108. When the colonel shall wish to cause the battalion to break to the rear, by the right, into column by company, he will command:
1. By the right of companies to the rear into column. 2. Battalion right—FACE. 3. MARCH (or double quick—MARCH).
109. At the first command, each captain will place himself before the centre of his company, and caution it to face to the right; the covering sergeants will step into the front rank.
0-110. At the same command, each chief of platoon of the companies of skirmishers, will place himself before the centre of his platoon, and caution it to face to the right.
111. At the second command, the battalion will face to the right; each captain will hasten to the right of his company, and break two files to the rear; the first file will break the whole depth of the two ranks; the second file less; which being executed, the captain will place himself so that his breast may touch lightly the left arm of the front rank man of the last file in the company next on the right of his own. The captain of the right company will place himself as if there were a company on his right, and will align himself on the other captains. The covering sergeant of each company will break to the rear with the right files, and place himself before the front rank of the first file, to conduct him. The guides, who in similar movements place themselves in front of the leading front-rank men to conduct them, will face toward those points on which it is intended the subdivision shall march. This rule is general.
112. At the command march, the first file of each company will wheel to the right; the covering sergeant, placed before this file, will conduct it perpendicularly to the rear. The other files will come successively to wheel on the same spot. The captains will stand fast, see their companies file past, and at the instant the last file shall have wheeled, each captain will command:
1. Such company. 2. HALT. 3. FRONT. 4. Left—DRESS.
113. At the instant the company faces to the front, its left guide will place himself so that his left arm may touch lightly the breast of his captain.
114. At the fourth command, the company will align itself on its left guide, the captain so directing it that the new alignment may be perpendicular to that which the company had occupied in line of battle, and the better to judge this, he will step back two paces from the flank.
115. The company being aligned, the captain will command: FRONT, and take his place before its centre.
0-116. At the second command, the companies of skirmishers will face to the right, each chief of platoon will hasten to the right of his platoon, break three files to the rear, as indicated No. 111, and place himself by the side of his guide, to conduct him, the guide of each second platoon will place himself in front of the leading front-rank man of his platoon.
0-117. At the command march, each platoon will be conducted perpendicularly to the rear by its chief, who having marched a distance equal to the front of his platoon, will halt in his own person, let his platoon file past him, and when the left file shall have passed, the platoon will be halted, faced to the front, and dressed, as prescribed No. 84: the guides will move rapidly to the left of the platoons at the command halt, by their chiefs.
118. The battalion marching in line of battle, when the colonel shall wish to break into column by company, to the rear, by the right, he will command:
1. By the right of companies to the rear into column. 2. Battalion, by the right flank. 3. MARCH (or double quick—MARCH).
119. At the first command, each captain will step briskly in front of the centre of his company, and caution it to face by the right flank.
0-120. At the same command, each chief of platoon of the companies of skirmishers, will step in front of the centre of his platoon, and caution it to face by the right flank.
121. At the command march, the battalion will face to the right; each captain will move rapidly to the right of his company and cause it to break to the right; the first file of each company will wheel to the right, and the covering sergeant placed in front of this file will conduct it perpendicularly to the rear; the other files will wheel successively at the same place as the first. The captains will see their companies file past them; when the last files have wheeled, the colonel will command:
4. Battalion, by the left flank—MARCH. 5. Guide left.
0-122. At the third command by the colonel, the chief of each platoon of the companies of skirmishers, will cause the right of his platoon to break as indicated No. 116, and be conducted to the rear as prescribed No. 117.
123. At the fourth command by the colonel, the battalion companies will face to the left, and march in column in the new direction. The captains will place themselves in front of the centres of their respective companies. At the fifth command, the guides will conform to the principles of the march in column; the leading one will move in the direction indicated to him by the lieutenant-colonel. The men will take the touch of elbows to the left.
0-124. At the fourth command, the platoons of the companies of skirmishers will face by the left flank, and at the fifth, will take their guide to the left flank.
125. To break to the rear by the left, the colonel will give the same commands as in the case of breaking to the rear by the right, substituting the indication left, for that of right.
126. The movement will be executed according to the same principles. Each captain will hasten to the left of his company, cause the first two files to break to the rear, and then place his breast against the right file of the company next on the left of his own, in the manner prescribed above.
127. As soon as the two files break to the rear, the left guide of each company will place himself before the front rank man of the headmost file, to conduct him.
128. The instant the companies face to the front, the right guide of each will place himself so that his right arm may lightly touch the breast of his captain.
0-129. The companies of skirmishers will break to the rear by the left, according to the principles prescribed Nos. 110, 116, and 117. In this case, the second platoon of each company will be assigned on the first and last battalion companies respectively.
130. The battalion may be broken by division to the rear, by the right or left, in like manner; in this case, the indication divisions will be substituted, in the first command, for that of companies; the chiefs of division will conform themselves to what is prescribed for the chiefs of company. The junior captain in each division will place himself, when the division faces to a flank, by the side of the covering sergeant of the left company, who steps into the front rank.
0-131. When the battalion breaks to the rear by division, the chiefs of platoon of the companies of skirmishers will lead off their platoons a distance equal to once and a half a company front, before halting in their own person, to let them file past as indicated No. 117.
