PROBLEMS IN THE FIELD ORDER
After the plan of Trench of the English Service, we are going to
take up the problems in the construction of the field order along
the lines on which tactical situations naturally develop themselves
during hostilities. We shall discover that the sequence will not only
conform to actual conditions, but will lead from the more simple to
the more complex. We shall, then, proceed with,—
(1) The March Order.
(2) The Attack Order.
(3) The Order for Position in Readiness.
(4) The Defense Order.
(5) The Retreat Order.
(6) The Pursuit Order.
(7) The Halt Order.
(8) The Outpost Order.
Emphasis will be laid upon the march and attack orders, because they
are the most usual and the most critical.
In these problems all necessary data will be given. No attempt will
be made to mislead in regard to fact. But every attempt will be made
to mislead in regard to the expression of the fact. Crude violations
and mixtures of rhetoric will therefore be found throughout.
In arranging his material the student should use his own style and
should not attempt to copy phraseology from any military forms. _That
which is most brief and most unmistakable is best, no matter who
writes the order._
_Note._—The topographical data will not be found upon the map. The
units for which a field order must be written require an area larger
than that which our limited sheet provides. The student, by reading
over the problem two or three times ought, with the aid of his
imagination, to perceive the will of the commander.
(1) MARCH ORDERS
1.—On June 12, 1925, you are Major General Abercrombie in command of
the 16th Division of the 12th Army Corps. You wish your division,
which is in the vicinity of Bruceville, to march over to Littlestown
the next day. You want it to cover the base and line of supply for
your troops. You want it to do all this because one of your flying
corps lieutenants saw from a captive balloon about a division of
the enemy pass through Chambersburg early in the morning. The enemy
was marching east and according to the lieutenant was composed of
infantry, cavalry, field artillery—in fact, all branches of the
service. You finish with this your twenty-second order since January
1st at a quarter after ten at night. But just before you finish with
your order a Colonel of Cavalry on your staff tells you that he
personally saw cavalry in Gettysburg during the evening. You want
your advance guard, which consists of the 1st Brigade, 1st Battalion
of the 1st Field Artillery, Company A, First Battalion of Engineers,
one section of a Signal Company, and the first ambulance company, to
get past the bridge over Pipe Creek at precisely six o’clock and to
go along the main road to Littlestown in its route. The advance guard
is to be commanded by Brigadier General Black. Now the main body,
you figure, will go along in column from front to rear,—one section
of the Signal Company, the fourth regiment of Infantry, the Field
Artillery Brigade without its combat train, the 2d Brigade without
the 4th Infantry, the third Brigade, the Signal Company (Company A)
without its detachments, the first Battalion of Engineers without
Company A, the Field Artillery Combat Train, and then the second,
third, and fourth Ambulance companies.
You want this main body to start across the Pipe Creek bridge at
half past six and you want it to go along keeping a distance of a
mile behind the tail of the advance guard. You want to tell your
troops, too, that you will be with the tail of the reserve of the
advance guard. You intend to sign your order yourself and you want
copies sent to Lieutenants Kingsley and Lawrence, and to Brigade
Generals Black, Dare, Evans, Colonel File, Major Glad, Captain Hume
and your staff. You want your trains to follow your main body in
order from front to rear: field trains, ammunition columns, supply
columns, field hospitals, medical reserve, and pack train. You feel
that the man in command of your signal corps should arrange to have
radio connection between your independent cavalry and the advance
guard. That idea brings up another matter. Your independent cavalry,
which will be commanded by Colonel File and which will consist of
the 1st Cavalry and one section of the Signal Company, will have to
reconnoiter all the roads which lead out of Gettysburg and which are
between the York Pike and the Emmitsburg road. You want the cavalry
to reconnoiter the York Pike and the Emmitsburg road, too. You want
this cavalry to maneuver so that they will come in contact with the
enemy as soon as practicable. Now you want the independent cavalry to
do all this because you want it to cover the whole movement of your
troops and you think it ought to start out promptly at five o’clock
in the morning in order to accomplish its purpose best.
