Military instructions for the cavallrie, or, Rules and directions for the service of horse collected out of divers forrein authours, ancient and modern, and rectified and supplied according to the present practice of the Low-Countrey warres.

CHAP. VI. Of the Guards.

THe Commissary Generall is to keep account of thea 1.1 Guards, and to give orders requisite to those that are to have the guard: wherein he may employ one or more companies, according to occasions. The Corps-du-guard must be in the middle of the village. The guards, being di∣sposed in their places, must be every night visited by the Commissary Generall (which often the Lieutenant Generall, and sometime the Generall himself ought to do) to keep the souldiers in the greater aw. The Generalls company is exempt from the ordinary guards and convoyes, because they must be a guard to the Generall, (unlesse the Generall go in person) and so is the Lieutenant Generalls company.

The companies entring the guard, must be compleatly armed, and sound their trumpets; their Lieutenant taking information of all things from the Lieutenant which goeth from the guard, and then certifying his Captain; who is to acquaint his superiour officers with all occurrences, and with the reports of such as went to discover and scowre the high-wayes, also of the convoyes and other duties.

If the Cavallrie lodge in severall villages (which ever must not be farre distant from each other) in every village a company must have the guard and Sentinells.

b 1.2The Captains, officers, and souldiers which have the guard must be armed all night, and have their horses at hand, ready bridled, observing all possible silence.

In the day time, if there be any open champain within half a league (or thereabout) of the quarter, the company which hath the guard shall send out a Corporall with twelve or fifteen horse, which shall hide himself in some covert place near the entrance of the said champain. There he shall place double Sentinells in some eminent place, who seeing some Cavallry, one shall go to de∣scry them, the other shall go and tell the Corporall; who sending word to the Corps-du-guard, shall advance at large, sending out two horses to take knowledge of the said Cavallry. If there be

some high tree near the place where the said Corporall stood, he may thereon place a Sentinell, and save the sending out of the said two Sentinels. These horse shall be changed (or relieved) twice a day, by those which have the guard. If the enemy charge them, they are to retreat to the said en∣trance, and there to entertain the enemy till they of the guard can be ready (upon the former no∣tice given them) and come to second them.

If all the Cavallry go to oppose the enemy, the Captain of the guard shall have the vanguard. If more companies then one be employed for guard, that company shall have it, near which the alarm was given.

Sometime it so happeneth as that the troops come to their quarter in the night and in ill wea∣ther, so as the advenues cannot be observed, nor fitting places for the guards nor Sentinels: Then the Commissary Generall (or the Generall himself) is to go and appoint them as he shall judge most convenient: appointing to every company ten souldiers of guard, (more or lesse as need shall require) and commanding all to be in readinesse, giving order to the Corps-du-guard (as the onely remedy) that if the enemy assail the quarter, they go resolutely and charge him: which (besides the honour and reputation so gotten) oftentimes provethc 1.3 fortunate. Some use (to keep their souldiers awake) to sound the boute-selle at midnight, as if the enemy were at hand; but that might prove more dangerous then profitable: for after the first time, it maketh the souldiers se∣cure and carelesse. Better it is that (after two or three houres refreshing) in such cases, the com∣panies be caused to go out into the champain, everyd 1.4 souldier taking with him some oats and other refreshments; placing the Corps-du-guards as shall be thought fit, and not giving eare to the mur∣muring of the souldiers. But if the weather be rainy and tempestuous, such as that they must be under shelter, every officer (by certain houres) shall divide the night, and go from house to house, knocking and calling to the souldiers, causing them to saddle their horses. A while after him, ano∣ther is to enter the houses, and see every souldier armed and ready to mount, punishing those that are sluggish.

The Quartermasters shall also (by turns) visit the quarters and guards. The Chief himself is also to visit the souldiers, calling to one and to another with a loud voice, to make them the more attentive.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Of the guards, and means of se∣curing the quar∣ters, used among the Romanes, Vegetius hand∣leth at large, lib. 3. cap. 8.
• b 1.2

  Edict for Mar∣tiall law, art. 58.
• c 1.3

  Audaces fortis na juvas.
• d 1.4

  Si sint i••tae cautelae, nihil no∣cturni aut diurni superventus hosti∣um nocere possunt Veg. lib. 3. cap. 10