(BY AUTHORITY.)
INFANTRY TACTICS;
OR,
RULES FOR THE EXERCISE AND MANEUVRE
OF THE
UNITED STATES INFANTRY.
NEW EDITION.
BY MAJOR-GENERAL SCOTT,
U.S. ARMY.
VOL. III.
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE.
NEW YORK:
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS,~
329 & 331 PEARL STREET,
FRANKLIN SQUARE
1861.
Entered, according toAct of Congress, in the year 1840, by
WINFIELD SCOTT,
In the Clerk’s Office of the Southern District of New York.
INFANTRY TACTICS
_______
TITLE V.
Evolutions of the Line.
General principles, and divisions of the Evolutions of the Line.
1715.* The School of the Battalion’ apprehending the principles and details of’ all the movements that ought, in any case, to be made by a single battalion, it remains to apply those principles to a line of many battalions.
1716. In this instruction, a line of eight battalions, making a corps d’armee of two divisions or four brigades, will be supposed but the rules herein prescribed are equally applicable to a brigade, a division, or any number of’ battalions.
1717. The School of the Battalion has been divided into five parts: the same division will herein be observed.
1718. As often as one or more brigades or divisions, united in the same line, manoeuvre together, each battalion will be designated by
*The paragraphs of this volume are numbered in the same series with the first and second volumes.
INFANTRY TACTICS.
ts number, according to its position in the line. The battalion on the right of the whole will be denominated first, that next on its left second, the following one third, and so regularly on to the battalion that closes the left of the line.
Posts of the General-in-chief, of the Major Generals and Brigadier Generals, in Line and in Column.
1719. In line of battle, the general (that is, the particular general-in-chief) will have no fixed position; he will go whithersoever he may judge his presence necessary.
1720. In column, he will hold himself habitually at its head, in order to direct it according to his view.
1721. In the evolutions, he will place himself at the point whence he can best direct the general execution of the movement.
1722. In all cases the general may throw himself wheresoever he may judge his presence necessary, taking care to leave in his habitual position the next in command, or the chief of his staff charged with the execution of his orders.
1723. In line of battle, major generals (generals of division) will place themselves at about seventy paces in rear of the centres of their divisions.
1724. In column, they will hold themselves or the directing flank, abreast with the centres of their divisions, and at thirty or forty paces from the guides.
1725. In line of battle, brigadier generals (ge-
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE.
nerals of brigade) will place themselves at about forty paces in rear of the centres of their brigades.
1726. In column, they will hold themselves at fifteen or twenty paces outside of the guides, abreast with the centres of their brigades.
1727. Major generals and brigadier generals will look to the exact and regular execution of all commands coming from the general, or given by themselves; accordingly, they may throw themselves wheresoever they may judge their presence necessary within the extent of their divisions or brigades.
1728. The posts of the field and staff of battalions have been given in Titles I and IV.
1729. When the general shall wish to cause a movement to be executed, he will give the general commands relative thereto. Each colonel will always successively repeat, with the greatest rapidity, on their reaching him, those general commands, unless the general has given, or sent to him, an order to the contrary.
1730. The colonels having repeated the general commands, as just prescribed, will immediately command, and cause to he executed, without waiting for each other, the preparatory movements which, in their battalions, ought to precede the execution of the general movement.
1731. The brigadier and major generals will look to the prompt execution of these preparatory movements in their brigades and divisions,
INFANTRY TACTICS.
and rectify any error that may be committed by the colonels.
1732. The final command, or that which determines the execution of the general movement, will always be given by the general.
1733. The lieutenant colonels and majors will repeat the general commands, whether of caution or of execution, as often as the wind or the noise of arms may prevent those commands from being easily heard from one battalion to another.
1734. When, from any cause, a colonel shall not have heard the general command, he will, on seeing the battalion next to his own executing a movement, immediately cause his battalion to execute the same movement.
1735. When a line has to execute a central movement, the general will throw himself to the point which he may select for it, and give or send to each of the neighbouring battalions the order relative to the movement which each portion of the line has to execute, as hereinafter explained.
1736. In column, commands will be extended, by repetition, according to the same principles.
1737. As often as a line breaks into several columns, the senior general officer or colonel, in each, will discharge the duties attributed above to the general or general-in-chief
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE—PART I.
To open and to close ranks.
1738. The general, wishing to cause ranks to be opened, will command:
1. Prepare to open ranks.
1739. This having been repeated, the lieutenant colonels and majors will conform themselves to what is prescribed, No. 791; the colonels will immediately command: To the rear, open order. The general will then add:
2. March.
1740. At this, briskly repeated, ranks will be opened in conformity to what is prescribed, School of the Battalion. Each battalion will execute the movement as if it were isolated; accordingly it need not be attempted to align the centre or rear rank of one battalion on that of other battalions.
1741. The general will cause ranks to be closed by the commands prescribed, School of the Battalion.
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE—PART I.
Manual of Arms.
1742. The manual of arms will never be executed in line.
Loading at will, and the Firings.
1743. In line, only loading at will will be executed.
1744. The general, wishing to cause arms to be loaded, will command:
1. Prepare to load.
1745. This having been repeated, the general will add:
2. Load.
1746. This, immediately repeated, will be executed as prescribed, School of the Battalion.
1747. The general wishing to cause the fires to be executed, will command:
I. Fire by battalion (or wing, or company.)
1748. This having been repeated, the general will add:
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE—PART I.
2. Commence firing.
1749. The fire by battalion will commence in the odd numbered battalions. The command commence firing, having been repeated by all the colonels, those of the odd battalions will immediately give the commands prescribed, School of the Battalion, for the execution of this particular fire.
1750. The colonels of even numbered battalions will not give their first command until they see some pieces brought back to the shoulder in the odd battalion to their right; the colonels of of the odd battalions, in their turn, will observe the same rule in respect to the even battalion next to the left of each, and the fire will thus be continued by alternate battalions.
1751. The fire by wing will be executed in each battalion, as prescribed, School of the Battalion; each colonel having repeated the command commence firing, will immediately give the commands indicated for the execution of this fire, without regulating himself by the next battalion.
1752. The fire by company will be executed as prescribed, School of the Battalion.
1753. The fire of two ranks (or by file) will be executed in the following manner; the general will command:
1.Fire by two ranks (or by file.)
1754. This having been repeated, each colo-
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE—PART I.
nel will add: 1. Battalion; 2. READY. The general will then command:
2. Commence firing.
1755. At this, repeated by the colonels, the fire of the two ranks (or by file) will commence, and be executed as prescribed, School of the Battalion.
1756. The general will cause each of the foregoing fires to cease by a very short roll, which will be repeated by the drums of each battalion the moment it is heard. As soon as each battalion reloads, its colonel will give the signal for the tap on the drum for the return of captains and covering sergeants to their places in line of battle.
1757. The general, wishing to cause the fires to be executed by the rear rank, will command:
1.Face by the rear rank.
1758. This having been repeated, the colonels will immediately add: 1. Battalion; 2. About—FACE.
1759. The general will then cause the several fires to be executed by the commands and means prescribed above.
1760. The general having caused the firing by the rear rank to cease, and wishing to bring the line back to its proper front, will command:
1.Face by the front rank.
1761. The colonels, having repeated this com-
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE—PART IL.
will each immediately add: 1. Battalion, About—FACE
1762. The general, wishing to give relaxation to the line, will command:
1. Prepare to rest.
1763. This having been repeated, the general will continue:
2. Order—ARMS.
1764. This having been repeated and executed, at will add:
3. In place, rest (or, simply, rest.)
1765. This will be executed as prescribed, School of the Battalion.
1766. If, after arms are ordered, the general wishes to cause arms to be stacked, he will command:
Stack arms.
1767. This having been repeated, the colonels will cause the stacks to be formed; which being executed, each will immediately cause ranks to be broken, without regulating himself by any other colonel, in the manner prescribed, School of the Battalion.
1768. The general, wishing to terminate the relaxation, will cause a short roll to be given
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE PART II.
which will be repeated by all the drums of the line, at the instant it is heard.
1769. The roll having ceased, the colonels will each command: BATTALION, at which the men will resume the fixed position of ordered arms; if arms be stacked, the colonels will cause the men to take arms before giving the command BATTALION.
1770. The general will then command
Shoulder—Arms.
1771. This having been repeated, the line will shoulder arms.
Different modes of passing from the order in battle to the order in column.
To break to the front, to the right or left, into
column.
1772. The general wishing to cause the line to break by company or by division, will command:
1. By company (or by division) right (or left)
wheel.
1773. This having been repeated, the general will add:
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE PART II.
2.Quick—MARCH.
1774. At this, briskly repeated, the line will break according to the principles given, School of the Battalion.
1775. In that School it has been prescribed that, the companies having broken, the guides shall stand fast at the command front, given by their captains, although one or more may not be in the direction of the preceding guides; this rule will be observed from one battalion to another, in columns composed of many battalions: thus, the leading guide of one battalion will not stir after the command front given by his captain, although he may not be in the direction of the guides of the preceding battalion; it is when the column shall be put in march, that the guides, who do not cover in file, will insensibly bring themselves on the direction so that each may march in the trace of the one next preceding him.
