and we are ready to march. The officers have returned from reporting
to the major for orders and I fall in the company and give the
following orders:

"A regiment of the enemy's cavalry is thought to be marching towards
Salem from the south. Our battalion will march at once towards Salem
to guard the railroad trestle over Sandy Creek, following this road
(pointing southeast along the road out of Oxford) and the Chester Pike
Which is one and three-quarters miles from here.

"This company will form the advance guard.

"Sergeant Adams, you will take Corporal Baker's squad and form the
point, followed by the remainder of the company at about 400 yards.
Patrols and connecting files will be furnished by the company.

"The company wagon will join the wagons of the battalion.

"I will be with the company.

"Move out at once."

The weather is fine and the roads are good and free from dust. It is
August and nearly all the crops are harvested. Bushes and weeds form a
considerable growth along the fences bordering the road.

Sergeant, give your orders.

=Sergeant Adams:= 1st squad, =1. Right, 2. FACE, 1. Forward, 2.
MARCH.= Corporal Baker, take Carter (Baker's rear rank man) and go
ahead of the squad about 200 yards. Move out rapidly until you get
your distance and then keep us in sight.

I would then have the two leading men of the rest of the squad follow
on opposite sides of the road, as close to the fence as possible for
good walking. This would put the squad in two columns of files of
three men each, leaving the main roadway clear and making the squad as
inconspicuous as possible, without interfering with ease of marching
or separating the men. [Par. 1028 (c).] What sort of crops are in the
fields on either side of the road?

=Captain:= The field on the right (south) is meadow land; that on the
left, as far as the railroad, is cut hay; beyond the railroad there is
more meadow land.

=Sergeant Adams:= I would have told Corporal Baker to wait at the
cross roads by the Baker house for orders and--

=Captain:= If you were actually on the ground you probably could not
see the cross roads from Oxford. In solving map problems like these do
not take advantage of seeing on the map all the country that you are
supposed to go over, and then give orders about doing things at places
concerning which you would not probably have any knowledge if actually
on the ground without the map.

Besides, in this particular case, it