Daily Manual

for NCOs and soldiers.

Extract of the regulation concerning the interior service, the police and the discipline of the infantry.

New edition, augmented with an extract of the Imperial decree on military honnours to be rendered to dignitories according to their rank.

An 1805

The Foundation of Discipline.

 Article One.

The intention of the government is that there should be established in all the regiments a gradual submission which, without causing a loss of its force, shall be gentle and paternal, and which, founded on justice and courage, putting aside all despotism and oppression, and sustain the subordinates in the study of their duties. It is intended that the soldiers are treated with the greatest humanity and kindness, and none shall suffer injustice; they shall find in their superiors guides and benefactors, only punishing those who merit punishment conforming to the law.

2.In all that concerns the good of the service and the integrity of the public, the public commands that the soldier obeys his corporal, the corporal his sergeant, the sergeant his sergeant-major, the sergeant-major his officers.

3. Independent of the gradual subordination established by the preceding article, the government intends that in all matters with regard to the service, as well as for the public good, that whenever a number of NCOs of the same grade, of the same or different regiments, are found together, then the same obedience is observed between the eldest (NCO) on the one part and the newest (NCO), as if the former was of a grade higher than the latter.

4. The government intends that the superior shall always find that his inferior (grade) shall exhibit a passive obedience, and that the former's orders shall be executed literally and promptly; but in dictating this type of obedience, it is intended that the orders shall conform to the law or founded upon reason, it is forbidden for a superior, of whatever grade, to give orders which would tend to lead to the injury of a subordinate.

 

 Instruction for Fusiliers

 
Before entering into the functions (of the fusilier), the soldier needs to know what to do (what is expected of him).

 1.In the barrack-room.

 He is to live in good harmony with his brothers in arms, receiving with attentiveness the advice of his elders with regard to military and public life;

To be a good comrade and friend with all;

To maintain his weapons, his equipment and the effects of his uniform in a high standard of repair, and each part ranged in its proper place, in such a way that they can be found for service at all times of the day and night;

Employing the time when not on duty, to disassemble and reassemble the parts of his equipment and armament, and cleaning them with care;

To repair the effects of his uniform, when required;

To dress his hair regularly, and to shave himself regularly;

To know what is required concerning the "kitchen”;

To prepare the soup;

To know what necessaries are required to be purchased for the ordinary (squad mess);

To know how to make his bed and arrange the barrack-room;

To take instructions in the skills which are required for his advancement, that is reading, writing, and arithmetic, etc. etc.

 2. Drill School

 A soldier is attached (to the school) until he fully understands the explanations of his instructor on the different parts of the exercises;

To execute with precision and without deviation (the drill);

To study the tone of each command, so that when it is his turn he may instruct another recruit with the same.

 3. Guard duty

He shall not absent himself from his post without the permission of his superior .

 The soldier on guard shall be regarded as an inviable personage: he shall receive the consideration of the public, and of the government for which he is maintaining the safety and tranquillity of the state by guarding the place whereupon he is placed: it is in his best interests, and his honour that he maintains diligently his watch, to comprehend and observe well the instructions (or passwords) which are given to him, shall maintain his position until he is relieved.

At the time when the guard is called “to arms" (aux armes), he shall report promptly, and shall listen in silence to the order of his superior so as to execute promptly and accurately the orders given whilst on guard duty.

He shall ensure that his armament and uniform and in good order, because he is not to leave his post for the duration of his guard duty.

When he is to go to the guard-post, he shall march in a military style, to receive the password, which he shall repeat every hour or two hours as he maintains his guard, at the end of his guard duty he shall equally pass on the password to soldier who replaces him.

He shall neither sit down, nor put down his weapon, nor move more than 20 paces from his post, he shall only enter the sentry-box in extremely bad weather; and he shall re-double his vigilance, to ensure that he is not taken by surprise by the enemy.

 He shall not allow passers-by to approach to close, and shall advertise his position (to passers-by) when they reach a certain distance from him, throughout the night.

When the night is dark, he shall cry-out, in a strong intelligible voice: "qui vive?" to all those who approach his position, and require a response of those who approach, and this occurs until day-break.

Neither during the day nor the night shall he talk (chat) with anyone, except with the officers of his post.

He shall not give the password to anyone, except the chief of his post, or to a superior officer on duty when accompanied by the said officer of the post.

He shall not leave post unless relieved by one of the officers of his post.

 
5.Arrival at the lodgings.

