CHAP.
XVII.

Foraging when ne cessary.

Dry foraging and requi sitioning.

CHAPTER XVII.

FORAGING AND REQUISITIONING.

ON service troops will, as a rule, be supplied with provisions, forage, &c., from magazines, or by means of requisitions which are duly served on the inhabitants of the country. Should, however, these means of subsistence not be available in an enemy's country, then recourse must be had to foraging.

Foraging is the term used to express the providing of forage for horses, and provisions for men. It is called Dry Foraging, or Requisitioning, when the various materials have previously been collected by the inhabitants, Green Foraging when the troops. have themselves to collect and gather the materials in the fields.

Dry Foraging and Requisitioning. The commander of a party receives directions regarding the place where the foraging is to take place, and respecting the quantity of provisions, forage, &c., which has to be procured. The party must be divided into two detachments, one of which is the foraging party, and the other acts as a guard.

XVII.

The latter must do exactly the same as when it CHAP. occupies any place or piece of ground in the presence of the enemy, and must be so disposed that the men, who are detailed to forage, may perform their work undisturbed. Field-Piquets, with vedettes, patrols, and in a flat country single sentries on church towers, hills, &c., will answer this purpose. The patrols sent out should not go too far, otherwise they might attract the enemy's attention. If the foraging takes place within the outposts, the security of the foraging party will be sufficiently secured without further precautions.

while

The detachment detailed as a guard must take care Rules to be that no person, under any pretext whatever, leaves observed the place while the foraging is going on; as it is im- foraging. portant that this should be finished during the daytime, the party who have to carry it out should start at such an hour as will enable them to begin their work by daybreak. The officer in command hands over the written order to the chief magistrate in the place, and gives directions sternly and decidedly as to where and at what time the various articles together with the requisite transport are to be brought. He should threaten at the same time that, unless the foraging is quickly commenced, and the requisition is exactly and fully complied with, the soldiers will be sent into houses and barns, and will themselves seek and carry off what is required. This latter alternative, however, must only be adopted in case of necessity, and care must be taken that nothing is un

XVII.

CHAP. necessarily wasted, and nothing whatever taken except what is required for forage and provisions.

Hostages

to be seized.

A place of assembly to be fixed.

Rules in the event of a scarcity of horses.

It is also a judicious plan to secure and keep one of the principal inhabitants as a hostage, so as to insure the foraging being carried out properly; care must be taken, however, not to select the chief magistrate, or any one else who is required personally to assist in the execution of the orders given.

A portion of the detachment specially told off for the duty of foraging, must, together with a trumpeter, remain under the officer in chief command, in an open space, and will have to receive and superintend the loading of the various articles, &c. When the recall is sounded, all must collect in the place of assembly, whether the foraging has been finished or not. As soon as what is required has been duly handed over to the officer in command, he will give a receipt for the same.

If there are no more horses in the place available for purposes of transport, then the cavalry horses must be harnessed to any waggons and carriages that can be procured; grease for the wheels must not be forgotten. Should there be also no waggons or carts, then the provisions must be carried in sacks, baskets, &c., by the inhabitants, while the forage can be divided among the cavalry horses. It is calculated that, in addition to his kit, a man may put a weight of 200 English pounds on a horse's back; the rider must then of course walk. If waggons are used, from 400 to 600 pounds may be reckoned for each horse. Sheaves

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will be tied up tightly into bundles of forage about CHAP. 50 lbs. weight, and four of these, bound together by forage ropes, may be placed on a horse.

deserted.

Should the place have been deserted by the in- If the habitants, then a portion of the men must be told off place is to search in the larger buildings for what is required. Every excess must in this case be strictly forbidden, and what is found must be brought at once to the place of assembly.

proaches.

If the enemy approaches, he must be held in check If the long enough to enable the waggons or horses that enemy aphave been loaded to draw off; the detachment detailed to secure the safety of the foraging party will take up the duties of rear-guard.

How con

ducted.

Green Foraging.- -The party ordered to perform this Green duty assembles at the place selected; scythes, reapingforaging. hooks, ropes, &c. must have been previously provided. One man will be told off to every 6 or 10 horses, to hold them; two binders to each mower, and one binder to each reaper. The mowers will be placed at one end, the reapers at the other end, of any field which has to be cut. Sheaves will be bound of a size so as to average about 10 lbs. in weight; from 5 to 6 will be put into a forage bundle. As soon as the forage bundles have been made the horses will be loaded, and care must be taken that this is done securely and correctly. As a rule this kind of foraging should not be undertaken too early in the morning, as at that hour the corn is usually wet.

The covering party should post itself in a suitable Covering

party.

CHAP. position, so as, if possible, to ensure the foraging being XVII. safely concluded. The foragers should remain armed

if the enemy is in the neighbourhood, and if attacked should not abandon their work unless forced to do so.

As regards other matters, the rules already laid down for dry foraging are equally applicable in the case of green foraging.