Silas are you out there?

[TheQM]

When closing a battle line into a column of companies facing in the same direction, the command is "Close column by company. On the 1st. company, right in front, Battalion right-FACE, MARCH." or you can close on another company by changing the command to "inward-FACE, MARCH".

After doing more reading, which is always dangerous, it seems the middle part of the command, right-FACE or inward-FACE, should be made by the Company Commander, as he takes his place in front of his company.

What's the corrrect command? This is a movement we do quite often and I want to get it right. (Battalion Drill is this weekend.)

Thanks,

[Silas]

Mind if I look at this after the effects of my gimlet have worn off?

Eventually, I'll be looking at this version of Hardee's SoB : http://draytons.tripod.com/hardeesob.html because I can navigate through it quickly.

Ooops. Time for dinner. Got to go.

[Silas]

When closing a battle line into a column of companies facing in the same direction, the command is "Close column by company. On the 1st. company, right in front, Battalion right-FACE, MARCH." or you can close on another company by changing the command to "inward-FACE, MARCH".

After doing more reading, which is always dangerous, it seems the middle part of the command, right-FACE or inward-FACE, should be made by the Company Commander, as he takes his place in front of his company.

What's the corrrect command? This is a movement we do quite often and I want to get it right. (Battalion Drill is this weekend.)

Thanks,

First, this is where you'll find it : http://draytons.tripod.com/hardeesob.html#117.

Second, here are the commands :

119. To ploy the battalion into close column by division in rear of the first, the colonel will command:

1. Close column, by division. 2. On the first division, right in front. 3. Battalion, right - FACE. 4. MARCH (or double quick - MARCH).

Now, let's walk through the commands as they occur.

The colonel will command : 1. Close column, by division.

This is a prepatory from the colonel to the captains about what he wants accomplished.

The colonel will command : 2. On the first division, right in front.

120. At the second command, all the chiefs of division will place themselves before the centres of their divisions; the chief of the first will caution it to stand fast ;

The idea here is that the four or five divisions - meaning two companies per division - will all be piling behind the first division. Since the other divisions will be forming behind the first division, there's no reason for it to move. So that the men in the first division know what to do, the colonel will pause and give the senior captain of the first division an opportunity to translate into English what the colonel expects them to do. In this case, not a darned thing.

Resuming paragraph 120 :

the chiefs of the three others will remind them that they will have to face to the right, and the covering sergeant of the right company of each division will replace his captain in the front rank, as soon as the latter steps out.

During that same pause when the senior captain has an opportunity to inform his men what is expected of them, the other senior captains will inform the men of their divisions that they will be facing to the right when the colonel so orders.

There is no particular command, term or prepatory here. I am loathe to state any particular phrase for fear of creating a new reenactorism. The captains need to only convey what is coming next in a minimum of words what is coming.

Resuming the commands :

The colonel will command : 3. Battalion, right - FACE.

121. At the third command, the last three divisions will face to the right ;

So, the captain has been given an opportunity during the colonel's pause to tell the men what to do when the colonel gives the order. Once the colonel orders, the men comply with his order, not the order of the captains because the captains have not ordered anything.

the chief of each division will hasten to its right, and cause files to be broken to the rear, as indicated, No. 89; the right guide will break at the same time, and place himself before the front rank man of the first file, to conduct him, and each chief of division will place himself by the side of this guide.

122. The moment these divisions face to the right, the junior captain in each will place himself on the left of the covering sergeant of the left company, who will place himself in the front rank. This rule is general for all the deployments by division.

123. At the command, march, the chief of the first division will add, guide left; at this, its left guide will place himself on its left, as soon as the movement of the second division may permit, and the file closers will advance one pace upon the rear rank.

124. All the other divisions, each conducted by its chief, will step off together, to take their places in the column; the second will gain, in wheeling by file to the rear, the space of six paces, which ought to separate its guide from the guide of the first division, and so direct its march as to enter the column on a line parallel to this division; the third and fourth divisions will direct themselves diagonally towards, but a little in rear of, the points at which they ought, respectively, to enter the column; at six paces from the left flank of the column, the head of each of these divisions will incline a little to the left, in order to enter the column as has just been prescribed for the second, taking care also to leave the distance of six paces between its guide and the guide of the preceding division. At the moment the divisions put themselves in march to enter the column, the file closers of each will incline to the left, so as to bring themselves to the distance of a pace from the rear rank.

125. Each chief of these three divisions will conduct his division till he shall be up with the guide of the directing one; the chief will then himself halt, see his division file past, and halt it the instant the last file shall have passed, commanding:

1. Such division; 2. HALT; 3. FRONT. 4. Left - DRESS.

126. At the second command, the division will halt; the left guide will place himself promptly on the direction, six paces from the guide which precedes him, in order that, the column being formed, the divisions may be separated the distance of four paces.

