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The
Corporal
313.
The appointment of corporal is the first step to promotion in the
army, and may lead to the highest distinction in the military
service.
The corporal is usually selected from the most intelligent privates,
who have been longest in the service, and who are noted for their
military appearance and attention to duty.
314.
The sergeants are appointed from the corporals; and they should
therefore look upon their position as one of probation, and should
seek to perform well their part, in order that they may be advanced.
315.
The pay of a corporal of artillery and infantry is the same as that
of a private, thirteen dollars per month, owing to the fact that
when the pay of privates was increased that of non-commissioned
officers was not changed.
In the cavalry their pay is fourteen dollars per month; in the
engineers and ordnance , twenty dollars.
They get one ration per day, except the corporal of ordnance, who
receives a ration and a half.
They get a small increase on the allowance of clothing to a private.
316.
The duties of a corporal are simple, and depend for their successful
performance mainly upon his capacity to control and direct soldiers
in the performance of their duty.
They take charge of the smaller details for fatigue and police duty
in camp and garrison duty: their most important duty is that of
Corporal of the Guard.
They frequently succeed to the responsibilities of sergeant in his
absence, and should therefore be familiar with his duties.
317.
Corporals should bear in mind that they are entitled to implicit
obedience from the men placed under them; and, whilst they are not
usually authorized to confine soldiers on their own judgment, they
should always be sustained by their superiors in the performance of
their duties, and in the execution of their office.
318.
When a soldier neglects his duty towards a corporal, the corporal
should at once report the fact to the first sergeant, whose duty it
is either to decide in t he matter, or to report it to his company
commander.
319.
Non-commissioned officers have it in their power at times to favor
certain soldiers, that is, to relieve them from the most
disagreeable part of the duty before them, and give it to others.
Such distinctions soon destroy their influence over men, and give
rise to trouble and difficulty.
320.
They should seek to be just towards the men, treat all alike, and
when a hardship falls upon an individual he should have no grounds
for thinking he has been especially selected.
321.
The corporal should insist upon obedience, without being arbitrary,
and should maintain his position as a non-commissioned officer
firmly, but without arrogance.
When he first receives his appointment, his calibre meets with the
severest tests.
Soldiers, for a time, will be apt to try the material he is made of,
which they do in many ways, and by progressive steps, and, if not
checked, will increase to a complete disregard, and terminate in an
entire inefficiency of the corporal.
322.
He should take the first opportunity, and make it the decisive issue
that will settle once and for all that he intends to maintain his
position with the jealousy of the highest grade.
323.
Corporals should be living examples for the soldiers in the neatness
and cleanliness of their clothing, arms, and accoutrements.
They should be the first to fall into ranks at roll-calls, and
should have their tents or bunks, wherever their quarters, always
systematically in order.
324.
They should be familiar with the "School of the Soldier,"
and capable of instruction the recruits in the elementary principles
of tactics.
325.
In the field, where it is sometimes difficult to cook for the entire
company, it is divided into messes and the non-commissioned officers
placed in charge of the different messes pro rata.
They are held responsible for the conduct of the mess-mates in the
keeping of their tents and the care of the camp and garrison
equipage in their charge.
326.
Corporal of the Guard. - This is the most important duty that
falls to the corporal.
He should be perfectly familiar with the duties of the sentinel, and
able to instruct the members of the guard in their duties.
327.
Ordinarily, a guard consists of a lieutenant and sergeant of the
guard, and three corporals, one to each relief.
As soon as the guard has marched on, it is divided into three
reliefs.
The senior corporal is assigned to the first relief, the next to the
second, and the third corporal to the last relief.
328.
As soon as his relief has been assigned to him, the corporal makes a
list of the names and numbers, beginning on the right, the odd
numbers being in the front rank, and the even numbers in the rear
rank.
This list is handed to the sergeant of the guard.
The corporal should keep a copy of it also.
329.
As soon as the list of the first relief is taken, the corporal
marches it off to post it, accompanied by the corporal of the old
guard.
No. 1 is relieved first; he is always stationed at the guard-house,
and is not required to march round the chain of sentinels with the
relief.
The other sentinels are relieved in succession, and are required to
fall in in the rear and march round in order, at a "Support
Arms."
The Regulations prescribe:
"394.
When a sentinel sees the relief approaching, he will halt and face
to it, with his arms at a shoulder.
At
six paces, the corporal will command,
1.
Relief. 2. Halt!
when the
relief will halt and carry arms. The corporal will then add,
'No. 1,' or 'No. 2,' or 'No. 3,' according to the number of the
post,
Arms
- Port!
The two
sentinels will, with arms at port, then approach each other,
when the old sentinel, under the correction of the corporal, will
whisper the instructions to the new sentinel. This done, the
two sentinels will shoulder arms, and the old sentinel will pass, in
quick time, to his place in rear of the relief. The corporal
will then command,
1.
Support - Arms! 2. Forward. 3.
March!
and the
relief proceeds in the same manner until the whole are
relieved."
330.
The first relief should be posted as promptly as possible, as both
guards are kept waiting until all the sentinels have been relieved
and have joined their guards to march off.
The new guard does not "Stack Arms" until the old one has
marched off.
331.
If the guard is small, there may be but one corporal; and he then
would be required to post all the reliefs, and, in all probability,
there would be no officer of the guard, and the sergeant then would
be the commander of the guard.
When there is a corporal to each relief, each corporal parades his
own relief, posts it, and instructs the sentinels in their duty.
He answers the call of the sentinels of his relief for
"Corporal of the Guard."
332.
The reliefs are usually posted for two hours: they have, therefore,
four hours off post.
It may be necessary to have two or all the corporals visiting the
sentinels at once.
The corporals of the other reliefs may therefore be called on when
the corporal whose relief is on post is absent on duty.
Each corporal, however, answers the calls of his own relief as far
as possible.
333.
The corporal should visit his relief thoroughly the first tour by
daylight, and see that the sentinels know their day-orders well, and
again the first tour at night, to see that they know and perform
their night-duties properly.
And they should be visited at other times also, until they know and
perform their duties well; for the corporal will be held responsible
by the officer of the guard that the sentinels are properly
instructed.
334.
Corporals should remember that the only persons authorized to give
them orders when on guard are the commanding officer, officer of the
day, and the commissioned and non-commissioned officers of the
guard; and they take orders from no other persons.
335.
The privates of the guard should make their applications to be
absent from the guard, through the corporals, who are required to
see that they return punctually and are not absent longer than is
necessary.
The corporal is held responsible that he reports to the officer of
the guard all neglect of duty or disobedience of orders or
instructions by members of the guard.
336.
The corporal whose relief is on post at twilight receives the
countersign and communicates it to the sentinels of his relief.
Afterwards the countersign is communicated by the old sentinel to
the new one when the relief marches round.
337.
Corporals should be careful how they exercise their own discretion
in reporting offences or neglect of duty by the men.
It often happens that it may be wise and judicious to let the first
offence pass, with the admonition that if repeated it will certainly
be taken notice of.
In no case should a repetition of the same offence be allowed to
pass unreported, as it is sure to be followed by others.
338.
In cities and towns, and in the neighborhood of camps, patrol guards
are often sent out under a non-commissioned officer, to pick up
soldiers absent without authority, and to correct any abuses of
which soldiers may be guilty.
Such patrol guards have no authority over commissioned officers, and
it is not proper that such patrols should be instructed to demand
passes of officers.
Such patrols may, however, give information of improper conduct on
the part of officers to the officer of the day or officer of the
guard.
339.
The Corporal of Police. - He may be on general police or
company police.
On the former, he will probably be under the direction of the
officer of police or sergeant, and have a detail placed under his
direction to police a certain extent of ground about the camp or
quarters.
On company police, he will have charge of cleaning up the company
parade-ground and quarters, under the instruction of the first
sergeant.
340.
The police party is usually turned out twice during the day, - in
the morning soon after reveille and in the afternoon before evening
parade.
The duty is light if regularly performed and the corporals are
attentive and require the men to do their work thoroughly each time
they are turned out.
341.
In barracks, the duty corresponding to police in camp, is room-orderly.
He usually goes on for a week at a time, and alternates with the
duty-sergeant and corporals, occupying the same room in barracks, in
regulating the police of the room.
He sees that the men keep their bunks or bedsteads in order, roll up
their beds, and fold their blankets neatly after reveille; that the
room is swept out and prepared for the morning inspection.
In winter-time, or cold weather, the police party is required to cut
wood for the kitchen and for the quarters, where the fires are used
in common.
The corporal superintends the party, and sees that the duty is
properly performed.
342.
Fatigue. - Corporals usually have charge of the smaller
details for fatigue duty.
Fatigue duty includes all the irregular work that the soldier is
called upon to perform from time to time.
In the field, in includes working upon roads, building field-works,
rifle-pits, &c., making or removing obstructions, duty on
forage-parties, and, in fact, all the duties where details of men
are required, without arms, for short periods.
343.
In barracks or quarters there are many duties that call for details
for fatigue, such as loading or unloading of stores, the removal of
stores from one place to another, digging of graves for deceased
soldiers or officers, labor on the grounds, works, or buildings of
the post, &c.
All such duties are usually claimed as fatigue, and the labor should
be divided pro rata among the non-commissioned officers and
the men.
344.
Corporals may either have charge of a separate party or a
subdivision, and receive their instructions as to what they are
expected to do, and are held responsible by their superior officers
for the performance of their duty.
345.
They should make lists of the names of the men under them, so that
they will know at any time what men are under their orders, and be
able to settle any question that may come up concerning the detail.
The habit of taking notes cannot be too strongly recommended to
corporals and other non-commissioned officers.
346.
They are also held responsible for the tools and other implements
used by the party, and should therefore take memoranda of their
number, kind, and condition, and, if any are lost, broken, or
injured, they should report by whom and how they were damaged, and
"whether by fault of any one," when they are turned in
again.
347. ARTILLERY
AND CAVALRY.
