The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-10-15
MARCHING INTO nArTLE.
Actual Organization of Line One OF the
Most Interesting Things.


4 f.eslie's: The actusl organization II
a march IL perhaps one of III. most IN
teresting things OF ali. \ commanded
may have many thousand troops, say
a division. or even more. enopmped over
miles OF country. possibly hftoen or
twenty niles Therep lie insnntry and
cavalry and artillery and engineers and
signal troops. all with their w;,ron
trains Tor combat and supply. Tha com
mandcr decides % advance on the NOR
row 10 a certain place. Perhaps there
are two roads that lead there. Now the
commander becomes gloriiied train
dispatcher. lie has to prepare com.
pictc schedule tcalied the march orderi
covering c,cry unit OF troops in his
Jurisdiction. lie has to tell each body
exactly when ana where 10 take the
road. sending each 10 the most conven.
lent point. lie has to see that every
unit dovetails perfectly into every other
unit. He has TO start them 10 the min.
ute. In order. let us say, that the Ninety
eighth infantry may get to Jones cross
ing just I'm time to fall in behind the
Forty-third infantry, and 10 have It's
last company out of the way and ON the
road before the head OF the Seyenty.sixth
artillery comes up. II Is task that
requires precision, quick thinking and
farsightedness. There must be iD Jam
ming. no hurrying up Cbecause that tires
the mem. no delays because that irri-
tates theml. and no confusion
And not oniy that. but he must teli
every organization just how fag II Is
going. Just when IL is expected 10 arrive.
and just what Il Is expected TO do when
IL does arrive. as far as he can foresee. I
The mead of the column regulates the |
march: every unit, every man IN the |
rear takes the gait from the leaders. |
and the commander must tell the lead |
ing unit exactly how fast he wants II 1
20 20. In cool weather and over good |!
roads the rate OF march may be in |
creased: in hot wect ther and with poor
reads in prospect the commander may
order very slow march. with halts. |
perhaps. every half hour instead of
every hour.
At : o'clock in the morning. wen |
say, the whole column will be on the |
road Tor on two parallel roads, il they |
exisp and moving. Each commander /
Ill the way down the line is told that |
II 1:4j sharp he will halt for fifteen
minutes. an watches have been syn
,hronized. a, 7:45, therefore, ON the
lot. the whole column stops and rests
There is no jauming up. no confusion.
No matter If the column is twenty miles
ong. II stops as If 1t were a train of
'ars. all at once. a; 1:59 all the men /
md animals are back in their places.
eady. At exactly o'clock the com
nand. Forward. march" is given by
very captain in the whole line At
$50 the column halts again And so
I goes
1t all comes down To the individual
)ne man car d.sorganize squad: one
quad can disorganize company. 1t
nay be case Of elongation. Ii may be
case of not holding the pace Of march
ng too fast or too slowly. of crowdng
- or dragging back One company
will disorganize a battalion. Il battalion
rill disorganize q whole regiment-and
efore long a whole brigade is tying il.
elf in knots all along the road.
So, perhaps. the Importance Of proper
will begin TO make itself clear
The army gives most of It's attention 10 {
/. Every man is taught that unless he
; really sick he must stay in place. ;
eep his distance. watch his feet for
listers-and. if the spirit moves him,
q sing. sing sing! {