155. Orders for sentinels are of two classes: General orders and
special orders. General orders apply to all sentinels. Special
orders relate to particular posts and duties.
156. Sentinels will be required to memorize the following:
My general orders are:
1. To take charge of this post and all Government property in
view.
2. To walk my post in a military manner keeping always on the
alert and observing everything that takes place within sight
or hearing.
3. To report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.
4. To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the guard
house than my own.
5. To quit my post only when properly relieved.
6. To receive, obey, and pass on to the sentinel who relieves
me all orders from the commanding officer, officer of the day,
and officers and noncommissioned officers of the guard only.
7. To talk to no one except in line of duty.
8. In case of fire or disorder to give the alarm.
9. To allow no one to commit a nuisance on or near my post.
10. In any case not covered by instructions to call the corporal
of the guard.
11. To salute all officers, and all colors and standards not cased.
12. To be especially watchful at night and during the time for
challenging, to challenge all persons on or near my post and
to allow no one to pass without proper authority.
REGULATIONS RELATING TO THE GENERAL ORDERS FOR SENTINELS.
No. 1: To take charge of this post and all Government property
in view.
157. All persons, of whatever rank in the service, are required
to observe respect toward sentinels and members of the guard
when such are in the performance of their duties.
158. A sentinel will at once report to the corporal of the guard
every unusual or suspicious occurrence noted.
159. He will arrest suspicious persons prowling about the post
or camp at any time, all parties to a disorder occurring on or
near his post, and all, except authorized persons, who attempt
to enter the camp at night, and will turn over ro the corporal
of the guard all persons arrested.
160. The number, limits, and extent of his post will invariably
constitute part of the special orders of a sentinel on post.
The limits of his post should be so defined as to include every
place to which he is required to go in the performance of his
duties.
No. 2: To walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on
the alert and observing everything that takes place within sight
or hearing.
161. A sentinel is not required to halt and change the position
of his rifle on arriving at the end of his post, nor to execute TO
THE REAR, MARCH, precisely as prescribed in the drill regulations,
but faces about while walking in the manner most convenient to
him and at any part of his post as may be best suited to the
proper performance of his duties. He carries his rifle on either
shoulder, and in wet or severe weather, when not in a sentry
box, may carry it at a secure.
162. Sentinels when in sentry boxes stand at ease. Sentry boxes
will be used in wet weather only, or at other times when specially
authorized by the commanding officer.
163. In very hot weather, sentinels may be authorized to stand
at ease on their posts, provided they can effectively discharge
their duties in this position; but they will take advantage of
this privilege only on the express authority of the officer of
the day or the commander of the guard.
164. A mounted sentinel may dismount occasionally and lead his
horse, but will not relax his vigilance.
No. 3: To report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.
165. A sentinel will ordinarily report a violation of orders
when he is inspected or relieved, but if the case be urgent,
he will call the corporal of the guard, and also, if necessary,
will arrest the offender.
No. 4: To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the
guardhouse than my own.
166. To call the corporal of the guard for any purpose other
than relief, fire, or disorder (pars. 167 and 178), a sentinel
will call, "Corporal of the guard, No. (----)," adding the number
of his post. In no case will any sentinel call, "Never mind the
corporal"; nor will the corporal heed such call if given.
No. 5: To quit my post only when properly relieved.
167. If relief becomes necessary, by reason of sickness or other
cause, a sentinel will call, "Corporal of the guard, No. (----),
Relief," giving the number of his post.
168. Whenever a sentinel is to be relieved, he will halt, and
with arms at a right shoulder, will face toward the relief, when
it is 30 paces from him. He will come to a port arms with the
new sentinel, and in a low tone will transmit to him all the
special orders relating to the post and any other information
which will assist him to better perform his duties.
No. 6: To receive, obey, and pass on to the sentinel who relieves
me, all orders from the commanding officer, officer of the day,
and officers and noncommissioned officers of the guard only.
169. During his tour of duty a soldier is subject to the orders
of the commanding officer, officer of the day, and officers and
noncommissioned officers of the guard only; but any officer is
competent to investigate apparent violations of regulations by
members of the guard.
170. A sentinel will quit his piece on an explicit order from
any person from whom he lawfully receives orders while on post;
under no circumstances will he yield it to any other person. Unless
necessity therefor exists, no person will require a sentinel to
quit his piece, even to allow it to be inspected.
171. A sentinel will not divulge the countersign (pars. 209 to
217) to anyone except the sentinel who relieves him, or to a
person from whom he properly receives orders, on such person's
verbal order given personally. Privates of the guard will not
use the countersign except in the performance of their duties
while posted as sentinels.
No. 7: To talk to no one except in line of duty.
