In an open assault, if artillery be employed, the troops should be drawn up in a sheltered position, until the fire of the works is silenced, and breaches effected in the parapet.  But if the bayonet alone be resorted to, the troops are immediately brought forward at the beginning of the assault.  The attack is begun by a storming party of picked men:  they are preceded, as before, by a body of sappers, provided with necessary means for removing obstacles, and followed by a second detachment of engineers, who will widen the passages, and render them more accessible to the main body of troops who now advance to the assistance of the storming party.  If the assailants should be arrested at the counterscarp by obstacles which must be removed before any farther progress can be made, the infantry troops of the detachment display and open a fire upon the assailed, in order to divert their fire from the sappers.  A few pieces of light artillery, on the flanks of the column, may sometimes be employed for this purpose with great advantage.

The storming party should always be provided with scaling-ladders, planks, fascines, &c., for crossing the ditch, and mounting the scarp.  If the counterscarp be revetted with masonry, the troops must either descend by ladders, or fill up the ditch with fascines, bales of straw, bundles of wool, &c.:  if not revetted, a passage for the troops into the ditch will soon be formed by the shovels of the sappers.  When the ditch is gained, shelter is sought in a dead angle till the means are prepared for mounting the scarp, and storming the work.  If the scarp be of earth only, the sappers will soon prepare a passage for the escalade; but if revetted with masonry, the walls must be breached with hollow shot, or scaled by means of ladders.

In the defence, the strictest vigilance should be at all times exerted to guard against a surprise:  sentinels are posted on all the most commanding points of the work; all the avenues of approach are most thoroughly guarded; and patroles are constantly scouring the ground in all directions.  At night all these precautions are redoubled.  Light and fire-balls are thrown out in front of the work to light up the ground, and discover the movements and approach of the enemy.  Each man should have his particular post assigned to him, and be thoroughly instructed in the duties he will have to perform.  All auxiliary arrangements, such as palisades, abattis, &c., should be defended with the utmost obstinacy; the longer the enemy is held in check by these obstacles, the longer will he be exposed to the grape and musketry of the main work.  When he assaults the parapet, he will be opposed by the bayonet in front and a well-aimed fire in flank.  While in the ditch, or as he mounts the scarp, hollow projectiles, incendiary preparations, stones, logs, &c., will be rolled down upon his head.  But when the assaulting column has gained the top of the scarp, the bayonet forms the most effective means of resistance.