18. The ranks being open, the instructor will, in the first exercises, align the ranks, man by man, the better to inculcate the principles.
19. To effect this, he will cause two or four men on the right or left of each rank to march two or three paces forward, and, after having aligned them, command:
By file, right (or left)—DRESS.
20. At this, the men of each rank will move up successively on the alignment, each man being preceded by his neighbor in the same rank, toward the basis, by two paces, and, having correctly aligned himself, will cast his eyes to the front.
21. Successive alignments having habituated the soldiers to dress correctly, the instructor will cause the ranks to align themselves at once, forward and backward, sometimes in a direction parallel, and sometimes in one oblique, to the original direction, giving, in each case, two or four men to serve as a basis of alignment to each rank. To effect which, he will command:
1. Right (or left)—DRESS. 2. FRONT.
OR
1. Right (or left) backward—DRESS. 2. FRONT.
22. In oblique alignments, in opened ranks, the men of the rear-rank will not seek to cover their file leaders, as the sole object of the exercise is to teach them to align themselves correctly in their respective ranks, in the different directions.
23. In the several alignments, the captain will superintend the front-rank, and the covering sergeant the rear-rank. For this purpose, they will place themselves on the side by which the ranks are dressed.
24. In oblique alignments, the men will conform the line of their shoulders to the new direction of their rank, and will place themselves on the alignment as has been prescribed in the S. S., No. 326 or No. 330, according as the new direction shall be in front or rear of the original one.
25. At the end of each alignment, the captain and the covering sergeant will pass along the front of the ranks to correct the positions of persons and arms.