Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Cavalry of the Army Part 25

=246.= The saber suspended from the _right_ side of the saddle--

1. =Draw.= Turn the head to the right without deranging the position of the body and glance toward the hilt; engage the right wrist in the saber knot; pull the hilt forward; seize the grip in the full hand, nails to the right; draw the blade 6 inches from the scabbard, and look to the front.

2. =SABER.= Draw the saber as prescribed on foot and take the position of carry saber.

=247.= The troopers are also exercised in drawing the saber as quickly as possible at the single command: =DRAW SABER=.

=248.= To =return saber=: The scabbard suspended from the _left_ side of the saddle--

1. =Return.= Execute as prescribed on foot.

2. =SABER.= Execute as prescribed on foot, supporting the back of the blade against the left forearm until the point is engaged in the scabbard.

This command is given only at a halt or when marching at a walk.

=249.= The scabbard suspended on the right--

1. =Return.= Execute as prescribed on foot.

2. =SABER.= Carry the wrist opposite the right shoulder; lower the blade to the right of the horse's neck; let the grip turn in the hand so that the hand grasps the guard at the pommel, back of the hand up; turn the head to the right and fix the eyes on the opening of the scabbard; raise the hand; insert the blade and push it home; disengage the wrist from the saber knot; and turn the head to the front.

When the saber is carried on the right the return saber is executed, so far as possible, at the halt.

=250.= =Inspection saber= and =present saber= are executed as when dismounted.

=251.= _Guard._--Thrust the feet home in the stirrups and crouch slightly in the saddle, bending forward from the waist. Otherwise as explained dismounted.

=In the charge= in close order the trooper (in single rank) a.s.sumes the position indicated in par. 297, the body almost in a horizontal line over the horse's neck, the arm fully extended to the front, the saber, in the full grasp, in prolongation of the arm, guard up, finger nails to the right, point at the height of the eye. When difficult ground is encountered the trooper takes the position of =guard= while pa.s.sing it.

If charging in double rank, the front-rank troopers conform to the positions indicated for single rank. Those troopers who are in the rear rank or who are directly in rear of others, take the position of =port saber=.

In the melee the troopers take the position of guard toward the nearest enemy, crouching slightly in the saddle and alive to all possible attacks.

MANUAL OF THE PISTOL, MOUNTED.

=252.= The modifications of the dismounted manual, incident to, the employment of the pistol mounted are explained in the corresponding paragraphs of the =Manual of the Pistol, Dismounted= (pars. 145-156).

THE RIFLE.

(=For troops armed with the Cavalry Equipment, Model of 1912.=)

=253.= Before standing to horse the trooper attaches his rifle to his belt by pa.s.sing the muzzle up through the belt ring and engaging the snap hook of the belt ring into the trigger guard.

Being at stand to horse, upon any preparatory command, except for mounting or securing horses unsling the rifle from the belt ring and take the position of order arms, removing the snaffle reins from the horse's neck and pa.s.sing the right arm through them if necessary.

If a command to secure horses is given, link or couple first and then unsling the rifle.

To mount, proceed as without the rifle. When seated in the saddle, grasp the rifle at the bolt with the left hand, barrel to the front, place the b.u.t.t of the rifle in the bucket, steadying the latter with the left foot if necessary and take the position of the trooper mounted.

To dismount: At the preparatory command, seize the rifle at the bolt with the left hand, give it a quick, forcible pull, lifting the b.u.t.t from the bucket, and let the rifle hang from the belt.

(=For troops armed with equipment corresponding to the McClellan saddle.=)

=254.= At =stand to horse=, the rifle is held on the left side of the trooper in a position corresponding to =order arms= (par. 93), as modified by subst.i.tuting the word =left= for =right= wherever the latter occurs.

In leading out, and on all occasions when the trooper leads his horse for short distances, the rifle is carried at the =left trail= (par.

108) unless otherwise prescribed.

=255.= In mounting, the rifle is inserted in the scabbard after the trooper steps back opposite the girth and before he takes the reins in his right hand (par. 191).

On dismounting, each trooper, after placing the bights of the reins on the horse's neck, and before stepping forward to take the position of stand to horse (par. 192), takes the rifle from the scabbard and a.s.sumes the left trail. A modification of this provision applies when the trooper dismounts for inspection. The rifle is never carried on the saddle when the trooper is dismounted, except as specially authorized at inspections, with the equipment corresponding to the McClellan saddle (par. 262).

