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1. THE object of this school is the regular and progressive instruction of the artilleryman in his duties at and connected with the piece, from the period of his joining as a recruit. This instruction is given by the non-commissioned officers, under the supervision of the chiefs of sections. The instructor should never require a movement to be performed until it is exactly explained and executed by himself. It should be left to the recruit to take the positions, and execute the movements directed, and he should be touched only to rectify mistakes arising from want of intelligence. Each movement should be perfectly understood before passing to another. After they have been properly executed in the order laid down, the instructor no longer confines himself to that order. The instructor allows the men to rest at intervals during drill, and for this purpose he commands Rest. At this command the recruit is no longer required to preserve immobility. At the command Attention, the man takes his position, and remains motionless. Great patience and the utmost precision are necessary on the part of the instructor. He should especially endeavor to excite a spirited and active deportment at every military exercise; and above all not to disgust the men by too long an application to any one point in the drill.
2. This part is taught to each recruit individually, or at most to four at a time. In the latter case, they are placed on the same line, 1 yard from each other, without being required to align themselves.
POSITION OF THE CANNONEER DISMOUNTED.
3. The heels on the same line, and as near each other as the conformation of the man will permit; the feet turned out equally, and forming with each other something less than a right angle; the knees straight; body erect on the hips, inclining a little forward; shoulders square; arms hanging naturally, with the palms of the hands turned a little to the front; head erect; chin slightly drawn in, eyes to the front; the position of the whole body without constraint: when the sabre is worn, the left hand hangs by the side and over it.
4. The instructor commands: 1. Eyes-RIGHT. 2. FRONT. At the command RIGHT, turn the head gently to the right, so that the inner corner of the left eye may be on a line with the buttons of the jacket, the chin well drawn in. At the command FRONT, turn the head gently to the front. The command Eyes-LEFT, is executed on the same principles.
5. To the right or left. The instructor commands: 1. Cannoneers right, (or left.) 2. FACE. At the command FACE, raise the right foot slightly, turn on the left heel, and replace the right foot by the side of the left.
6. To the rear. The instructor commands: 1. Cannoneers rear. 2. FACE. At the command rear, make a half face to the right, turning on the left heel, place the right foot square behind the left, the hollow of it opposite to and 3 inches from the left heel. At the command FACE, turn on both heels to face to the rear, and bring the right foot by the side of the left.
7. Half-face. The commands are: 1. Cannoneers right (or left) oblique. 2. FACE. At the command FACE, raise the right foot a little, turn upon the left heel, making a half face, and replace the right foot by the side of the left. The instructor will take care that in executing the facings the position of the body is not deranged.
8. The length of the marching step is 28 inches; its quickness at the rate of 110 steps a minute. For the elementary instruction of recruits, the quickness of the step is reduced to 90 a minute. When the command Double-quick is given, it is increased to 165. To explain the principles and mechanism of the step, the instructor, placing himself 8 or 10 yards in front of and facing the men, describes and slowly executes it himself. He then commands: 1. Cannoneers-forward. 2. MARCH. At the command forward, throw the weight of the body on the right leg. At the command MARCH, carry the left foot briskly forward 28 inches, the toe a little depressed, and, as well as the knees, turned slightly out; the upper part of the body inclining slightly forward; plant the left foot without a shock on the ground, throwing the whole weight of the body upon it; carry forward the right leg smartly and evenly, the foot near the ground; plant it at the same distance, and in the manner described for the left foot, and continue the march, keeping the face and shoulders square to the front. The instructor marks the cadence of the step, from time to time, by the commands right, or left, or both; given at the moment that the foot indicated should be planted.
9. The instructor commands: 1. Cannoneers. 2. HALT. At the command HALT, which should be given as one foot comes to the ground, bring the one in rear to the side of it without shock.
TO MARCH BACKWARDS.
10. The instructor commands: 1. Cannoneers backwards. 2. MARCH. At the command MARCH, carry the left foot 14 inches to the rear, then bring the right foot likewise to the rear of it, and so on, successively, until the command: 1. Cannoneers. 2. HALT. At the command HALT, bring the foot which is in front by the side of the other. The instructor requires only a few steps to be taken. He observes that the men step straight to the rear; that they do not hollow the small of the back by throwing back the shoulders; and that they always preserve the equilibrium, and the position of the body.
11. The instructor commands: 1. Mark time. 2. MARCH. At the command MARCH, bring the heels by the side of each other, and mark the cadence of the step by raising the feet alternately, without advancing them, until the commands are given: 1. Forward. 2. MARCH. At the command MARCH, given as one foot is coming to the ground, the cannoneers resume the step of 28 inches with the other.
