WHEEL UP INTO LINE.

Fig. 49.

MARCH.

from officers being deficient in one great principle of their bufinefs, the preferving of proper diftances.-The inftant the HALT is ordered, the commanding officer from the head divifion of each battalion (he taking care that he is himself placed in the true line) makes any fmall correction on a rear point in that line that the pivots may require, although no fuch correction ought to be neceffary.

The CAUTION is then given, companies wheel up into line; on which the pivot men of the front ranks face perfectly fquare into the new line; the company officers move brifkly out and place themselves one pace before the center of each, their covering ferjeants move to the right of the front rank of the companies if the wheel is to be to the left, or otherwife behind the pivot file if the wheel is to be to the right, and an under officer of the leading company of the battalion runs up, places himself square in the new line, and marks the point (s.), at which the wheeling flank of that company is to Larrive and be halted.

At the word MARCH, eyes are turned (and not before) to the wheeling hand, the whole ftep off in quick time, the wheeling man lengthening his ftep to 33 inches, and every other man diminishing his, as he is nearer to the ftanding flank.The officers during the wheel turn round to face their men, incline towards the pivot of the preceding company, and as each perceives his wheeling man make the step which brings him up to that Halt, Drefs. pivot; he gives the word Halt, Dress,

ftrong

strong and firm to his company, which halts with eyes ftill turned to the wheeling flank, and each officer being then placed before the preceding pivot to which his men are then looking, from thence corrects the interior of his company, upon that pivot, his own pivot, and the general line of the other pivots.-This being quickly and inftantaneously done, the officer immediately takes his post on the right of his company, which has been Lpreferved for him by his ferjeant.

In this manner dreffing is made, and eyes are turned always to the point where the head of the column halted; to the right when the wheels are made to the left, and to the left when the wheels are made to the right; and if any future correction of the line is made by a field officer, it will be from the fixed point where the head of the column rested.

As there are fo many determined points given, it becomes eafy to drefs correctly a platoon or battalion after wheeling up, if due care is taken that the pivot man do on no account move up, or fall back, whatever direction may be then giving by the company officers for completing the dreffing.-If a defect exifts, it must proceed from the other men not having lined with those fixed points; the internal correction of companies muft therefore be made, but the original pivot men remain immoveable, until a general correction of dreffing the battalion is made by a field officer if neceffary.-The officer of the third company, for example, if the wheel has been made to the left, has only to confider the left file leader of the second company, ciofe to whom he stands as to the point of Appui, and his own left flank man as the point to dress upon, there will then be nothing easier than to drefs the other men of his company upon these; but he will still more exactly do it, if he places himfelf 2 or 3

files on the other fide of the pivot man of the fecond company, and from thence corrects his own.-If all officers are in this alert and skilful, and that foldiers are accustomed to drefs themselves, a battalion will be inftantly formed, nor will the commander have any thing to rectify.

When the column has broken to the LEFT; all that has been before faid takes place; and is in the fame manner executed,-Only the right flank man does what has been directed for the left; he fronts when the platoon begins to wheel up; and the point d'Appui being now on the left, the dreffing muft from thence be regulated; confequently the foldiers look to the left,

It is to be obferved, that when at any time after forming in line, there fhall be a falfe diftance between either of the flank divifions and the battalion, the officer of fuch divifion, without waiting for directions, may immediately, by the clofing step, join his divifion to the battalion; but no other divifion of a battalion is in fuch cafe ever to move, without orders from the commanding officer.

When the battalion has formed in line, and that there are feveral falfe openings betwixt divifions, they may be remedied by the clofing ftep, on the order of the commanding officer to CLOSE to any named divifion, the others halting fucceffively by word from their feveral leaders. (S. 43. 79.) and in the fame manner may the crowding of files in a battalion or parade be remedied, by clofing from the point of crowding, and halting when fufficiently loofened.

S. 119. When the Open Column which is to Wheel into Line is compofed of Sub-divifions or Sections, and not of Companies.

WHEEL INTO

LINE.

Q. MARCH.

Halt, Drefs.

At the word WHEEL, the company officer alone moves into the front, and the pivot leaders of the other fub-divifion or fections go to the point they would be at, if the column was a column of companies: The pivot man of each body in the column faces.-At the word MARCH, the whole wheel. And the company officer gives the word Halt, Drefs, to the whole company. (S. 50.)

The line of the march of the open column will always be about a pace before the line on which the troops form; because the one is the direction preferved by the officers in marching, and the other being that on which the flank men halt and the companies wheel up into line, is distant of course from the first the breadth of a file, which, leaving the advanced points diftinct, affords a great advantage in the formation and correction of the line.-Although the officers halt in the alignement itfelf, yet it is impoffible to allow them to remain immoveable as points of forming for their divifions, because the dreffing of those divifions depends on them, and that they muft occupy their proper places when in line.-The flank files of men are therefore the pivots of divifions in wheeling up into line, although the officers are the pivots during the march, and an attempt to form the line on the points of march themselves would derange the pivot files of men, and caufe disorder.

A commander must be careful that he himself is in the alignement whenever he dreffes his battalion, or corrects the flanks of his divifions.-In order to direct well, he

2

must

muft place himself on the line, and on the adjutants who are in it, and give his horse such a direction, as the divifions fhould touch in marching.

CHANGES OF POSITION OF THE BATTALION FROM LINE, BY MOVEMENTS OF THE OPEN COLUMN.

Changes of pofition. are made either on a FIXED point within the battalion, or on a DISTANT point without it.

ON A FIXED POINT.

S. 120. If the Battalion is to change Pofition to the Front, on the right halted Platoon, by throwing forward the whole Left, and by the filing of Pla

toons.

Fig. 47. B.

THE right flank (c.) is the fixed point on which the change is made, and is in the interfection of both lines, the commander immediately ad libitum places another point (b.) 20 or 30 paces beyond that flank, these two determine the direction of the new line and face to it.-The right platoon is wheeled forward to the right and placed in that direction, and is then immediately wheeled backward on the left, 'till it stands with its pivot (a.) perpendicular to that direction, and on which its officer pofts himself.

The