Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 15.djvu/192

* OUTLAWRY. 161 OUTBAM. jipijear and stiuid trial for tlic oIlViisc originally allef,'e(I to liave been ooniniitliMl hy him. How- ever, the person wlio thus again received the protection of the law was considered a new- person, as if he had just been born, and was not thereby restored to hi.s former property rights. The outhiw's blood was said to be 'corrupt,' and a child liorii to him after the decree was incapable of inheriting, not only from the father, but from any one else. By the statute, 5 and G Edw. VI., c. 11, a person outlawed for ti-eason while abroad was permitted to return to the country within a year and a day and stand trial, Ibut no provision of this sort in regard to felony has ever been made. The 'Forfeitures Act,' 1870, 33 and 34 Vict., c. 23, reserved for- feitures of lands and chattels to the Crown in cases of outlawry for treason and felony. Out- lawry for niisdenicnnors may still be imposed, but such a judgment amounts only to a convic- tion for contempt of coiirt, although it entails a forfeiture of chattels to the Crown. The .sov- ereign alone can pardon an outlaw. The process of outlawry has not been used in England since 185'J, bvit the above statutes still n'uiain in force. The process of outlawry is entirely obsolete in the United States, and it is doubtful if it has ever been employed since the War of the Revolution. The term outlaw has been loosely applied in some criminal statutes to designate bandits or wandering marauders, who habitually live by crime, but it has not the signification it bears under the laws of Englanil. See Crime: Felony. Consult Legge, The Law of Outlatmy (London, 177!>) ; Blackstone, Commentaries. OUTPOSTS. The security of troops at a hull, that is, in camp, bivouac, or cantonment, is insured bj' means of outposts, or detachments thrown out from the main body to protect it from surprise. These are either separate detachments, at important points, or a continuous chain. The latter is rarely necessary in war, because the armies are seldom in such close contact as to require it. For a few days before and after a decisive engagement it may be necessary, but dur- ing the course of the operations between battles there is no such immediate danger, es])ecially for the infantry. The cavalry is, of course, con- stantly in touch with the enemy, and the best protection for it is the patrols close up to the enemy, with the main body of cavalry retired a mile or so for rest, the reconnaissance sciuadrons remaining assembled out in fiont covered by a few posts and patrols in their immediate vicinity. If the distance to the reconnaissance a(iuadrons is very great, outpost sqtiaflrons are sent out to cover the intervening space, and as a rule they will be sufficient. Only occasionally, as on the night after a battle, is it necessary to add an outpost reserve, or main body. Each outpost squadron has a particular section of ground as- signed to it, for the security of which it is re- sponsible, and for observation piclx-els are pushed out, from which vedettes are sent to the front as sentinels. In the arrangement of pickets and vedettes, particular attention is given to gaining a good outlook over the surrounding landscape and the main roads must be observed. In general, security is better insured by constant communi- cation between the reconnaissance detachments and behind the pickets than it can be by a continu- ous line of posts; the.se outposts require no spe- cial outpost commander, the squadrons acting independently. If the screening cavalry in this way in.surcs its own safety, it necessarily relieves the other troops in rear from a great part of this duty. In many cases the troops in rear can entirely dis- chance of. a battle taking place within a day or so, each subdivision may be left to look after its r' S- --*- .-pOST PICKET o^— ■- ■8^.. •■■«, _ PICHET y"" ">y i" RESERVE TIIEORKTICAL DISPOSITION OF OUTPOSTS. own security. The strength and energy of the enemy is always an imjjortant factor, as well as the feeling of the inhabitants of the country, and when the enemy is very near, a connected line of outposts is demanded, composed, in general, of mi.ed troops. At the end of a march the advance guard, either in whole or in part, takes charge of the outpost duty. On resuming the march a new advance guard is fornu-d, the old being re- lieved after the new has advanced beyond its lines. See Advance GuARn. The entire outposts in this case are under one or more outpost commanders, depending on the length of the line and the character of the grounil. The main line is com])osed of outpost companies or supports, for which a reserve is provided when necessary, and this is placed either in rear or on the same line, depending on the point where support is most desired. If there is no outpost cavalry available, patrols (q.v. ) must be sent out by the outpost companies, but the lat- ter nnist have a few cavalrymen as messengers, or in their stead cyclists. On coming into posi- tion a picket ahead on the road is usually suf- ficient, but at night other pickets and sentinels may he required. OUTRAM, (io'tram. Sir .Tames (1803-G3). A Hritisli Indian soldier and statesman. He was born at liutterley Hall, ncrbyshire. and was educated at Udny, -Vberdeenshire, anil afterwards at Marischal College. Aberdeen. He received his commission, and was sent to India as a cadet in ISIO. He giiined distinction in his conduct of the campaign of the wild Bhils of Khandesh
 * iensc with outposts; again, when there is no