172. When calling for any purpose, challenging, or holding
communication with any person a dismounted sentinel armed with
a rifle or saber will take the position of port arms or saber.
At night a dismounted sentinel armed with a pistol takes the
position of raised pistol in challenging or holding communication.
A mounted sentinel does not ordinarily draw his weapon in the
daytime when challenging or holding conversation; but if drawn, he
holds it at advance rifle, raise pistol, or port saber, according
as he is armed with a rifle, pistol, or saber. At night in
challenging and holding conversation his weapon is drawn and
held as just prescribed, depending on whether he is armed with
a rifle, pistol, or saber.
No. 8: In case of fire or disorder to give the alarm.
173. In case of fire, a sentinel will call, "Fire, No. (----),"
adding the number of his post; if possible, he will extinguish
the fire himself. In case of disorder he will call, "The Guard,
No. (----)," adding the number of his post. If the danger be
great, he will in either case discharge his piece before calling.
No. 11: To salute all officers and all colors and standards not
cased.
174. When not engaged in the performance of a specific duty,
the proper execution of which would prevent it, a member of the
guard will salute all officers who pass him. This rule applies
at all hours of the day or night, except in the case of mounted
sentinels armed with a rifle or pistol, or dismounted sentinels
armed with a pistol, after challenging. (See par. 181.)
175. Sentinels will salute as follows: A dismounted sentinel armed
with a rifle or saber, salutes by presenting arms; if otherwise
armed, he salutes with the right hand.
A mounted sentinel, if armed with a saber and the saber be drawn,
salutes by presenting saber; otherwise he salutes in all cases
with the right hand.
176. To salute, a dismounted sentinel, with piece at a right
shoulder or saber at a carry, halts and faces toward the person
to be saluted when the latter arrives within 30 paces.
The limit within which individuals and insignia of rank can be
readily recognized is assumed to be about 30 paces, and therefore
at this distance cognizance is taken of the person or party to
be saluted.
177. The salute is rendered at six paces; if the person to be
saluted does not arrive within that distance, then when he is
nearest.
178. A sentinel in a sentry box, armed with a rifle, stands at
attention in the doorway on the approach of a person or party
entitled to salute, and salutes by presenting arms according
to the foregoing rules.
If armed with a saber, he stands at a carry and salutes as before.
179. A mounted sentinel on a regular post, halts, faces, and
salutes in accordance with the foregoing rules. If doing patrol
duty, he salutes, but does not halt unless spoken to.
180. Sentinels salute, in accordance with the foregoing rules,
all persons and parties entitled to compliments from the guards
(pars. 224, 227, and 228); officers of the Army, Navy, and Marine
Corps; military and naval officers of foreign powers; officers
of volunteers and militia officers when in uniform.
181. A sentinel salutes as just prescribed when an officer comes
on his post; if the officer holds communication with the sentinel,
the sentinel again salutes when the officer leaves him.
During the hours when challenging is prescribed, the first salute
is given as soon as the officer has been duly recognized and
advanced. A mounted sentinel armed with a rifle or pistol, or a
dismounted sentinel armed with a pistol, does not salute after
challenging.
He stands at advance rifle or raise pistol until the officer passes.
182. In case of the approach of an armed party of the guard, the
sentinel will halt when it is about 30 paces from him, facing
toward the party with his piece at the right shoulder. If not
himself relieved, he will, as the party passes, place himself
so that the party will pass in front of him; he resumes walking
his post when the party has reached six paces beyond him.
183. An officer is entitled to the compliments prescribed, whether
in uniform or not.
184. A sentinel in communication with an officer will not interrupt
the conversation to salute. In the case of seniors the officer
will salute, whereupon the sentinel will salute.
185. When the flag is being lowered at retreat, a sentinel on
post and in view of the flag will face the flag, and, at the
first note of the Star Spangled Banner or to the color will come
to a present arms. At the sounding of the last note he will resume
walking his post.
No. 12: To be especially watchful at night and during the time
for challenging, to challenge all persons on or near my post,
and to allow no one to pass without proper authority.
186. During challenging hours, it a sentinel sees any person
or party on or near his post, he will advance rapidly along his
post toward such person or party and when within about 30 yards
will challenge sharply, "Halt, Who is there!" He will place himself
in the best possible position to receive or, if necessary, to
arrest the person or party.
187. In case a mounted party be challenged, the sentinel will
call, "Halt, Dismount. Who is there?"
188. The sentinel will permit only one of any party to approach
him for the purpose of giving the countersign (pars. 209 to 217),
or, if no countersign be used, of being duly recognized. When
this is done the whole party is advanced, i. e., allowed to pass.
