THE BATTALION.
KXTriACTSF ROM MANUAL OF GUARD DUTY
OF THE II, S. ARMY.
To post a relief its corn >ral f >rm-! it
by the coinni.inds :
1. (Such) relief, 2. fai.l in ; The re
lief is formed in double rank facing to
the front, with arms at an order ; the
men place themselves according to the
numbers of their respective pofcts, viz :
two, four, six and so on, in the front
rank, one, three, five and so on, in the
rear rank. The corporal standing about
two paces in frontof the center of his re
lief, then commands : Gall off.
Commencing on the right, the men
call off alternately, rear and front rank,
“one,” “two,” “three,”“four,”und so on.
The corporal then commands :
1. Port, 2. arms 3. Open, A. chamber,
5. Close, 6. .chamber, 7. order, 8. arms;
faces the commander of the guard, exe
cutes the rifle salute, reports, Sir, the
relief is present, and then takes his
place on the right at order arms.
Having inspected the relief, the com
mander of the guard directs the corpo
ral, Post your refie/. The corporal sa
lutes and commands:
1. Right, 2. face, 3. Forward, 4.
MARCH.
In wet weather the relief may be
marched at secure arms.
The corporal marches on the left, and
near the rear file, in order to observe
the march.
When the relief arrives at six paces
from a sentinel, the corporal halts it
and commands, according to the number
of the post: 1. No. (- -).
The new sentinel comes to a carry,
halts at about one
, , both execute port
arms.
The corporal advances and places
himself a little in advance of the new
sentinel, at a carry or order, and ob
serves that the oid sentinel transmits
correctly his instructions.
The instruction relative to the post
having been communicated, the corpo
ral commands: Post, then steps back
about two paces and commands:
apnroaches the old.
Dace from him. and
]. Forward, 2. march.
To dismiss the old relief, it is halted
and faced, to the front at the guard
house by the corporal of the new relief,
who then falls out; the corporal of the
relief steps in front of the relief, and
commands:
1. Port, 2. akms, 3. Open, 4. cham
ber," 5. Close, G. CHAMBER, 7. DIS
MISSED-
When challenged by a sentinel while
posting his relief, the corporal com
mands: 1. Relief, 2. halt; to the senti
nel’s challenge he answers “Relief,” and
at the order of the sentinel, he advances
alone to give the countersign, or to be
recognized. When the sentinel says
“Advance Relief,” the corporal com
mands: 1. torward, 2. march.
If to be relieved, the sentinel is then
relieved as prescribed.
As a general rule he will advance par
ties approaching the guard at night in
the same manner that sentinels on post
advance like parties. Thus: The senti
nel at the guardhouse challenges and re
ports the answer to the corporal as pre
scribed hereafter; the corporal advancing
at port arms, says: “Advance (so and so)
with the countersign,” or “to he recog
nized” if there is no countersign used;
the countersign being correctly given, or
the party being duly recognized, the cor
poral says: “Advance (so and so);” re
peating the answer to the challenge of
the sentinel.
When officers of different rank ap
proach the guardhouse from different
directions at same time, the senior will
be advanced first, and will not be made
to wait ;or his junior.
Out of ranks and under arms, the cor
poral salutes with the rife salute. He
will salute all officers, whether b}" day
or night. If marching his relief he will
have the relief at a carry before saluting.
When calling for any purpose, chal
lenging, or in communication with any
person, an infantry sentinel will take
the position of port arms.
Between retreat (or the hour desig na -
ted by the commandant) and broad day-