CHAPTER XIII

IN CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY

Duties of the Commander--A day in the outposts--At night--The men--The horses--Care of men’s health-- Wet weather--Hints for scouts--_Moral_--Sending out scouts at night--Sniping by nervous sentries-- Fireflies--Ruses and duplicity--Value of a knowledge of strategy and tactics--To picket an enemy--Security and information--Instances of picketing the enemy--Practice in peace--Difficulty of instruction--Practice preferred to theory--Honest outpost work--Night work--Regiment’s practice of outposts Page 122