2.—On the tenth of August, 1928, you are Colonel Bruce commanding
the 129th regiment of Infantry which is acting as advance guard to
the 5th Division. On the tenth of August at half past five in the
morning at the Penitentiary of Leavenworth, Kansas, you sign your
27th field order. You have in reality dictated it to your officers,
but you sign it as soon as you have finished. You have told them in
substance that all but one squad of Troop A, under command of Captain
Briggs, 21st Cavalry, would comprise the Advance Cavalry; that the
first battalion of the 1st Infantry, one squad of Troop A, 21st
Cavalry, and a detachment of Company A of the Engineers under Major
Chittombly, would constitute the support; and that the Reserve would
be Headquarters and 2d Battalion of the 129th Infantry, Battery B of
the 5th Field Artillery, the third Battalion of the 129th Infantry,
and a Detachment of Ambulance Company, Number 1. You assembled all
the officers of your command when you dictated your order and you
told them that the troops of the command would march in order as
stated above. You told them that you would stay with the reserve and
would march near its head. You stated that the field train would
assemble at the first cross-roads to the south and there wait under
command of Captain Phillips, the Quartermaster of the 1st Infantry,
for the field train of the main body and would join that field train
as it passed. The main body was to come along so that the head of
it would be just a half mile behind the tail of the Reserve of the
Advance Guard. The whole of the Advance Guard you want to march on
Kickapoo, because the enemy which someone had reported to have camped
near Atchison the night before, and is composed of all branches of
the service, has cavalry patrols out which were seen in the vicinity
of Kickapoo yesterday. You wish the point of the support to begin the
march at a quarter to six in the morning. It is to go by the general
route which marks the turning points Atchison Cross, Frenchman,
Kickapoo, along a continuous stretch of road. So that the Advance
Cavalry will have time to get ahead, you want it to leave camp at
once and march by way of Atchison Cross to Kickapoo. This proceeding
is necessary because you want all the country west of the line of
march to the extent of three miles very carefully observed. You want
Sheridan’s Drive to be observed carefully also. You want the reserve
to follow the support so that there will be 800 yards distance
between it and the tail of the support. You send a copy of the order
to your Division Commander.
3.—On the thirty-first of May, 1931, you are Major General Perkins
in command of the 16th Division, 22d Corps. War has just broken out
and not any of your army has crossed the frontier as yet. However,
it is going to do so on the next day, and the 22d Corps is going to
march on Thurmont and Frederick. Your division has been ordered to
cover the left of the whole army. Your independent cavalry in command
of Colonel Frank and composed of the 11th Cavalry and the first
radio section of the Signal Corps, is to be followed by the Advance
Guard under command of Brigadier General Blood. The advance guard is
composed of the first Brigade, the first battalion of the first field
artillery, a company of the first Battalion of Engineers, the first
Ambulance Company, and one radio section of the Signal Company. You
sign your order at eight in the evening and send copies to Brigadier
Generals Blood, Cook, Dean, Enfield, Colonel Frank, Major Good,
Captain Harry, by officers. You also furnish copies to your staff.
You decide to have your division march on Gettysburg in order to
carry out your mission. Your main body is going to start at seven
in the morning and will march in the following order: one section
of the Signal Company, the first battalion of the 4th Infantry, all
but one battalion of the first brigade of Field Artillery, all of
the second Brigade but the first battalion of the 4th Infantry, the
entire third Brigade, all but one company of the first battalion of
engineers, Signal Company A without certain detachments mentioned
before, the field artillery combat trains, and three ambulance
companies. You want the advance guard to be up and out of camp at
half past six in the morning. It is to march by the Chambersburg Pike
on Gettysburg and to be followed by the main body with a mile between
the two units. The independent cavalry is to be up and out of camp
by six o’clock in the morning. You want your trains to follow your
main body five miles behind it and you want them to follow in this
order: field trains, first section of the supply trains, ammunition
column, the remainder of the supply trains, field hospitals, medical
reserve, pack train. You want your independent cavalry to advance
on Gettysburg. You want your independent cavalry to reconnoiter all
the roads which run out of Gettysburg to the south and east and you
want them to get in touch with the cavalry of the corps as soon as
possible. You are going to march at the forward end of the reserve of
the advance guard. When you have signed your order at Chambersburg
where your troops are located, you have it telegraphed to Corps
headquarters.
