273. The column being in march in the cadenced step, when the colonel shall wish to cause it to change direction, he will go to the point at which the change ought to be commenced and establish a marker there, presenting the breast to the flank of the column; this marker, no matter to which side the change of direction is to be made, will be posted on the opposite side, and he will remain in position till the last subdivision of the battalion shall have passed. The leading subdivision being within a few paces of the marker, the colonel will command:
Head of column to the left (or right).
274. At this, the chief of the leading subdivision will immediately take the guide on the side opposite the change of direction, if not already there. This guide will direct himself so as to graze the breast of the marker; arrived at this point, the chief will cause his subdivision to change direction by the commands and according to the principles prescribed in the school of the company. When the wheel is completed, the chief of this subdivision will retake the guide, if changed, on the side of the primitive direction.
275. The chief of each succeeding subdivision, as well as the guides, will conform to what has just been explained for the leading subdivision.
276. The colonel will carefully see that the guide of each subdivision, in wheeling, does not throw himself without or within, but passes over all the points of the arc of the circle, which he ought to describe.
277. As often as no distinct object presents itself in the new direction, the lieutenant-colonel will place himself upon it in advance, at the distance of thirty or forty paces from the marker, and be assured in this direction by the colonel; the leading guide will take, the moment he shall have changed direction, two points on the ground in the straight line which, drawn from himself, would pass between the heels of the lieutenant-colonel, taking afterward new points as he advances.
278. The senior major will see that the guides direct themselves on the marker posted at the point of change, so as to graze his breast.
279. At the command head of column to the right, by the colonel, the chief of the first platoon column will command: 1. By the right flank. 2. By file right. At this, the chiefs and guides wilt take their places on the right of their respective platoons.
0-280. At the command march, by the captain of the first battalion company, the platoons, conducted by their chiefs, will commence the movement; the chief of the second platoon will stand fast and let his platoon file past, and when the left file has arrived abreast with him he will command: 1. Mark time. 2. MARCH, and face his platoon to the front. The platoon guide will immediately take his place on its left. The first platoon will move diagonally to the rear, and file into column parallel to the second; when the chief has arrived abreast with the left of the second he will halt in his own person, let his platoon file past, and it will then execute what has been prescribed for the second platoon.
0-281. When the first battalion company shall have arrived abreast with the first platoon, the platoon column will be put in march by its chief, taking the guide to the left, and regaining the distance of thirty-three paces from the right flank of the battalion column.
0-282. When the second platoon column shall have arrived at a distance of thirty-three paces from the right flank of the column in its new direction, it will change direction to the right by command of its chief, and its first platoon will march abreast with the last battalion company, when that company takes the new direction.
0-283. If the change of direction is to the left, the first platoon column will take the guide to the right, and increase the gait by command of its chief, it will change direction at the same time with the first battalion company, taking care to maintain its relative position and distance. It will resume the step of the battalion when its direction is changed.
0-284. When the last battalion company changes direction the second platoon column will conform to what has just been prescribed for the first. If the column be composed of several battalions, the lieutenant-colonel of the second, will cause the marker of the first battalion, to be replaced as soon as the last subdivision of this battalion shall have passed; this disposition will be observed by battalion after battalion, to the rear of the column.
REMARKS.
285. It has been demonstrated, school of the company, how important it is, first, that each subdivision execute its change of direction precisely at the point where the leading one had changed, and that it arrive in a square with the direction; second, that the wheeling point ought always to be cleared in time, in order that the subdivision engaged in the wheel may not arrest the movement of the following one. The deeper the column, the more rigorously ought these principles to be observed; because, a fault that would be but slight in a column of a single battalion, would cause much embarrassment in one of great depth.