the Besieged would make use of them, as of Counter approaches. To prevent laying open and along to the place, the Boyau or Trench must of necessity turn side-ways: on [Page 147]the right or left flank, and sometimes about the middle of the Trenches there is a Redout to be raised con­taining eight or ten fathoms in Front, with a Ditch a fathom and a half wide, or thereabout, and as deep as possi­bly it can be made.

In these little Forts most part of the Souldiers who are Commanded to guard the Trenches, are to be lodged, as we have shewed elsewhere in our Royal Fortifications.