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709.
When a battalion, retiring in line, shall encounter a defile which
it must pass, the colonel will halt the battalion, and face it to
the front.
710.
It will be supposed that the defile is in rear of the left flank,
and that its width is sufficient to give passage to a column by
platoon; the colonel will place a marker fifteen or twenty paces in
rear of the file closers at the point around which the subdivisions
will have to change direction in order to enter the defile; he will
then command: To the rear, by the right flank, pass the defile.
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711.
The captain of the first company will immediately command:
1.
First company, right-FACE. 2. MARCH (or double quick-MARCH).
712. At the
command march, the first company will commence the movement;
the first file will wheel to the right, markh to the rear till
it shall have passed four paces beyond the file closers, when
it will wheel again to the right, and then direct itself
straight forward towards the left flank. All the other files
of this company
will come to wheel in succession at the same place where the
first had wheeled.
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713.
The second company will execute, in its turn, the same movement, by
the commands of its captain, who will give the command MARCH, so
that the first file of his company may immediately follow the last
of the first, without constraint, however, as to taking the step of
the first; the first file of the second company will wheel to the
right, on its ground; all the other files of this company will come
in succession to wheel at the same place. The following companies
will execute, each in its turn, what has just been prescribed for
the second.
714.
When the whole of the second company shall be on the same direction
with the first, the captain of the first will cause it to form, by
platoon, into line, and the moment that it is in column, the guide
of the first platoon will direct himself on the marker around whom
he has to change direction in order to enter the defile.
715.
The second company will continue to march by the flank, directing
itself parallelly with the line of battle; and it, in its turn, will
form by platoon into line, when the third company shall be wholly on
the same direction with itself.
716.
The following companies will successively execute what has just been
prescribed for the second, and each will form by platoon into line,
when the next company shall be on the same direction with itself.
717.
The first platoon of the leading company having arrived opposite to
the marker placed at the entrance of the defile, will turn to the
left, and the following platoons will all execute this movement at
the same point. As the last companies will not be able to form
platoons before reaching the defile, they will so direct themselves,
in entering it, as to leave room to the left for this movement.
718.
The battalion will thus pass the defile by platoon; and, as the two
platoons of each company shall clear it, companies will be
successively formed by the means indicated, school of the company,
No. 273 and following.
719.
The head of the column having cleared the defile, and having reached
the distance at which the colonel wishes to re-form line faced to
the defile, he may cause the leading company to turn to the left, to
prolong the column in that direction, and then form it to the left
into line of battle; or he may halt the column, and form it into
line of battle faced to the rear.
720.
If the defile be in the rear of the right flank, it will be passed
by the left; the movement will be executed according to the same
principles, and by inverse means.
721.
If the defile be too narrow to receive the front of a platoon, it
will be passed by the flank. Captains and file closers will be
watchful that the files do not lose their distances in marching.
Companies or platoons will be formed into line as the width of the
defile may permit, or as the companies shall successively clear it.
722.
The colonel, wishing the battalion to march by the flank, will
command:
1.
Battalion. 2. Right (or left)-FACE. 3. Forward. 4. MARCH (or double
quick-MARCH).
723.
At the second command, the captains and covering sergeants will
place themselves as prescribed Nos. 136 and 141, school of the
company.
724.
The sergeant on the left of the battalion will place himself to the
left and by the side of the last file of his company, covering the
captains in file.
725.
The battalion having to face by the left flank; the captains, at the
second command, will shift rapidly to the left of their companies,
and each place himself by the side of the covering sergeant of the
company preceding his own, except the captain of the left company,
who will place himself by the side of the sergeant on the left of
the battalion. The covering sergeant of the right company will place
himself by the right side of the front rank man of the rearmost file
of his company, covering the captains in file.
726.
At the command march, the battalion will step off with life; the
sergeant placed before the leading file (right or left in front)
will be careful to preserve exactly the length and cadence of the
step, and to direct himself straight forward; to this end, he will
take points on the ground.
727.
Whether the battalion march by the right or left flank, the
lieutenant colonel will place himself abreast with the leading file,
and the major abreast with the color-file, both on the side of the
front rank, and about six paces from it.
728.
The adjutant, placed between the lieutenant colonel and the front
rank, will march in the same step with the head of the battalion,
and the sergeant major, placed between the major and the
colorbearer, will march in the same step with the adjutant.
