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252.
A column by company being at full distance right in front, and at a
halt, when the colonel shall wish to cause it to close to half
distance, on the leading company, he will command:
1.
To half distance, close column. 2. MARCH (or double quick-MARCH).
253.
At the first command, the captain of the leading company will
caution it to stand fast.
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254.
At the command march, which will be repeated by all the captains,
except the captain of the leading company, this company will stand
fast, and its chief will align it by the left; the file closers will
close one pace upon the rear rank.
255.
All the other companies will continue to march, and as each in
succession arrives at platoon distance from the one which precedes,
its captain will halt it.
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256.
At the instant that each company halts, its guide will place himself
on the direction of the guides who precede, and the captain will
align the company by the left; the file closers will close one pace
upon the rear rank.
257.
No particular attention need be given to the
general
direction of the guides before they respectively halt: it will
suffice if each follow in the trace of the one who precedes him.
258.
The colonel, on the side of the guides, will superintend the
execution of the movement, observing that the captains halt their
companies exactly at platoon distance the one from the other.
259.
The lieutenant colonel, a few paces in front, will face to the
leading guide and assure the positions of the following guides as
they successively place themselves on the direction.
260.
The major will follow the movement abreast with the last guide.
261.
If the column be in march, the colonel will cause it to close by the
same commands.
262.
If the column be marching in double quick time, at the first
command, the captain of the leading company will command quick time;
the chiefs of the other companies will caution them to continue
their march.
263.
At the command march, the leading company will march in quick, and
the other companies in double quick time; and as each arrives at
platoon distance from the preceding one, its chief will cause it to
march in quick time.
264.
When the rearmost company shall have gained it' distance, the
colonel will command:
Double
quick-MARCH.
265.
When the colonel shall wish to halt the Column and to cause it to
close to half distance at the same time, he will notify the captain
of the leading company of his intention, who at the command march
will halt his company and align it by the left.
266.
If the column be marching in quick time, and the colonel should not
give the command double quick, the captain of the leading company
will halt his company at the command march, and align it by
the left. In
the case, where the colonel adds the command double quick, the
captains of companies will conform to what is prescribed No. 262,
and the movement will be executed as indicated No. 263. To close the
column on the eighth, or rearmost, company.
267.
The column being at a halt, if, instead of causing it to close to
half distance on the first company, the colonel should wish to cause
it to close on the eighth, he will command:
1.
On the eighth company, to half distance close column 2. Battalion
about-FACE. 3. Column forward. 4. Guide right. 5. MARCH (or double
quick-MARCH
268.
At the second command, all the companies, except the eighth, will
face about, and their guides will remain in the front rank, now the
rear.
269.
At the fourth command, all the captains will place themselves two
paces outside of their companies on the directing flank.
270.
At the command march, the eighth company will stand fast, and its
captain will align it by the left: the other companies will put
themselves in march, and, as each arrives at platoon distance from
the one established before it, its captain will halt it and face it
to the front. At the moment that each company halts, the left guide,
remaining faced to the rear, will place himself promptly on the
direction of the guides already established. Immediately after, the
captain will align his company by the left, and the file closers
will close one pace on the rear rank. If this movement be executed
in double quick time, each captain, in turn, will halt, and command:
Such company, right about-HALT. At this command, the company
designated will face to the right about and halt.
271.
All the Companies being aligned, the colonel will cause the guides,
who stand faced to the rear, to face about.
272.
The lieutenant colonel, placing himself behind the rearmost guide,
will assure successively the positions of the other guides, as
prescribed No. 259; the major will remain abreast with the rearmost
company.
273.
The column being in march, when the colonel shall wish to close it
on the eighth company, he will command:
1.
On the eighth company, to half distance, close column 2. Battalion
right about. 3. MARCH (or double quick —MARCH). 4. Guide right.
274.
At the first command, the captain of the eighth company will caution
his company that it will remain faced to the front; the captains of
the other companies will caution their companies that they will have
to face about.
275.
At the command march, the captain of the eighth company will halt
his company and align it by the left; the file closers will close
one pace upon the rear rank.
276.
The captains of the other companies, at the same command, will place
themselves on the flank of the column; the subdivisions will face
about, and, as each arrives at platoon distance from the company
immediately preceding it, its chief will face it to the front and
halt it as prescribed No. 270. The instant each company halts, the
guide on the directing flank, remaining faced to the rear, will
quickly place himself on the direction of the guides already
established After which, the captain will align the company by the
left, and the file closers will close one pace upon the rear rank.