132. If there be an odd number of companies, and the battalion breaks by division to the rear, whether by the right or left, the captain of the left company will conform to what is prescribed No. 89.
0-133. In the case above indicated, the platoons of the companies of skirmishers will be concluded, so as to conform to the principles prescribed in No. 91.
134. This manner of breaking into column, being at once the most prompt and regular, will be preferred on actual service, unless there be some particular reason for breaking to the front.
135. If the battalion be in line and at a halt, and the colonel should wish to advance or retire by the right of companies, he will command:
1. By the right of companies to the front (or rear). 2. Battalion, right—FACE. 3. MARCH (or double quick—MARCH). 4. Guide right (left) or (centre).
136. At the first command, each captain will move rapidly two paces in front of the centre of his company, and caution it to face to the right; the covering sergeants will replace the captains in the front rank.
0-137. At the same command, each chief of platoon of the companies of skirmishers, will move rapidly in front of the centre of his platoon, and caution it to face to the right.
138. At the second command, the battalion will face to the right, and each captain moving quickly to the right of his company will cause files to break to the front, according to the principles indicated No. 111.
0-139. At the same command, the companies of skirmishers will face to the right, and each chief of platoon moving quickly to its right, will cause files to break to the front, and will place himself according to the principles indicated No. 116.
140. At the command march, each captain placing himself on the left of his leading guide will conduct his company perpendicularly to the original line. At the fourth command, the guide of each company will dress to the right, left, or centre, according to the indication given, taking care to preserve accurately his distance.
0-141. At the command march, each chief of platoon of the companies of skirmishers, will halt in his own person, and let his platoon file past him, and when the left file has arrived abreast with him each captain will command: 1. Mark time. 2. MARCH. At the second command, given to instant the left files are abreast with their chiefs, the platoons will mark time, each captain will then command: 1. Forward. 2. MARCH. At the first command, each chief of platoon will place himself by the side of his guide, at the command march, given at the instant the battalion companies have prolonged themselves their entire length in the new direction, the platoons will step off, the first platoon of the companies, on the prolongation of the first and last battalion companies respectively.
0-142. When the battalion retires by the right of companies, the first and last battalion companies will march on the prolongation of the first platoons of the companies of skirmishers, respectively. The lieutenant-colonel will see that the guide of the platoon on the directing flank marches in the proper direction. Should the colonel command: guide centre, the right general guide will immediately place himself on a line with the platoon guides, and abreast with the guide of the right centre company. He will be assured in this position by the lieutenant-colonel, and the platoon guides of the companies of skirmishers will align themselves upon him, preserving their proper distances; the guide of the right centre company will march in the trace of this guide, preserving from him a distance of about thirty-three paces.
143. If the colonel should wish to move to the front, or rear, by the left of companies, the movement will be executed by the same means and the same commands, substituting left for right.
0-144. The companies of skirmishers will move to the front or rear by the left of platoons on the same principles as by the right. In this case, each second platoon will march on the prolongation of the first and last battalion companies respectively and conversely.
145. If the battalion be in march, and the colonel should wish to advance or retire by the right of companies, he will command:
1. By the right of companies to the front (or rear). 2. Battalion, by the right flank. 3. MARCH (or double quick—MARCH). 4. Guide right (left) or (centre).
146. Which will be executed according to the principles and means prescribed Nos. 119 and following, and 136 and following. At the first command, the color and general guides will take their places as in column.
0-147. When advancing or retiring by the right of companies, the platoons of the companies of skirmishers will execute the movement according to the means and principles prescribed Nos. 120, 122, 139, 141, and 142.
148. If the colonel should wish to advance or retire by the left of companies, the movement will be executed by the same means and the same commands, substituting left for right.
0-149. The companies of skirmishers will advance or retire by the left of platoons, on the same principles as by the right, observing what is required No. 144.
150. If the battalion be advancing by the right or left of companies, and the colonel should wish to form line to the front, he will command:
1. By companies into line. 2. MARCH (or double quick—MARCH). 3. Guide centre.
151. At the command march, briskly repeated by the captains, each company will be formed into line, as prescribed in the S. C., No. 155.
152. At the third command, the color and general guides will move rapidly to their places in line, as will be hereinafter prescribed No. 480.
0-153. The platoons of the companies of skirmishers will come into line at the same time with the battalion companies in the manner prescribed in the S. C., Nos. 163 and 165.
154. If the battalion be retiring by the right or left of companies, and the colonel should wish to form line facing the enemy, he will first cause the companies to face about while marching, and immediately form in line by the commands and means prescribed No. 150, and by the means indicated in the S. C., No. 159. If the colonel dies not wish the battalion to advance after facing about, he will command: right about—HALT, which will be executed according to the principles prescribed in the S. C., Nos. 132–133.
0-155. In the movement above indicated, the companies of skirmishers will face about, and come into line, at the same time with the battalion companies.
REMARKS ON THE DEPLOYMENT OF SKIRMISHERS, IN RETIRING BY THE RIGHT OR LEFT OF COMPANIES.
0-156. If, in retiring by the flanks of companies, it is not intended to open the fire of the line on the enemy, the companies of skirmishers, or a portion of them, will generally be deployed between the enemy and the line, for the purpose of covering the retreat. [Editor’s Note: See Changes.]