12. The instructor commands: 1. Change step. 2. MARCH.
At the command MARCH, given at the moment one foot is coming to the ground, bring the other to its side, and step off again with the first. The men are thus taught to take the step when they have lost it.
13. To the right. The instructor commands: 1. Cannoneers by the right fanc. 2. MARCH. At the command MARCH, given at the moment the left foot is coming to the ground, turn the body to the right, and step off with the right foot in the new direction, without losing the cadence of the step.
14. To the left. The instructor commands: 1. Cannoneers by the left fank. 2. MARCH. At the command MARCH, which is given as the right foot is coming to the ground, turn the body to the left, and step off with the left foot.
15. To the rear. The instructor commands: 1. Cannoneers to the rear. 2. MARCH. Which is executed as directed for facing to the right, excepting that the body is turned to face to the rear instead of to the right.
16. Half-face to the right or left. The instructor commands: 1. Cannoneers right (or left) oblique. 2. MARCH. At the command MARCH, make a half face to the right, (or left,) and step off in the new direction, with the leg on the side towards which the turn is made.
17. To resume the primitive direction. The instructor commands: FORWARD. At this command, make a half face so as to move in the original direction, and march straight to the front in the manner prescribed for the oblique.
18. To show the mechanism, the execution of each command is divided into motions, with pauses between them. The last word of a command should be followed by the prompt execution of the first motion, and the words TWO, THREE, etc., by that of the other motions. When the words of execution are to be so given, the instructor intimates that the manual is to be by detail: this rule is general. After the different motions are perfectly understood, they are executed without stopping at each one; care being taken that none of them are slighted, and that the manual does not derange the position of the body.
19. From four to eight men are placed in one rank, 1 yard apart. They will be exercised for a portion of the time in the facings and marchings, wearing their sabres sheathed and hooked up.
20. The instructor points out and names the different parts of the sabre-HILT: gripe, guard, sword-knot; BLADE: back, edge, point; SCABBARD: rings, springs. He then commands: 1. DRAW. 2. SABRE. At the command DRAW, turn the head slightly to the left without deranging the position of the body; unhook the sabre with the left hand, and bring the hilt to the front; run the right wrist through the sword-knot, seize the gripe, draw the blade 6 inches out of the scabbard, pressing the scabbard against the thigh with the left hand, which seizes it at the upper ring; and turn the head to the front. At the command SABRE, draw the sabre quickly, raising the arm to its full extent, and throwing forward the point; make a slight pause, carry the blade to the right shoulder, edge to the front; the wrist resting against the hip; the little finger on the outside of the gripe. This position is the same when mounted, except that the wrist then naturally falls upon the thigh.
21. At the command SABRE, carry the sabre to the front, the arm half extended, the thumb opposite to and 6 inches from the neck; the blade perpendicular, the edge to the left; the thumb extended on the side of the gripe; the little finger by the side of the others. Carry-SABRE.
22. At the command SABRE, carry the back of the blade against the hollow of the shoulder; the wrist resting against the hip, the little finger on the outside of the gripe. Inspection of-SABRE. 2 pauses; 3 motions.
23. At the command SABRE, take the position of present SABRE. Two. Turn the wrist inwards; show the other side of the blade; and turn the wrist back. THREE. Carry the sabre to the shoulder. On parade, the last motion is not executed until the inspector has passed the next man. 1. RETURN. 2. SABRE.
24. At the command RETURN, bring the sabre to a present. At the command SABRE, carry the wrist opposite to and 6 inches from the left shoulder; lower the blade, and pass it across and along the left arm, the point to the rear; turn the head slightly to the left, fixing the eyes on the opening of the scabbard; return the blade; free the wrist from the sword-knot; turn the head to the front; drop the right hand by the side; and hook up the sabre. This is done by seizing the upper ring between the thumb and fore finger of the left hand, back of the hand up, raising the scabbard, whilst turning the hilt towards the body, until it points to the rear; and passing the ring over the hook attached to the waist-belt.
25. When the cannoneer is dismounted, the sabre, when worn, is hooked up. In batteries of foot artillery, when serving the gun, the belt is worn without the sabre.
26. If the instructor wishes to rest the men, the sabre being drawn, he commands: Parade-REST. At the command REST, carry the right foot 6 inches to the rear, the left knee slightly bent, the body upright on the right leg; the back of the sabre resting in the hollow of the right arm; the hands being crossed in front, the left hand over the right. At the command ATTENTION, resume the proper position with sabre drawn. When the sabre is not drawn, the cannoneer, at the command Parade-REST, assumes the same position as with sabre drawn, except that instead of crossing the hands in front he folds the arms over the chest.
27. After the manual of the sabre has been taught, the men will be exercised in the facings and marchings with the sabre drawn.
NOTICE
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