Drill
Guidelines
of
The Liberty Greys
A compendium of guidelines
and common commands regarding evolutions of the battalion in which all company
officers and NCOs should be well versed.
FOR THE USE OF MEMBER UNITS AND VOLUNTEERS
Company Prerequisites
1. The primary drill manual for the Southern legion will be Hardee's Rifle & Infantry Tactics, 1862 North Carolina revision. Officers and NCOs are encouraged to have and study this manual.
2. Companies are expected to be able to maneuver by
company and by platoon (when numbers permit).
3. Officers and NCOs should be familiar with their
proper position in all evolutions. NCOs should understand their duties as
guides when appropriate.
4. All elements of the School of the Company should
be regularly drilled.
5. The following maneuvers are considered to be
essential drill elements and should be second nature to a company:
· Facing right, left, front, and about (including doubling and un-doubling)
· Marching quick, double-quick, and common time, backward and right (and
left) oblique
· Marching by the right and left flanks; right about march
· By company into line
· On the right (and left) by file into line
· Right (and left) wheels, and half wheels; Right (and left) into line,
wheel
· Right and left turns into line
6. The following should be drilled to forward and to
the right and left
obliques:
· Firing by company
· Firing by platoon
· Firing by file (from the right)
· Firing by rank
7. The company should be capable of deploying as
skirmishers, firing as such, and reforming.
Battalion Evolutions From a
Line of Battle
To march by the right or left flank when halted:
BCO: Right
(or left) - FACE
The men will double into fours as they
face
Forward - MARCH
To march by the right or left flank when marching in
a battalion front:
BCO: By
the right (or left) flank - MARCH
The men will double into fours as they
face and continue marching
To form a column of companies faced to the right (or
left) advanced of the current line of battle:
BCO:
By company, right (or left) wheel - MARCH
When his
company has wheeled ninety degrees:
CCO: HALT
The left (or right) company guide will post
aligned between the battalion
guides.
BCO: Guide
Left
The company will dress left (or right)
to the company guide. Note this will not happen until the column is moving.
To form a column of companies faced to the right(or
left) to the rear of the current line of battle:
BCO: By
the right of companies to the rear into column
Battalion,
right - FACE
The men will
double into fours as they face. The captain will cause the first two files to break to the right (or left).
MARCH
The far right
(or left) file of each company will move by file right. The captain will stand
fast at the right of the company as each file passes. As the last file passes,
he will command:
CCO: HALT
FRONT
At which the
men will face left (or right) and un-double files
Guide
left
To march by company in a four man front to avoid
obstacles:
BCO: By
the right of companies to the front (or rear)
Battalion,
right (or left) - FACE
The men will double into fours as they face. The captain will cause the first two files to break to the right (or left).
MARCH
The far right
(or left) file of each company will move by files right
To change the battalion front to one perpendicular
facing right:
BCO: Change
front forward on the first company
The first company will immediately
wheel ninety degrees to the right
BCO: By
company, right half wheel - MARCH
As each company wheels forty-five
degrees:
BCO: Forward
- MARCH
Guide
right
As each company unmasks from the
previous company:
CCO: Right
turn - MARCH - HALT
To change the battalion front to one perpendicular
facing left:
BCO: Change
front forward on the last company
The last company will immediately
wheel ninety degrees to the left
BCO: By
company, left half wheel - MARCH
As each company wheels forty-five
degrees:
CCO: HALT
BCO: Forward
- MARCH
Guide left
As each company unmasks from the
previous company:
CCO: Left
turn into line - MARCH
Battalion Evolutions From a
Column of Companies
To form a line of battle straight ahead extending to
the left of the first company:
BCO: Forward
into line
By
company, left half wheel - MARCH
The first company will halt when the
other companies receive the order to MARCH.
As each other company achieves a 45
degree wheel:
BCO: Forward
- MARCH
As each company unmasks behind the
company ahead of it
CCO: Right Turn - MARCH - HALT
To form a line of battle straight ahead centered on
the column (assuming five companies):
BCO: Head
of the column to the right
After the first two companies have
wheeled to the right by company
HALT
Left
into line, wheel
Three
rear companies, forward into line
MARCH
The first two
companies will left wheel into line, where their captain will HALT them. The third company will advance to the line of battle at which its
captain will HALT it. The rear two
company captains will order:
CCO: Company,
left half wheel - MARCH
As the
company achieves a 45 degree wheel:
Forward
- MARCH
And as the
company unmasks on line:
Right
turn – MARCH - HALT
CCO: HALT
BCO: Forward
- MARCH
As each company unmasks behind the
company ahead of it
CCO: Right
turn – MARCH – HALT
To form a line of battle on the left:
BCO: Left
into line, wheel - MARCH
The company
right guide will post himself on the new line of battle. As each company wheels
ninety degrees into line:
CCO: Company
- HALT
Right
dress
To form a line of battle on the right by inversion:
BCO: By
inversion, right into line, wheel
Battalion,
guide right
MARCH
The company
left guide will post himself on the new line of battle. As each company wheels
ninety degrees into line:
CCO: Company
- HALT
Left
dress
To form a line of battle on the right in proper
company order:
BCO: On
the right, into line
Battalion,
guide right
MARCH
The captain of
the first company will immediately order RIGHT turn - MARCH. The rest of
the column will continue to march forward until unmasked by the previous
company at which time each company captain will order:
CCO: RIGHT
turn - MARCH
The company
left guide will post himself on the new line of battle. As each company reaches
the line:
Right
dress
Battalion Evolutions From a
Column Marching by the Right Flank
Note: Marching by the left
flank is a simple inversion of these instructions
To form a column of companies:
BCO: Form
column of companies
By
company into line - MARCH
As the company
comes into line, the left guide posts between the battalion guides
Guide
left
To form a line of battle on the right of the column:
BCO: Battalion.
On the right, by file into line - MARCH
The column
continues forward deploying one company after another. As the company begins to
deploy, the left general guide runs ahead to post
To form a battle line on the left of the column:
BCO: Battalion-
FRONT
The ranks should automatically un-double from four to two
