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JOURNAL OF THEUNITED STATESINFANTRYASSOCIATION
Published QuarterlyBy the United States Infantry Association75 cents per copy; $3.00 per yearMajor WM. P. EVANS, A.A.G.,
 Editor 
1800 F Street Northwest, Washington, D.C.
Entered July 5, 1904, at the Post Office at Washington, D.C.,as second-class matter, under act of March 3, 1879. Copyright,1904, by the U.S. Infantry Association. All rights reserved.
THE UNITED STATESINFANTRYASSOCIATION
OFFICERS
President.
Major-General J.C. Bates, U.S. Army.JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES INFANTRY ASSOCIATION1
 
Vice-President.
Lieutenant-Colonel Jas. S. Pettit, U.S. Infantry.
 Assistant Adjutant-General.Secretary and Treasurer.
Captain Benjamin Alvord, General Staff.
 Executive Council.
Lieutenant-Colonel James S. Pettit, U.S. Infantry, A.A.G.Major Wm. P. Evans, U.S. Infantry, A.A.G.Major John S. Mallory, 12th Infantry, G.S.Captain Benjamin Alvord, 25th Infantry, G.S.Captain H.C. Hale, 15th Infantry, G.S.Captain C.H. Muir, 2d Infantry, G.S.Captain Frank McIntyre, 19th Infantry, G.S.Captain D.E. Nolan, 30th Infantry, G.S.[139]
THE DEFENCE OF DUFFER'S DRIFT.
By Captain E.D. SWINTON, D.S.O., R.E.—(Backsight Forethought.)
By Permission.
First Dream.Second Dream.Third Dream.Fourth Dream.Fifth Dream.Sixth Dream.
 The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Defence of Duffer's Drift, by Captain E.D. Swinton, D.S.O., R.E.OFFICERS2
 
Prologue.
Upon an evening after a long and tiring trek, I arrived at Dreamdorp. The local atmosphere, combined with aheavy meal, are responsible for the following nightmare, consisting of a series of dreams. To make thesequence of the whole intelligible, it is necessary to explain that, though the scene of each vision was thesame, yet by some curious mental process I had no recollection of the place whatsoever. In each dream thelocality was totally new to me, and I had an entirely fresh detachment. Thus I had not the great advantage of working over familiar ground. One thing, and one only, was carried on from dream to dream, and that was thevivid recollection of the general lessons previously learnt. These finally produced success.The whole series of dreams, however, remained in my memory as a connected whole when I awoke.
First Dream.
ToC
"Any fool can get into a hole."
Old Chinese proverb.
"If left to you, for defence make spades."
 Bridge Maxim.
I felt lonely, and not a little sad, as I stood on the bank of the river near Duffer's Drift and watched the reddust haze, raised by the southward departing column in the distance, turn slowly into gold as it hung in theafternoon sunlight. It was just three o'clock, and here I was on the banks of the Silliaasvogel river, left behindby my column with a party of fifty N.C.O.'s and men to hold the drift. It was an important ford, because it wasthe only one across which wheeled traffic could pass for some miles up or down the river. The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Defence of Duffer's Drift, by Captain E.D. Swinton, D.S.O., R.E.By Captain E.D. SWINTON, D.S.O., R.E.(Backsight Forethought.)3

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