_The Director_: “Lieutenant Williams, how do you size up the situation?”
_Lieutenant Williams_: “I have come to the conclusion that the enemy
prisoner told the truth when he said he was lost. I do not believe there
are any other men of the enemy in this immediate vicinity. Had there
been other men with the prisoner he surely would not have dismounted and
tied his horse to a tree. If there were more in the party one man would
have been left out here to hold the horse while the prisoner went
forward to reconnoiter on foot. I arrive at the conclusion that this is
his horse and that he is a member of the enemy patrol that was operating
over on the right of our line. He got lost and was trying to find some
of the men of his own patrol when he ran into us. I do not think he
realized that he was inside of our lines at the time he was captured.”
_The Director_: “Has any member of the class a different version of the
affair than what Lieutenant Williams has just explained?”
_Captain Hastings_: “I do not think we would be justified in assuming
that there are no more of the enemy in this vicinity. Two enemy scouts
have been captured that we know of. These two men were not scouting
around here alone. There must be more of them somewhere. It may be that
others have come in contact with our outguards that we have not heard
about.”
_The Director_: “Have you heard any firing tonight along our lines?”
_Captain Hastings_: “No, sir.”
_The Director_: “Don’t you think that if there had been very much enemy
activity along our lines that there would have been firing somewhere? I
think it is fair to assume that. I believe we would be pretty well
justified in assuming that the enemy activity is limited to perhaps a
patrol from which our prisoner became lost.
“The question now before us is what are we going to do? Lieutenant
Wallace, what would you do?”
_Lieutenant Wallace_: “I would get this horse back as quickly as
possible and then I would extend my reconnaissance farther to the
front.”
_The Director_: “Where would you send the horse?”
_Lieutenant Wallace_: “I would send him back to the support commander.”
_The Director_: “Where would you send him, Lieutenant Ralston?”
_Lieutenant Ralston_: “I am not so sure I would send him anywhere for
the present. If we are to continue our reconnaissance to the front I do
not figure that I would spare a man to send the horse back. In any event
I would send him no farther than outguard No. 3. And I am not so sure
that I would go any farther on the reconnaissance. I do not think a
visiting patrol—so few men—should go very far in front of the line of
observation at night.”
_The Director_: “Captain Harvey, what do you think about all of this?”
_Captain Harvey_: “I agree with Lieutenant Ralston. Another point that
presents itself to me is this: When the support commander gets the
prisoner we sent back he will probably send our section leader out with
a patrol to reconnoiter the front and the sergeant will want to see me
and get what information I have. The natural place for him to come first
to find me will be outguard No. 3. I think I should get back there at
least by the time the patrol from the support reaches there. I estimate
that I could stay around here for a few minutes yet, but I would have to
be getting back pretty soon.”
_The Director_: “What would be your decision based on your sizing up of
the situation?”
_Captain Harvey_: “To send the horse back to outguard No. 3 right away.
“Manley and myself would stay out here in concealment for, say five
minutes longer, and then go back to the outguard by way of the sentinel
post.”
_The Director_: “Any member of the class that does not agree with that
decision? (After waiting a moment.) There seems to be none, so we will
agree to that solution of the problem.”
* * * * *
=Visiting Patrol= =Card No. 7=
=Director’s Key=
1. Conduct class to a point 100 yards in front of sentinel post of
Outguard No. 3. Distribute Situation No. 7.
2. Size up situation. Estimate of connection of enemy prisoner with
the cavalry horse.