r convenience they are classified as
pickets, sentry squads, and cossack posts. They are numbered
consecutively from right to left in each support.

A picket is a group consisting of two or more squads, ordinarily not
exceeding half a company, posted in the line of outguards to cover a
given sector. It furnishes patrols and one or more sentinels, double
sentinels, sentry squads, or cossack posts for observation.

Pickets are placed at the more important points in the line of
outguards, such as road forks. The strength of each depends upon the
number of small groups required to observe properly its sector.

A sentry squad is a squad posted in observation at an indicated point.
It posts a double sentinel in observation, the remaining men resting
near by and furnishing the reliefs of sentinels. In some cases it may be
required to furnish a patrol.

A cossack post consists of four men. It is an observation group similar
to a sentry squad, but employs a single sentinel.

At night it will sometimes be advisable to place some of the outguards
or their sentinels in a position different from that which they occupy
in the day time. In such case the ground should be carefully studied
before dark and the change made at dusk. However, a change in the
position of the outguard will be exceptional.

Sentinels are generally used singly in daytime, but at night double
sentinels will be required in most cases. Sentinels furnished by
cossack posts or sentry squads are kept near their group. Those
furnished by pickets may be as far as 100 yards away.

Every sentinel should be able to communicate readily with the body to
which he belongs.

Sentinel posts are numbered consecutively from right to left in each
outguard. Sentry squads and cossack posts furnished by pickets are
counted as sentinel posts.

By day, cavalry reconnoiters in advance of the line of observation. At
night, however, that the horses may have needed rest and because the
work can be done better by infantry, the greater part of the cavalry is
usually withdrawn in rear of the supports, generally joining the
reserve, small detachments being assigned to the supports for patrolling
at a distance.

With efficient cavalry in front, the work of the infantry on the line of
observation is reduced to a minimum.

General instructions for the advance cavalry are given by the outpost
commander, but details are left to the subordinate.

Instead of using outguards along the e