1776. The general, wishing to cause the line to break to the front, to the right, to march towards the left, will command:
1. Break to the right to march to the left.
1777. This having been repeated, the colonel on the right will cause his battalion to commence the movement, which will be executed as prescribed, School of the Battalion.
1778. The following battalions will successively make the same movement, the colonels
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE PART II.
will seize the moment for causing their battalions to break, and each will be put in march, so that there may be, between its leading subdivision and the rearmost one of the preceding battalion, the distance of a subdivision and twenty-two paces. The right subdivision of each battalion will march forward twice the extent of its front, whilst the others are wheeling to the right.
1779. The general will cause the line to break to the left, to march to the right, according to the same principles.
To break to the rear, by the right or left, into
column.
1780. The general, wishing to cause the line to break to the rear into column by company, or by division, will command:
1. By the right (or left) of companies (or divisions) to the rear, into column.
1781. The colonels, having repeated this command, will immediately add: Battalion, right (or left)—FACE.
1782. The general will then command:
2.Quick—MARCH.
1783. At this, briskly repeated, each batta-
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE PART II.
lion will break as prescribed, School of the Battalion.
To ploy the line into close column or in mass.
1784. The general, wishing to ploy the line into column by division closed in mass, in rear of the first division of the first battalion, will command:
I. Close column by division. 2. On the first division, first battalion, right in front, into column.
1785. (Pl. XXXIX, figs. 1, 2.) These commands having been repeated, each colonel will add: battalion, right—FACE, which will be executed by the designated or directing battalion, as prescribed, No. 871, and following; but in the others, all the divisions will face to the right, and the chief of the first division, in each of these battalions, will place himself by the side of his right guide.
1786. These dispositions being made, the general will add:
5. Quick—MARCH.
1787. At this, briskly repeated, the colonel of the first battalion will ploy it in rear of its first division, as indicated, No. 873, and following.
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE PART II.
1788. Each of the other colonels will, in like manner, ploy his battalion from a halt, in rear of its right division; but, pending the execution of the movement, this division will stand faced to the flank: the second and third divisions, each conducted by its chief, will be halted as it successively takes its place in the battalion column, the chief remaining by the side of his right guide; the fourth will enter in like manner, and when its head shall be at eight or ten paces from the right flank of the column, the colonel will command:1. Battalion, forward; 2. Guide left , and 3. March, at the moment the right guide of this division is abreast with the others.
1789. At the command march, each battalion thus formed in mass will put itself in march, directing itself to the rear towards its point of entrance into the general column; its first division, conducted by the lieutenant colonel, will take the shortest line towards that point; the other divisions will each conform its movement to that of the first, marching abreast with it, and preserving exactly the distance of six (or five) paces from one guide to the next; arrived at twelve or fourteen paces from the general column, the first division will incline a little to the left, so as to enter the column perpendicularly, and leave a distance of nine paces between its guide and the guide of the last division of the preceding battalion; the other divisions will direct themselves parallelly to the first, and enter successively into the general column. The chiefs of division being up with the left guides of the column, will each haIt in his own person, see
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE PART II.
his division file past, and conform himself, in halting and aligning it, to what is prescribed Nos. 875-7.
1790. The lieutenant colonel of each battalion will detach himself thirty or forty paces in advance, to indicate the point of entrance into the column for his first division, and as each of his guides successively arrives, he will assure him on the direction.
1791. The general, or officer charged with the execution of his orders, will place himself in front of the left guide of the directing division, to superintend the formation of the general column, and to see that the left guides accurately cover each other in file. This rule is general for all ployments, whatever the division on which they may be executed.
1792. The line will be played in front by the same commands, substituting the indication left for right in front.
1793. In this case, the first battalion will execute the movement in the manner indicated, No. 883, and following.
1794. The other battalions will each execute the movement in like manner, conforming itself to what follows: the first division, which will have faced to the right with the others, will remain by the flank whilst the battalion is ploying in front of it; the second and third, after having taken position in the battalion column, will be halted by their chiefs, who will remain by the sides of their right guides, and when the head of the fourth shall be at eight or ten paces from lbs right flank of the column, the colonel, ob
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE PART II.
serving the order of time indicated, No. 1788, will command: I. Battalion, forward; 2. Guide right; 8. MARCH.
