The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-05-10
SUGGESTIONS TO VOLUNTEERS.
How They Will March and What They
Will Carry on the Campaign.

DAt~ 49,
tresses and saye-bush sleeping cots, adj
viscs every national guardsman who de-
| signs to earn chevrouS and shoulder
| straps on Cuban soil, above all things.
to take care Of their feet.
Volunteers. he says. should provide
themselves with good, strong walking
shoes. waterproof if possible, with me
dunn thick solcs, having the invisible
| thin cork insoles. The fiat-lron last =
recommended. In buying campaign shoes
ii will be we'll to bear III mind that i
shoe too small cannot be worn, anu Il
shoe too large raises bllSterS.
Wooden socks. although rather un-
| comfortable at first, Will prove TO be the
most comfortable in the end. for they
will absorb moisture and prevent chat
ing. They should fit well. for 4 WrInkled
| sock or stocking IS the cause OF more
J sore feet than is generally supposed. III
| buying shoes and stockings Tor the
campaign allowance in size must be
| made to accommodate feet swollen by
the steady tramp. tramp, tramp, over
Cuban roads and through Cuban feldS.
\ foOt-sore army is an army half dc
! feated. and European nations are said
10 be paying more attention to tie fect
than the heads Of their soldiers.
Shoes furnished from puartermasterS
stores are not suited to the untried feet
Of the boys who will go to the ranks
from stores, banks. offices and shops.
They are too clumsy and stiff. But af-
| ter the walking machinery Of the recruit
has got down to its bearings to quote
an engineers phrase. then the regulation
army shoe can be worn. and Will be
found surprisingly comfortable.
The foot soldier whose UNDERMINING
gives way is as useless as a wounded
| man. To quote Il Grand Army veteran.
IN the COS water in the South killed
more Of the boys han whiskcy did in
| the North. and cornS carried off moro
men than bullets did This explains
why the army officer paid SO much at
tention to the subject OF shoes and stock
ings.
Naturally 4 swiftly moving body Of
sOldiery will carry the minimum amount
of personal belongings. and the chances
are that every soldier in the army below
the rank of Il major will take with him
only what he can carry. This means
that privates. nOn-cOmmissiOned officers.
licutenantS and captains will rough it
from the day of emharkation to the day
the campaign is over.
&c private soldier will carry n rifle.
ammunition belt. bayonet. his half of the
shelter tent, the iointed pole and three
~ - - - ~ ~ tiiNt IhN ~ 'tt
ht-tin cup. meat pan, etc. No KNAPP
sacks will be carried, for the blanket
and shelter tent will be made into 4
oOpcd roll and carried across the body
over the left shoulder, the tied ends Of
the roll coming 1T the right hip. \. sin
Gle change of light underwear. two pairs
Of socks and 4 handkerchief or two
will be about all the extra clothing the
volunteer or regular soldier will be able
to carry.
The shelter tent, which is made UP Of
two pieces of duck, will accommodate
two men, each carrying One-half the
tent and one Of the poles. The canvas
is buttoncd together, and when raised
on the poles makes II pyramidal tent
four feet high at the point and five feet
square on the ground. The tents come
all one size; there are no short tents for
short men or long tents for tall men.
and when a siX-footer crawlS under one
OF these shelter tents he resigns his feet
to thc tender mercieS of the wide, wide
world. The shelter tent is closed at one
end only; the other end is left open for
ventilation and to save weight. But
It's tent will keep off the rain. and if
It blows in at the omen end the tent
chums can tumble the affair down with
one kick and put it up again with the
NioStu Nit IoNdEt III ruth.
The common impression of n large
body of soldiers, infantry. cavalry, and
artillery. on the march. as gathered from
Decoration Day parades and war novels.
IS that OF 4 solid column of men in scr
rlcd ranks elbow to elbow. head rig
IDLY erect. every gun at exactly the same
angle, feet and legs moving with the
harmony Of movement only. attained bv
Il seXtet bicycle team. sweeping glorious
~ along with unbrokcn files.
\ body of troops. whether a corporal
guard or a maSScd CORPS. out for busi-
ness does not move over hostile ground
that way. FlCXibility and not Il martin
cts rigidity. is what modern methods
call for. Information Of the enemv's To-
cation is the safeguard of a moving reci-
ment or brigade. \ body Of soldiers is
q hostile country. urinformed as to the
whereabouts of the enemy. is always in
peril. and subject to n disastrous sur-
prise.
When the American troops begin the
march to Havana they will resemble
the octopus, in that they will send feel
ers ahead and on each side as they move
forward. Suppose Il column OF troops
cavalry, artillery and infantry-on the
road to Cuba. Quite Il distance ahead,
and on each flank. will move the cay
dff! screen, mobile 0utpOStS to act rs
scouts, ready to fall back on the main
body OF troops if danger is sighted. When
the troops halt. the scattered cavalry
men become cavalry outposts, pickets On
horseback, who keen watch and ward.
Inc vanguard or "advance party of
the main body Of troops also IS a feelcr.
Leading the advance party, and march
ing IN the road. IS a group of foot sol
dlers, four to eight in Number. with a
non-commissioned officer in charge.
About $50 yards on each side of the
pomt IS 4 similar groun, called flank
ers.' who will march through fields. un-
der@roWth. SWamps, etc. Back of the
point in the road marches a solid body
OF men. having about twice as many
soldiers as are in the point group.
Back Of this small body some 300 wards
or so IS the support Il solid body Of
troops. twice as strong numericalIy as
he body of troops ahead. Flankers are
on each side of the SunDOrt. somaUhat