4.—On May the eleventh, 1940, you are in command of the 8th Division
of the 19th Corps. You are at Frederick, Maryland, and you want
your division to advance toward Gettysburg and to be a protection
to your main army which is going to come through the passes of the
mountains in that vicinity. You are going to remain in Frederick
until half past eight the next morning, and then you are going to go
and be with the advance guard at its head. You want your main body
to begin to move out when the head is at the first railroad crossing
north of the town, and at ten minutes to seven to follow a mile
behind the advance guard which you are going to have march along the
Emmitsburg Turnpike. The end of the column ought to be across the
first railroad crossing north of the town at half past six in the
morning. The enemy’s main army is near Baltimore and Washington. You
have heard from pretty good sources that a part of his army is in
such a condition that any immediate movement is rendered out of the
question, though you have reliable word that one of his divisions
and possibly more are in fit condition to move toward the frontier.
Indeed they may have done so, for already your frontier is being
observed by all sorts and kinds of small detachments of the enemy.
You want your field trains to come along and get together north of
the town as soon as all of the troops have got out. You want them
to be divided into two sections and you want the first section to
be about two miles in rear of the troops and the second section to
come along after the first section with a two mile distance. Your
main body in order of march will be, one section of the signal
company, the first battalion of the fourth regiment of infantry, the
first brigade of Field Artillery without its first battalion, all
but the first battalion of the second brigade, all but one company
of the first battalion of Engineers, Signal Company A without its
detachment, the field artillery combat train, and three ambulance
companies. You want the river crossings of the Monocacy and the
roads, railroads, and in fact all approaches to them from the east
to be especially observed by the Advance Guard. That body will
consist of the first brigade, the first battalion of the first field
artillery, Company A of the Engineers, the first Ambulance Company
and the first section of the Signal Company, all under command
of Brigadier General Bates. The first section of the field train
will have the following order: field trains; one section of the
supply column; one wagon company of artillery ammunition; and one
wagon company of small arms ammunition. The second section: field
hospitals, all but two wagon companies of the ammunition column;
all but one section of the supply column; medical reserve; and pack
trains. You are going to begin this whole march on the next day. Your
independent cavalry, commanded by Colonel Fine, and consisting of the
first regiment of Cavalry and one section of the Signal Company is
to start out at half past five in the morning and cover your whole
movement. You want this cavalry to scout around Taneytown and see
what it can find on the roads which go off from the southeast from
there. The whole army of which you are a part aims to take up an
advance movement and it plans to get to Gettysburg on the eighteenth
of May. This is the second field order you have issued in this
campaign. You send copies of it by your aide Lieut. Kill to Generals
Bates, Cutts, Dent, and Eaton; by Lieut. Link to Colonel Fine, Major
Good, Captain Hall, and to the commander of the trains. You read the
order to your staff, send a copy by mail to Corps Headquarters and
telegraph a synopsis to the same place. You sign your order at a
quarter after nine.
5.—On June 10, 1925, you are Brigadier General Stewart in command
of a Detachment from the ninth division. You are lost. You can find
out nothing about the enemy. Indeed you can get no wind of where
your own troops are. You assemble all your officers and read at ten
minutes after five in the morning an order which you have written at
Bonnyville where you are located. You want your whole command to go
by way of Whitehall and move toward Levere. You want your field train
and ammunition wagon companies, on account of your ignorance of the
enemy to park near the western end of the town where the road runs
out. They are to make this maneuver after half past six and are to be
in readiness to move to the west or to the east. The advance guard
under command of Colonel Dent, and composed of all of the second
infantry but the third battalion, is to march on the road past St.