127. At the third command, the division will face to the front; at the fourth, it will be aligned by its chief, who will place himself two paces outside of his guide, and direct the alignment so that his division may be parallel to that which precedes-which being done, he will command,

FRONT,

and place himself before the centre of his division.

128. If any division, after the command, FRONT, be not at its proper distance, and this can only happen through the negligence of its chief, such division will remain in its place, in order that the fault may not be propagated.

129. The colonel will superintend the execution of the movement, and cause the prescribed principles to be observed. .

Clear as mud, right? This manoeuver is included in my old AoT manual which can be downloaded and printed for free at : http://www.zipcon.net/~silas/Drill/mcdbooklet.htm

[TheQM]

Thanks Silas,

This is what I wanted to know:

"During that same pause when the senior captain has an opportunity to inform his men what is expected of them, the other senior captains will inform the men of their divisions that they will be facing to the right when the colonel so orders."

In our case, I will be replacing the word "Company" for "Division" in my command. On a good day, we'll have four good sized companies in the Battalion. In this case, I was going to have the First Sergeant take the position of right guide, six paces behind the stationary Company, when the Company Commander takes his position in the center of his Company. Does that make sense?

[Silas]

In our case, I will be replacing the word "Company" for "Division" in my command.

No big deal as this is contemplated in the school of the company at the beginning of the section about platoon movements. Division drill is under appreciated.

In this case, I was going to have the First Sergeant take the position of right guide, six paces behind the stationary Company, when the Company Commander takes his position in the center of his Company. Does that make sense?

No. Are you talking about before the facing to the right or after the company has halted and fronted?

[TheQM]

"No. Are you talking about before the facing to the right or after the company has halted and fronted?"

Silas,

I'm thinking the company needs a guide to align on when they move behind the stationary 1st. company. Since the Company Commander has moved to the center of the company, that seems like a good time for the First Sergeant to head over six paces behind the 1st. company, so when the Company does its right face, the first two ranks breaking to the rear, everybody knows where to head, when I say the magic word MARCH.

As the companies come on line, each First Sergeant would act as a guide for their company. Does that make sense?

[Silas]

I'm thinking the company needs a guide to align on when they move behind the stationary 1st. company. Since the Company Commander has moved to the center of the company, that seems like a good time for the First Sergeant to head over six paces behind the 1st. company, so when the Company does its right face, the first two ranks breaking to the rear, everybody knows where to head, when I say the magic word MARCH.

As the companies come on line, each First Sergeant would act as a guide for their company. Does that make sense?

The captains go to the center of the company as a visual signal signal to those on the left that something is about to occur and so they can hear the captain better. I'm not so sure the captain has to move to the center if we're talking about a reenactor company instead of an actual division. Companies are half the size of divisions, and reenactor companies can be even smaller than period companies.

As for letting your first sergeant go six paces behind the first company, I wouldn't do it. His place is within the company, not severed from it. Don't think of it as moving to the rear momentarily and then to the left. Think of it as moving to the rear as in, by the right of companies to the rear. You need the first sergeant on the outside of that first file with his captain by his side. Instead of going well to the rear, the companies will only be going a short distance to the rear. Besides, para. 121 states this is how it's done. That settles it for me.

As I read your remark, I'm seeing the captain standing at the center of the company and the first sergeant runn' oft. Who is going to guide the company to the location where the column is being formed? The second company has only a short distance to travel, but the third and fourth companies have a long way to go.

I'm not too worried about the chicks getting lost once the captain stops on the left of where the battalion is forming. They can go a little beyond or behind the six paces - like a pace or so - without goofing things up too much. The reason is that they are going to halt and front. The left guide of each company will form on a spot designated by the captain. Then the company will dress upon that mark.

The general rule for alignments is that the soldiers dress from behind the designated line by moving forward and to the right or left. Reenactors generally halt on the line. When fronting, it's easy to move a little forward of the line. Then they have to back up. That section in the school of the soldier about alignments is very under appreciated and often not even noticed.

There's an illustration of this manouever with the commands in my booklet at page 62. Forming on the center is at page 61.

I need to go. I'm sure this discussion will continue.

[TheQM]

I need to go. I'm sure this discussion will continue.

Silas,

Thanks. You answered my questions. We practiced this movement quite a bit last year, but were taking some short cuts to speed up the process. I know, shame on me! As an example, I was having the 1st Company take two steps forward to clear the flank of the 2nd Company.

Thanks again,

[lincolnsguard]

Form column of companies(Battalions) on the right company(battalion): at half distance: right wheel: march(Guide is left)

How's that?

[Silas]

There are many ways to skin the cat. Your suggestion is similar to the reverse of Forward Into Line. There is some merit to it if the battalion is moving forward and the colonel wants the companies to form column behind the first company.

The manual of manuals for manoeuvers done by the flank is the one slapped together by Gen. Morris when he was recouperating in hospital after riding an elephant too closely to Gen. Sedgwick at Spotsylvania. It's on my links page.