PART II. OF THE COMPANY.

The Recruit, being thoroughly grounded in all the preceding parts of the drill, is now to be instructed in the movements of the company, as a more immediate preparation for his joining the battalion: for this purpose from 10 to 20 files are to be assembled, formed, and told off, in the following manner, as a company in the battalion.

The company FALLS IN at close order, with shouldered arms the files lightly touching, but without crowding; each. man will then occupy a space of about 21 inches. The commander of the company takes post on the right of the front rank, covered by a serjeant in the rear rank. The other serjeants will form a third or supernumerary rank, three paces from the rear rank.

When a company is thus singly formed with its officers, the captain is on the right, and the other officers in the rear, as also the drummer or pioneer in a third rank, at three paces distance. In this formation companies are to assemble on their private parades, being sized from flanks to centre.

The company will be told off in sub-divisions, and four sections. If four officers are present, the captain, when the company is in column of sections, takes the leading section, the next in seniority the third section, the third in rank the fourth section and the junior officer the second. The covering serjeant will cover the second file from the pivot of the leading section. When there are but three officers, the covering serjeant will take the second section from the head of the column. The company will also be told off by threes from the right, numbered 1, 2, 3.

Should there be a blank file in telling off the company in line, it will invariably be the fourth file from the left.

When thus formed, the company will be practised in:-

• Opening and Closing of Ranks (Sec., 27 and 28, Part I)
• Dressing to the front / to the rear / in an oblique direction, by the right and left;
• and be exercised in the several motions of the firelock.

Close order is the chief and primary order in which the battalion and. its parts at all times assemble and form. Open order is only regarded as an exception from it, and occasionally used in situations of parade and show. In close order, the rear rank is closed up to within one pace, the length of which is to be taken from the. heels of one rank to, the heels of the other rank. In open order, they are two paces distant. from each other; when for inspection, three paces.

In order to distinguish the words of command given by the instructor of the drill (who represents the commander of the battalion) from those given by the commander of the company, or its divisions, the commands of the former are in CAPITAL letters, those of the latter in Italic.

2. As the MARCH of every body, except in the case of inclining, is made on lines perpendicular to its front, each individual composing that body must remain perfectly square to the given line; otherwise he will naturally and insensibly move in a direction perpendicular to his own person, and thereby open out or close in, according to the manner in which he is turned from the true point of his march. If the distortion of a single man operates in this manner, and all turnings of the head do so distort him, it may be easily imagined what that of several will occasion, each of whom is marching on a different front, and whose lines of direction are crossing each other.

The company, during its march in line, will occasionally be ordered to:-

The side or closing step must also be frequently practised; it is very necessary and useful on many occasions, when halted, and when a very small distance is to be moved to either flank.

In all these formations two deep is re-formed from each of them by the word Front, upon which the files move up to their respective intervals into line, the rear rank immediately Closing on the front rank: the word Halt will precede the word Front if the company has been in movement.

In moving to a flank, file marching may be adopted, if necessary, by the files leading out in their proper order upon the word FORM TWO DEEP; and at the word RE-FORM FOUR DEEP resuming their former places.

The company will also be taught to advance in double files from the centre, receiving from the instructor of the drill the command by SUB-DIVISIONS INWARDS FACE; upon which the two centre files disengage by the side step, bringing the shoulders forward at the word QUICK MARCH, and lead straight to the front, the front and rear-rank men in line.

The officer and his covering serjeant will lead, in their relative situations as above prescribed, the left or right centre file of the pivot sub-division.

On the command FRONT FORM COMPANY, the leading files mark time and close in, their rear-rank men falling to the rear; the remainder turn their bodies a whole face outwards, and wheel inwards, looking to the outward flank, and feeling to the centre.

As soon as the quarter circle is completed, the word Forward is given, if the march is to be continued.