Luke’s Church and then on the same road toward Whitehall. It is to
get past the road fork where the main road goes out of the town at
the southeastern edge at twenty minutes to six. You are going to be
with the advance guard. You will be up front with the reserve. Your
independent cavalry is to march at half past four. It consists of the
first squadron of the fifth cavalry under command of Major Curt. It
is going to try to get in touch with the enemy. The main body is to
come along after the advance guard so that it will be eight hundred
yards from the tail of it. Your main body will march in the following
order: third battalion of the second infantry, first battalion
without the reserve, the third regiment of infantry, the first
regiment of infantry, the artillery reserve, the first ambulance
company and Signal Company A. Part of your main body is doing outpost
duty, and you have told your officer when you issued your order that
when the support of the advance guard reached St. Luke’s Church the
next morning the outpost would stand relieved, and that it would take
its place in column after it had closed in to the road, when the
troops came along.
(2) ATTACK ORDERS
6.—You are Brigadier General Greene commanding a Detachment of the
18th Division, and on June 11, 1965, you are at the headquarters of
your division at St. Luke’s Church. You receive reliable messages
to the effect that the enemy is in your front about two and a half
miles away. You determine to attack the left of the enemy and to
envelop that flank. You want the cavalry to cover your own left
flank, and you want the cavalry also to send out patrols to keep a
lookout on the right. First of all, though, you want the battalion of
artillery to go south via the Newman farm and take a position north
of the farm. You want the artillery to begin firing as soon as it
arrives in the position designated. You have heard from other patrols
coming in that the enemy is taking up a position on a hill in your
front about the distance away you had previously estimated. You want
the first infantry to form the reserve and you want it to follow in
rear of the left flank of the third infantry. The third infantry
will take up and follow over the same route as the artillery. After
crossing Plum Creek the whole regiment will move to attack the enemy.
The regiment will keep its left near the road which runs past Piper
and Whitehall. The battalion of artillery when it is moving to its
new position should move off the road whenever it is necessary to
screen itself from hostile view. The second infantry will attack
along the road it is now on. It should not, however, advance beyond
the Whitehall School House until the artillery opens fire. It ought
then to help along the attack in support of the third infantry. You
sign your message at half past six in the morning. You want your
first ambulance company to follow the reserve. When the company gets
to Plum Creek, however, it should stop there and wait until further
orders. You hear that your cavalry out in front has defeated the
enemy’s cavalry and that the enemy’s cavalry is fleeing eastward. You
wish to incorporate this fact in your order. You will have some one
always ready to receive messages at the cross-roads at the Newman
farm if you are not there yourself. You send a copy of this your
sixth field order of the campaign by Lieutenant Cost to Major Call.
You read the order at half past six to your commanders of infantry
regiments, artillery battalion, signal company, and staff officers.
You desire the Signal Company to establish a line which will connect
you with Bonnyville, and you should have a line to your support
commander, who is the commanding officer of the second infantry.
7.—You, on September 1, 1922, are at Kolpatrick School House. You are
in command of the 28th Brigade 3d Division, and you issue to your
assembled officers by word of mouth the twenty-ninth field order of
this campaign at ten minutes after nine in the morning. You send a
copy to the Chief of Staff of your Division by an aide. You have just
decided to attack a hostile detachment which has just been reported
by an officer to be near you and to be about half your strength.
In fact this detachment has taken a position on a ridge of long
mountains about two and one-half miles straight to the south of you.
You wish to communicate to your troops, also, that the entire army of
which your brigade is a part is engaged in a fight with the enemy;
and that the right of the line of the army is near Two Taverns. You
do not want the field train to move out and to accompany you in your
movement. The third infantry you have decided to make your reserve.
