march ad effential help, and must be immediately deciared to the Distant ob 14. When part of a column is in low ground, or crof- Fig. 103. guns and intervals. 15. No circumftance whatever is to occafion an increafe Movement of the proper diftance betwixt battalions in column.— of battalion The battalion guns will therefore march a-breaft, and justness of always well clofed up to the rear divifion of the preceding battalion; or, according to circumftances, they will move on one of the flanks oppofite to their proper intervals; and if ordered on the front or pivot flank, they can occafionally fire if fo required.-Mufick, pioneers, &c. are never in the intervals betwixt battalions, in line or column of mancuvre, but are on the flanks of the column, or in the rear of the line. of movements. 16. The most confiderable column ought to be able Correctnes to MARCH in the alignement with perfect exactness; to HALT; to WHEEL into line; to MARCH forward; to HALT; and to FIRE; without more than a momentary paufe between each operation, and without any neceffity of dreffing, correcting diftance, or any alteration whatever; and unlefs the battalions are equal to, and can be depended on for fuch operation, no critical or advantageous measure, when clofe to the enemy, can be attempted. Puft of com 17. It is only when the column of manoeuvre is marching in a straight alignement that the commanding manding officer battalions. 2 officers of ༤. Prolongation of a line. Fig. 103. Fig. 102. officer is invariably attached to the head of his battalion ; for, in other fituations of march he muft by no means remain fixed at its head, but be moveable on its flank in order to watch over its general progress. 18. When a line already formed is to wheel into open column, and prolong its direction.-Three perfons m, n, o, take their stations in the front as points of march, and the adjutants place themselves each close to the pivot flank of his own fecond divifion.-The column is put in motion, the last adjutant, when the rear approaches the one next to himself, relieves him, and he going on they fucceffively relieve each other. 19. When a line, prolonging a straight direction, changes into another straight direction, the advanced perfons m, n, o, Change of will of course be firft placed in that direction, the front adjutant will be at the point of change till he is relieved, and the column will proceed as before, direction. General aids in marching 20. If the march of the column (although in open ground) in column. is not meant to be critically ftraight, then the placing of adjutants can be difpenfed with, and the divifions, at their true wheeling distances, will fcrupulously follow the line which the head of the column traces out: but, the better to prevent any improper deviation of the rear, commanding officers or adjutants will frequently ftop at true points of the march, until the rear of their battalion, has paffed, and always at points where the head of the column makes any confiderable change of direction.-If every divifion of a column does not accurately follow the path traced out by the leading one, opening or clofing of distances must take place, running up, or stopping fhort, will enfue, and the column will not be in a fitua tion to form in line with precifion. When the open columa changes its Situation on any fixed point within itself. 21. When the open column of maneuvre has prolonged a ftraight line, ftands halted, and is directed to make a change of fituation on any fixed point within itself.-All the divifions before that point countermarch and ftand faced to it; the battalion, if fingle, or the central bettalion of a line, a line, and the one on each fide of it, will file by divifions into the new column; the others will march in column, and enter where their Rears are to be placed.-If the column is intended to proceed, the divifion facing the Fig. 45-48given one having taken fingle distance, and the others of that wing being arranged behind it, they will all countermarch, and the column may then move on. - If the column is meant after fuch change of fituation not to proceed, but immediately to form in line, then the divifion facing the given one having taken double wheeling distance, the line will be formed by a wheel up to the pivot flank. In either cafe, a previous caution will determine the pofition of the divifion facing the given one. S. 181. Formation in Line on detached Adjutants, from the Affembly or Mafs of Battalions in Columns of Companies. 1. If a column of several battalions has halted at half, Fig. 106. quarter, or clofe distance, or that its battalions' have affembled in contiguous columns with fmall intervals, and that they are to extend into a line which is at fome diftance from their then fituation, on their refpective adjutants, and facing either to the front or to the rear. attentions. 2. A battalion is named as the one to be formed upon, General and which may be either a flank or central battalion of preliminary. the new line, but fhould be that one which, being placed at the point of appui, determines the pofition of the line, and therefore will commonly be a flank one.-The general column, when arrived at, and standing on the new line, fhould always front to the point of appui, whether flank or central.-Each adjutant marks one certain flank of his battalion in the new line: and each in taking up his ground, allows for the front and interval of his own battalion from the laft placed adjutant before Fig. 106. Point of appui determined. Adjutants mark Blanks, him. Each adjutant always marks that flank of his bat talion in the new line, at which its head is to enter, and at which its REAR divifion in column is to rest, and therefore it is that flank which is fartheft from the point of appui; if his battalion is to march with its right in front, he marks its left, and if with the left in front he marks its right. It is therefore often neceffary, as will be mentioned, that fome or all of the battalion columns fhould feparately countermarch (S. 101.) at their point of affembly, in order to move off with their proper flank divifions in front, and thereby enter the new line at their refpective adjutants. 3. Suppofing therefore that the battalions are ftanding in columns (the right in front) either in general column, or in contiguous line.-If the position is to be taken from the right B, of the new line, the adjutants will from thence prolong it, each fucceffively marking his own left. If to be taken from the left C, the adjutants will from thence prolong it, each fucceffively marking his own right; and the battalions, on feparating from the general mass, will each countermarch, fo as to arrive at its adjutant a column with the left in front.-If to be taken from a central point D, both flanks of that battalion must be marked; its adjutant, and thofe of the battalions ftanding to its left (or behind it if in column) will mark each his own left; the adjutants of the battalions to its right (or before it if in column) will mark each his own right, and thofe battalions will in confequence countermarch, fo as to enter with their left in front; and in this manner will the whole ftand on the new line facing to the central point. 4. Thefe circumftances determined and understood, all the adjutants are fent forward to the ground of the named battalion; the general direction of the line is afcertained by ftationed objects; the flank point of entry is taken by the named adjutant; and all the others from him fuccellively prolonging the line, mark their respective ordered points of entry; they are expected to give ground ground quickly, according to circumftances, both by their eye, and their own ftep, as well as by the ftep of their horfes. Battalione 5. In the mean time, the whole are put in motion, and when fufficiently advanced, they HALT.-Such battalions enter the as are to countermarch, are ordered fo to do, and each new line. then diverges to right or left, avoids croffing or interference, and marches quick to its own point of entry, opening its divifions in the course of the march.--At that point a momentary halt is made; the head divifion wheels into the line, the others fucceffively follow it at open distances, and in ordinary time (S. 125. 115.) 'till the word HALT is given on the arrival of their rear divifion at that point.-The battalion thus ftanding in open column, and its pivots being corrected on the adjutant, is ready to wheel up into the line, which is in this manner separately entered by each battalion, whether it is to face to the front or to the rear of the march. 6. As the adjutant always marks the point where the REAR divifion of kis battalion column is to be placed, fo the point where the head one is to reft, will be of course. eafily known (and may be alfo marked in due time by another detached perfon) being at the distance of a proper interval, and the front of a divifion from the preceding adjutant.-The feveral adjutants, when placed, become fo many points of march to the battalions that are prolonging the line. 7. Although unneceffary ground may feem to be gone General over by the head divifions of fome of the battalions, rule. when they enter at their rear point, yet the rule that each of them fhall enter the line where its REAR is to reft, is fimple, general, and moft readily corrects any mistakes that may be made; and, all circumftances confidered, it is a quicker and furer manner of forming on the new pofition, than if the battalions were to enter at their head, or intermediate points. 8. When |