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LESSON
IV. WHEELINGS.
GENERAL
PRINCIPLES OF WHEELING.
390.
Wheelings are of two kinds: from halts, or
on fixed pivots, and in
march, or on movable pivots.
391. Wheeling on a fixed pivot takes place in passing a corps
from the order in battle to the order in column, or from the latter
to the former.
392. Wheels in marching take place in changes of direction in
column, as often as this movement is executed to the side opposite
to the guide.
393. In wheels from a halt, the pivot-man only turns in his
place, without advancing or receding.
394. In the wheels in marching, the pivot takes steps of nine
or eleven inches, according as the squad is marching in quick or
double quick time, so as to clear the wheeling-point, which is
necessary, in order that the subdivisions of a column may change
direction without losing their distances, as will be explained in
the School of the Company.
395. The man on the wheeling-flank will take the full step of
twenty-eight inches, or thirty-three inches, according to the gait.
WHEELING
FROM A HALT, OR ON A FIXED PIVOT.
396.
The rank being at a halt, the instructor will place a
well-instructed man on the wheeling-flank to conduct it, and then
command:
1.
By squad, right wheel. 2. MARCH.
397.
At the second command, the rank will step off with the left foot,
turning at the same time the head a little to the left) the eyes
fixed on the line of the eyes of the men to their left; the
pivot-man will merely mark time in gradually turning his body, in
order to conform himself to the movement of the marching flank; the
man who conducts this flank will take steps of twenty-eight inches,
and from the first step advance a little the left shoulder, cast his
eyes from time to time along the rank, and feel constantly the elbow
of the next man lightly, but never push him.
398. The other men will feel lightly the elbow of the next
man toward the pivot, resist pressure Coming from the opposite side,
and each will conform himself to the marching flank-shortening his
step according to his approximation to the pivot.
399. The instructor will make the rank wheel round the circle
once or twice before halting, in order to cause the principles to be
the better understood, and he will be watchful that the centre does
not break.
400. He will cause the wheel to the left to be executed
according to the same principles.
401. When the instructor shall wish to arrest the wheel, he
will command:
1.
Squad. 2. HALT.
402.
At the second command, the rank will halt, and no man stir. The
instructor, going to the flank opposite the pivot, will place the
two outer men of that flank in the direction he may wish to give to
the rank, without however displacing the pivot, who will conform the
line of his shoulders to this direction. The instructor will take
care to have between these two men, and the pivot, only the space
necessary to contain the other men. He will then command:
Left
(or Right) - DRESS
403. At this, the rank will place itself
on the alignment of the two men established as the basis, in
conformity with the principles prescribed.
404. The instructor will next command. FRONT, which will be
executed as prescribed No. 323.
REMARKS
ON THE PRINCIPLES OF THE WHEEL FROM A HALT.
405.
Turn a little the head toward the marching flank,
and
fix the eyes on the line of the eyes of the men who are on that
side;
Because,
otherwise, it would be impossible for each man to regulate the
length of his step so as to conform his own movement to that of the
marching flank.
Touch
lightly the elbow of the next man toward the pivot;
In
order that the files may not open out in the wheel.
Resist
pressure that comes from the side of the marching flank;
Because,
if this principle be neglected, the pivot, which ought to be a fixed
point, in wheels from a halt, might be pushed out of its place by
pressure.
WHEELING
IN MARCHING, OR ON A MOVABLE PIVOT.
406.
When the recruits have been brought to execute well the wheel from a
halt) they will be taught to wheel in marching.
407.
To this end, the rank being in march, when the instructor shall wish
to cause it to change direction to the reverse flank (to the side
opposite to the guide or pivot flank) he will command:
1.
Right (or left) wheel. 2. MARCH.
408.
The first command will be given when the rank is yet four
paces from the
wheeling point.
409.
At the second command, the wheel will be executed in the same manner
as from a halt, except that the touch of the elbow will remain
toward the marching flank (or side of the guide) instead of the side
of the actual pivot; that the pivot man, instead of merely turning
in his place, will conform himself to the movement of the marching
flank, feel lightly the elbow of the next man, take steps of full
nine inches, and thus gain ground forward in describing a small
curve so as to clear the point of the wheel. The middle of the rank
will bend slightly to the rear. As soon as the movement shall
commence, the man who conducts the marching flank will cast his eyes
on the ground over which he will have to pass.
410.
The wheel being ended, the instructor will command:
1.
Forward. 2. MARCH.
411.
The first command
will be pronounced when four
paces are yet
required to complete the change of direction.
412.
At the command march,
which will be given
at the instant of completing the wheel, the man who conducts the
marching flank will direct himself straight-forward; the pivot man
and all the rank will retake the step of twenty-eight inches, and
bring the head direct to the front.
TURNING
OR CHANGE OF DIRECTION TO THE SIDE OF THE GUIDE.
413.
The change of direction to the side of the guide, in marching, will
be executed as follows: The instructor will command:
1.
Left (or right) turn. 2. MARCH.
414.
The first command will be given when the rank is yet four
paces from the
turning point.
415.