If the company from double files is to be formed to a flank (suppose the right), the instructor gives the caution TO THE RIGHT, FORM COMPANY, when the commander of the company will give the command Right Sub-division, Halt, Front. The remainder of the company march on in file, and form on the left of the halted sub-division in succession, halting as they come into line.

When the advance in double files from the centre is made on the march the command is Sub-divisions inwards turn, Right and Left Wheel, and the movement proceeds as above directed.

2. The company marching to the front may be wheeled into open column of sub-divisions on the movable pivot to either flank without halting; the instructor giving the word FORWARD when the sub-divisions have wheeled square into column.

The proper pivot flank in column is that which, when wheeled up to, preserves the divisions of the line in the natural order and to their proper front; the other is the reverse flank.

In column, divisions cover and dress to the proper pivot flank to the left when the right is in front, and to the right when. the left is in front.

2. The company may be wheeled into line on the march on the movable pivot, receiving from the instructor the command SHOULDERS FORWARD, then FORWARD, or HALT, DRESS, When the wheel is complete.

In all wheels of the division of a column that are to be made on a halted pivot in order to form line, the flank men of the front rank on the hand wheeled to is such pivot.

All wheelings by sub-divisions, or sections, from line into column, or from column into line, are performed on the word given by the commander of a battalion, when the whole of a battalion is at the same instant so to wheel; or on the word given by the commander of the company, when companies singly or successively, so wheel; they are not to be repeated by the leaders of its divisions.

When the company is in open column of sub-divisions, it must be occasionally practised to wheel into line upon the reverse flank of the column; and in showing a front line also to that reverse flank by wheeling backwards on the regular pivots. On the caution to wheel into line by companies, pivot men face and raise their right arms from the elbow horizontally. On the word Eyes front, the hand resumes its usual position.

1. If the proper pivot flank is to be the wheeling one, each commander of a division gives his word Shoulders forward as he successively arrives at such a distance from the point on which he has moved, as that, at the completion of the wheel, his division may receive the word Forward when perpendicular to the new line, but with the given point, of course, behind the proper pivot; and that he also in his own person be on the new direction, prepared to give his word Forward, and to proceed.

2. The sub-divisions must take care that they continue their march correctly upon the point where the leading one wheeled, and that they do not shift to either flank, which, without much attention, they are apt to do.

The company, when it is to countermarch, must always be considered as a division of a battalion in column; the instructor of the drill will therefore, previous to his giving the caution to countermarch, signify whether the right or left is supposed to be in front, that the commander of the company and his covering serjeant may be placed on the pivot flank before such caution is given, as it is an invariable rule in the countermarch of the divisions of a column by files, that the facings be made from the flank then the pivot one, to the one which is to become such.

All countermarches by files necessarily tend to an extension of the files; unity of step is therefore absolutely indispensable, and the greatest care must be taken that the wheel of each file be made close, quick, and at an increased length of step of the wheeling man, so as not to retard or lengthen out the march of the wbole.

Companies, or their divisions, when brought up in file to a new line, are not to stand in that position till the men cover each other minutely; but the instant the leading man is at his point, They will receive the word Halt, Front, and in that situation close in and dress correctly.

The company must be accustomed to wheel upon its centre half backward, half forward, and to be pliable into every shape which circumstances can require of it; but always in order, and by a decided command.

The words of Command are,

The instructor of the drill will have the diagonal march frequently practised, in company, and in sub-divisions: (vide Secs. 22 and 23, Part I.) He will see that the rear rank locks well up, and covers exactly; that the exact distances are preserved between the files; and that the pivots, or outward files, march in the direct line to which they have faced, the others conforming to them.

In increasing and diminishing the front of an open column halted, upon the usual caution, the rear-rank man of the pivot file of the reverse sub-division falls back and covers the third file of his sub-division, in order to leave room for the flank of the other sub-division, resuming his place as soon as the flanks are clear.

