ate le ΠΥ he he produce that equality and freedom of march, on which 2. The different degrees of march have been already Degrees of detailed in the first and fecond parts, and to thefe muft march. the foldier be trained and accustomed without drum, or musick, and by habit alone taught to acquire the given times, and length.-To the equal and unvaried cadence and length of step thus attained, can troops alone trust for the prefervation of their line in advancing upon an enemy, when duft, the fmoke of artillery, rain, fog, and 1 many other local circumftances, make it impoffible to depend on diftant points, the uncertain time given by timid musicians, or any other adventitious help. ly e 1 f e 3. A company or divifion may occafionally run, a battalion may fometimes march quick, but the hurrying of a large column, or of a body moving in front, will certainly produce confufion and diforder. It is never to be rifqued when an enemy is in prefence and to be encountered; though it may fometimes be neceffary where a poft or fituation is to be feized. 4. The use of the fide or clofing ftep has been al- Side fter, ready mentioned S. 43.-If more than one platoon is to clofe, at the words, &c. CLOSE-MARCH-HALT—the closing body proceeds as directed S. 13. 43. If the body which is to clofe is truly formed, and has no falle openings in it which are to be corrected, but that the whole is meant to be fhifted to a named flank; the word from the commanding officer puts in march, and halts the whole. But if the intention is to correct improper intervals between platoons or files, the word from the commanding officer puts the whole that are to close in march towards the ordered hand; and each platoon officer feparately and fucceffively gives his word Halt at the proper inftant that his platoon has clofed to that hand; this he Halts. Oblique march. Fig. 1. is the better enabled to do from being himself out of the rank, and facing his platoon. 5. All halts are made to the point, to which the troops while in march are looking; by bringing up the rear foot to the advanced one, fo as to finish the step which is taking, when the command is given; and after which no dreffing or movement whatever is to be made, until a feparate order directs it. 6. The oblique march enables a body to preferve its , parallel direction, and at the fame time to gain ground to the flank, as well as to the front, without filing or opening out. It is particularly neceffary for the battalion in line, when intervals are to be corrected, and in the forming up, and doubling of its divifions-With a body of any extent, it is a very nice operation to execute. Each battalion in line obliques without turning eyes from its own center.-One degree of obliquing only (under the angle of about 25°) is to be required from an extended front of troops, and even in that it is exceeding difficult to preferve them: but the fmaller divifions of the battalion will often be obliged in forming up, or in doubling, especially when in movement, to oblique more or lefs fharply, according to circumstances.-S. 8. 35. 55. Wheeling in general. S. 80. Wheeling. 1. A fingle rank or divifion might at all times wheel to a halted flank, without alteration of the time at which it is then marching; by the outward wheeling man preferving the ufual length of ftep, and the others properly shortening theirs to remain dreffed with him:-The fame might take place in column, whofe divifions were equal, and when the wheel is under 1-6th of the circle.-But when when it exceeds that portion, it becomes neceffary in order to clear the ground, prevent falfe.diftances, and a lengthening out; that the divifions fucceffively make their wheels to their halted flank at a pace confiderably quicker, than what the body of the column is moving at. made on halted or pivots. 2. Wheels of divifions of a battalion or line, are made Wheels on a halted pivot, or on a moveable pivot.- When on a HALTED pivot they are made from line into column, or moveable from column into line; and alfo generally by the column of manœuvre or march in movement, when the front of it is confiderable, and when the wheel by which its direction is to be changed approaches to, or exceeds the quarter circle.-When on a MOVEABLE pivot, they are only used and occafionally ordered in the column of Fig. 4. B. march, when its front is fmall, and that its path is winding and changeable; in that cafe both flanks are moveable, and defcribe concentric circles round a point which is removed a few paces from what would otherwise be the ftanding flank. 3. The various circumftances attending the wheels on on a halted the HALTED pivot have been detailed in the firft and fecond pivot. parts.-Although the paufe made after the Halt,--Dress, gives time in large fronts for exact dreffing, yet in fmall ones, where that paufe is fhort, there is no time for fuch exactness, the attention to, and preservation of the true diftance, being then the material object.