If he is to be billeted, the soldier shall listen attentively when called, so that he can obtain his billet, or of the number of his room indicated in the barrack.

On arrival, he shall ensure that his weapons are cleaned, and then deposited, if he is billeted on a civilian, with his back-pack, in a place from which they may all be gathered together, if the situation requires.

If he is in barracks, he deposits his arms in the arms-rack, and his backpack above the head of his bed where he is to sleep: he shall return to the rendez-vous, so that he may obtain the rations, and necessary furniture for the room, if it is his turn to do this duty.

If he is billeted upon the inhabitants, then he shall endeavour by his honesty to show to his host the honour it is to be a French soldier; it is by these means that the soldier will obtain assistance and all the social niceties which are his due.

If he is to camp, the soldier, after his company has been dismissed, takes his weapon to the arms stack of his section, ensuring that he can recognise where it has been placed, and then shall go to his tent, to help erect it, and to do any other work thought necessary by his chief for its arrangement.

If he is to bivouac, the soldier will observe well the place of assembly in case of attack. He shall, as far as is possible, ensure that his weapon is preserved from damp and is in a good state.

He shall not absent himself from his section in order that he may at any instant be ready to take up arms: he shall remain dressed, he shall keep his pack ready so that he may quickly put it on.

 6. Combat

In order that the courage of the French soldier bears the fruit which the nation expects, it is indispensable that the most exact order and subordination are observed in combat, and that he strictly follows the orders of his chiefs, from his corporal up to the commander in chief .

Following this advice, dictated by the experience of all time, he is assured that he will advance to reap all the fruits of victory, and in a reverse, he remains a powerful and redoubtable enemy.

It is therefore essential that the chiefs merit, and are given the entire confidence of their subordinates.

The victorious soldier, at the moment he disarms his enemy; shall no longer consider as an enemy, but shall act in a sensible humanitarian way; and shall treat the enemy with these sentiments, without ever abusing the superiority that the victory has given over the unfortunate who has been vanquished.

The soldier shall not succumb to loss of his firmness, shall retake his arms: the nature of combat is day to day, a defeat is not dishonourable, but only cowardice (is).

During the combat, the soldier shall not leave his rank except if he is wounded, or under orders of his chief, no other pretext can be allowed in the eyes of his brothers in arms.

He shall maintain the greatest silence, so that he may not miss any of the commands as they are given.

He shall only fire after having taken good aim.

He shall pay the greatest attention when priming, when ramming his rounds, and shall not reload his weapon except when he is sure that it has been discharged.

In order that he may not injure his comrades, he shall ensure that the muzzle of his musket projects well beyond the leader of his file, and that the lock is inclined a little into the air so that the flash from the pan does not injure the man on his right.

 

7. After the combat.

 The soldier, following the orders of his chief, shall go to the assistance of the wounded, he shall begin with his brothers in arms, and then those of the enemy left on the field of battle. It is on the vast field of battle that the true heart of the military comes forward to practise the virtues to relieve and console suffering humanity .

It is a cowardly act on the part of the victorious soldier to insult his vanquished enemy.

The prizes taken from the enemy belong to the Republic: the soldier who finds silver or trinkets, either on the dead or on unwounded prisoners have no right to their finds; the same applies to items taken from dead comrades, these belong to the relatives of the dead when known.

 
8. When the soldier is promoted

 Without excessive vanity or pride in his advancement, the soldier raised a grade on his talents and merits, shall renounce the familiarity which he has previously had with his comrades.

He shall reflect that his actions, both with respect to the service and to his private life, shall reflect upon his commander, and this consideration shown towards his superior shall also be given at all times to his inferiors, it is for this reason that all familiarity in the relations with his comrades should be banished, without diminishing the affection or esteem which he is due, on the contrary these sentiments shall be shown each day by his public and private conduct; and to achieve this, he shall be firm without coarseness within the service, and courtesy without familiarity in society.

He shall not be permitted to go to the cabaret with the soldiers.

He shall desist from taking part in games which are likely to lead to familiarity.

His conduct and manner shall serve to prove that he merits the promotion he has received and that he may be able to attain higher grades.

He shall, by his application and newly found knowledge, inspire those he has left behind him in his military career.

When the young French soldier exactly follows the path of ancient experience outlined above, he is assured of being conducted to a place in the temple of glory, for the few who have received from nature a share of intelligence and spirit.

 
9. The soldier in his private life.

 Alongside the military virtues, the French soldier shall be equally esteemed and loved for the purity of his social manners. The principal virtues are:

Loyalty and integrity in what he says and what he does;

Friendliness towards all;

Decency and honesty in his manner and observations;

Sobriety, for drunkenness degrades men in all classes of society;

Sincerity and veracity, for nothing is more infamous than a liar and a cheat;

Respect to all persons and property wherever they may be found.

Finally, he should repeat each day the following maxim; the estimation and consideration of the public are the certain result for he:

Who in all that he says and does, consults in advance, Reason, common sense, wisdom, prudence.

 

 

Manuel  Journalier

Part 2

 

Instruction for the corporal

 

The corporal in his "room".

The corporal, imbued with the principles previously enunciated shall apply himself to passing on the knowledge to the new soldier, and, by his example shall indicate the manner of putting this knowledge into practise.

From first thing in the morning, at the hour indicated to rouse the soldier, the duty of the corporal is to ensure that each is dressed promptly and in a proper manner, and that the elder soldier apprise the younger of the best way to dress quickly.

That those detailed for service, whether armed or not, are prepared for duty;

That the beds of the barrack-room or of  the tent, are made and well arranged;

That those men who are indisposed or sick, at the appropriate hour, are conducted to the "house of the medical officer for his inspection; and if the soldier is grievously afflicted, that the medical officer, day or night, shall attend (the soldier);

That those items required for the mess are prepared, and the fire is lit for the pot (soup),

The corporal, with a man of the “room”, shall go to the market to buy provisions for the mess.

During the day; the corporal shall inspect the arms and the effects of the equipment and clothing of the men of the “room” , and that they are maintained to the required standard, and that those which require it are repaired and brought up to standard, especially seeing that the men shall maintain themselves .

He shall ensure that the soldiers do not gamble for money, so as not to breed bad feelings between themselves.

Decency, honesty, 'friendly brotherhood' shall pervade all their relations, and all their actions.

The corporal shall keep the men of the room busy and shall not allow them to be idle, the mother of vices; he shall on the contrary shall excite them to acquire the different knowledge to enable them to advance in rank; his example shall carry great weight with those inexperienced men who listen to him.

He shall often support those seeking to acquire knowledge, and shall outline the most advantageous route to acquire the necessary knowledge.

He shall ensure that the soldiers do not sleep during the day on their beds, excepting those who are ill.

 
The Corporal of the Day.

He shall, in the morning, when it is his day, check all the rooms or tents of the company,  he shall then obtain from those in charge of the rooms ( or tents ) any relevant information, he shall then give these details to the sergeant-major and to the adjutant sous- officier of the battalion.

At the designated time, and after the signal from the drum has been given, he shall, with the cooks of the messes, go from the quarters, or tents, to sweep the fronts of the streets in front of the streets up to the designated distance.

Also at the designated hour, the corporal of the day shall accompany the sergeant-major to give the report to the quarters of the adjutant sous-officier, to inform him of the state of those at his service to command or to pass on the orders to the company.

At his return, the corporal of the day assembles all the corporals of the company so as to pass on the news (information) to them, so that they in turn shall pass on the orders to their  “rooms” .

It is the corporal of the day who commands all the types of service to be carried out by the company, and shall assemble in front of the said company those men detailed for duty whatever that may be.

It is the corporal of the day who accompanies the sergeant-major at the parade and at the orders (of the day).

At his return to quarters, he shall re-assemble once again the corporals, or leaders of the “rooms”, of the companies, in order to pass on the orders of the commander of the place, or the general, or the commander of the unit, or of the company.

When assigning duties, he shall have a list, or alternatively the most senior and most junior soldiers are paired on the list, so that one may inspire the other, for each type of service, the senior and junior soldiers shall always be mixed, so that the senior soldiers may pass on their knowledge to the younger soldiers.

The corporal of the day, shall use the most active means in the service, and shall not leave the company, except when he is commanded to do so on some extraordinary service; and, in this case he shall ensure that he is replaced by the corporal who is next on the list to serve as corporal of the day.

 

Corporal-instructor of recruits

He shall pay the greatest attention so as not to put the young soldier off from learning his trade, by his brusqueness, nor by his impatience. All men do not learn, or contribute equally or at the same pace, to being taught;  patience and calmness shall be the greatest virtue of the instructor. He shall study the character and intellectual capacity of each man who he is to instruct, and shall use these insights to determine the tone and vigour of the lessons.

 These lessons shall not be of too long a duration; it is infinitely preferable to repeat (the lessons) more often.

The corporal-instructor shall follow exactly the lessons prescribed by the exercise regulations, and shall never depart from them.

He shall not proceed to the second lesson until the recruit is perfectly at ease with the first; without which, his instruction will invariably be wanting: undue haste in this matter, is a most dangerous vice.

 

The Corporal of the Guard

He shall upon arrival at his post, begin by counting the sentries at his post, he begins with the first man of the right flank and continues up to the last man of the left flank.

He shall receive, from the corporal who he is to relieve, all the passwords and all the utensils which are found at the guard room; he shall see that all these items are in a good state, and that the guard room has not been defaced. In the latter case he is to report to the commander of the post; and if he is required by the same, he shall give an account to the headquarters, whether of a place, or of a camp, having taken the name of the corporal he relieves, also the number of the company, and battalion and the regiment of which he is a part: without taking these steps he shall be responsible for the degradation committed at his post.

He shall give the same attention to post of each sentry under his command.

He shall at the same time pass on as clearly as possible the passwords to his post in general and to each sentry in particular, when his tour of duty is over he shall pass on (the password) to whoever takes over his position, from one sentry to another .

He shall also make a good reconnaissance of the surroundings of his post, so that he shall know how to regulate the marches of his patrols, and the precautions to take to ensure the security and tranquillity of his post.

 
After having taken these preliminary precautions, he shall arrange (draw) which men are to serve at which sentry-post and at which hours, those who are to go to obtain wood and candles, those to carry messages, or to escort on their rounds, superior officers, and those moving from one post to another .

He shall further regulate the tour of duty of those men who shall be continually prepared to make a reconnaissance, also the passage of troops through his post, also superior officers of the day making their rounds, as well as any other rounds and patrols.

The manner of carrying out these different reconnaissances is indicated by the regulations existing on the service of infantry (1), whether in garrison, camp or cantonment.

 
(I) These regulations are found in the collection of Ordannances at the end of this work.(Not included with the work from which these notes were translated editor).

 
He shall see that the arms are well arranged and in good order, whether in the gun-rack made for that express purpose, or in the most appropriate place, so that they may be taken without confusion, and that they are constantly under the watch of the sentry.

He shall equally see to it that order, decency and calm are maintained by the men of the guard, that they do not leave their posts, that they do not go into nearby houses, or bars, or anywhere else, and that each is ready to take up his arms at a moments notice.

Each time he relieves his sentries, he shall call each by his number, arranged in a single rank before the post, he shall inspect the arms and uniforms of the men, depending upon their numbers he shall form them into two or three ranks, carrying the musket at 'l'arme au bras', and shall conduct them in order each to their own post, he shall begin with the " sentry of the weapons, and finishing with the sentry furthest away, and shall thus come to each in turn, he shall thus march the man relieved with those who are to relieve the other men, in this manner he shall re-unite and return all the relieved men to the guard post, where, upon arriving before the (stack of) arms, he shall command them: Presentez -les armes; and then: haut les armes. He shall then make the men place their weapons in the indicated place, having first ensured that they have been well wiped dry.

At the approach to each sentry the corporal shall command: halte to his troop, when he comes to four paces from the sentry: he shall advance the man destined to relieve the post, putting him to the left of the sentry to be relieved they shall respectively present arms; and in that position, the " old " sentry shall pass on, in a moderate voice, the password for his post.

The corporal shall pay attention that the password is well transmitted, and shall correct any faults made in the transmission of the password.

He shall then have the sentries return their arms (to the l'arme au bras position), and shall return the relieved sentry into the ranks of his comrades and shall continue onto the next post.

At each changing of the sentries, if the corporal is not in charge of the post, he shall inform the sergeant that he is going to relieve the sentries, so that the sergeant may make his inspection before they depart, and that each, has his designated post where he shall do his sentry duty.

When the corporal returns to his post having relieved the sentries, he shall make his report to the sergeant whether he has any news or not.

Attention should be taken to place new soldiers, either at the "arms", or at the post closest to the guard-post, so that they may be supervised most easily, until they may take their position and serve on the guard.

The corporal, between the times when the guards are relieved, shall frequently visit the sentries, to assure himself that they are exactly at their posts.