It ought to take up some kind of position to the right of the second
infantry and in rear of it. The first infantry should move out and
should follow the road leading south, and before any of the others
of the troops it ought to attack the enemy in front. You want the
first infantry to begin their movement right off and then later on to
support the enveloping attack. The enveloping attack you have trusted
to the second and third infantry regiments. The second followed
by the third is to move out with the artillery on their left. The
whole body is to march along Brush Run under cover of a ridge of
mountains on which you are located until it comes opposite to the
Brush Run School House. The artillery, as you plan it, is then to go
into position west of Brush Run School House, and to open fire on the
enemy. The second infantry is then to deploy, and it is to deploy so
that its right will be about five hundred yards to the left of the
artillery’s position. The second infantry is then to go right off
into an attack on the enemy’s right flank. While this body of troops
is on the march (the second, and third infantries and the artillery),
the commanding officer of the second infantry should see that the
necessary precautions are taken against surprise or attack by the
enemy. You have decided to be during the attack at the head of the
column on the extreme left until it deploys. After that you are going
to be with the reserve. The first squadron of the fourth cavalry
under your command is going to cover your left in this movement. It
should send out strong patrols to the right besides sending them
to the left and get in touch with the right of the main army. The
ambulance will go along with the third infantry. But when the third
Infantry gets to Cedar Ridge, the ambulance company will not proceed
any further.
8.—On the 6th of January, 1930, you are Brigadier General Hitt
in command of the first Brigade, first Division. You are at Ode,
Missouri. You defeated the enemy the day before. You have since
heard that he is occupying the line which extends from Baldwin to
the hill south of Eppley’s Farm. You have an advance guard for your
Brigade and you decide to take up an attack formation which will
not necessitate the use of an advance guard any longer. The trains
you feel should not be moved from where they are located, but the
ambulance company ought to move toward, and take a suitable position
near, Ode. You decide to attack immediately, and you are going to do
so in a way which will cause the enemy’s left to be enveloped. You
issue the 61st field order of the campaign at half past nine in the
morning.
You understand from reliable sources, in fact from officers’
patrols, that there is a large convoy of the enemy parked somewhere
in Farley. You decide that the first infantry ought to take up the
main advance against the enemy, and you think it ought to go in a
general direction along the road which runs past Square Corners and
Eppley. After the 1st Infantry has launched its attack it ought to
support the attack of the 2d Infantry. The 3d Infantry is going to
send the 2d Infantry a machine gun company, which you think you will
have attached to the 2d Infantry. The 2d Infantry, you have figured
out, ought to advance, keeping the ravine near Meas between itself
and the enemy. After it strikes the ravine, it ought to go along it
until the first part of the column approaches and comes up to a point
where the ravine starts to bend south. When it has exactly reached
that point where the ravine does bend south, it ought to start out
on the enemy’s left in an attack. The 2d Infantry ought to push
this attack with all its might. The 3d Infantry will be known as a
reserve, and it will be under your orders; until further orders it
ought to take up a position in some sheltered place to the west of
Square Corners. Before it starts out, however, it ought to send its
machine gun company, without further delay, so that the company may
report to the commander of the 1st Infantry as soon as practicable.
You give all this order to your regimental commanders after they have
been assembled—in fact, you read it off to them. With the regimental
commanders have been assembled also Major Black of the 7th Field
Artillery, and the officers in charge of the ambulance company, and
the officers of your staff. You are going to send a copy of this
order by the aide to your Division Commander. You are going to have a
station at the reserve where you will be in touch with any messages
that might come in—in fact, all the messages ought to be sent there.
You want the cavalry to cover your left flank, and you want a strong
patrol sent in the general direction of the west and also of the
south. Before you finished writing this order you found out that the
bridges over the Platte River were all destroyed. The Platte River
runs along the rear of the enemy. All those bridges which are between
Platte City and Farley you know are destroyed; you hear also that
the enemy is at work repairing them. From all the messages and all
sources of information which you can assemble, you estimate that
it will require two or three hours to make these bridges safe for
troops. You want the 1st Battalion of the 7th Field Artillery to
move out straight to the south and to take up a position 500 yards
south of where you are writing your message. When the artillery gets
there, you want it to open fire just as soon as it can on the enemy’s
position wherever that might be. You want your artillery to make the
enemy’s artillery a target, and to develop that target as soon as
possible.
9.—On the 17th of May, 1919, you are in command of the 1st Division
of the 18th Corps. Your division is encamped near Mt. St. Mary’s.