-Whenever the Fig. 4. B. wheel made is lefs than the quarter circle, the pause after the wheel will be confiderable; fhould the wheel be greater than the quarter circle it must be accelerated, otherwife more than one divifion will be arrived and arrefted at the pivot point.-Should a column be marching in quick time, it is evident that its wheels muft be in proportion quickened, to difengage in time the pivot point for each fucceffive divifion. 4. When the column of fections, fub-divifions, or On a movecompanies, is obliged frequently to change its direction able pivot. G of of march, and that it is permitted to do it on the MOVEABLE pivot (S. 21. 52.) instead of a halted pivot.-If the pivot leader defcribes the smaller circle of the wheel, he leaves the point on which he marched, and where the old and new directions interfect, clofe to his own hand wheeled to.-When he defcribes the greater circle, he leaves fuch point wide from his own wheeling hand.— In both cafes the more confiderable the sweep he makes from the old to the new direction, the easier and more gradually can the other flank conform, and therefore Fig. 4. B. when this mode is made ufe of, the column is fuppofed to have fufficient room on its flanks to allow of the neceffary operations: for if both flanks cannot be kept in progreffive movement during the change of direction, the wheels cannot be thus made, but must be executed quick, and on fixed pivots, otherwife the ground would not be clear for the fucceeding divifions, and they would ftop each other, and interfere.-In this manner will the column on a finall front follow the windings of a route, be conducted through an open wood, or trace out the irregular edge of a height, which it is to occupy; and indeed on all common occafions of route marching, where perfect correctness is not required, it will thus change into new directions. divifions Wheel of 5. Wheels of divifions may be made either forward or backwards, backward.—In general (and always in progreffive move ment), they are made forward, but particular occafions require that they should be made BACKWARD, on the pivot flank. In this manner may the line wheel into open column of platoons, fub-divifions, or fections: the flank fides of the fquare, or oblong, may thus wheel into column, when the body is to be put in march: the line already formed may be thus prolonged when neceffary to either flank, as the pivots are thus preserved: it is also advantageously ufed in marching off parades, where guards are of different ftrengths, and is often effentially neceffary in narrow grounds.-By this means although divifions fhould be unequal, either in the fame battalion, or in a line, yet all their pivot flanks will after the wheel remain truly dreffed; of course the distances will be just, the line of marching accurately preserved, and each divifion by afterwards wheeling up will exactly occupy the Fig. 21. B. identical ground it quitted.-Whereas in wheeling FORWARD from line into open column, even if the divifions. are of equal ftrength, the pivots and diftances after the wheel will not be true, because the different fizes of men, and the least over or under wheel of any one divifion will Fig. 21. A: derange them, which in practice will infallibly happen.But if the divifions are of unequal ftrength, independent of the pivots neceffarily not covering, the diftances which the column marches off at, must be all changed during the march, otherwife when the column is to wheel up, and form, ftrong divifions would have to wheel into the fpace, which the weaker ones had left, and vice verfá; the confequence and confufion thence arifing is obvious. 6. To prevent therefore fuch inconvenience it must General be regarded as a rule almoft general-That all wheels by companies or fmaller divifions from battalion or line (when halted) into open column fhould be made BACKWARD, and all wheels from open column into line FORWARD: The only neceffary exceptions feem to be in fome cafes in narrow grounds, where there is not room for fuch wheels. If the divifion does not exceed 16 or 18 file, it may readily wheel back without facing about; but if the divifion is stronger and the ground uneven, it must Face about-Wheel-and then Halt, front. divifions are forwards. 7. In wheeling BACKWARD from line into column, When when the right is to be in front, the wheel is made on the wheels of left; and when the left is to be in front, the wheel is made ON the right.-In wheeling FORWARD the ftanding flank-wards, or man faces outward from his divifion: In wheeling BACKWARD, he faces inward to his divifion.-In wheeling FORWARD, the proper pivot flank of the column is the wheeling one: In wheeling BACKWARD, the pivot flank is the standing one, and remaining fixed, the divifions however unequal will always cover on that hand, which will not be the cafe if the wheel is made forward. In wheeling FORWARD, the command is TO THE RIGHT, (or) TO THE G 2 LEFT, |