at it may be impossible to comply with these demands
across country and be prepared in such cases to stick to the spirit,
not to the letter, of the law.

In both cases it will hardly be of advantage to lay too much stress on
dressing and touch. Against Cavalry it is rather a case of jamming the
files together by pressure from the flanks, and the men must hold as a
vital article of faith that only the closest knee-to-knee riding will
guarantee either victory or their personal safety. Against Infantry,
on the contrary, the files must be loosened, and every horse go in his
normal stride, as in hunting; nor must anyone allow himself to be
squeezed out of the ranks to the rear or remain behind as long as the
strength of his horse holds out.

Utmost speed consistent with closely-locked files against Cavalry, a
natural extended gallop against Infantry or Artillery--these are the
two cardinal points to be observed in attacking. Maintenance of
dressing or of the ranks become positive evils if the above are
sacrificed to either. There, in my opinion, should be the essentials
to guide the decision of superior officers in their criticisms.

With these exceptions the lines for the squadron training are so
closely drawn that differences in practice can scarcely arise. The
matter, however, assumes quite a different aspect with the regiment,
and still more with the higher units.

Here it is not only a case of consolidating the cohesion of the troops
by the agency of the discipline of the drill ground, or of teaching
the forms of movement and of fighting, although, of course, these
points of view cannot be entirely disregarded; but the essential is to
teach the methods of employment of the forms laid down in the
Regulations for the combat.

A regiment which can work through the Drill Book smoothly and with
precision is still far from being trained for battle, but at the most
has merely laid the foundations on which such a training can be
subsequently built up. The same applies to a Brigade or Division, each
of which has practised and made certain of the execution of such
movements as passages of defiles, deployments, attacks, changes of
front or of lines, and so forth. All these things are in themselves
necessary and useful, but they make no great demands on the skill of
the Leaders, only requiring an accurate knowledge of the book, and a
certain degree of routine in the application of its prescriptions; but
War makes quite differ