— What has been laid down thus far is for the corporal of
infantry, and for artillery and cavalry when dismounted. Some few
duties are to be noted for the corporal mounted.
348. The duty of posting mounted sentinels in the vicinity of the
enemy is generally entrusted to an officer, although along an
extended line noncommissioned officers can be used to post some of
the less important posts. Sergeants and corporals are usually posted
with the men at important points of the line, where a number of men
are necessary.
349. They see that the men do not neglect their duty, and have
the officers’ instructions obeyed, as regards the conduct of the
post, the manner in which they are to keep the look-out, and what
they are to do in the event of certain things being done by the
enemy.
350. They are sometimes required to visit the sentinels of the
outer chain, to see that they are on the alert, or to carry orders
to them, or to relieve or reinforce them, all of which requires a
clear comprehension of the orders transmitted, and a capacity for
making the men understand them correctly.
351. Sentinels are liable to lose sight of the main object for
which they are posted, and to turn their attention to some minor
points of their instructions. Corporals should seek to impress upon
them the main objects for which they are posted, and to explain to
the sentinel what is important and what is secondary. Orders should
not be given loosely, but with the greatest care; and the observance
of the strict letter of the orders is not so important as the spirit
of them.
352. Thus, a party may be posted on a road with orders to let no
one go by without written authority, the object of the post being to
allow no one to go by with information for the enemy. A messenger or
courier may arrive with important intelligence, desiring to go
within the lines, and the officer who sent him, not anticipating
such orders, may not have supplied him with the required pass. It
would, therefore, not be proper to stand upon the strict letter of
the order, but he should be passed in, accompanied by a sentinel, to
the nearest officer
353. Some judgment is required, in posting the outer sentinels,
in choosing proper positions. It should be remembered that whilst in
the daytime elevated positions afford the best view, the reverse is
the case at night; and the night posts should be removed to the
hollows, where, in addition to giving a view against the sky of any
one approaching, the sentinel himself cannot be seen; and it is
important that pickets should not expose their posts to view any
more than is necessary, and, to prevent surprises, they should be
changed as frequently as possible.
354. Corporals of cavalry are sometimes placed in charge of small
parties to reconnoitre, commonly called patrols. Such duty requires
caution, a knowledge of the country, and, most of all, good common
sense. Some shrewdness may at times be exercised in getting
information from the inhabitants, in the enemy’s country.
355. The object of the patrol may be specific or general: in
either case, every thing should be observed in order that all
possible questions about the route taken may be anticipated,—the
roads, houses, streams, their distance apart, the character of the
country, the disposition of the inhabitants, &c., and, in fact,
every feature that could affect troops advancing or retreating.
356. In making a report on returning, a distinction should be
made between what is actually seen, and what is only conjecture or
report, giving in each instance the authority. All exaggeration
should be avoided; but no objection can be had to laying stress upon
whatever is considered particularly important.
357. The corporal should keep his patrol together as much as
possible, and not permit his men to straggle or pursue any object of
curiosity or interest of their own, and should especially guard
against depredations or pillage. Private property even of enemies is
respected by the laws of war, and its capture and appropriation are
never justifiable unless ordered by higher authority and for public
use. It may be necessary here and there to detach a man; but, as a
rule, the patrol should keep together as much as possible for the
sake of mutual support.
358. When the object of the patrol is specific, every other
consideration should yield to that object. That is, the opportunity
to do something else perhaps creditable should not be undertaken if
the success of the patrol for the particular object would be
endangered thereby.
359. Thus, an opportunity to capture a patrol of the enemy might
present itself. On the advance it would rarely be justifiable, but
on the return it might be undertaken, if in case of failure the
information obtained would still be transmitted and the object of
the patrol completed.
360. Strict caution is sometimes necessary. By- roads and
unfrequented paths should be traveled, or, if necessary, roads
should be entirely avoided. If the object of the patrol is
important, no superior force or obstacles should be regarded as a
good excuse for abandoning the object and returning, and there must
be no supposed impossibility.
The attempt must be made, and failure ascertained beyond a doubt. If
driven back or pursued by the enemy, as soon as he gives up the
pursuit the object of the patrol must be resumed.
361. Stable-guards are peculiar to artillery and cavalry.
Corporals and duty-sergeants alternate on this detail. Usually a
non-commissioned officer and three men are sufficient. They do not
march on, like the other guard, are not armed, and do not challenge.
362. Their duty is to watch the horses that none get loose and
escape, and that they do not injure themselves. The non-commissioned
officers are responsible that the guard is properly posted and
regularly relieved. They go on at retreat, and are relieved at
reveille.
363. Horses escaping through the neglect of the stable-guard
should be charged to them and deducted from their pay. They may be
charged to the entire guard, each paying his share; or, where it can
be ascertained what particular sentinel permitted the horse to
escape, the amount may be charged exclusively to him.
364. Corporals of artillery usually act as gunners, and assist
the chief of piece in managing the gun and directing the cannoneers.
The piece may be aimed either by the gunner or the chief of piece.
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