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INFANTRY TACTICS

 

OR

 

RULES FOR THE EXERCISE AND MANOEUVERS

 

OF THE

 

UNITED STATES INFANTRY

 

NEW EDITION

BY MAJOR GENERAL SCOTT

U.S. ARMY

 

VOL. II

 

SCHOOL OF THE BATTALION AND INSTRUCTION FOR

LIGHT INFANTRY OR RIFLE.

 

NEW YORK;

HARPER AND BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS

FRANKLIN SQUARE.

1861

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in this year 1840 by

 

WINFIELD SCOTT

 

In the clerk's office of the southern district of New York.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INFANTRY-TACTICS

 

______

 

 

TITLE IV.

 

School of the Battalion.

 

Formation of the Battalion.

 

770.* Every colonel will labour to habituate his battalion to form line of battle, by night as well as by day, with the greatest possible promptitude.  See No. 439 and No. 1541, and following. 

771.  The colour company will generally be designated as the directing company.  That, as soon as formed, will be placed on the direction the colonel may have determined for the line of battle.  The other companies will form on it, to the right and left, on the principles of successive formations which will herein be prescribed.

772.  The colour-bearer may have received the colour from the hands of the colonel; but if there be daylight, and time, the colour will be produced with due solemnity.

 

* The paragraphs of this volume are numbered in the same series with those of the first volume.

 

 

SCHOOL OF THE BATTALION.

 

 

 

Composition and march of the colour-escort.

 

 

773.  When the battalion turns out under arms, and the colour is wanted, one of the flank companies in its tour, or if both be absent, a battalion company, will be put in march to receive and escort the colour.

774.  The march will be in the following order, in quick time and without music; the drum-major and field music, followed by the band; the escort in column by platoon, right in front, with arms shifted to the right shoulder, (See No. 768,) and the colour-bearer between the two platoons.

775.  Arrived in front of the tent or quarters of the colonel, the escort will form line, the field music and band on the right, and arms will be carried.

776.  The moment the escort is in line, the colour-bearer, preceded by the first lieutenant, and followed by a sergeant of the escort, will go to receive the colour.

777.  When the colour bearer shall come out, followed by the lieutenant and sergeant, he will halt before the entrance; the escort will present arms, and the drums will beat to the colour.

778.  After some twenty seconds, the captain will cause the beat to cease, arms to be shouldered, and then break by platoon into column; the colour-bearer will place himself between the platoons, and the lieutenant and sergeant will resume their posts.

 

 

SCHOOL OF THE BATTALION.

 

 

779.  The escort will march back to the battalion to the sound of music in quick time, and in the same order as above.

 

 

Honours paid to the color.

 

 

780.  Arrived at the distance of twenty paces from the battalion, the escort will halt, and the music cease; the colonel will place himself six paces before the centre of the battalion, the colour-bearer will approach the colonel, by the front, in quick time; when at the distance of ten paces, he will halt; the colonel will cause arms to be presented, and to the colour to be played, which being executed, the colour-bearer will take his place in the front rank of the colour-guard, and the battalion, by command, shoulder arms.

781.  The escort, field music, and band, will return in quick time to their several places in line of battle, marching by the rear of the battalion.

782.  The colour will be escorted back to the colonel's tent or quarters in the above order.

 

General Rules and Divisions of the School of the Battalion.

 

783.  This school has for its object the instruction of battalions singly, and thus to prepare each to act in perfect harmony, in the same line with any number of battalions instructed in the same school.  This indispensable concert of

 

 

SCHOOL OF THE BATTALION.

 

 

 

 

movement can only be attained by the use of the same commands, the same principles, and the same means of execution.  Hence, all colonels and actual commanders of battalions will conform themselves, without addition or curtailment, to what will herein be prescribed.

784.  The school of the battalion will be divided into five parts.

785.  The first will comprehend opening and closing ranks, and the execution of the different fires.

786.  The second, the different modes of passing from the order in battle, to the order in column.

787.  The third, the march in column, and the other movements incident thereto.

788.  The fourth, the different modes of passing from the order in column to the order in battle.

789.  The fifth will comprehend the march in line of battle, in advance and in retreat; the passage of defiles in retreat; the march by the flank; the formation by file into line of battle; the column doubled on the centre; cavalry; the rally, and rules for manoeuvring by the rear rank.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCHOOL OF THE BATTALION-PART 1.

 

 

 

 

PART FIRST.

 

 

Opening and closing ranks, and the execution of

 the different fires.

 

 

ARTICLE 1.

 

 

To open and to close ranks.

 

790.   The colonel, wishing to cause ranks to be opened, will command:

 

1. Prepare to open ranks.

 

791.   At this, the lieutenant colonel and major will throw themselves on the right of the batta­lion, the first on the flank of the file closers, and the second four paces behind that point.

792.  The colonel, seeing the lieutenant colonel and major nearly in position, will command:

 

2. To the rear, open order. 3.  MARCH.

 

793.   At the second command, the captains and covering sergeants, likewise the closing ser­geant and his covering corporal, (See No. 32,) will all step off smartly to the rear, in order to mark the new alignments of the centre and rear ranks.

