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hm_jollies2012-03-19 11:51 pm
sharpiefan) wrote in hm_jollies2012-03-19 11:51 pm
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Of Serjeants
From A military treatise... by J. MacIntire
When there is a Vacancy for a Serjeant, I would recommend the best Corporal in the Detachment to the Colonel at Quarters to fill it up; but first have him examined by an Adjutant before he is promoted; for as a Serjeant is of very great Importance to a Detachment, I would be the more particular in making a proper Choice; without which, I will venture to say, that no Officer can discipline Marines in a Ship; for we depend chiefly on them. because they constantly see and hear the Behaviour of the Men, to which an Officer is sometimes an intire Stranger: And if the Serjeant does not make a just Complaint of every Neglect or Abuse, your People will never perform their Duty well; nor can you have any Pleasure in commanding them, on account of Animosities and Disagreements; all of which a good Serjeant will prevent, and make the Duty of the Officer very easy.
No Method should be left untry'd to procure Men who are valuable to the Service; And when we can find a good active Corporal, who is perfect in his Duty, though he cannot write very well, that should not hinder us from recommending him; because, by Application, he will write a good Hand in Time; for his he possesses other meritorious Qualities, he should not be discouraged for not being complete at his Pen, the Soldier being much more wanted than the Clerk.
M. de Bombelles, Page 60:
"The Serjeants are the Soul of the Company, the Basis of Discipline, and the Organs of the Service; so that we cannot bestow too much Attention in chusing proper Subjects for the Character. How many extraordinary Talents ought to meet in one Man? A Serjeant ought (as much as possible) to be well made, strong, vigorous, vigilant, active, sensible, experienced, brave even to Intrepidity, prudent and honest. He should be as absolute in his Commands to his Inferiors, as respectfully subordinate to his Superiors: He ought to apply himself to his Duty and be exact in it, altho equitable and just in his Accounts; for which Reason, he ought to be Master of Writing and Arithmetick, both for the Good of the Service and the Interest of his Captain.
"A good Serjeant should instil a Kind of Fear, or rather Respect, into the Soldiers on his Account, and observe never be too familiar, nor drink or game with them; a too great and frequent Intimacy with his Inferiors being the readiest Way to destroy Subordination. He cannot too much consider the Genius and Character of the Soldiers, with their Way of Life and Manners; to restrain them in what they ought to know; as also to make a true Report to the Officers of their good or bad Behaviour. He ought with great Care to suppress Blasphemy, Swearing and Abuse, and to complain of those who are guilty of such abominable Practices; and principally to impose Silence on any one who should recount the Story of past Desertion; and make them ashamed for boasting of Crimes unworthy a good and honest Man."
As every young Serjeant must be at a loss how to act, I shall here insert the following Instructions, which I wrote for the Improvement of a Serjeant in a Frigate, and probably may give some Hints to those who serve in Ships of the Line.
Instructions for a young Serjeant, to support his Command
1st
You are to carry a proper Command over the Corporals, Drums, and private Men, by making them obey your Orders, and pay the Respect due to you as their Officer; to do which, you must keep them at some Distance, and never be familiar with them. If any Soldiers offer to grumble, or refuse to do their Duty, you are to make me a Complaint thereof, that the Offenders may be punished for daring to disobey your Orders. You are to acquaint me of every Thing you know, hear, or see wrong in the Discipline, Dress, or Behaviour of the Detachment; you being the Officer on whom I shall always depend for keeping it in good Order.
2nd
You arr not to suffer the Men to get drunk, swear, quarrel, fight, game or sell their Cloathing, it being much to your Credit that they appear well, and in good Order.
3rd
You must never screen any Man from Duty or Punishment, nor make a Complaint without just Foundation; and above, all Things, not to give any Person Reason to complain of you: For if once you are detected in telling a Lye, you can never carry a proper Command afterwards; because the Soldiers will confidently deny every future Complaint, and tell a thousand Lyes of you. Besides, an Officer cannot desire to have Men punished, having no Proof, but the Assertion of a Person who, he knows, does not adhere to Truth.
4th
If you, or the men, are ill treated by any Officer, or Seaman in the Ship, you are to make me a Complaint thereof, in Writing, signed by you; but not to be fond of making such Complaint, when you can avoid it; for it is your Duty to make the Soldiers live in good Friendship with the Seamen, and never be partial to your own Men.
5th
You are to treat the Detachment with Civility, make them love and fear you; but never be concerned in writing Petitions for them.
6th
In your Watch, you are to keep the arm Chests clear, and ready to be opened, have the Keys in your Waistcoat Pocket, and deliver them to the Serjeant or Corporal who relieves you, together with any other Orders you have received in your Watch; and not suffer any of your Men to quit the Deck till the others are up, and every Man relieves his Comrade.
7th
No Centinels are to be posted but by a Serjeant or Corporal; you must explain to them their Orders, which they are to repeat twice to you, to prevent Mistakes.
8th
If you find a Centinel drunk, you are to relieve him immediately, but not reprimand him till he is sober.
9th
When any soldier is drunk or sick, you are not to put him on Duty, you must endeavour to discover if any Man pretends to be sick to shun his Duty.
10th
You must visit the Centinels every half Hour in the Night in your Watch, examine their Lanthorns, and see they are alert on their Posts.
11th
The Centinels are to be relieved every Hour in the Night and their Arms, Accoutrements, and Ammunition, examined every Relief.
12th
In Port, the Detachment is to parade every Evening for Roll Call, to discover those who are drunk or dirty.
13th
When I come on board at any Time, if there is no second Lieutenant, you are to make me a Report, in Writing, of every Thing that has happened in the Detachment during my Absence; and you must never ask Leave to go out of the Ship when I am not on board.
14th
When any Men have Leave to go on Shore, or on board of another Ship for Pleasure, you are to parade them at the Place of Exercise, and see that they are properly dressed in their uniform Cloathing, their Hats well cocked and their Hair powdered.
15th
When a Soldier dies or is killed on board, you are to make a List of his Cloathing and Effects, as soon as you can, and report it to me.
16th
You must not suffer the Soldiers to buy any Slops, or Liquor, from the Seamen, and you are to be very careful that no Soldier carries Liquor to Sea, without Leave.
17th
You are to examine the Arms, Accoutrements, and Ammunition of the Detachment every Monday; or, if the Weather will not permit, the first good Day and see they are fit for Service.
18th
When Men are returned to you from the sick list, you are to employ them as Centinels below, till they are strong enough to do Duty on Deck. The old Men are always to have the easiest Part of the Duty.
19th
You are punctually to obey the Orders of the officer of the Watch; and is any Ship is seen in the Night, supposed to be an Enemy, acquaint me of it immediately, by a private Man.
20th
When a Soldier is in Irons, you must not suffer any Person to insult him or use him ill.
21st
When you are sent on shore with the sick Men to the Hospital, you are to deliver every Thing belonging to them in good Order; and when they return, examine the same, reporting to me their good or bad Condition.
22nd
You are to keep an orderly Book, in which all the Orders and Regulations of the Detachment, with their other Particulars, are to be inserted.
23rd
You are always to embrace every Opportunity of exerting the young Recruits, and aukward Men, in your Watch, and teach them one Motion perfect before you begin another.
24th
You are to make a Report every Morning of all that is relative to the Detachment, and deliver the Parole to the Centinels.
25th
You are to examine the spare Cloathing, and other Necessaries in the Store-room once a Week; and see that the Watch is in good Order. You are likewise to look at the Drums, and see they are fit for Service; for if they are in a bad Condition, you will be blamed for not making the Drum do his Duty.
26th
when the Detachment is under Arms, it is the Duty of a good Serjeant to keep a strict Eye upon every Motion that is made. He ought to be as quick as Lightning, nothing should escape his Observation: He must catch, in a Moment, at the least Fault, and rectify it without flying in a Passion. In short, a good Serjeant will think of nothing but his Duty; he should dream of Discipline, be eager to receive Instruction, and never think he has done enough. Such a Man may with Reason hope, that, by his Assiduity, he will some Time or other be promoted to a more honourable Station.
When there is a Vacancy for a Serjeant, I would recommend the best Corporal in the Detachment to the Colonel at Quarters to fill it up; but first have him examined by an Adjutant before he is promoted; for as a Serjeant is of very great Importance to a Detachment, I would be the more particular in making a proper Choice; without which, I will venture to say, that no Officer can discipline Marines in a Ship; for we depend chiefly on them. because they constantly see and hear the Behaviour of the Men, to which an Officer is sometimes an intire Stranger: And if the Serjeant does not make a just Complaint of every Neglect or Abuse, your People will never perform their Duty well; nor can you have any Pleasure in commanding them, on account of Animosities and Disagreements; all of which a good Serjeant will prevent, and make the Duty of the Officer very easy.
No Method should be left untry'd to procure Men who are valuable to the Service; And when we can find a good active Corporal, who is perfect in his Duty, though he cannot write very well, that should not hinder us from recommending him; because, by Application, he will write a good Hand in Time; for his he possesses other meritorious Qualities, he should not be discouraged for not being complete at his Pen, the Soldier being much more wanted than the Clerk.
M. de Bombelles, Page 60:
"The Serjeants are the Soul of the Company, the Basis of Discipline, and the Organs of the Service; so that we cannot bestow too much Attention in chusing proper Subjects for the Character. How many extraordinary Talents ought to meet in one Man? A Serjeant ought (as much as possible) to be well made, strong, vigorous, vigilant, active, sensible, experienced, brave even to Intrepidity, prudent and honest. He should be as absolute in his Commands to his Inferiors, as respectfully subordinate to his Superiors: He ought to apply himself to his Duty and be exact in it, altho equitable and just in his Accounts; for which Reason, he ought to be Master of Writing and Arithmetick, both for the Good of the Service and the Interest of his Captain.
"A good Serjeant should instil a Kind of Fear, or rather Respect, into the Soldiers on his Account, and observe never be too familiar, nor drink or game with them; a too great and frequent Intimacy with his Inferiors being the readiest Way to destroy Subordination. He cannot too much consider the Genius and Character of the Soldiers, with their Way of Life and Manners; to restrain them in what they ought to know; as also to make a true Report to the Officers of their good or bad Behaviour. He ought with great Care to suppress Blasphemy, Swearing and Abuse, and to complain of those who are guilty of such abominable Practices; and principally to impose Silence on any one who should recount the Story of past Desertion; and make them ashamed for boasting of Crimes unworthy a good and honest Man."
As every young Serjeant must be at a loss how to act, I shall here insert the following Instructions, which I wrote for the Improvement of a Serjeant in a Frigate, and probably may give some Hints to those who serve in Ships of the Line.
Instructions for a young Serjeant, to support his Command
You are to carry a proper Command over the Corporals, Drums, and private Men, by making them obey your Orders, and pay the Respect due to you as their Officer; to do which, you must keep them at some Distance, and never be familiar with them. If any Soldiers offer to grumble, or refuse to do their Duty, you are to make me a Complaint thereof, that the Offenders may be punished for daring to disobey your Orders. You are to acquaint me of every Thing you know, hear, or see wrong in the Discipline, Dress, or Behaviour of the Detachment; you being the Officer on whom I shall always depend for keeping it in good Order.
You arr not to suffer the Men to get drunk, swear, quarrel, fight, game or sell their Cloathing, it being much to your Credit that they appear well, and in good Order.
You must never screen any Man from Duty or Punishment, nor make a Complaint without just Foundation; and above, all Things, not to give any Person Reason to complain of you: For if once you are detected in telling a Lye, you can never carry a proper Command afterwards; because the Soldiers will confidently deny every future Complaint, and tell a thousand Lyes of you. Besides, an Officer cannot desire to have Men punished, having no Proof, but the Assertion of a Person who, he knows, does not adhere to Truth.
If you, or the men, are ill treated by any Officer, or Seaman in the Ship, you are to make me a Complaint thereof, in Writing, signed by you; but not to be fond of making such Complaint, when you can avoid it; for it is your Duty to make the Soldiers live in good Friendship with the Seamen, and never be partial to your own Men.
You are to treat the Detachment with Civility, make them love and fear you; but never be concerned in writing Petitions for them.
In your Watch, you are to keep the arm Chests clear, and ready to be opened, have the Keys in your Waistcoat Pocket, and deliver them to the Serjeant or Corporal who relieves you, together with any other Orders you have received in your Watch; and not suffer any of your Men to quit the Deck till the others are up, and every Man relieves his Comrade.
No Centinels are to be posted but by a Serjeant or Corporal; you must explain to them their Orders, which they are to repeat twice to you, to prevent Mistakes.
If you find a Centinel drunk, you are to relieve him immediately, but not reprimand him till he is sober.
When any soldier is drunk or sick, you are not to put him on Duty, you must endeavour to discover if any Man pretends to be sick to shun his Duty.
You must visit the Centinels every half Hour in the Night in your Watch, examine their Lanthorns, and see they are alert on their Posts.
The Centinels are to be relieved every Hour in the Night and their Arms, Accoutrements, and Ammunition, examined every Relief.
In Port, the Detachment is to parade every Evening for Roll Call, to discover those who are drunk or dirty.
When I come on board at any Time, if there is no second Lieutenant, you are to make me a Report, in Writing, of every Thing that has happened in the Detachment during my Absence; and you must never ask Leave to go out of the Ship when I am not on board.
When any Men have Leave to go on Shore, or on board of another Ship for Pleasure, you are to parade them at the Place of Exercise, and see that they are properly dressed in their uniform Cloathing, their Hats well cocked and their Hair powdered.
When a Soldier dies or is killed on board, you are to make a List of his Cloathing and Effects, as soon as you can, and report it to me.
You must not suffer the Soldiers to buy any Slops, or Liquor, from the Seamen, and you are to be very careful that no Soldier carries Liquor to Sea, without Leave.
You are to examine the Arms, Accoutrements, and Ammunition of the Detachment every Monday; or, if the Weather will not permit, the first good Day and see they are fit for Service.
When Men are returned to you from the sick list, you are to employ them as Centinels below, till they are strong enough to do Duty on Deck. The old Men are always to have the easiest Part of the Duty.
You are punctually to obey the Orders of the officer of the Watch; and is any Ship is seen in the Night, supposed to be an Enemy, acquaint me of it immediately, by a private Man.
When a Soldier is in Irons, you must not suffer any Person to insult him or use him ill.
When you are sent on shore with the sick Men to the Hospital, you are to deliver every Thing belonging to them in good Order; and when they return, examine the same, reporting to me their good or bad Condition.
You are to keep an orderly Book, in which all the Orders and Regulations of the Detachment, with their other Particulars, are to be inserted.
You are always to embrace every Opportunity of exerting the young Recruits, and aukward Men, in your Watch, and teach them one Motion perfect before you begin another.
You are to make a Report every Morning of all that is relative to the Detachment, and deliver the Parole to the Centinels.
You are to examine the spare Cloathing, and other Necessaries in the Store-room once a Week; and see that the Watch is in good Order. You are likewise to look at the Drums, and see they are fit for Service; for if they are in a bad Condition, you will be blamed for not making the Drum do his Duty.
when the Detachment is under Arms, it is the Duty of a good Serjeant to keep a strict Eye upon every Motion that is made. He ought to be as quick as Lightning, nothing should escape his Observation: He must catch, in a Moment, at the least Fault, and rectify it without flying in a Passion. In short, a good Serjeant will think of nothing but his Duty; he should dream of Discipline, be eager to receive Instruction, and never think he has done enough. Such a Man may with Reason hope, that, by his Assiduity, he will some Time or other be promoted to a more honourable Station.