The head of a company or battalion marching in file, muft change direction in the fame manner on the moveable pivot, by gradually gaining the new from the old direction, and thereby avoiding the fudden ftop that otherwife would take place.

S. 35.

୮

Oblique Marching in Front.

When the Squad is marching in front, and receives the word To the Right, Right Oblique. oblique; each man, the first time he raises the right foot, will, inftead of throwing it ftraight forward, carry it in the diagonal direction, as has been already explained in Sect. 8. taking care not to alter the pofition of his body, fhoulders, or head." -The greateft attention is to be paid to the fhoulders of every man in the squad, that they remain parallel to the line on which they firft were placed, and that the right fhoulders do not fall to the rear, which they are very apt to do in obliquing to the right, and which immediately changes the direction of the front.-On the word Forward, the incline ceafes, and the whole march forward.-In obliquing to the left, the fame rules are to be observed, with the difference of the left leg going to the left, and attention to keep up the left fhoulder.

Forward.

The fame inftructions that are given for ordinary time, ferve alfo for quick time; but this movement, though it may be made by a fquad, or divifion, cannot be required from a larger body in quick time.

Obliquing to the right, is to be practifed fometimes with the eyes to the left; and obliquing to the left, with

the

the eyes to the right; as being abfolutely neceffary on many occafions; for if one of the battalions of a line in advancing be ordered to oblique to the right, or to the left, the eyes muft ftill continue turned towards its

center.

S. 36. Oblique Marching in File.

In obliquing to the right, or left, by files, the center and rear rank men will continue looking to their leaders of the front rank.-Each file is to confider itself as an entire rank, and is to preferve the fame front, and pofition of the shoulders, during the oblique, as before it began. This being a very useful movement, the recruits are often to be practifed in it.

S. 37. Wheeling forward from the Halt.

March.

The directions already given for the wheeling of a single rank (vide Sect. 19.) are to be strictly attended to in this wheel Right Wheel. of the squad.-On the word Right (or left) Wheel, the rear ranks, if at one pace diftance, lock up. At the word March, the whole ftep together in the quickest time, and the rear ranks during the wheel, incline fo as to cover their proper front rank men. At the word Halt, the whole remain perfectly steady.

Halt.

S. 38. Wheeling backward.

The fquad must be practifed in wheeling backward in the quickest time.-In this wheel, the rear ranks may pre

serve their distance of one pace from each other.-Great attention should be paid, to prevent the recruits from fixing their eyes on the ground. (Vide Sect. 21.)

S. 39. Wheeling from the March, on a halted, and moveable Pivot.

The directions for wheeling on a halted, and on a moveable pivot, have already been given, in Sects. 20, and 22. The fquad fhould now be practifed in both, until the recruits are thoroughly confirmed in those

movements.

S. 40. Stepping out,-Stepping Short,-Marking the Time,-Changing the Feet,-The Side Step,Stepping back.

The fquad must likewise be practised in stepping cut, Stepping Short, marking the time, changing the feet, the fide step, and Stepping back, the inftructions for which have been fully detailed in the foregoing fections.

It cannot be too ftrongly inculcated, or too often recollected, that upon the correct equality of march, eftablished and practised by all the troops of the fame army, every juft movement and manœuvre depends. When this is not attended to, disunion, and confufion, must neceffarily take place, on the junction of feveral battalions in corps, although, when taken individually, each may be in most respects well trained: It is in the original inftruction of the recruit, and fquad, that this great point is to be laboured at, and attained.-The time and length of ftep, on all occafions, are prefcribed. The TIME is infallibly afcertained, by the frequent corrections of the plumwet, which, when fo applied, will foon give to each man

that

that habitual measure fo much defired; and therefore every driller must have it constantly in his hand; and, as it has been already obferved, before any fquad, or larger body is put in march, 5 or 6 ftrong taps of the drum fhould often be given in exact time, as regulated by the plummet; which will imprint the true measure on each ear, and prepare for taking an accurate ftep at the word March. The length of ftep is only to be acquired by repeated trial, and therefore, before the recruit, or fquad, is put in motion, each instructor should ascertain the space on which he is to drill his men; he will therefore (fuppofing that he himself is accurate in his paces, and that there is ground for that purpose) mark out an oblong fquare of 40 paces by 20, or 30, the corners of which he will ascertain by halberts, stones, or in any other visible manner; along the fides of this figure he will march the pivot flank of the fquad, making correct wheels, and halts at the angles.—The time of March being fo exactly ascertained, he will then fee that the fides of the oblong are gone over at the known number of steps; and if there be any inaccuracy, he will lengthen or fhorten the ftep, till the fquad marches with the utmoft precifion; every man preferving his juft pofition, and all the other indifpenfible attentions in marching being ftrictly obferved. Where there is a fufficiency of ground, the fquads will occafionally march over greater fpaces, but the diftances fhould in the same manner be exactly ascertained, fo that there may be no doubt as to the true length of the ftep.-In proportion to the ftrength of fquads or drills, one or more formed foldiers fhould accompany each, to march on the flank, give distances, and, in other points, to regulate the motions of the drill.

D.D.

End of PART FIRST.

PART

II.

OF THE PLATOON, OR COMPANY.

S. 41. Formation of the Platoon.

[T

HE recruit being thoroughly grounded

in all the preceding parts of the drill, is now to be inftructed in the movements of the platoon, as a more immediate preparation for his joining the battalion: for this purpose from 10 to 20 files are to be affembled, formed, and told off in the following manner, as a company in the battalion.

The platoon FALLS IN, in three ranks at close order, with fhouldered firelocks; the files lightly touching, but without crouding; each man will then occupy a fpace of about 22 inches.-The commander of the platoon takes poft on the right of the front rank, covered by a ferjeant in the rear rank.-Two other ferjeants will form a fourth or fupernumerary rank, three paces from the rear rank.

The platoon will be told off into fub-divifions, and if of fufficient ftrength, into four fections; but as a section fhould never be lefs than five files, it will often happen. that for the purposes of march, three fections only can be formed.

The four best trained foldiers are to be placed in the front rank, on the right and left of each fub-divifion.

D

When