Part 478

If a medical officer of the line desires to use a medicine not in the dispensatory, he must procure it at his own expence.

Whenever wine is necessary for the sick of a regiment of the line, a return of the consumption thereof is to be made weekly to the inspector of regimental hospitals.

The medical and hospital expences of regiments of the line, and of their respective detachments, are to be inserted in the public accounts of the respective corps.

Every regimental surgeon is to make a report to the inspector of regimental hospitals, of the situation, size, rent, &c. of the hospital he proposes to hire; and unless on very pressing emergencies, no engagement is to be entered into without the permission of that officer, to whom is to be transmitted half yearly, viz. June 24th and December 24th, an abstract of the regimental hospital contingent expences, approved by the commanding officer of the regiment, accompanied with regular vouchers signed and certified by the paymaster.

When a soldier is punished, it is the duty of the regimental surgeon to attend at the execution of the sentence, and to see that the life of the culprit is not endangered by excessive rigor. He is, in fact, paramount to the commanding officer on this occasion, and ought to interfere whenever his judgment dictates. If any commanding officer should be hardy enough to continue the chastisement in spite of the surgeon’s interposition, the responsibility will then rest with him.

Assistant SURGEON. The person who acts immediately under the regimental surgeon. In the regulations for improving the situation of British regimental surgeons and mates, which took place in 1796, it is expressed, that surgeon’s mates in future are to be stiled assistant surgeons, and to be appointed by commission from the king, or by generals authorised by him. For further particulars respecting surgeons and assistant surgeons, see Military Finance, page 46.

Veterinary SURGEON. See VETERINARY.

SURINTENDANT des Fortifications, Fr. A place of great trust and considerable importance during the old French government. It was his duty to submit plans of places that were to be fortified, or of others that wanted repairing, to give in estimates of the expences that would attend the works, and to state to the directors the degrees of skill and activity which he had discovered in the different engineers who acted under him. He likewise communicated with the king on every weighty branch of ordnance. His allowance was fifty thousand livres per annum, out of which he gave six thousand livres, or 1200 dolls. to a first clerk, who received the like sum from the king for under-clerks and stationary.

SURINTENDANT général des poudres et salpêtres de France, Fr. Superintendant general of powder and saltpetre magazines of France. An appointment in the old French artillery, which was created in 1634, and paid the Paulette.

SURMENER, Fr. To founder. A term in the French manege, signifying to over-ride or over-work a horse. Hence, un chéval surmené. A jaded horse, or one spoiled by too much work.

Les SURPENTES, Fr. The slings or straps used in the artillery.

To SURPRISE, (Surprendre, Fr.) in war, to fall on an enemy unexpectedly, in marching through narrow and difficult passes, when one part has passed, so as not easily to come to the succour of the other; as in the passage of rivers, woods, enclosures, &c. A place is surprised by drains, casemates, or the issues of rivers or canals; by the encumbering the bridge or gate, by waggons meeting and stopping each other; sending soldiers into the place, under pretence of being deserters, who, on entering, surprise the guard; being sustained by troops in ambush near the place, to whom they give entrance, and thereby seize it. Soldiers dressed like peasants, merchants, Jews, priests, or women, are sometimes employed for this purpose. The enemy sometimes send in their soldiers, as if they were yours coming from the hospitals, &c. they also dress their soldiers in your regimentals, who, presenting themselves at your gate as such, are immediately admitted, seize the guard, and become masters of the place. Sometimes houses are set on fire, and whilst the garrison comes out to extinguish it, troops who lay in ambush march in, and surprise the place. Officers commanding guards at the principal gates are lured out under various pretences; matters being so contrived that a party seize the gate in coming in with them. Sometimes an alarm is given at one side of the garrison, whilst you enter secretly at the other, which at that time is too often neglected.

SURPRISES, (Surprises, Fr.) In a military sense, may apply either to those measures which are adopted by one army in the field to surprise another, or to those which are followed in the attack of fortified places. The French make a distinction between surprises de campagne, and surprises des places, or the surprises which are practised against an army in the field, and those which are executed against fortified towns or places. What has been said under the article Stratagems of War, will equally apply to the latter system.

