The art of warre, or Militarie discourses of leavying, marching, encamping; and embattailing an armie. Of building, defending, and expugning forts and fortified cities. Of ordinance, petards, and fireworks. Of the severall duties of officers, and souldiers. Of the Grecian, and Romane militia, and forming of battaillons; &c. By the Lord of Praissac. Englished by I.C.

Of the Sergeant major.

His office gives him accesse to the Generall of the Armie at all houres, who speaking with him,

knows from him when, where, and how his regi∣ment shall march, whether alone or with others; whether in one battaillon or many, and in what form.

It is his office to give order how the compa∣nies shall march, so that his place gives him au∣thoritie and command over all the Captains of his regiment.

He must be exceeding well experienced and exercised in his office, principally in embattailing his men; and to rally them being routed, and that in such form as he shall be commanded.

He must know of the Generall whether his regiment shall march in the vanguard, battaile, or rear.

He is to know the countrey, whether it be large or strait, and thereby to judge how he is to march, and what order to observe, that he may not be disturbed by the horse, artillerie, nor bag∣gage: being ready to march away, he shall cause the drum major to beat, and he the rest.

He must advertise the Captains, cause the En∣signes to march out of their quarters, form his bat∣taillon, and give to every Captain the place which he shall hold for that day.

Having brought his troops into the field, he must see them march away, and observe whether they march in good order. The Colonell is to lead at the head of the regiment.

Then the Sergeant major is to go to the Ge∣nerall, and to keep near him as much as may be during the march, to see whether there will be any new order for him to receive.

If there be any difficult passage, the Sergeant major ought to be there present, to prevent the

disorder which might happen in his regiment, and to put them in order again if they were dis∣ordered. Before the regiment enter their quar∣ters, the Sergeant major ought to go and take a view of them, or cause them to be viewed; then, at his return to the regiment, to give licence to the Ensignes to lodge, except those whose turn it is to have the guard, which must enter the corps-du-guard, and place their sentinels, untill it come to the turn of others.

Now the regiment is to be lodged either in the field or under shelter. If it lodge in the field, either the regiment is alone, or accompa∣nied with others. If it be alone, the Sergeant major must cause it to be barricadoed, or re∣trenched, or enclosed by waggons or other de∣fences of the field.

After that he is to place his corps-du-guards round about the quarters; and the sentinels at so near a distance that they may hear each other speak, being about eighty or an hundred paces off from the corps-du-guard: they are to be dou∣ble, that is, of two men, namely, a musket and a pike; and 500 paces from them, other single sentinels are to be placed, which are called per∣dues. In case of alarm, the sentinell-perdue shall retreat to the double sentinell; and in case of ne∣cessitie altogether (having given fire) are to re∣treat to the corps-du-guard.

The Sergeant major must often, and at divers houres of the night, visit the corps-du-guards.

If there be more regiments, they shall fortifie themselves with waggons, or entrench them∣selves, and each regiment shall take their quar∣ter, and shall make their guard as abovesaid.

If an alarm be given in the field, the Sergeant major is to betake himself to the alarm-place of the regiment, and there to form his battaillon, and send men to double the guards on that part where the alarm was given, and to give notice to his Colonell and the Generall of foot (if he be present) of what passeth. The Ensignes must not retreat, unlesse the Generall, or their Colonell, or Sergeant major give them leave.

No Ensigne must remove from his place, nor enter into the same, without leave of the Serge∣ant major or his assistant. No order ought at any time to be altered but by him, for he giveth not any orders but by appointment of the Ge∣nerall or Colonell.

All sorts of munitions which are to be distri∣buted amongst the regiment, ought to be deli∣vered to the Sergeant major, who is to divide them amongst the companies. He hath the charge to provide all things necessarie for his re∣giment, to send away the sick men to hospitals, commanding the Provost to provide waggons.

The Captains are to receive the advises of the Sergeant majors assistant, as from himself; the Quartermasters do usually perform this office.

The Sergeant major ought to take the word from the Generall, or the Marshall of the field, or from his Colonell; In absence of these he giveth it himself.

In the day of battaile he ought not to be on foot amongst the Captains, but must be on horse∣back, now on the front, then on the rear, to put in order those which might happen to be disor∣dered.

If the regiment lodge under shelter, the Ser∣geant

major is to view the place within and without, the moats, the gates, and the walls, ap∣pointing the places for the corps-du-guards and sentinels, and the way of the rounders, that it may be free.

He must choose a place to make the alarm-place for the regiment, and there the compa∣nies are to have their rendez-vous, in case of alarm.

After that, he must lead his regiment in order into the alarm-place, placing his guards at the gates, and on the walls; that done, he shall give leave to the Captains to go to their lodgings in their severall quarters in the town, giving them order (under his hand) concerning the place whither they shall resort in case of alarm; which order he may change so often as he shall think good; for the companies ought never to be assured of the place of their station, unlesse it be for the rendez-vous within the town, but not for the quarter on the walls: for the Sergeant major must (at every turn) cause the companies to cast lots, to know what part of the walls will fall to their turns.

He ought to take care to cause the bridges, corps-du-guards and watch-houses to be repair∣ed, if need be, and to have wood, torches, lan∣terns, and cresset-lights for the guards.

He is to cause the companies to enter the guards about ten or eleven a clock in the morn∣ing. He is to open and shut the town gates at the rising and setting of the sunne; and to place the watches for the walles presently upon shutting the gates, and to releeve them at the opening of them.

The Serg ants which have the guard must be present at the opening and shutting of the gates, and carrie the keyes of the gates to the Sergeant major, and he to the Governour; but it is better that the Sergeant major be there assisting, and be present at the placing of the guards, so often as may be.

He must have a list of all the souldiers of eve∣ry companie as they passed at the muster, signed by the Commissarie or Treasurer which took the muster; and in case he finde not so many soul∣diers at his guard, the officers of the companies are to give him an account thereof, because it be∣longeth to him to give account to the Generall concerning his regiment.