277.
The lieutenant colonel will follow the movement abreast of the first
company. The major will: place himself a few paces in rear of the
guide of the eighth company, and will assure successively the
position of the other guides.
Remarks.
278.
A column by division at full distance will close to half distance by
the same means and the same commands.
279.
A column, by company, or by division, being at full or half
distance, the colonel will cause it to close in mass by the same
means and commands, substituting the indication, column, close in
mass, for that of to half distance, close column. Each chief of
subdivision will conform himself to all that has just been
prescribed, except that he will not halt his subdivision till its
guide shall be at a distance of six paces from the guide of the
subdivision next preceding.
280.
In a column, left in front, these various movements will be executed
on the same principles.
281.
A column at half distance or in mass, being at a halt, the colonel
will put it in march by the commands prescribed for a column at full
distance.
282.
The means of direction will also be the same for a column at half
distance or in mass, as for a column at full distance, except that
the general guides will not step out.
283.
A column at half distance or in mass, being in march, when the
colonel shall wish to halt it, he will give the commands prescribed
for halting a column at full distance, and if, afterwards, he judge
it necessary to give a general direction to the guides of the
column, he will employ, to this end, the commands and means
indicated No. 244 and following.
284.
In columns at half distance or closed in mass, chiefs of subdivision
will repeat the commands march and halt, as in columns at full
distance.
285.
The colonel will often march the column to the rear, by the means
and the commands prescribed Nos. 170 and 171.
286.
A column by division or company, whether at full or half distance or
closed in mass, at a halt or marching, can be faced to the right or
left, and marched off in the new direction.
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287.
A column at half distance, being in march, will change
direction by the same commands and according to the same
principles as a column at full distance; but, as the distance
between the subdivisions is less, the pivot-man in each
subdivision will take steps of fourteen inches instead of
nine, and of seventeen inches instead of eleven, according to
the gait, in order to clear, in time, the wheeling point, and
the marching flank will describe the arc of a larger circle,
the better to facilitate the movement.
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288.
A column by division, closed in mass, being in march, will change
direction by the front of subdivisions.
289.
Whether the change be made to the reverse, or to the pivot flank, it
will always be executed on the principle of wheeling in marching; to
this end, the Colonel will first cause the battalion to take the
guide on the flank opposite to the intended change of direction, if
it be not already on that flank.
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290.
A column by division, closed in mass, right in front, having to
change direction to the right, the colonel, after having caused a
marker to be placed at the point where the change ought to commence,
will command:
1.
Battalion, right wheel. 2. MARCH.
291.
At the command march, the leading division will wheel as if it were
part of a column at half distance.
292.
The instant that this division commences the wheel, all the others
will, at once, conform themselves to its movement; to this end the
left guide of each, advancing slightly the left shoulder and
lengthening a little the step, will incline to the left, and will
observe, at the same time, to gain so much ground to the front that
there may constantly be an interval of four paces between his
division and that which precedes it; and as soon as he shall cover
the preceding guide, he will cease to incline, and then march
exactly in his trace.
293.
Each division will conform itself to the movement of its guide; the
men will feel lightly the elbow towards him and advance a little the
left shoulder the instant the movement commences; each file, in
inclining, will gain so much the less ground to the front, as the
file shall be nearer to the pivot, and the right guide will gain
only so much as may be necessary to maintain between his own and the
preceding division the same distance which separates their marching
flanks. 294. Each chief of division, turning to it, will regulate
its march, and see that it remains constantly included between its
guides, that its alignment continues nearly parallel to that of the
preceding division, and that the centre bends only a little to the
rear.
295.
The colonel will superintend the movement, and cause the pivot of
the leading division to lengthen or to shorten the step, conforming
to the principle established, school of the company, No. 227-if
either be necessary to facilitate the movement of the other
divisions.
296.
The lieutenant colonel, placed near the left guide of the leading
division, will regulate his march, and take care, above all, that he
does not throw himself within the arc he ought to describe.
297.
The major, placed in the rear of the guides, will see that the last
three conform themselves, each by slight degrees, to the movement of
the guide immediately preceding, and that neither inclines too much
in the endeavor to cover too promptly the guide in his front; he
will rectify any serious fault that may be committed in either of
those particulars.
298.