When it is found expedient to attempt a surprise in the field, a sufficient number of men must be collected for the purpose, not only of advancing with confidence against the enemy, but of being able to make good a retreat, should he prove stronger than was suspected. The troops that are selected for this duty should be remarkable for their fidelity, and be able to undergo the greatest fatigue. Intelligent and faithful guides must be distributed among the different troops and companies, in order to keep up the continuity of the march, and put those of the rear in the right paths, should they have deviated from the direct route or line of march.

If the detachment or corps, that is entrusted with the secret expedition or surprise, be marched out of an entrenched camp, proper precautions must be taken, to prevent any intercourse between the enemy and persons employed to send or give intelligence. To do this effectually, the instant the rear guard has left the camp, the gates must be shut, and the strictest orders be issued to prevent spies or deserters from stealing out. Small parties of cavalry and riflemen must likewise be sent forward, to scour the roads, and to pick up stragglers. Care is taken to have it understood by the people of the country, that these parties are detached, for no other purpose than to escort some waggons, which are expected for the use of the army, to parley, or apparently to execute some business that can neither create jealousy, nor give uneasiness.

About an hour after, it must be proclaimed, in and about the camp and adjacent country, that no officer, soldier, sutler, or inhabitant of the villages, &c. shall on any account go more than one quarter of a league from the army. Small scouring parties, with the provost marshal’s field patroles, must be distributed beyond these limits, in order to pick up stragglers, and to search their persons lest they should be the bearers of letters, &c. A great number of small ambuscades must be laid along the leading avenues between the enemy’s camp and your own. If, notwithstanding all these precautions, you should learn, that the enemy has gained some information respecting your movement, a report must be instantly spread to make him imagine, that you have some other design in contemplation.

If, during the night, or in the course of the day, small reconnoitring parties, belonging to the enemy, should be discovered upon the road, or about it, one half of your patrole or scouring detachment, must be placed in ambush along one side of the road, in order to take them in the rear, whilst the other half attacks them in front, and by thus surrounding them, prevents any intelligence from being carried to the enemy.

When such parties consist of a regular advanced detachment from the enemy’s forces, that challenges you on your approach, your out-scouts must instantly give the name of the power or general against whose troops you are marching, or make them imagine, that you are returning from some secret expedition which had been undertaken in his favor, or that you came out of a neighboring state. As you draw near, proper measures must be adopted to get upon its flanks, so as ultimately to surround the whole guard, and to prevent any information from being forwarded to the main body of the enemy. This operation cannot fail of success, if you act with promptitude; and most especially if you can get possession of the enemy’s watchword or countersign.

Such are the leading precautions to be observed at the first outset of an army, whose design is to surprise its enemy. But these are not all. A perfect knowlege of his position must have been likewise acquired; correct descriptions of all the posts and stations, local as well as artificial advantages, must likewise have been given in, with a special account of the bridges, fords, &c. the state of his provisions, and of the general’s head-quarters.

If it be your design to surprise any strong holds, or particular posts, to fall suddenly upon some detached generals, or to carry the head-quarters themselves, you must be made thoroughly acquainted with all the intricacies of ground about them, with the number of men which may be opposed against you; and, when you have gained the necessary information respecting these matters, particularly the latter, you must assemble a body of active and zealous troops, whose number shall be one third at least greater than that of the enemy, to execute your plan.

When your project has been completed, you must call your men together. For in all expeditions of this sort, desultory operations are unavoidably necessary, and the troops employed upon them, must be dispersed. Should any be found absent at the roll-calling of the different companies or detachments, it may reasonably be presumed, that they are engaged in pillaging the place they entered. In which case you must set fire to the houses, if you cannot withdraw the free-booters by any other method. Strict orders should be given out, that no soldier or follower of the army shall move before the detachment returns to the main body, after having effected the surprise, or remain behind when it marches off. It frequently happens, that a few irregular soldiers, &c. will avail themselves of the confusion of the moment, to conceal the property that may have fallen into the hands of the detachment, and thereby to avoid sharing it with their comrades. Patroles must be sent out of the camp, and be posted along the road or roads that lead to the place which has been surprised, with strict injunctions to stop all stragglers; and the quarter and rear-guards of the camp itself must see, that none enter before the detachment is regularly marched in. When any are found guilty of this unmilitary practice, they must not only be stripped of their booty, but they must also be severely punished for the sake of example. If there should not be a sufficient number of waggons to bring off the wounded, the cavalry must dismount, and the wounded be put upon their horses. But if it be found expedient to make use of the horse, you must then convey the disabled in the best manner you can, by taking all the horses, &c. which may have been found in the place you have surprised.

After a surprise has been accomplished, the troops employed upon that service, must, if possible, be marched back to head-quarters, by a different road to the one they took in advancing against the enemy. For it would be extremely impolitic to expose them even though their number were a third greater than that of the enemy, to a second action; under the manifest disadvantages of being fatigued with the march, and the attack they had just made, and of being encumbered with the booty, &c. of the place they had surprised. Their retreat must be effected through the shortest way back. But if there should be the least ground to apprehend, that any attempt might be made by the enemy to cut them off, the first movement must be upon the same road they came, and when the night approaches, the troops must be suddenly countermarched, in order to take a different road, and to avoid any ambush that might be laid by the enemy.

Under these circumstances, every measure must be embraced to deceive the enemy. Some prisoners may be suffered to escape, before the troops have been countermarched, in order to give false information; some mules or horses may be left on the road, and small parties of drummers, &c. be detached forward to keep beating along the first road, as if the whole body were marching that way. Fires may also be lighted by patroles sent forward for the purpose. Among other means, which may be resorted to, to induce the enemy to believe that the original line of march has been continued, that of sending horses and men forward to mislead them by their footsteps is not the worst imagined.

It is more than probable, that if the retreat be made during the night, and through an enclosed or intersected country, the enemy will scarcely run the risk of pursuing, lest ambuscades should be formed to surprise him on his march.

If, notwithstanding all your precautions, the enemy should get intelligence of what has happened, and in consequence thereof he should have time to collect his forces together in order to attack you in your retreat; under these circumstances a position must be taken that is best suited to the kind of troops you have with you, and to their effective number.

If there be a ford, a bridge, or a defile, near to the ground you have taken up, which the enemy must unavoidably pass, the greatest expedition must be made to get beyond the obstacle, so as to have it securely in your rear. Should the obstacle be upon either of your flanks, a detachment must be posted there to keep the enemy in check, while your main body continues on its march. If you cannot conveniently send forward your booty, for fear of weakening your forces, it must be placed in such a manner as not to be in the way when you find it necessary to engage the enemy.

As soon as the enemy approaches, the whole body must be halted, and the proper dispositions be made for battle. The guard that is entrusted with the care of the prisoners, must instantly strip them of their swords, bayonets, and of every offensive weapon, (supposing them to have had permission to wear them) and must order them to sit down, threatening to shoot or cut down the first man that should presume to stir. On this account, the men who compose the guard, should always be ready to do their duty upon the least symptom of irregularity. A small cavalry detachment is usually employed upon this service, as it would not be in the power of the infantry to act with so much promptitude and activity. Before the troops are ranged in order of battle, directions must be given for every soldier to take off his knapsack, or havre-sack; for if the men were allowed to retain this load of baggage and booty, it would not be in their power to act.

History furnishes us with various instances in which fortified places, strong holds, and gates, have been surprised. There are others again in which surprises have been practised with success by means of spies, and of secret intercourse with one or more of the party against whom you are engaged. In 1707 several Miquelets disguised themselves as peasants, entered Balvastro, and remained concealed in the houses of some of the inhabitants, who supplied them with arms to enable them to attack the gate of Monsons, in order to co-operate with a detachment which was advancing towards that quarter for the purpose of surprising the place. But they did not succeed; for two regiments which lay in the town to guard the hospitals and magazines belonging to the army, instantly flew to arms, marched against the detachment, and forced them to retreat. Had the latter been superior in force, it is more than probable, that the stratagem used by the Miquelets, and seconded by the treachery of the inhabitants, would have amply succeeded. In 1580, count Egmont surprised Courtray, by ordering a number of determined good soldiers to get into the town à la débandade, and to remain concealed in the houses of the Roman catholics. See Stratagemes de Guerre, page 164, &c. &c. For various interesting particulars that regard the article we have been cursorily discussing, we refer our reader to La Suite de l’essai sur la science de la guerre, tom. iii. page 259; and tom. iv. page 87. Likewise Les Œuvres Militaires, tom. ii. page 69; and to the Stratagemes de Guerre, page 173.