729.
The captains and file closers will carefully see that the files
neither open out, nor close too much, and that they regain
insensibly their distances, if lost.
730.
The colonel wishing the battalion to wheel by file, will command
1.
By file right (or left). 2. MARCH.
731.
The files will wheel in succession, and all at the place where the
first had wheeled, in conforming to the principles prescribed in the
school of the company.
732.
The battalion marching by the flank, when the colonel shall wish it
to halt, he will command:
1.
Battalion. 2. HALT. 3. FRONT.
733.
These commands will be executed as prescribed in the school of the
company, No. 146.
734.
If the battalion be marching by the flank, and the colonel should
wish to cause it to march in line, either to the front or to the
rear, the movements will be executed by the commands and means
prescribed in the school of the company.
735.
The battalion marching by the right flank, when the colonel shall
wish to form it on the right by file, he will determine the line of
battle, and the lieutenant colonel will place two markers on that
line, in conformity with what is prescribed No. 415.
736.
The head of the battalion being nearly up with the first marker, the
colonel will command:
1.
On the right, by file, into line. 2. MARCH (or double quick-MARCH).
737.
At the command march, the leading company will form itself on the
right, by file, into line of battle, as indicated in the school of
the company, No. 149; the front rank man of the first file will rest
his breast lightly against the right arm of the first marker; the
other companies will follow the movement of the leading company;
each captain will place himself on the line at the same time with
the front rank man of his first file, and on the right of this man.
738.
The left guide of each company, except the leading one, will place
himself on the direction of the markers, and opposite to the left
file of his company, at the instant that the front rank man of this
file arrives on the line.
739.
The formation being ended, the colonel will command: Guides-POSTS.
740.
The colonel will superintend the successive formation of the
battalion, moving along the front of the line of battle.
741.
The lieutenant colonel will, in succession, assure the direction of
the guides, and see that the men of the front rank, in placing
themselves on the line, do not pass it.
742.
If the battalion march by the left flank, the movement will be
executed according to the same principles, and by inverse means.
743.
The battalion being in line of battle, it is supposed to be the wish
of the colonel to cause a change of front forward on the right
company, and that the angle formed by the old and new positions be a
right angle, or a few degrees more or less than one; he will cause
two markers to be placed on the new direction, before the position
to be occupied by that company, and order its captain to establish
it against the markers.
744.
The captain of the right company will immediately direct it upon the
markers by a wheel to the right on the fixed pivot; and, after
having halted it, he will align it by the right.
745.
These dispositions being made, the colonel will command:
1.
Change front forward on first company. 2. By company, right half
wheel. 3. MARCH (or double quick-MARCH).
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746.
At the second command, each captain will place himself before
the centre of his company.
747.
At the third, each company will wheel to the right on the
fixed pivot; the left guide of each will place himself on its
left as soon as he shall be able to pass; and when the colonel
shall judge that the companies have sufficiently wheeled, he
will command:
4.
Forward. 5. MARCH. 6. Guide right.
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748.
At the fifth command, the companies ceasing to wheel will march
straight forward; at the sixth, the men will touch elbows towards
the right.
749.
The right guide of the second company will march straight forward
until this company shall arrive at the point where it should turn to
the right; each succeeding right guide will follow the file
immediately before him at the cessation of the wheel, and will march
in the trace of this file until this company shall turn to the right
to move upon the line; this guide will then march straight forward.
750.
The second company having arrived opposite to the left file of the
first, its captain will cause it to turn to the right; the right
guide will direct himself so as to arrive squarely upon the line of
battle, and, when he shall be at three paces from that line, the
captain will command:
1.
Second company. 2. HALT.
751.
At the second command, the company will halt; the files not yet in
line with the guide will
come into it
promptly, the left guide will place himself on the line of battle,
and as soon as he is assured in the direction by the lieutenant
colonel, the captain will align the company by the right.
752.
Each following company will conform to what has just been prescribed
for the second.
753.
The formation ended, the colonel will command: Guides-POSTS.
754.
If the battalion be in march, and the colonel shall wish to change
front forward on the first company, and that the angle formed by the
old and new positions be a right angle, he will cause two markers to
be placed on the new direction, before the position to be occupied
by that company, and will command:
1.