794.   The captains, and the closing sergeant will place themselves in the line of file closers,

 


     SCHOOL OF THE BATTALION-PART 1.

 

who stand fast, and will be aligned on the latter, by the lieutenant colonel.

795.  The covering sergeants and the covering corporal will place themselves four paces in rear of the file closers, opposite to their posts in line of battle, and will be aligned by the major, from the right, on the corporal.  The latter, having placed himself accurately, four paces from the rank of file closers, will invert his piece, and hold it up erect, between his eyes, in order to be the better seen by the major.

796    At the command march, the centre and rear ranks of the battalion, likewise the file closers, will step off to the rear, in common time and without counting steps; each rank will pass a little in rear of its new alignment, halt, and dress forward.  The captains will take care that the centre rank be correctly aligned between them selves, and the covering sergeants will give a like attention to the rear rank.

797. The file closers will fall back and pre­serve the distance of two paces from the rear rank, glancing eves to the right; the lieutenant colonel will, from the right, align them on the file closer of the left, who, having placed himself accurately two paces from the rear rank, invert his piece and hold it up erect between his eyes, the better to be seen by the lieutenant colonel.

798. The colonel, seeing the ranks aligned, will command:

 

4. FRONT.

 

799. At this, the captains, and the sergeant

 

 

 

 

SCHOOL OF THE BATTALION-PART I.

 

now  on the left of the centre rank, will return to

their     places in the front rank; and the lieutenant colonel and major to theirs in line of battle.

800. The battalion being formed in two ranks, the colonel will cause ranks to be opened by the commands which have just been prescribed; the captains and the closing sergeant, will stand fast; the alignment of the rear rank will be marked by the covering sergeants and the covering corporal; the this end, at the second command, they will step off to the rear, place themselves four paces from the front rank, and be aligned by the major as has been prescribed, No. 795.  The lieutenant colonel will align the file closers.

 

801.  The colonel will cause the ranks to be closed by the commands prescribed for the instructer, No. 476.

 

ARTICLE II.

 

Manual of Arms.

 

802.  The ranks being closed, the colonel will cause the following times or pauses to be executed:

 

  Present arms, -    - Shoulder arms,

  Order arms,   -    - Shoulder arm,

  Support arms, -    - Carry arms,

  Charge bayonet,    - Shoulder arms,

 

803.   The officers and sergeants in the ranks

 

 

 

 

    SCHOOL OF THE BATTALION-PART 1,

 

will remain faced to the front pending the manual of arms.

 

ARTICLE III.

 

Loading at will, and the Firings.

 

804. The colonel will next cause to be exe­cuted loading at will, by the commands prescribed, No. 271, the officers and sergeants in the ranks will half-face to the right with the men, at the first time or pause of loading, and face to the front when the men who are next to them cast about.

805. The colonel will cause to be executed the fire by company, the fire. by wing, the fire by battalion, and the fire of two ranks, (or by file) by the commands which will be herein in­dicated.

806. The fire by company and that of two ranks (or by file) will always be direct; the fire by battalion, and that by wing, may be either direct or oblique.

807. When the fire ought to be oblique, the colonel will give, at every round, the caution right (or left) oblique, between the commands ready and aim.

808. The fire by company will be executed alternately by the right and left companies of each division, as if the division were alone.  The right company will fire first; the captain of the left will not give his first command till he shall see one or two pieces shouldered in the right

 

 

 

 

SCHOOL OF THE BATTALION-PART 1.

 

captain of the latter, after the first discharge, will observe the same rule in respect to the left company; and the fire will thus be continued alternately.

809. The colonel will observe the same rule in the firing by wing.

810. The fire of two ranks (or by file) will commence in all the companies at once, and will be executed as has been prescribed, No. 302, and No. 504, and following

811. The colour-guard will not fire, but re­serve itself for the defence of the colour.

 

The fire by company.

 

812. The colonel wishing to cause the fire by company to be executed, will command:

 

1. Fire by company. 2. Commence Firing.

 

813. At the first command, the captains and covering sergeants will take the positions indicated for them, respectively, No. 498.

814. The colour and its guard will step back at the    same time, so as to bring the front rank of the    guard in a line with the rear rank of the battalion.  This rule is general for all the different firings, except in square.  See Nos. 1487, 1536.

815. At the second command, the right com­pany of each division will commence the fire; their captains will each give the commands pre­scribed, N6.499, substituting (See Nos. 6, 9, 10, 11, and 12) grenadiers, or light infantry, or first

 

 

SCHOOL OF THE BATTALION-PART 1.

 

 

 

grenadiers, &c., for the command company, or prefixing to the latter its ordinal number, as second, fourth, sixth, or eighth, for the battalion companies, according to the number of each.  See No. 8.

816.  The captains of the left companies of divisions, will give, in their turn, the same commands, each prefixing the ordinal designation, as first, third, fifth, or seventh, to the command, company, or substituting for this command light infantry, or rifle, or (See Nos. 11 and 12) second grenadiers, &c.

817.  In order that the right companies may not all fire at once, their captains will observe, but only for the first discharge, to give the commands fire in succession, from right to left; thus, the captain of the right company in the second division will give the commands aim and fire only after he shall have heard the fire of the right company on his right, and so on of the right companies towards the left of the battalion.

818.  The colonel will cause the fire to cease by a very short roll, which will be followed by a tap on the drum; at the instant the roll commences, the men will execute what is prescribed, No. 506, and the captains and file closers what is prescribed, No. 508; at the tap on the drum, the captains, covering sergeants, and colour-guard will all promptly resume their places in line of battle.  These rules are general for all the firings.

 

 

 

SCHOOL OF THE BATTALION-PART 1.

 

 

The fire by wing.

 

819.  When the colonel shall wish to cause this fire to be executed, he will command:

 

1.  Fire by wing.  2.  Right (or left) wing.  3.   READY.  4.  AIM.  5.  FIRE.

6.  LOAD.

 

820.  The colonel will cause the wings to fire alternately, observing, in the alternation, what is prescribed, No. 809.

 

The fire by battalion.

 

821.  The colonel will cause this fire to executed by the commands last prescribed, substituting for the first two, 1. Fire by battalion; 2. Battalion.

 

The fire of two ranks or by file.

 

822.  To cause this to be executed, the colonel will command:

 

1.  Fire by two ranks, (or by file.).  2.  Battalion.  3.  READY.  4.  Commence Firing.

 

823.  At the fourth command, the fire will commence on the right of each company, as prescribed, No. 505.  See also, No. 302.

824.  In the fire by wing, by battalion, and in that of two ranks, the captains and covering

 

 

SCHOOL OF THE BATTALION-PART 1.

 

sergeants will, at the first command given by the colonel for each fire, place themselves as indicated for the fire by company.

 

To fire by the rear rank.

 

825.  When the colonel shall wish to cause the battalion to fire to the rear, he will command:

 

1.  Face by the rear rank.  2.  Battalion.

 3.  About-FACE.

 

826.  At the first command, the captains, covering sergeants, and file closers will execute what has been prescribed, No. 512; the colour bearer will pass into the rear rank; the two corporals of is file will each step before the corporal next on his own right, to let the colour-bearer pass, and then step in front of the colour-bearer, to re-form his file; the closing sergeant and covering corporal will change places; the lieutenant colonel, adjutant, major, sergeant major, field music, and band, will throw themselves before the front rank, and face to the rear, each opposite to his place in line of battle-the first two passing around the right, and the others around the left of the battalion.

827.  At the third command, the battalion will face about; the captains and covering sergeants observing what is prescribed, No. 513.

828.  The battalion facing thus by the rear rank, the colonel will cause it to execute the different fires by the same commands as if it were faced by the front rank.

 

 

SCHOOL OF THE BATTALION-PART 1.

 

829.  The right and left wings will retain the same designations, although faced about; the companies also will preserve their former designations, as grenadiers, first, second, third, &c.

830.  The fire of two ranks (or by file) will commence on the left of each company, now become the right.

831.  The captains, covering sergeants, and colour-guard will, at the first command given by the colonel, take the places prescribed for them in the fires, with the front rank leading.

832.  The colonel, after firing to the rear, wishing to face the battalion to its proper front, will command:

 

1.  Face by the front rank.  2.  Battalion.

 3.  About-FACE.

 

833.  At these commands, the battalion will return to its proper front by the means prescribed, Nos. 826-7.

Remarks on the Firings.

 

834.  When ball or blank cartridges are used un firing, the colonel will take care occasionally to order an inspection of arms after a certain number of rounds, which will be executed by the captains, as has been prescribed, No. 525.

835.  In the intervals of rest, the lieutenant colonel and major will report to the colonel the faults they may have observed in the firings.  The adjutant and sergeant major will report in like manner to their principals.

836.  The fire of two ranks (or by file), being

 

 

SCHOOL OF THE BATTALION-PART 1.

that most used in war, the colonel will give it the preference in the preparatory exercises, in order that the battalion may be brought to execute it with the greatest possible regularity.

837.  When the colonel may wish to give some relaxation to the battalion, without breaking the ranks, he will observe what has been prescribed No. 485-8, substituting BATTALION for company.

 

To stack and resume arms.

 

838.  When the colonel shall wish to cause arms to be stacked, he will bring the battalion to ordered arms, and then command:

 

1.  Stack-ARMS.  2.  Break ranks.  3.  MARCH.

 

839.  These commands will be executed as prescribed, Nos. 410, 411, 417,  and 418, or Nos. 415, 417, and 418.

840.  The colonel wishing the battalion to return from relaxation to the ranks, will cause a very short roll to be given, at which the battalion will re-form behind the stacks of arms.  The roll be finished, he will command:

 

1.  Take-ARMS.  2.  Battalion.

 

841.  At the first command, the men will resume their arms as prescribed, Nos. 413 or 416.

842.  At the command battalion, the ranks will fix their attention, and remain immoveable.

 

 

 

 

SCHOOL OF THE BATTALION-PART II.