37. The colonel will next cause to be executed loading at will, by the commands prescribed in the S. C., No. 45; the officers and sergeants in the ranks will half face to the right with the men at the eighth time of loading, and will face to the front when the men next to them come to a shoulder.
38. The colonel will cause to be executed the fire by company, the fire by wing, the fire by battalion, the fire by file, and the fire by rank, by the commands to be herein indicated.
39. The fire by company and the fire by file will always be direct; the fire by battalion, the fire by wing, and the fire by rank, may be either direct or oblique.
40. When the fire ought to be oblique, the colonel will give, at every round, the caution right (or left) oblique, between the commands ready and aim.
41. The fire by company will be executed alternately by the right and left companies of each division, as if the division were alone. The right company will fire first; the captain of the left will not give his first command till he shall see one or two pieces at a ready in the right company; the captain of the latter, after the first discharge, will observe the same rule in respect to the left company; and the fire will thus be continued alternately.
42. The colonel will observe the same rule in the firing by wing.
43. The fire by file will commence in all the companies at once, and will be executed as has been prescribed in the S. C., No. 55 and following. The fire by rank will be executed by each rank alternately, as has been prescribed in the S. C., No. 58 and following.
44. The color-guard will not fire, but reserve itself for the defense of the color.
THE FIRE BY COMPANY.
45. The colonel, wishing the fire by company to be executed, will command:
1. Fire by company. 2. Commence firing.
46. At the first command, the captains and covering sergeants will take the positions indicated in the S. C., No. 49.
47. The color and its guard will step back at the same time, so as to bring the front rank of the guard in a line with the rear rank of the battalion. This rule is general for all the different firings.
48. At the second command, the odd numbered companies will commence to fire; their captains will each give the commands prescribed in the S. C., No. 50, observing to precede the command company by that of first, third, fifth, or seventh, according to the number of each.
49. The captains of the even numbered companies will give, in their turn, the same commands, observing to precede them by the number of their respective companies.
50. In order that the odd numbered companies may not all fire at once, their captains will observe, but only for the first discharge, to give the command fire one after another: thus, the captain of the third company will not give the command fire until he has heard the fire of the first company; the captain of the fifth will observe the same rule with respect to the third, and the captain of the seventh the same rule with respect to the fifth.
51. The colonel will cause the fire to cease by the sound to cease firing; at this sound, the men will execute what is prescribed in the S. C., No. 63; at the sound for officers to take their places after firing, the captains, covering sergeants, and color-guard, will promptly resume their places in line of battle: this rule is general for all the firings.
THE FIRE BY WING.
52. When the colonel shall wish this fire to be executed, he will command:
1. Fire by wing. 2. Right wing. 3. READY. 4. AIM. 5. FIRE. 6. LOAD.
53. The colonel will cause the wings to fire alternately, and he will recommence the fire by the commands, 1. Right wing; 2. AIM; 3. FIRE; 4. LOAD. 1. Left wing; 2. AIM; 3. FIRE; 4. LOAD; in conforming to what is prescribed No. 42.
THE FIRE BY BATTALION.
54. The colonel will cause this fire to be executed by the commands last prescribed, substituting for the first two, 1. Fire by battalion; 2. Battalion.
THE FIRE BY FILE.
55. To cause this to be executed, the colonel will command:
1. Fire by file. 2. Battalion. 3. READY. 4. Commence firing.
56. At the fourth command, the fire will commence on the right of each company, as prescribed in the S. C., No. 57. The colonel may, if he thinks proper, cause the fire to commence on the right of each platoon.
THE FIRE BY RANK.
57. To cause this fire to be executed, the colonel will command:
1. Fire by rank. 2. Battalion. 3. READY. 4. Rear rank. 5. AIM. 6. FIRE. 7. LOAD.
58. This fire will be executed as has been explained in the S. C., No. 59, in following the progression prescribed for the two ranks which should fire alternately.
TO FIRE BY THE REAR RANK.
59. When the colonel shall wish the battalion to fire to the rear, he will command:
1. Face by the rear rank. 2. Battalion. 3. About—FACE.
60. At the first command, the captains, covering sergeants, and file closers will execute what has been prescribed in the S. C., No. 69; the color-bearer will pass into the rear rank, and, for this purpose, the corporal of his file will step before the corporal next on his right to let the color-bearer pass, and will then take his place in the front rank; the lieutenant colonel, adjutant, major, sergeant major, and the music will place themselves before the front rank, and face to the rear, each opposite his place in the line of battle – the first two passing around the right, and the others around the left, of the battalion.
0-61. At the same command, the first company of skirmishers will face to the right, and the second to the left; they will be marched by their captains around the right and left flanks of the battalion respectively, and faced to the rear opposite their places in line of battle, the right of each company toward the proper left of the battalion.
62. At the third command, the battalion will face about; the captains and covering sergeants observing what is prescribed in the S. C., No. 70.
63. The battalion facing thus by the rear rank, the colonel will cause it to execute the different fires by the same commands as if it were faced by the front rank.
64. The right and left wings will retain the same designations, although faced about; the companies also will preserve their former designations, as first, second, third, &c.
65. The fire by file will commence on the left of each company, now become the right.
66. The fire by rank will commence by the front rank, now become the rear rank. This rank will preserve its denomination.
67. The captains, covering sergeants, and color-guard will, at the first command given by the colonel, take the places prescribed for them in the fires, with the front rank leading.
68. The colonel, after firing to the rear, wishing to face the battalion to its proper front, will command:
1. Face by the front rank. 2. Battalion. 3. About—FACE.
69. At these commands, the battalion will return to its proper front by the means prescribed Nos. 60, 61, and 62.
70. The fire by file being that most used in war, the colonel will give it the preference in the preparatory exercises, in order that the battalion may be brought to execute it with the greatest possible regularity.
0-71. The companies of skirmishers will not fire when the line fires, except behind a breastwork, or other defensive mask, when they may be brought into line for that purpose.
72. When the colonel may wish to give some relaxation to the battalion, without breaking the ranks, he will execute what has been prescribed in the S. C., Nos. 37 and 38 or Nos. 39 and 40.
73. When the colonel shall wish to cause arms to be stacked, he will bring the battalion to ordered arms, and then command:
1. Stack—ARMS. 2. Break ranks. 3. MARCH.
74. The colonel wishing the men to return to the ranks, will cause attention to be sounded, at which the battalion will reform behind the stacks of arms. The sound being finished, the colonel, after causing the stacks to be broken, will command:
Battalion.
75. At this command, the men will fix their attention, and remain immovable.
0-76. The companies of skirmishers will perform the movements indicated Nos. 72, 73, and 74, at the command of the colonel, and at the same time with the battalion companies.