1795. At the command march, each battalion, directing itself diagonally to the front, instead of to the rear, will be conducted and established in the general column, with slight variations, as prescribed, No. 1789; arrived at twelve or fourteen paces from the flank of that column, the head of the first division will incline to the right, instead of the left, in order to enter perpendicularly, and to sake its distance of nine paces; the other divisions will conform themselves to the movement of the first, and the chiefs of the whole will each conduct his division till its head is nearly up with the right guides of the general column; he will then halt his division, face it to the front, and align it by the right, its right guide having faced to the rear in placing himself on the direction.
1796. The lieutenant colonels will conform themselves to what is prescribed, No. 1790.
1797. As each battalion takes its position in the column in front of the directing division, its colonel will command: guides, about—FACE.
1798. To ploy the line in rear, or in front of the fourth (or last) division of the eighth battalion, the general will command:
1. Close column by division. 2. On the fourth division, eighth battalion, left (or right) in front, into column. 3. Quick—MARCH.
1799. These movements will be executed ac
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE PART II.
cording to the principles given in the two preceding cases but by inverse means: the fourth (or las)t division of each subordinate battalion, being the first to take its position in the general column, it will be conducted by the lieutenant colonel, and the other divisions will regulate themselves by it.
1800. If, instead of ploying the line on the first division, right battalion, or the last division of the left, as in all the preceding cases, the general wishes to execute the movement on the first or last division of any other battalion, he will command:
1. Close column by division. 2. On the first (or fourth) division (such) battalion, right (or left) in front into column. 3. Quick—MARCH.
1801. (P1 XXXIX, figs. 1, 2.) Whether the right or left is to be in front, the designated or directing battalion will execute its movement as if it were alone.
1802. lf the right is to be in front, all the battalions in line to the right of the directing one will execute the movement as is indicated for ploying the line to the front on the left division, and the left battalions will execute the movement as is indicated for ploying to the rear, on the right division. If the left of the line is to be at the head of the column, the right battalions will conform themselves to what is prescribed for ploying the line to the rear, on the left division, and the other battalions to what is pre
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE PART II.
scribed for ploying to the front on the right division.
1803. If the directing battalion ploys on the first, or last division, the battalion contiguous to the directing division will execute its movement on this division: accordingly, the last or first division of the contiguous battalion, instead of remaining at a halt, will, at the commencement of the movement, file into the general column, at nine paces in front or rear of the directing division.
Remarks on ploying a line into column closed in
mass.
1804. In the several ployments, the general will take, in preference, as the directing division, that of the right or left of the battalion, on which the movement is to be executed.
1805. This method of ploying a line into column unites several advantages: first, it maintains, pending the execution of the movement, the battalions in all their strength, as each forms a separate mass; second, it occupies the least possible time, as each battalion moves over the shortest line to its place in the general column
To march in column at full distance.
1806. The general, wishing to put the column
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE PART III.
in march, will indicate to the colonel of the leading battalion the direction to be taken by the headmost guide and the colonel will immediately prescribe to this guide the means to be employed to ensure the direction of the march, according to the principles established, Nos. 902-4.
1807. These dispositions being made, the general will command:
1. Column, forward.
1808. The colonels having repeated this command, will immediately add: guide left, if the right be in front, or guide right, if the left be in front.
1809. The general will then add:
2. Quick—MARCH.
1810. At this, repeated with the greatest rapidity, the column will put itself in march.
1811. The guide of the leading subdivision will maintain himself on the direction which has been indicated to him, by the means prescribed, School of the Battalion, and the following guides each march in the trace of the one who immediately precedes him, without regard to the general direction.
1812. The lieutenant colonel of the leading battalion will see that the headmost guide does not deviate from the direction he ought to pursue, and the same officer of each following battalion will also see that his leading guide pre
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE PART III.
serves a distance equal to the front of his subdivision and twenty-two paces, which ought to separate the battalions.
1813. When a column has to prolong its march on a given line in order to form upon it to the left (or right) into line of battle, the general will always cause that line to be marked by one of the means prescribed, Nos. 929—80. The colours and general guides will throw themselves. out on that line.
1814. If, in this case, the column arrive in front or in rear of the line of battle, the general will detach, in advance, two aids-de-camp, or other mounted officers, to ascertain the intermediate points between the points of direction to the right and left; the intermediate being found, one of those officers will place himself on the line at the point at which the head of the column will arrive, and the column will conform itself to what is prescribed, No. 914, and following, or No. 928, and following.
1815. The means of finding the intermediate between two given points of direction, have been indicated, No. 1119, and following.
Column in route.