The corporal of the guard who has patrols to make, shall command the utmost silence and shall march slowly, taking the greatest attention to observe all that he shall pass on his route. The object of patrols is to preserve the greatest security and public safety of the post, the patrol shall then put a stop to all commotion, stop and conduct to the guard-post all those who wish to disturb the order (of the post); they shall equally give warning to the camp or post, when. they shall detect a fire, or some other danger public or personal.

When the corporal has made a patrol up to the limits of his prescribed area, he shall return to his post, and report to the sergeant, and he shall report to the officer if he does not command the post.

The corporal of the guard having to make his rounds, shall carry it out in the same manner, and giving the same attention as to that given when on patrol.

He carries with him the guard-lantern, and observes, during his rounds, if the sentries are observant and at their posts as he passes .

He shall ensure that those in charge of the guard-room and of the deserters, shall be near to their posts.

The corporal of the guard shall ensure that during the night the soldiers do not undo either their equipment nor their uniform: so that they may at any time take up their arms.

In the morning, at day-break, the corporal shall ensure that the soldiers of the guard shall wash their shoes, gaiters and uniform, that they comb their hair, and wash their hands and bodies.

He shall afterwards sweep the guard-room, and its environs up to a certain distance, after which the place, or the guard, whether under arms shall always be in a proper state.

The drummer, shall sweep at the same time the guard-room of the officer, being particularly detailed for its maintenance during the guard.

The corporal of the guard commanding a post shall at the indicated hour and at the place indicated by his instructions, send an intelligent soldier with a written report with any news of what has happened at his post.

The fusilier charged with this mission shall carry his weapon on the right arm as for the sergeants when they are armed with muskets.

The corporal shall afterwards determine whether the fusilier has delivered the report to the staff officer to whom it was intended.

The corporal of the guard, commanding a post, having been relieved returns with his guard in good order to their quarters; where they shall be dismissed following the commands prescribed in the regulations for the exercise of infantry.

He shall observe the same method when he returns to his quarters or to the camp, at the head of any other detachment armed or not which he shall command.

In the latter case, after having dismissed his troop, shall give an account of his detachment and the nature of its mission; to the adjutant-major to whom he is responsible; and only after making his report shall he return to his quarters .

 
The "orderly" corporal

There are three types of orderlies. The first, assigned to generals, superior officers, or to administrative offices.

The role of these orderlies is to carry the dispatches, relating to military service, whether to different corps of troops, or to generals or to superior officers attached to the garrison, the cantonment or to the camp.

He shall also serve to maintain order in the area of the headquarters or wherever he is serving

This service is undertaken under arms, as for the guard-duty, and shall normally last twenty-four hours.

The second form of orderly duty is that carried out at the military hospitals.

This service, is equally of twenty-four hour duration, and is carried out under arms, and has for its object the supervision of:

1.The interior order (and security) of the hospital wards.

 2.That the preparation of the meals follows the prescribed regulations.

The orderly shall be present at the weighing of the meat, when it is put into the marmite, to see that the prescribed weights are met, that the cook places the meat into the marmite and that he does not fraudulently remove it, and that he returns to ensure that the distribution is fair, of equal proportions.

 3. Food distribution. He shall accompany the cooks onto the wards when each distribution of foodstuffs is made, and he shall prevent distribution of sub- standard foodstuffs, or of unequal portions.

4. At the meat suppliers premises.

At the prescribed hour, and with the requisition from the hospital director showing the required amount of meat, he shall go to the supplier, accompanied by the men detailed to transport the meat, he shall not quit the meat until he returns to the hospital and deposits his charge to the indicated storage room, or he shall pass it over in the presence of the director or his deputy.

This orderly shall also carry the situation returns to the commissioner of war charged with the policing of the hospitals, and shall render an account of any fraud or irregularity that he has observed.

He shall diligently read the regulations posted concerning hospital service, so that he shall commit to memory the knowledge that he shall require.

The third type of orderly is that posted at the gates of a place of war, or at some other designated place.

There the orderly receives, whether from the general, or some other superior, the particular password

Relative to the location where the duty is undertaken.

This service is not of a fixed duration.

Scrupulous attention is to be maintained when carrying out this third type of orderly work; and since this orderly is only responsible for the giving or not of the order (i.e. the password) he shall never abandon his post and shall only report what he sees and hears himself.

These posts are to be particularly confined to the most intelligent and attentive (corporals).

 
The corporal “en route”

 When the order is given for the march; the corporal shall pay particular attention to the inspection of the arms, uniform and equipment of his squad, and shall ensure that each man turns out in the best possible state, at the time indicated for the march, and that the soldier is in the required uniform. The corporal's example, in all cases, serving to regulate his inferiors.

