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HAND-BOOK

 

FOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACTIVE SERVICE;

 

CONTAINING

 

 

 

 

 

Practical Instructions in Campaign Duties.

 

 

 

 

 

FOR THE USE OF VOLUNTEERS.

 

 

 

 

BY

 

 

 

EGBERT L. VIELE,

LATE U. S. A._,

 

CAPTAIN ENGINEERS, SEVENTH REGIMENT, N. G.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW YORK:

 

D. VAN NOSTRAND,  192 BROADWAY.

1861

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW YORK, 21st February, 1861.    

 

 

CAPTAIN E. L. VIELE,

                  Engineer, etc.

 

Sir:—I have read with great satisfaction, the advance sheets of the “Hand Book for Active Service” sent me. A practical work of this description is greatly needed, and will be prized by the sol­diers composing our militia throughout the States. Teaching the soldier bow to prepare his food in the most economical and expe­ditious manner is certainly not the least important part of your in­teresting volume. Knowledge thus disseminated will, in case of service in the field, save many lives, and add to the efficiency of the force, while the general information upon military subjects, given in a concise and familiar style, I doubt not will be highly appre­ciated.

   I am, my dear Sir,

                                   Your friend and servant,

                                         MARSHALL LEFFERTS,

Col. 7th Regiment, N. G.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PREFACE.

 

 

THERE are at this moment in the United States 3,000,000 of organized troops, all of them more or less accustomed to the use of arms, and many of them have been drilled in military tactics. Very few have been in actual service, and are therefore unaccustomed to the fatigues, and unacquainted with the duties, of camp and garrison life. Were any number of them to be brought suddenly into the field, this want of experience would be at once felt by officers as well as soldiers, and a great deal of useless labor, unnecessary privation, and per­sonal suffering would be gone through with before they would become sufficiently accustomed to the entire change in their mode of life. With a view to avoid these difficulties as much as possible, and set before the soldier in a familiar manner that line of conduct to be pursued in a campaign which would enable him to husband his physical resources and

 

 

8                                                                  PREFACE.

 

 

at the same time render him most effective in every way for any duty, these pages have been prepared; the author claiming no originality or merit beyond a desire to aid his fellow-citizens in acquiring more thorough information on the subject of military duties.

The large amount of intelligence and active energy which the volunteer brings with him into the field is frequently thrown away and wasted for the want of knowledge in daily routine, which, to­gether with a strict obedience to order, makes the chief value of the regular soldier. When this knowledge is once acquired, volunteers have in many respects the advantage over regular troops.

 

New York, March, 1861.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS.

 

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CHAP.     I.   INTRODUCTION,    II.   THE RECRUIT,   III.   THE COMPANY,   IV.   THE REGIMENT,    V.    THE MARCH,   VI.   THE CAMP,  VII.   GUARDS AND GUARD MOUNTING, VIII.   RATIONS, AND MODE OF COOKING THEM,   IX.   FIELD FORTIFICATIONS,    X.   ARTILLERY,   XI.   MANUAL FOR LIGHT ARTILLERY,  XII.   MANUAL FOR HEAVY ARTILLERY, XIII.   AMMUNITION,

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