1816. The column being at a halt, if the general wish to put in march in the route step, he will give the commands prescribed for the march in the cadenced step, with this difference—the
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE PART III.
command march will be preceded by that of Route step, which will be repeated by the colonels.
1817. The column being in march, the general, in order to cause it to pass from the cadenced to the route step, and the reverse, will give the commands prescribed, Nos. 725, 728.
1818. All the principles relative to columns in route having been developed in the Schools of the Company and Battalion, it only remains to add here that, when a column of many battalions encounters a defile, which obliges it to diminish the front of subdivisions, this movement will only be made as each battalion successively arrives on the ground at which the preceding battalion had executed it.
1819. Thus, for example, a column formed by company, encountering a defile which will only receive the front of a platoon, the colonel of the leading battalion will at once, or successively, according to the order of the general, diminish front by platoon: but the colonel of the, next battalion will not repeat the commands of the preceding colonel until his battalion arrives at the samepoint, and so on of the others.
1820. The chief of the column will take care to regulate the rate of the march according to the ground and other circumstances; he will always leave with the rear of the column an aid-de-camp, to bring him prompt intelligence in it find a difficulty in following.
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE PART III.
To change direction in column at full distance.
1821. The general, wishing to cause the column to change direction, will despatch an aid-de-camp to the point of change, and give notice of his purpose to the leading colonel a little before arriving at that point.
1822. The change of direction will be executed according to the principles prescribed, No. 978, and following.
1823. Those rules will be observed in columns in manoeuvre, although marching, at the moment, in the route step.
To halt the column.
1824. The general, wishing to halt the column, will command:
1. Column.
1825. This having been repeated, he will add:
2. Halt.
1826. This will be repeated with the greatest rapidity.
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE PART III.
1827. The column being halted, if the general wish to form it to the left (or right) into line of battle he will assure the direction of the guides in the following manner.
1828. If the general direction of the column is nearly in conformity with his wishes, he will confine himself to rectifying the positions of such guides as may be without, or within, the direction; to this end he will command:
Guides, cover in file.
1829. At this, repeated by the colonels, the lieutenant colonels and majors will promptly cause the guides who may not be on the direction to cover each other accurately in file.
1830. If, on the contrary, the general should think it necessary to give a new direction, and the general guides be not on the flank of the column, he (or a substitute) will throw himself fifteen or twenty paces in front of the head, place himself, facing to the rear, on the direction which he may wish to give to the guides, select in rear of the column the second point which determines that direction, and promptly establish on it the leading general guide, and the colour-bearer of the same battalion; this being executed, the general will command:
L Colours and general guides on the line.
1831. At this, the colour-bearers and general guides will throw themselves on the flank of the column,and cover accurately the headmost two
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE PART III.
who have just been established by the general; the lieutenant colonels and majors will promptly assure (See No. 880) on the direction the general guides of their respective battalions.
1832. The general, seeing all the colours and general guides of the column correctly established on the direction, will immediately add:
2.Guides, on the line.
1833. At this, briskly repeated, the left guides, if the right of the column be in front, or the right guides, in the reverse case, will throw themselves on the direction of the colours, facing to the head of the column; the lieutenant colonel of each battalion, placed some paces in front, and facing to the headmost guide, will assure the direction of the guides of its leading wing, and the major, from a point in the rear of his battalion, will assure, in like manner, the remaining guides of the same battalion.
1834. The guides of subdivision, in throwing themselves on the direction of the colours, will each align himself correctly on the colour-lances which precede him, and not on the subdivision guides in his front; he will, moreover, take care to place himself exactly at subdivision distance from the guide next in front. Each colour-bearer will told up his lance perpendicularly between his eyes.
1835. The subdivision guides being established on the direction, the colonels, without waiting for each other, will immediately command: left (or right)—DRESS.
EVOLUTIONS OF THE LINE PART III.
1836. At this, briskly repeated by the chiefs of subdivision, each subdivision will incline to its guide and be promptly aligned. If the new direction be such that a subdivision find itself many paces from it, the chiefof the subdivision will cause it to march by the flank.
1837. If the general guides be on the flank of the column, the general will first place himself behind the colour-bearer of the leading battalion, to see whether this colour-bearer and the preceding general guide are accurately on the prolongation of the two points in front upon which they had marched, and, if necessary, to rectify their positions: the general will then throw himself in front, and face to the leading general guide; if the colours and general guides are not exactly on the direction, he will command:
1. Colours and general guides, cover in file.
1838. At this, the lieutenant colonels will promptly cause the colour and general guides of their respective battalions to cover those of the preceding battalions; after which, the general will add: