The Plattsburg Manual

Plattsburg Manual, by O.O. Ellis
and E.B. Garey

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Garey This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and
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Title: The Plattsburg Manual A Handbook for Military Training
Author: O.O. Ellis and E.B. Garey
Release Date: October 16, 2006 [EBook #19552]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE
PLATTSBURG MANUAL

A HANDBOOK FOR MILITARY TRAINING
BY
O. O. ELLIS MAJOR, UNITED STATES INFANTRY
AND
E. B. GAREY MAJOR, UNITED STATES INFANTRY
(INSTRUCTORS, PLATTSBURG TRAINING CAMP, 1916)
(INSTRUCTORS, OFFICERS' TRAINING CAMP, FT.
MCPHERSON, GA., 1917) (INSTRUCTORS, OFFICERS'
TRAINING CAMP, FT. OGLETHORPE, GA., 1917)
WITH MORE THAN 220 ILLUSTRATIONS
NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. 1918

Copyright, 1917, by The Century Co.
Published, March, 1917 Second Edition, March, 1917 Third Edition,
April, 1917 Fourth Edition, April, 1917 Fifth Edition, May, 1917 Sixth
Edition, May, 1917 Seventh Edition, August, 1917 Eighth Edition.
September, 1917 Ninth Edition, January, 1918 Tenth Edition, May,
1918

TO THOSE FAR-SEEING MEN WHO INAUGURATED AND
ATTENDED THE FIRST FEDERAL TRAINING CAMP THIS TEXT
IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED

FOREWORD
The Plattsburg Manual, written by Majors Ellis and Garey, will prove

very useful to men who are contemplating military training. It will also
be of great value to those who are undergoing training.
It is full of practical information presented in a simple and direct
manner and gives in detail much data not easily found elsewhere. It is a
useful book, easily understandable by those who have had little or no
military experience.
It will be useful not only at training camps but it will be of very great
value at schools and colleges where military instruction is being given.
The authors of this book have performed a valuable service, one which
will tend to facilitate and aid very much the development of military
training in this country. In addition to the purely mechanical details of
training the book presents in a very effective and simple manner the
tactical use of troops under various conditions.
In a word it is a useful and sound work and one which can be
commended to those who contemplate a course in military training.
(Signed) Leonard Wood, Major General U. S. A.
February 27, 1917.

PREFACE
This book is intended to serve as a foundation upon which the military
beginner may build so that he may in time be able to study the technical
service manuals intelligently. It has been written as an elementary
textbook for those who desire to become Reserve Officers, for schools
and colleges, and for those who may be called to the colors.
The authors have commanded companies at Plattsburg, New York, and,
noting the need of such a text, compiled their observations while there.
The average man undergoing military training wants to know as much
as possible about the art and science of war. He wants to acquire a good

knowledge of the principles involved. He is interested in the technique
of movements. He is willing to work for these things, but he often
becomes lost in confusion when he attempts to study the technical
service manuals. He does not know how to select the most important
and omit the less important. The authors have selected from the
standard texts some of the vitally important subjects and principles and
have presented them to the civilian in a simple and plain way.
The first part of the text is for the beginner. It tells him how to prepare
physically for strenuous military work. After assisting him through the
elementary part of his instruction, it presents for his consideration and
study the Officers' Reserve Corps.
The second part, or supplement, is a more technical discussion of those
subjects introduced in the first. It is intended principally for those who
have made excellent progress.

CONTENTS
I General Advice 3 II Physical Exercise 21 III School of the Soldier 28
IV School of the Squad 63 V School of the Company 86 VI Fire
Superiority 130 VII The Service of Security 136 VIII Attack and
Defense 144 IX General Principles of Target Practice 153 X Practice
March or "Hike" 159 XI Officers' Reserve Corps 169
SUPPLEMENT
I The Theory of Security 221 II Attack and Defense 242 III Patrolling
254 IV Target Practice 260 V Tent Pitching 292 VI Signals and Codes
297 VII First Aid to the Injured 309
Appendixes 321
Index 331

THE PLATTSBURG MANUAL
CHAPTER I
GENERAL ADVICE