At the time of the "rappel", he shall hasten the departure of the soldier towards the place of rendezvous of the company.

He shall see to it that the soldier does not forget any of his effects or the utensils he is assigned to carry; and on leaving the room, or tent, he shall see that all the furniture is left in good order and in its proper place.

Afterwards, he shall follow the soldiers to the rendezvous. From this time he shall see to it that non step out of the troop, and that each marches in good order in their proper place throughout the march.

If he should be commanded, during the march, to accompany a man of the company or from a detachment that has been forced to remain behind, he shall see to it that the man does not move off the route, and that he halts only for the time necessary, and that he rejoins afterwards his company or detachment.

If the man is ill or unfit to rejoin, the corporal shall wait for the arrival of the waggons, shall have the wounded or ill soldier placed on a waggon; he shall "hand over" the soldier to the commander of the escort of the baggage and shall return straightaway to rejoin his company.

If there are no waggons following the troop, the corporal shall take the ill or wounded soldier under his care to the first place (of habitation) on the route, and shall require the magistrate, or the person in charge of the post, to furnish care and transport as far as they are able, and that being done he shall report the same to the commander of his company.

 

The corporal of the advance, rear or flank guard of a column.

He shall not move further from the column than the distance dictated by the commander of the column.

If he is with the advance guard he shall ensure that no military personnel of the column shall move ahead of his guard, without the express orders of the commander.

In time of war and in the presence of the enemy, he shall detach two men at twenty paces in advance, on the two sides of the route; he shall equally detach two, or more, onto the flanks at an equal distance. All of these men shall march as do the "chasseurs", that is with the musket couched under the left arm, and at full cock, this latter so that each man is ready to fire. They are to march slowly, and to observe all that is around them, and also that which is in the distance, so that they do not miss any of the enemy's positions; and if they see (the enemy) they shall retire to inform their corporal, who, in turn shall advise the commander of the column, so as to receive any new orders.

To carry out these duties well, it is essential that the soldiers observe complete silence, that they often halt to look and listen to observe what occurs around them, so that they do not miss any of the enemy's positions, nor are they surprised by the enemy.

The same applies to those forming the flank guard of a column.

The "warning" given between these two groups shall be by sign or word depending upon which is the most appropriate.

If the rear guard follows a column being pursued by the enemy, he shall not miss an opportunity to face and to resist the following force of the enemy.

The corporal of the advance or flank guard, shall follow with the rest of his troop at an equal distance, from the detached men, so as to be able to move to the assistance of the men as they require it, as the situation demands.

He shall to this end ensure that his troop is in good order.

The corporal of the rear guard shall see that no person of the column remains behind, without the express authority of the commander of the column: and if he is a fusilier, he is accompanied by a NCO.

In this case, the troop shall march together, there shall be neither flankers or other

men detached, so that they do not follow the stragglers and those who have left the route.

 
The corporal on arrival at the lodgings (gite)

 
Upon arrival at the lodgings the corporal shall see that the men of his “room” do not separate, shall afterwards see that the soldiers wipe dry their arms, clean their shoes and uniform, carefully arrange their backpacks and utensils in their designated places, and those detailed for the different duties of the room know what to do when they are required. All re-united he shall pass on the orders given by his superiors prior to the dispersal of the battalion or detachment, whether for the orders of the day, or for their departure in the morning.

The corporal shall then determine for himself which is the shortest and best road from his lodgings to the rendezvous of the troop, whether for departure in the morning, or in case of alert: he shall equally determine the whereabouts of the lodgings of his captain, sergeant-major, and the standard of the battalion, also the posts where the men of his “room” are to mount guard, after which he shall allow them to make their soup.

If the troop is camping, the corporal shall make sure that the men of the tent help to dress the tent and arrange the interior and exterior of the tent, and that they go to collect the necessary straw and wood.

To effect this he shall tell each man what he is to do.

He shall equally ensure that the cooking fire pit is well made and in the indicated place.

If the troop is in bivouacs, the corporal shall see that the arms of his squad are as far as possible placed in such a manner as to be preserved from the damp, and that each soldier knows the whereabouts of his musket, so that in case of alert he can retrieve it without difficulty.

The backpacks are to be arranged the same, and ready to be taken up by the men.

He shall have a book wherein he shall write the day to day movements of the (men of the) company, whether to hospital, discharged, on detachment, desertions, deaths, etc.