At the command march,
to be pronounced at
the instant the rank ought to turn, the guide will face to the left
(or right) in marching, and move forward in the new direction
without slackening or quickening the cadence, and without shortening
or lengthening the step. The whole rank will promptly conform itself
to the new direction: to effect which, each man will advance the
shoulder opposite to the guide, take the double quick step, to carry
himself in the new direction, turn the head and eyes to the side of
the guide, and retake the touch of the elbow on that side, in
placing himself on the alignment of the guide, from whom he will
take the step, and then resume the direct position of the head. Each
man will thus arrive successively on the alignment.
WHEELING
AND CHANGING DIRECTION TO THE SIDE
OF
THE GUIDES IN DOUBLE QUICK TIME.
416.
When the recruits comprehend and execute well) in quick time, the
wheels at a halt and in marching, and the change of direction to the
side of the guide, the instructor will cause the same movements to
be repeated in double quick time.
417.
These various movements will 'be executed by the same commands and
according to the same principles as in quick time, except that, the
command double quick
will precede that
of march. In
wheeling while marching, the pivot man will take steps of eleven
inches, and in the changes of direction to the side of the guide,
the men on the side opposite the guide must increase the gait in
order to bring themselves into line.
418.
The instructor, in order not to fatigue the recruits, and not to
divide their attention will cause them to execute the several
movements of which this lesson is composed, first without arms, and
next, after the mechanism be well comprehended, with arms.
LESSON
V. LONG
MARCHES IN DOUBLE QUICK TIME AND THE RUN.
418.
The instructor will cause to be resumed the exercises in double
quick time and the run, with arms and knapsacks.
420.
He will cause long marches to be executed in double quick time, both
by the front and by the flank, and by constant practice will lead
the men to pass over a distance of five miles in sixty minutes. The
pieces will be carried on either shoulder, and sometimes at a trail.
421.
He will also exercise them in long marches at a run, the pieces
carried at will; the men will be instructed to keep as united as
possible, without however exacting much regularity, which is
impracticable.
422.
The run, in actual service, will only be resorted to when it may be
highly important to reach a given point with great promptitude.
TO
STACK ARMS.
The
men being at order arms with bayonets unfixed, the instructor will
command:
Stack-ARMS.
423.
At this command, the front-rank man of every even-numbered file will
pass his piece before him, seizing it with the left hand near the
upper band; will place the butt a little in advance of his left toe,
the barrel turned toward the body, and draw the rammer slightly from
its place; the front-rank man of every odd numbered file will also
draw the rammer slightly, and pass his piece to the man next on his
left, who will seize it with the right hand near the upper band, and
place the butt a little in advance of the right toe of the man next
on his right, the barrel turned to the front; he will then cross the
rammers of the two pieces, the rammer of the piece of the odd
numbered man being inside; the rear rank man of every even file will
also draw his rammer, lean his piece forward, the lock-plate
downwards, advance the right foot about six inches, and insert the
rammer between the rammer and barrel of the piece of his front-rank
man; with his left hand he will place the butt of his piece on the
ground, thirty-two inches in rear of, and perpendicular to, the
front rank, bringing back his right foot by the side of the left;
the front-rank roan of every even file will at the same time lean
the stack to the rear, quit it with his right hand, and force all
the rammers down. The stack being thus formed, the rear-rank man of
every odd file will pass his piece into his left hand, the barrel to
the front) and inclining it forward, will rest it on the stack.
424.
If the rifle musket be used and it is required to stack arms with
the bayonets fixed, the following will be the method.
425.
At the command stack
arms, the
front-rank man of every even-numbered tile will pass his piece
before him, seizing it with the left hand above the middle band, and
place the butt behind and near the right foot of the man next on the
left) the barrel turned to the front. At the same time the
front-rank man of every odd-numbered file will pass his piece before
him, seizing it with the left hand below the middle band, and hand
it to the man next on the left; the latter will receive it with the
right hand two inches above the middle band, throw the butt about
thirty-two inches to the front, opposite to his right shoulder,
inclining the muzzle toward him, and lock the shanks of the two
bayonets: the lock of this second piece toward the right, and its
shank above that of the first piece. The rear-rank man of every even
file will project his bayonet forward, and introduce it (using both
hands) between and under the shanks of the two other bayonets. He
will then abandon the piece to his file leader, who will receive it
with the right hand under the middle band, bring the butt to the
front, holding up his own piece and the stack with the left hand,
and place the butt of this third piece between the feet of the man
next on the right, the S plate to the rear. The stack thus formed,
the rear-rank man of every odd file will pass his piece into his
left hand, the barrel turned to the front and sloping the bayonet
forward, rest it on the stack.
426.
The men of both ranks having taken the position of the soldier
without arms, the instructor will command:
1.
Break ranks. 2. MARCH.
TO RESUME ARMS.
427.
Both ranks being re-formed in rear of their stacks, the instructor
will command:
Take-ARMS.
428.
At this command,
the rear-rank man of every odd-numbered file will withdraw his piece
from the stack; the front-rank man of every even file will seize his
own piece with the left hand and that of the man on his right with
his right hand, both above the lower band; the rear-rank man of the
even file will seize his piece with the right hand below the lower
band (if the rifle musket be used the piece will be seized at the
middle band); these two men will raise up the stack to loosen the
rammers, or shanks of the bayonets. The front-rank man of every odd
file will facilitate the disengagement of the rammers, if necessary,
by drawing them out slightly with the left hand, and will receive
his piece from the hand of the man next on his left; the four men
will retake the position of the soldier at order
arms.
END
OF THE SCHOOL OF THE SOLDIER.
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