It is to be observed as a general rule in diminishing the front of a column by the doubling of sub-divisions or sections, whether the column be halted or in motion, that the sub-division or section on the reverse flank is the one behind which the other sub-divisions or sections double. Thus, when the right is in front, the doubling will be in the rear of the right sub-division; and vice versa when the left is in front. And in increasing the front of a column, the rear sub-divisions, or sections, oblique to the hand the pivot flank is on; so that, when the right is in front, the obliquing will be to the left, and the reverse when the left is in front.

The same directions that apply to increasing or diminishing by sub-divisions apply equally by sections.

If the column is moving in slow time, when its front is to be increased, the division moving up will do so in quick time; but when the column is marching in quick time, the rear sub-division will in that case move up in double time as directed.

In this movement, the files in the rear of the sub-divisions must lock well up, so as not to impede the march of the succeeding division. The covering serjeant will cover his officer until all the files are again brought up.

It is to be observed, that in passing a defile, the rule is that the file breaks off from the pivot flank; but interruption may in some cases present themselves requiring that files be broken off from the reverse flank. The same instructions apply in both cases.

The word Forward, or Halt, must be given just as the outward men of threes are completing their pace.

Should the telling off by threes leave either one or two files over, they will be placed on the right of the left section of threes, which is always to be complete. If there is one file over-on the word, THREES, SHOULDERS FORWARD, the front-rank man wheels up, and places himself in rear of the pivot flank of the section in front of him; his rear-rank man placing himself in the rear of its reverse flank, both men locking up; but if the odd file is a blank one, the reverse flank of the preceding section must necessarily remain uncovered. If there are two files over, they wheel as ordered, and form a section of themselves, covering the outward flanks of the section preceding them; but if one of these two files is a blank file, the three men will form a single rank, the two front-rank men covering the flanks of the preceding section, and the rear-rank man stepping up between them.

In forming threes from line to the right or to the left by the shoulders forward, the leading section must frequently be practised to wheel upon the centre man of the three, as they will often be required to do so, in disengaging to the rear when formed as a division of a line.

The company at any time may form, THREES to a flank, after the telling off has been deranged, if the men are practised to do so rapidly in succession. The first three is formed at once; the fourth man in the front rank then sees that he is the pivot for the next three, and turns or faces into the new direction; the seventh file then follows, and so on to the reverse flank of the company: when on the march, the company may mark time until. the threes are formed, when they receive the word FORWARD.

In changing the direction of a column of threes, the command will be the same as in file marching, right wheel - left wheel.

Should it be required to form company upon the leading three, the commander will order FRONT, FORM COMPANY, upon which the leading three will mark time, the remainder will. make a half turn to the proper hand, and moving up to their proper places in line will mark time, until the word FORWARD or HALT is given.

If from sections of threes it be required to form sub-divisions or sections, the commander will order RIGHT (or LEFT) TURN, RIGHT (or LEFT) WHEEL, and when in file, FRONT FORM SUB-DIVISIONS (or SECTIONS), upon which the leading file of sub-divisions (or sections) will mark time; the remainder turn their bodies a whole face to the proper hand, and wheel in sub-divisions or sections to the right or left as may be required. During these formations the company leader will move by the front to his proper station.

The company marching to a flank in threes will be practised to turn to the right and left, and to the right about, wheeling forward, afterwards, rear rank in front: the company may also be inverted by wheeling the threes forward on their reverse flank, as the inversion can at any moment be corrected.

The company marching in file (suppose from the right) has only to halt and front to be formed to the left flank.

In this manner, small dispersed parties, from eight to eighty men, may be formed to resist an attack of cavalry in an open country, where, from whatever cause, soldiers may have separated from the column of march.

When a company, or other small body in close files, requires to form to resist cavalry, it may be wheeled forward into column of sections, and closed to the front. When halted, the two rear sections face to the right about, and the two outward files of the second and third sections face to their right and left, so as to present a front in all directions. The men on the angles also face to their right and left.

END OF PART II