The colonel, seeing the wheel nearly ended, will command:
1.
Forward. 2. MARCH.
299.
At the second command, which will be given at the instant the
leading division completes its wheel, it will resume the direct
march; the other divisions will conform themselves to this movement;
and if any guide find himself not covering his immediate leader, he
will, by slight degrees, bring himself on the trace of that guide,
by advancing the right shoulder.
300.
If the column, right in front, has to change direction to the left,
the colonel will first cause it to take the guide to the right, and
then command:
1.
Battalion, left wheel. 2. MARCH.
301.
At the command march, the battalion will change direction to the
left, according to the principles just prescribed, and by inverse
means.
302.
When the battalion shall have resumed the direct march, the colonel
will change the guide to the left, on seeing the last three guides
nearly in the direction of the one in front.
303.
The foregoing changes of direction will be executed according to the
same principles in a column, left in front.
304.
A column by company, closed in mass, will change direction in
marching, by the commands and means indicated for a column by
division.
305.
The guide who is the pivot of the particular wheel ought to maintain
himself at his usual distance of six paces from the guide who
precedes him; if this distance be not exactly preserved, the
divisions would necessarily become confounded, which must be
carefully avoided.
306.
A column by company, or by division, closed in mass, being at a
halt, when the colonel shall wish to give it a new direction, and in
which it is to remain, he will cause it to execute this movement by
the flanks of subdivisions, in the following manner:
307.
The battalion having the right in front, when the colonel shall wish
to cause it to change direction by the right flank, he will indicate
to the lieutenant colonel the point of direction to the right; this
officer will immediately establish, on the new direction, two
markers, distant from each other a little less than the front of the
first subdivision, the first marker in front of the right file of
this subdivision; which being executed, he will command:
1.
Change direction by the right flank. 2. Battalion, right-FACE. 8.
MARCH (or double quick-MARCH).
308
At the second command, the column will face
to the right,
and each chief of subdivision will plane himself by the side of his
right guide.
309.
At the command march, all the subdivisions will step off together;
the right guide of the leading one will direct himself from the
first step, parallelly to the markers placed in advance on the new
direction; the chief of the subdivision will not follow the
movement, but see it file past, and as soon as the left guide shall
have passed, he will command:
1.
First company (or first division). 2. HALT. 8. FRONT. 4. Left-DRESS.
310.
At the fourth command, the subdivision will place itself against the
two markers, and be promptly aligned by its chief.
311.
The right guide of each of the following subdivisions will conform
himself to the direction of the right guide of the subdivision
preceding his own in the column, so as to enter on the new direction
parallelly to that subdivision, and at the distance of four paces
from its rear rank.
312.
Each chief of subdivision will halt in his own person, on arriving
opposite to the left guides already placed on the new direction, see
his subdivision file past, and conform himself, in halting and
aligning it, to what is prescribed No. 309.
313.
If the change of direction be by the left flank, the colonel will
cause markers to be established as before, the first in front of the
left file of the leading subdivision, and then give the same
commands, substituting the indication left for right.
314.
At the second command, all the subdivisions will face to the left,
and each chief will place himself by the side of his left guide.
315.
At the command march, all the subdivisions will step off together,
each conducted by its chief.
316.
The guide of the leading subdivision will direct himself, from the
first step, parallelly to the markers; the subdivision will be
conducted by its chief; and as soon as its left guide shall have
passed the second marker, it will be halted and aligned as
prescribed above; and so of each of the following subdivisions.
317.
The colonel will hold himself on the designated flank, to see that
each subdivision enters the new direction parallelly to the leading
one, and at the prescribed distance from that which precedes.
318.
The lieutenant colonel will place himself in front of, and facing
to, the guide of the leading subdivision, and will assure the
positions of the following guides, as they successively arrive on
the new direction.
319.
The major will follow the movement abreast with the last
subdivision.
320.
In order that this movement may be executed with facility and
precision, it is necessary that the leading subdivision should
entirely unmask the column; for example, the movement being made by
the right flank, it is necessary, before halting the leading
subdivision, that its left guide shall, at least, have arrived at
the place previously occupied by its right guide, in order that each
following subdivision which has to pass over a space at least equal
to its front to put itself in the new direction, and whose left
ought to pass the point at which the right had rested, may, at the
command halt, find itself, in its whole front, parallel to the
leading subdivision.
321.
By this method there is no direction that may not be given to a
column in mass.
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