189. In all cases the sentinel must satisfy himself beyond a
reasonable doubt that the parties are what they represent themselves
to be and have a right to pass. If he is not satisfied, he must cause
them to stand and call the corporal of the guard. So, likewise, if
he have no authority to pass persons with the countersign, or
when the party has not the countersign, or gives all incorrect
one.
190. A sentinel will not permit any person to approach so close
as to prevent the proper use of his own weapon before recognizing
the person or receiving the countersign.
191. When two or more persons approach in one party, the sentinel,
on receiving an answer that indicates that some one in the party
has the countersign, will say, "Advance one with the countersign,"
and, if the countersign is given correctly, will then say, "Advance
(so-and-so)," repeating the answer to his challenge. Thus it the
answer be "Relief (friend with the countersign, patrol, etc.),"
the sentinel will say, "Advance one with the countersign"; then
"Advance, relief (friends, patrol, etc.)."
192. If a person having the countersign approach alone, he advanced
to give the countersign. Thus if the answer be "Friend with the
countersign (or officer of the day, or etc.)." the sentinel will
say, "Advance, friend (or officer of the day, or etc.) with the
countersign"; then "Advance, friend (or officer of the day, or
etc.)."
193. If two or more persons approach a sentinel's post from different
directions at the same time, all such persons are challenged in
turn and required to halt and to remain halted until advanced.
The senior is first advanced, in accordance with the foregoing
rules.
194. If a party is already advanced and in communication with
a sentinel, the latter will challenge any other party that may
approach; if the party challenged be senior to the one already
on his post, the sentinel will advance the new party at once. The
senior may allow him to advance any or all of the other parties;
otherwise the sentinel will not advance any of them until the
senior leaves him. He will then advance the senior only of the
remaining parties, and so on.
195. The following order of rank will govern a sentinel in advancing
different persons or parties approaching his post: Commanding
officers, officer of the day, officer of the guard, officers,
patrols, reliefs, noncommissioned officers of the guard in order
of rank, friends.
196. A sentinel will never allow himself to be surprised, nor
permit two parties to advance upon him at the same time.
197. If no countersign be used, the rules for challenging are the
same. The rules for advancing parties are modified only as follows:
Instead of saying "Advance (so-and-so) with the countersign,"
the sentinel will say; "Advance (so-and-so) to be recognized."
Upon recognition he will say, "Advance (so-and-so)."
198. Answers to a sentinel's challenge intended to confuse or
mislead him are prohibited, but the use of such an answer as
"Friends with the countersign," is not to be understood as
misleading, but as the usual answer made by officers, patrol,
etc., when the purpose of their visit makes it desirable that
their official capacity should not be announced.
SPECIAL ORDERS FOR SENTINELS AT THE POST OF THE GUARD.
199. Sentinels posted at the guard will be required to memorize
the following:
Between reveille and retreat to turn out the guard for all persons
designated by the commanding officer, for all colors or standards
not cased, and in time of war for all armed parties approaching
my post, except troops at drill and reliefs and detachments of
the guard.
At night after challenging any person or party, to advance no
one but call the corporal of the guard, repeating the answer
to the challenge.
200. After receiving an answer to his challenge, the sentinel
calls, "Corporal of the guard (so and so)," repeating the answer
to the challenge.
He does not in such cases repeat the number of his post.
201. He remains in the position assumed in challenging until
the corporal has recognized or advanced the person or party
challenged, when he resumes walking his post, or, if the person
or party he entitled thereto, he salutes and, as soon as the
salute has been acknowledged, resumes walking his post.
202. The sentinel at the post of the guard will be notified by
direction of the commanding officer of the presence in camp or
garrison of persons entitled to the compliment. (Par. 224.)
203. The following examples illustrate the manner in which the
sentinel at the post of the guard will turn out the guard upon the
approach of persons or parties entitled to the compliment (pars.
224, 227, and 228), "Turn out the guard, commanding officer"; "Turn
out the guard, governor of a Territory"; "Turn out the guard,
national colors"; "Turn out the guard, armed party"; etc.
At the approach of the new guard at guard mounting the sentinel
will call, "Turn out the guard, armed party."
204. Should the person named by the sentinel not desire the guard
formed, he will salute, whereupon the sentinel will call "Never
mind the guard."
205. After having culled "Turn out the guard," the sentinel will
never call "Never mind the guard," on the approach of an armed
party.
206. Though the guard be already formed he will not fail to call,
"Turn out the guard," as required in his special orders, except
that the guard will not be turned out for any person while his
senior is at or coming to the post of the guard.
207. The sentinels at the post of the guard will warn the commander
of the approach of any armed body and of the presence in the
vicinity of all suspicious or disorderly persons.
208. In case of fire or disorder in sight or hearing, the sentinel
at the guardhouse will call the corporal of the guard and report
the facts to him.