344. At the second command, the company will face to the right, the two guides to the right about; the captain will go to the right of his company and cause two files to break to the rear and then place himself by the side of the front rank man, to conduct him.
345. At the command march, both guides will stand fast; the company will step off smartly; the first file, conducted by the captain, will wheel around the right guide, and direct its march along the front rank so as to arrive behind, and two paces from the left guide; each file will come in succession to wheel on the same ground around the right guide; the leading file having arrived at a point opposite to the left guide, the captain will command:

346. The first command will be given at four paces from the point where the leading file is to rest.
347. At the second command, the company will halt.
348. At the third, it will face to the front.
349. At the fourth, the company will dress by the right; the captain will step two paces outside of the left guide, now on the right, and direct the alignment, so that the front rank may be enclosed between the two guides: the company being aligned, he will command FRONT, and place himself before the centre of the company as if in column; the guides, passing along the front rank, will shift to their proper places, on the right and left of that rank.
350. In a column, by platoon, the countermarch will. be executed by the same commands, and according to the same principles; the guide of each platoon will face about, and its chief will place himself by the side of the file on the right, to conduct it.
351. In a column, left in front, the countermarch will be executed by inverse commands and means, but according to the same principles. Thus, the movement will be made by the right flank of subdivisions, if the right be in front. and by the left flank, if the left be in front; in both cases the subdivisions will wheel by file to the side of the front rank.

View Plate No. 24 - To Break Files to the Rear (294) and To Countermarch (348)

Being in column by platoon, to form on the
right (or left) into line of battle.

353. At the second command, the guide of each platoon will shift quickly to its right flank and the men will touch elbows to the right; the column will continue to march straight-forward.
354. The instructor having given the second command, will move briskly to the point at which the right of the company ought to rest in line, and place himself facing the point of direction to the left which he will choose.
355. The line of battle ought to be so chosen that the guide of each platoon, after having turned to the right, may have, at least, ten paces to take before arriving upon that line.
356. The bead of the column being nearly opposite to the instructor, the chief of the first platoon will command; 1. Right turn; and when exactly opposite to that point, he will add:

357. At the command march, the first platoon will turn to the right, in conformity with the principles prescribed in the S. S., No. 415. Its guide will so direct his march as to bring the front-rank man, next on his left, opposite to the instructor; the chief of the platoon will march before its centre; and when its guide shall be near. the line of battle lie will command:

358. At the command halt, which will be given at the instant the right of the platoon shall arrive at the distance of three paces from the line of battle, the platoon will halt; the files, not yet in line, will come up promptly. The guide will place himself on the line of battle, opposite to one of the three left files of his platoon; lie will face to the instructor, who will align him. on the point of direction to the left. The chief of platoon having, at the same time, gone to the point where the right of the company is to rest, will, as soon as he sees all the files of the platoon in line, command :

359. At this, the first platoon will align itself; the front-rank man, who finds himself opposite to the guide, will rest his breast lightly against the right arm. of this guide, and the chief of the platoon, from the right, will direct the alignment on this man.
360. The second platoon will continue to march straight-forward, until its guide shall Arrive opposite to the left file of the first; it will then turn to the right at the command of its chief, and march toward the line of battle, its guide directing himself on the left-file of the first platoon.
361. The guide having arrived at the distance of three paces from the line of battle, this platoon will be halted, as prescribed for the first; at the instant it halts, its guide will spring on the line of battle, opposite to one of the three left files of his platoon, and will be assured in his position by the instructor.
362. The chief of the second platoon, seeing all its files in line, and its guide established on the direction, will command:

364. The movement ended, the instructor will command:

365. At this command, the two guides will return to their places in line of battle.
366. A column, by platoon, left in front, will form on the left into line of battle, according to the same principles, and, by inverse means, applying to the second platoon what is prescribed for the first, and reciprocally. The chief of the second platoon having aligned it, from the point d'appui, (the left,) will retire to his place as a file closer. The captain having halted the first platoon three paces behind the line of battle, will go to the same point to align this platoon, and then command: FRONT. At the command, guides-posts, given by the instructor, the captain will shift to his proper flank, and the guides take their places in the line of battle.
367. When the companies of a regiment are to be exercised, at the same time, in the school of the company, the colonel will indicate the lesson or lessons they are severally to execute. The whole will commence by a signal, and terminate in like manner: