t want to break up another squad and as this is, in my
opinion, a very important patrol, I wanted a noncommissioned officer
in charge of it. Unless something else occurs this will be all the
patrols I intend sending out until we pass the steel railroad trestle
over Sandy Creek.

=Captain:= Your point about not breaking up a squad when you could
avoid it by using the men remaining in an already broken squad, is a
very important one. Take this particular case. You first sent out two
pairs of connecting files between the advance party and your
point--four men. This leaves a corporal and three men in that squad.
If we assume that no patrols were out when we passed through Salem,
this corporal and two of his men could have been sent up the
Tracy-Maxey road, leaving one man to be temporarily attached to some
squad. From the last mentioned squad you would pick your two men for
the Sandy Ridge patrol and also the corporal and three men for the
Barton farm, etc., patrol. This would leave three men in this squad
and you would have under your immediate command two complete squads
and three men. As the patrols return, organize new squads immediately
and constantly endeavor to have every man attached to a squad. This is
one of your most important duties, as it prevents disorder when some
serious situation suddenly arises. Also it is one of the duties of the
detachment commander that is generally overlooked until too late.

The direction you sent your three patrols was good and their orders
clear, covering the essential points, but as you have in a very short
space of time, detached nine men, almost a third of your advance
party, don't you think you should have economized more on men?

=Sergeant Adams:= The Sandy Ridge patrol is as small as you can make
it--two men. I thought the other two patrols were going to be detached
so far from the column that they should be large enough to send a
message or two and still remain out. I suppose it would be better to
send but two men with Corporal Davis, but I think Corporal Smith
should have two with him.

=Captain:= Yes, I agree with you, for you are entering a valley which
is, in effect, a defile, and the Tracy-Maxey road is a very dangerous
avenue of approach to your main body. But you must always bear in mind
that it is a mistake to use one more man than is needed to accomplish
the object in view. The more you send away from your advance party,
the more scattered and weaker your command