Regulation

to be observed by officers commanding detachments of the army to be embarked, and on ship board. I. The officer commanding the embarkation, prior to the men’s going on board, must personally inspect the transports, to ascertain that the quantity of provisions a igned, and every nece ary accommodation is provided. II. As soon as the troops are on board, an officer from each company will personally see, that the arms and accoutrements, the clothing neatly packed in the knapsacks, together with the hats, are to be placed in order, and properly secured, over their respective births, on the racks and pins ordered for the purpose: the arms are all to be provided with cloth tompkins; they are to be oiled, and handled daily, during the voyage, and are to be frequently inspected by the officers, to prevent their being injured by rust. III. The men must be allotted to births, in the order in which they roll in their companies, and are to be divided into me es by squads, with a non-commi ioned officer at the head of each, who is to be responsible for the good order and cleanline of it; particular attention must be paid to the cooking, for which purpose two men must be detailed weekly from the company to attend to this duty, and it is e ential that every other soldier should be prohibited from going to the camboose. IV. An officer of the day will be appointed, whose duty it will be to enforce regularity, cleanline and order amongst the men; to see that their provisions are well cooked and equally distributed; and in case of neglect, in any instance, he must immediately report the circumstance to the officer commanding, who will chastise the offender, if nece ary. V. The men must not be permitted to go below during the day, except in case of indisposition, or bad weather; and the bedding must invariably be brought on deck every morning, if not prevented by rain, and taken down always before sun set. VI. To prevent accidents by fire, no candles must be suffered below, but in lanterns, and smoking between decks must be on no account, permitted. All lights are to be extinguished at eight o’clock; and the officers, to set an example of good order, should not indulge themselves in sitting up beyond a reasonable hour. VII. General parades and calls of the roll are to be had at troop and retreat, with arms and accoutrements, in good weather, and without in bad; and on every Saturday, the commanding officer must make a complete inspection of arms, accoutrements and clothing. VIII. To ensure cleanline , the men must be compelled to wash their heads and hands every morning, and their feet every evening. IX. A serjeant’s guard must be mounted daily, and a sufficient number of sentries posted, to enforce these regulations; and particularly one or more at the nece ary, camboose and hatchways, with their side arms. X. In case of coming to anchor, care must be taken to prevent the men having any communication with the shore; and attention must be paid to prevent their purchasing liquor or green fruit, from boats coming along side. XI. The commanding officer is to co-operate with the master of the transport, in whatever may be nece ary to promote the voyage; and in approaching a sail, he is positively forbid shewing a single soldier on deck: the sentries are in such case to be removed below. XII. The men are to be furnished with two flints; twenty four rounds of ball cartridges, each: six in their cartridge boxes, and the residue packed in kegs. These regulations are to be strictly observed in every particular; and any officer who may violate them, by omi ion or commi ion, will be brought before a general court-martial. Given at Head Quarters, city of Washington, Dec. 15, 1808. This closes the whole body of Regulations for the United States force, as far as the American editor has been able to collect them. To buy or sell at the Regulation , to give or receive no more for a commi ion than what has been settled by the king’s authority in the British service. When an officer is allowed to retire from a regiment with permi ion to sell, the one next for purchase is supposed to pay the regulation price or his commi ion; but it frequently happens that parties agree among themselves with respect to terms; and it sometimes occurs, that young men of interest and fortune stop the regular promotions of officers by overbidding the market. This traffic, so infamous in its principle, as well as in its abuses, was exhibited in an odious light in the case of the duke of York and his courtesans in 1809. Cavalry Regulations , specific instructions for the formations and movements of cavalry. Infantry Regulations . A system of tactics for infantry. The general principles for the formations and movements of cavalry and infantry being invariably the same, their more particular explanation in several points, is to be found in the regulations for the infantry. See American Military Library . General Regulations and orders . A collection of certain general rules which were published for the British army by authority on the 20th of August, 1799, and which are to be considered as the ground work of those instructions that generals commanding districts, and officers in the command of brigades and regiments, forts or garrisons, may find it nece ary to i ue to the troops under their respective commands. To use the words of the adjutant general, this publication does by no means comprehend the whole detail which the various duties and services, and the interior economy and management of regiments may require. They are principally extracted from a book, intituled The Rudiments of War , which was published by N. Conant in 1777, they are directed to be considered as the standing orders of the army at large. They cannot be altered, or in any sense be deviated from, without the king’s or commander in chief’s approbation. It is however to be observed, that a book manifestly calculated for the interior management of the army, and consequently a nece ary companion to the rules and regulations, should have been more specific. Many circumstances, apparently insignificant in themselves, and, of course, unnoticed at head quarters, grow into objects of serious discu ion among the different regiments of the service, both at home and abroad. It is an old maxim, that he who neglects small faults will soon fall into great offences.