d (this grounds or
short circuits the wire), or cut all the wires in one or two places.

=1013. Railroads.= To temporarily disable railroads remove the fish
plates (the plates that join the rails together at the ends) at each
end of a short section of track, preferably upon an embankment, then
have as many men as available raise the track on one side until the
ties stand on end and turn the section of track so that it will fall
down the embankment; or, cut out rails by a charge of dynamite or gun
cotton placed against the web and covered up with mud or damp clay.
Eight to twelve ounces of explosive is sufficient. Or blow in the
sides of deep cuts or blow down embankments. Bridges, culverts,
tunnels, etc., are never destroyed except on a written order of the
commander-in-chief.

=1014. Wagon Road.= (=a=) Bridges can be rendered temporarily useless
by removing the flooring, or, in the case of steel bridges, by burning
the flooring (if obtainable, pour tar or kerosene on flooring),
particularly if there is not time to remove it.

Short culverts may sometimes be blown in.

A hastily constructed barricade across a bridge or in a cut of trees,
wagons, etc, may be sufficient in some cases where only the temporary
check of hostile cavalry or artillery is desired.

(=b=) The road bed may be blocked by digging trenches not less than
thirty feet wide and six feet deep, but as this would take a great
deal of time patrols would rarely be charged with such work.

=1015. Report on Return of Patrol.= On returning the patrol leaders
should make a short verbal or written report, almost always the
former, briefly recounting the movements of the patrol, the
information obtained of the enemy, a description of the country passed
over and of friendly troops encountered. Of course, this is not
practicable when the situation is changing rapidly and a returning
patrol is immediately engaged in some new and pressing duty.

Model Reports of Patrol Leaders

=1016. 1. Verbal.=

=Patrol Leader= (Corporal B): Sir, Corporal B reports back with his
patrol.

=Captain A:= I received two messages from you, corporal. What else did
you discover?

=Corporal B:= That was a regiment of infantry, sir, with one battalion
thrown out as advance guard. The main body of two battalions went into
bivouac at the crossroads and the advance guard formed an outpost line
along the big creek two miles south of here.

=Captain A:= Give me an account of your