You want your division to attack the enemy right away and you want
him to go around so he will develop the left of the enemy. Your
first ambulance company ought to follow the Field Artillery to where
Hampton Valley starts, and it ought to stay there until further
orders. Your second ambulance company you want to go along with and
follow the 3d Brigade. This ambulance company ought to go as far as
the crossing of Beaver Branch, and then it should stay there and
not go away until further orders. The third and fourth ambulance
companies should not move out at all, but ought to park somewhere
near the road near the place called Rodey. The field hospitals will
not move out at all, but ought to stay until you send them orders
to the contrary. In the place called Thurmont, there ought to be a
collecting station for the slightly wounded. Your first artillery
ought to move out at once down Hampton Valley and take a position
somewhere near the road which runs through Emmitsburg and along past
St. Joseph’s Academy. The 2d Field Artillery should find a position
and take it up somewhere near Motters. The 3d Brigade, which we found
the second ambulance company was to follow, should move out and then
go along by Motters and launch an attack on the enemy; the 3d Brigade
ought to envelop the enemy’s left. The left of the 3d Brigade ought
to rest on the line which runs through the place called Motters, and
also runs through Tom’s Creek Church. The Brigade Commander of the
3d Brigade will have the general line of the Monocacy Creek under
observation of mounted men. This line ought to be kept in under
observation pretty well south—in fact, to the mouth of Hunting Creek.
The main attack will be launched, as you figured, all along the
front, which is determined by a line running through St. Joseph’s
Academy and also running through Long’s.
The brigade commander of this brigade ought to detail a battalion
of infantry; the special duty of this battalion will be to form an
escort for the 1st Field Artillery which it will accompany. One
wagon company of artillery ammunition will go down to the mouth of
Hampton Valley. You have heard that there is a great party of the
enemy, which has been estimated at say two-thirds of a division, and
that this big force is assembling and concentrating in rear of the
outlying timber. This fringe of timber extends from Tom’s Creek
Church all the way north to near Parkersburg. This hostile force
averages about 50 yards south of this timber. The first cavalry you
feel ought to cover your left. You feel that the reconnaissance that
it ought to take up must be strong, dashing, and vigorous, and that
it should reconnoiter east of the Monocacy. You write your order,
which is the third one during the year, at 9 o’clock in the morning.
Your Signal Company will lay a line from the 1st Field Artillery to
the road-fork, 500 yards west of Round Corners. A second line will
be laid from the 2d Brigade to the same road-fork. Your leading
wagon company of small arms ammunition should be placed just north
of Riley. You want to state to the remainder of your trains that
they are not to move out from there until they get orders from
you. You send copies of this order to Majors Black, Cord, Darwin,
Enfield, Colonel Forse, Major Good, and Captain Harrow. You report by
telegraph to your Division Headquarters what you have said in your
order. The 2d Brigade is going to be your general reserve; it should
take up a position outside near the cross-roads. This cross-roads
that you mean is 1,500 yards west of Motters. Any messages and
reports which are going to come to you, you want to have reach you at
the road-fork, which is about 2,000 yards west of the place called
Motters.
10.—You are Brigadier General Aaron in charge of a detachment of the
1st Division. You are about to get out your fourth field order of the
campaign, which you issued and signed at ten minutes to seven on the
morning of October 6, 1918. Your Chief of Staff is Lieutenant Bean.
The main body, of which you are a part, is engaged with the enemy
at the present time. The two bodies opposed to each other, fighting
strenuously, extend from near the Belmont School House toward the
north. You want the 1st Infantry to advance via the 530-618 road,
and you want it to deploy whenever it is necessary for it to do so.
You want it to deploy with its left flank touching the 548-618 road.
After it has done this you want it to attack at the same time that
the 2d Infantry does. Your artillery you want to move out by way of
the road which runs through 542 and 550, and you want it to go so it
will get a position somewhere near the Hill 608; it will be escorted
by the 1st Battalion of the 2d Infantry. You want this artillery
to support the attack in the best way it can. The 1st Battalion
of the 2d Infantry should take up such formation and movement as
will best provide protection for the left of your whole line. The
whole of the 2d Infantry, of course, excepting the first battalion,
will advance by 452. It will then take a cut across country and
then by the road which goes by 546 and 548. The 2d Infantry will
attack the enemy’s right flank. The cavalry should cover the left
of your own troops and make strong reconnaissance of the country to
the north and also to the west. A troop of this Cavalry should be
sent over to the right flank of our troops. The work of this troop
should be to get into communication and keep communication with your
main army by telegraph. You want the Signal Detachment to give you
wire communications, or in fact, any kind of communications which
will best keep you in touch with the 1st Infantry. You are at the
cross-roads near Mt. Vernon School House when you write your order.