Change front forward on first company. 2. By company, right half
wheel. 8. MARCH (or double quick-MARCH).
755.
At the first command, the captains will move rapidly before the
centre of their respective companies; the captain of the first
company will command:
1.
Right turn; 2. Quick time; the captains of the other companies will
caution them to wheel to the right.
756.
At the command march, the first company will turn to the right,
according to the principles prescribed in the school of the soldier,
No. 402; its captain will halt it at three paces from the markers,
and the files in rear will promptly come into line. The captain will
align the company by the right.
757.
Each of the other companies will wheel to the right on a fixed
pivot; the left guides will place themselves on the left of their
respective companies, and when the colonel shall judge they have
wheeled sufficiently, he will command:
4.
Forward. 5. MARCH. 6. Guide right.
758.
These commands will be executed as indicated No. 746 and following.
759.
The colonel will cause the battalion to change front forward on the
eighth company according to the same principles and by inverse
means. Change of front perpendicularly to the rear.
760.
The colonel, wishing to change front to the rear on the right
company, will impart his purpose to the captain of this company. The
latter will immediately face his company about, wheel it to the left
on the fixed pivot, and halt it-when it shall be in the direction
indicated to him by the colonel; the captain will then face his
company to the front, and align it by the right against the two
markers, whom the colonel will cause to be established before the
right and left files.
761.
These dispositions being made, the colonel will command:
1.
Change front to the rear, on first company. 2. Battalion,
about-FACE. 3. By company, left half wheel 4. MARCH (or double
quick-MARCH).
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762.
At the second command, all the companies, except the right,
will face about.
763.
At the third, the captains, whose companies have faced about,
will each place himself behind the centre of his company, two
paces from the front rank, now the rear.
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764.
At the fourth, these companies will wheel at the left on the fixed
pivot by the rear rank; the left guide of each will, as soon as he
is able to pass, place himself on the left of the rear rank of his
company, now become the right; and when the colonel shall judge that
the companies have sufficiently wheeled, he will command:
6.
Forward. 6. MARCH. 7. Guide left.
765.
At the sixth command, the companies will ease to wheel, march
straight forward towards the new line of battle, and, at the
seventh, take the touch of the elbow towards the left.
766.
The guide of each company on its right flank, become left, will
conform himself to the principles prescribed No. 748.
767.
The second company, from the right, having arrived opposite to the
left of the first, will turn to the left; the guide will so direct
himself as to arrive parallelly with the line of battle, cross that
line, and when the front rank, now in the rear, shall be three paces
beyond it, the captain will command:
1.
Second company; 2. HALT.
768.
At the second command, the company will halt; the files which may
not yet be in line with the guide will promptly come into it; the
captain will cause the company to face about, and then align it by
the right.
769.
All the other companies will execute what has just been prescribed
for the second, each as it successively arrives opposite to the left
of the company that precedes it on the new line of battle.
770.
The formation being ended, the colonel will command: Guides-POSTS.
771.
The colonel will cause a change of front on the left company of the
battalion to the rear, according to the same principles and by
inverse means.
772.
In changes of front, the colonel will give general superintendence
to the movement.
773.
The lieutenant colonel will assure the direction of the guides as
they successively move out on the line of battle, conforming himself
to what has been prescribed in the successive formations.
774.
When the new direction is perpendicular, or nearly so, to that of
the battalion, the companies ought to make about a half wheel (the
eighth of the circle) before marching straight forward; but when
those two lines are oblique to each other, the smaller the angle
which they form, the less ought the companies to wheel. It is for
the colonel to judge, according to the angle, the precise time when
he ought to give the command march after the caution forward, and if
he cannot catch the exact moment, the word of execution should
rather be given a little too soon, than an instant too late.
775.
When the old and the new lines form an angle of forty-five or fewer
degrees, the colonel will find it necessary to arrest the wheel of
the companies when the marching flanks shall have taken but a few
paces, or, it may be, have but disengaged, respectively, from the
fixed pivots of the next companies; and in all such cases the
companies will arrive so nearly parallel to the new line as to be
able to align themselves upon it without the intermediate turn to
the right or left: to execute the movement under either circumstance
supposed, the colonel will command: Oblique change of front, forward
(or to the rear) on (such company).
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