The garrison on capitulating, either has a free retreat, and immediately marches out, or it leaves the fortress and surrenders on the glacis, either as prisoners of war, or un der an engagement not to serve against the country of the besieger or his allies during a certain time. The officers and men generally keep their luggage, and the former also their swords. The place to which they shall be conducted, how they shall be paid, and when exchanged, are all agreed upon in the articles of capitulation.
The prisoners of war and the deserters are, if possible, kept ; but are also sometimes delivered up to the enemy. The magazines are either emptied and destroyed, or de livered up. The works of the fortress, and the keys of all places, are given up. One gate is generally placed in the hands of the besiegers at the time of the ratification ; hut no person is allowed to pass who is not provided with a proper passport. The garrison has to town on a certain (lay. All points which may not be well explained, are to be construed to the advantage of the garrison. A citadel near a town makes sometimes an alteration in the articles ; as, if the town is given up, the citadel is always re tained. Sometimes it is stipulated, that if, during a certain time, no relief arrives, the articles of the capitulation are to be fulfilled. But the most advantageous points and ar ticles are generally proposed to the enemy, and adhered to as long as possible ; and therefore every commandant ought to be prepared with articles of this kind adapted to his case ; for the sending copies of articles of capitulation for ap proval or rejection, at the close of a siege, is merely done with the hope of gaining time. The enemy will always re turn an answer, and by this it may be known what articles are to be expected.
To see the terms of the capitulation carried into effect, two officers of high rank are given as hostages, who are set at liberty as soon as the capitulation is fulfilled. The non execution of any of the articles of capitulation on either side, will only cause reprisals, and these frequently are attended with bad consequences. To prevent this, every thing is determined as minutely as possible, and all articles are then strictly fulfilled.
Various methods may be employed, and in some cases successfully, for obliging the enemy to raise the siege, par ticularly if the garrison acts in conjunction with an army. The army may in these circumstances either attack the enemy, or cut off his provisions and succours, which sel dom fail in forcing him to raise the siege. The army may also attack either the besieging army, or the corps of ob servation; but this should always be done with the know ledge of the garrison, in order that it may act in concert.
Sometimes a siege may be raised by the exertions of the garrison alone, as by sallies judiciously conducted, and mines well applied ; but by whatever means this may be ef fected, the garrison ought to make sallies during the night in which the besieger withdraws his ordnance, for the pur pose of annoying him as much as possible.
Should a fortress be attacked by tirailleurs, as was ex plained in enumerating the different modes of attacking a fortress, the best defence will be made by small guns plac ed in the most saliant parts of the works for firing grape shot. Riflemen will also be advantageously employed in
attacking them, in the same manner as they attack the for tress. When, however, whole troops of the enemy's men are perceived, guns of a small calibre, charged with grape shot, are chiefly to be depended upon. In other respects, the defence is the same as has been already described.
On the Attack and Defence of Field Fortifications.
THE attack and defence of field fortifications, is neither so difficult nor so tedious as that of fortresses.
The arrangement of a whole fortified line is as follows : The camp is generally about 400 paces from the lines. The works are usually occupied two men deep, or with two rows of soldiers ; the reserve is placed about 100 paces behind it, in order to give support wherever it may be re quired ; and each battery, as well as each squadron and bat talion, has its particular place assigned to it. As soon as the alarm-gun is fired, each man must repair to his post as speedily as possible, completely armed, and ready to act.
To secure the fortifications from a surprise, the light in fantry posts are about 5000 paces before the works. If, how ever, the country is inclosed, or woods are near them, the chain of these posts is thicker, viz. about from 500 to 2000 paces distant from the works. Among these posts constant patroles are sent round. If the enemy be close to the works, at least one-half of these posts must always he under arms. During the day, the same is to be observed by all the out posts, and sometimes also by all the men in a camp. The arrival of the enemy is generally known, as in the case of fortresses, from deserters, spies, &c. When the enemy approaches, the outposts are to engage him, and keep him as long as possible at a distance, that the troops may have time to form. The works are then quickly occupied, the artillerymen having previously made themselves ac quainted with the distances before the works, that they may level their guns accordingly. The guns in the saliant an gles begin their fire as soon as the enemy is within reach. If a few guns, by advancing, can take a part of the enemy's force in flank, it will be of great consequence. The infantry begin their fire when the enemy is at about 300 paces dis tant. As soon as he comes sufficiently near the works, the guns are to be dismounted, and their places filled up by in fantry. But if he should advance to the ditch, artificial fire works are made use of; and if he ascends the parapet, a brisk fire must be kept up, followed by a charge with the bayonet, and the first rank standing upon the parapet. Should the enemy have penetrated in any part, the cavalry are to charge him before he forms. The reserve must now pay the greatest attention ; and the horse artillery, as soon as the enemy has penetrated, will be of great use in throw ing him into disorder, of which the cavalry must take ad vantage. In the mean time, the infantry forms, and returns to the attack. If the enemy should be compelled to retreat, he is not to he pursued too hastily, lest,by rallying, he should succeed in entering the interior intrenchments along with the troops that retreat thither ; but the ordnance must at this moment play upon the enemy with all possible _vigour.