You have learned that there is a body of the enemy, a rather large
body in fact, which is going into some position selected near Granite
Hill. You gain from reliable patrols all the above information, and
also the fact that this detachment of the enemy is about one-half
your own strength. You decide that you are going to attack at once
this detachment which is just spoken of, which is going into a
position near Granite Hill. If it is going into position, and if it
is now only one-half your strength, you can see that there are two
reasons why you must launch your attack with the utmost vigor and
celerity, because the enemy might gain reinforcements, or a good
position in the meantime. You state in your order that you are going
to be with the reserve all the time, and you send copies to all your
officers, especially to Major Good who is commanding the cavalry, and
you report what you have done by telegraph to the Chief of Staff. You
decide to have the 3d Infantry be the reserve. If the 3d Infantry is
the reserve and you are with it, it ought to be under your orders.
The 3d Infantry will follow along behind the 2d Infantry until the
latter regiment deploys.
11.—You are Major General Plunkitt. On the 3d of September, 1923, you
are near the town of Guldens. You are in command of the 4th Division
of the 12th Corps. You issue a written order by your Chief of Staff,
who is Lt. Col. Miley, at a quarter of eight in the morning of this
day. You propose that your division shall make a vigorous attack
upon the enemy, and that you will break through his outpost line.
Your intention is to go on through with all speed to Gettysburg. You
are going to be near the Plank Farm when this is happening. The two
troops of cavalry who are now with your advance guard, or really have
just been with your advance guard, are going to continue covering
your left flank as they have been doing. The 3d Brigade will march
from near the I. P. Plank Farm, and it will proceed north on the
road which runs north from that farm. Now, it will keep going on
that road until it gets to the woods and then it will advance to the
northwest of the railroad, and go against the enemy. The 2d Brigade
and Engineer Battalion are going to make up the reserve. They are
going to be under your orders directly, and they, in order to make
this attack successful will take a position somewhere under cover
northwest of Granite Hill. Colonel Field of your cavalry will cover
your right flank with those of his regiment who are not covering the
left. He ought to assemble his main body right now somewhere on the
Harrisburg road. You are writing this 7th field order since the first
of the year at a quarter to eight in the morning when information
from officers’ patrols comes in that there is only one division of
the enemy in Gettysburg, and that he has lost heavily by casualties
in the fight you have had with it the day before. You learn also at
the same time that there is an outpost line of the enemy, which is
extending from Body School House to McAllister Hill. This outpost
line crosses the road you are on and your troops are on, at Hill 618;
you find out also that Wolff Hill is full of the enemy. The artillery
of your command you figure ought to take up some position to the west
of Granite Hill, and that it should open fire on the enemy as soon as
the enemy has been discovered. The Signal Company should connect you
and your headquarters with all of the commanders of the first, third,
and artillery Brigades. You send copies of all these orders by Lieut.
Knight to your four brigade commanders, and also to the officers in
charge of the first section of your train; you read it off to your
staff, and you send a copy by an orderly to the second section of
your train. Your ambulance companies are going to park near the right
fork of 617, and you are going to camp east of this fork, which is
northeast of Granite Hill. You want the first sections of your trains
to go and park at Guldens, and you want the second section not to
budge from where it is now stationed. Your first brigade should
continue its advance along the road you are on, and when it becomes
necessary finally to deploy, they should deploy across this road.
After they have deployed they ought to take up the attack at once
and go forward with Hill 618 as their objective. There are about a
thousand of your troops, you learn, who are wounded in Gettysburg;
then, too, there are many wounded who are now held as prisoners of
war in Gettysburg where a division of the enemy is stationed, and
where it has lost heavily.