=256.= _Inspection of arms and equipment, mounted._--It is a.s.sumed that the troopers before being formally inspected mounted and under arms, will have advanced in elementary collective instruction to a point when they can be formed and aligned: as a mounted squad (par.

350). Should this not be the case, the instructor will place the troopers in line with intervals in advance of the inspection.

References to the guide and to alignment will then be disregarded and the command =front= will be omitted.

The inspection is described below upon the a.s.sumption that all arms are inspected. The inspection of pistols is explained for both the mounted and dismounted execution. The necessary modification in case the inspection of any weapon be omitted is indicated in par. 266.

=257.= When arms are inspected mounted they are always inspected in the order: Saber, pistol. When inspected dismounted they are always inspected in the order: Rifle, pistol. Sabers are not inspected dismounted, nor are rifles inspected mounted. Pistols may be inspected either mounted or dismounted.

=258.= The troopers being mounted and fully armed and in line: 1.

=Prepare for inspection=, 2. =MARCH=, 3. =FRONT.=

At the second command all align themselves on the guide: The inspector, having verified the alignment, takes position 3 yards to the right and front of the right trooper, facing to the left, and commands: =FRONT=, followed by: 1. =Draw=, 2. =SABER= (par. 165).

=259.= If it is not intended to inspect the pistols mounted, the inspector cautions =PISTOLS WILL NOT BE INSPECTED MOUNTED=, and approaches the right of the rank.

=260.= As the inspector approaches, the first two troopers execute the first motion of inspection saber (par. 170), the first trooper, as the inspector comes in front of him, executes the second and third motions of inspection saber; the second trooper, as the inspector comes in front of him, executes the second and third motions of inspection saber, the first trooper at this instant resuming the carry and the third trooper executing the first motion of inspection saber. The first trooper then returns saber. As the inspector comes in front of the other troopers the movements are executed successively as just explained.

=261.= The inspector, having completed the inspection of sabers, pa.s.ses in rear from the left to the right of the rank. As he approaches the right of the rank the first two troopers (=in the absence of indication to the contrary=) (par. 259) execute =inspection pistol= (par. 148). Each of the other troopers, in order from right to left, successively executes =inspection pistol= in time to complete the execution just before the inspector arrives in front of him. Each trooper executes =return pistol= as the inspector pa.s.ses to the trooper next on his left.

=262.= To inspect the rifles, to inspect the pistols dismounted, or to inspect the dress and equipment of the squad more minutely, the inspector dismounts the squad without forming rank.

Troopers when dismounted following the command =prepare for inspection= take a special position; and a special exception is made in this case to the rule requiring the rifle (if not slung) to be taken from the scabbard upon dismounting (par. 255). Upon dismounting while at =prepare for inspection= each trooper takes the snaffle reins off the horse's neck, pa.s.ses the right arm through the reins (the bight of the reins resting on the shoulder) and takes a position similar to =stand to horse=. The rifle is not unslung (or removed from the scabbard) unless it has been specially designated for inspection; it is then reslung or returned to the scabbard as soon as its inspection is completed.

A trooper dismounted at =prepare for inspection=, if his right hand be free, grasps the reins as in =stand to horse=. The snaffle reins once taken from the neck as above are not replaced until the first command for mounting.

The above position is habitually terminated by the first command for mounting or by =stand to horse=.

=263.= If the inspector wishes to inspect the arms after dismounting, he cautions, _immediately following the commands for dismounting_: =RIFLES AND PISTOLS= (_or_ =RIFLES=, _or_ =PISTOLS=) =WILL BE INSPECTED.=

Each trooper at once unslings his rifle (or takes it from the scabbard) and resumes his position similar to =stand to horse=, his rifle at the =order=, the reins as described in par. 262.

=264.= As the inspector approaches the right of the rank the trooper on the right executes =inspection arms= (par. 112).

The inspector takes the piece, grasping it with his right hand just above the rear sight, the man dropping his hands. The inspector inspects the piece, and, with the hand and piece in the same position as in receiving it, hands it back to the man, who takes it with the left hand at the balance, executes =port arms=, and slings the rifle or places it in the scabbard, according to his equipment.