157. This movement may be executed by company or by division, on the right or left subdivision, or on any other subdivision, right or left in front.
158. The examples in this school will suppose the presence of four divisions, with directions for an odd company; but what will be prescribed for four, will serve equally for two or three divisions. [Editor’s Note: See Changes.]
159. To ploy the battalion into close column by division in rear of the first, the colonel will command:
1. Close column by division. 2. On the first division, right in front. 3. Battalion, right—FACE. 4. MARCH (or double quick—MARCH).
160. At the second command, all the chiefs of division will place themselves before the centres of their divisions; the chief of the first will caution it to stand fast; the chiefs of the three others will remind them that they will have to face to the right, and the covering sergeant of the right company of each division will replace his captain in the front rank, as soon as the latter steps out.
0-161. 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 that it will have to face to the right.
162. At the third command, the last three divisions will face to the right; the chief of each division will hasten to its right, and cause files to be broken to the rear, as indicated No. 111; the right guide will break at the same time, and place himself before the front-rank man of the first file, to conduct him, and each chief of division will place himself by the side of this guide.
163. The moment these divisions face to the right, the junior captain in each will place himself on the left of the covering sergeant of the left company, who will place himself in the front rank. This rule is general for all the ployments by division.
0-164. At the third command, the companies of skirmishers will face to the right. Each chief of platoon will hasten to the right of his platoon; the chiefs of the second platoons will break off files, and the guides of those platoons will place themselves as prescribed No. 116.
165. At the command march, the chief of the first division will add, guide left; at this, its left guide will place himself on its left, as soon as the movement of the second division may permit, and the file closers will advance one pace upon the rear rank.
166. All the other divisions, each conducted by its chief, will step off together, to take their places in the column; the second will gain, in wheeling by file to the rear, the space of six paces, which ought to separate its guide from the guide of the first division, and so direct its march as to enter the column on a line parallel to this division; the third and fourth divisions will direct themselves diagonally toward, but a little in rear of, the points at which they ought, respectively, to enter the column; at six paces from the left flank of the column, the head of each of these divisions will incline a little to the left, in order to enter the column, as has just been prescribed for the second, taking care also to leave the distance of six paces between its guide and the guide of the preceding division. At the moment the divisions put themselves in march to enter the column, the file closers of each will incline to the left, so as to bring themselves to the distance of a pace from the rear rank.
167. Each chief of these three divisions will conduct his division till he shall be up with the guide of the directing one; the chief will then himself halt, see his division file past, and halt it the instant the last file shall have passed, commanding: 1. Such division; 2. HALT; 3. FRONT; 4. Left—DRESS.
168. At the second command, the division will halt; the left guide will place himself promptly on the direction, six paces from the guide which precedes him, in order that, the column being formed, the divisions may be separated the distance of four paces.
169. At the third command, the division will face to the front; at the fourth, it will be aligned by its chief, who will place himself two paces outside of his guide, and direct the alignment so that his division may be parallel to that which precedes – which being done, he will command, FRONT, and place himself before the centre of his division.
170. If any division, after the command front, be not at its proper distance, and this can only happen through the negligence of its chief, such division will remain in its place, in order that the fault may not be propagated.
0-171. At the command march by the colonel, each first platoon of the companies of skirmishers will stand fast, and each second platoon, conducted by its chief, will ploy in close order, in rear of its first; and, when its guide shall be nearly up with the guide of the first, each captain will command: 1. Column forward; 2. Guide left; 3. MARCH (or double quick—MARCH).
0-172. At this the first platoon column will direct itself diagonally to the front, and toward the points around which the platoons will have to file; its first platoon, conducted by its chief, will take the shortest line to a point on the prolongation of the first division, and at the distance from its right guide as prescribed No. 102; the second platoon will conform its movements to the first. When the chiefs of the platoons have arrived at the points above indicated, the chief, of each will halt in his own person, and let his platoon file past him; the first platoon on the prolongation of the first division, and when the left file shall have passed, each chief will command:
1. Such platoon—HALT. 2. Front. 3. Left—DRESS.
0-173. At the same time, the second platoon column will direct itself diagonally to the front, its first platoon conducted by its chief toward a point on the prolongation of the last division, as it will be when it has arrived in the column, and at the distance prescribed for the first platoon of the first platoon column; the chiefs of platoons will halt in their own persons, let their platoons file past them, halt, and dress them, as prescribed for the first platoon column.
174. The colonel will superintend the execution of the movements and cause the prescribed principles to be observed.
175. The lieutenant-colonel, placing himself in succession in rear of the left guides, will assure them on the direction as they arrive, and then move to his place outside of the left flank of the column, six paces from, and abreast with, the first division. In assuring the guides on the direction, he will be a mere observer, unless one or more should fail to cover exactly the guide or guides already established. This rule is general.
176. The senior major will follow the movement abreast with the left of the fourth division, and afterward take his position outside of the left flank of the column, six paces from, and abreast with, this division. The junior major will follow the movement, and afterward take post as indicated No. 94, observing what follows; he will take post abreast of the division next to the last.
177. To ploy the battalion in front of the first division, the colonel will give the same commands, substituting the indication left for that of right in front.
178. At the second and third commands, the chiefs of division and the junior captains will conform themselves to what is prescribed Nos. 160, 162, 163; but the chiefs of the last three divisions, instead of causing the first three files to break to the rear, will cause them to break to the front.
0-179. At the second command, each chief of platoon of the companies of skirmishers, will place himself as indicated No. 161; each chief of platoon of the first company will caution his platoon to face to the left, and each chief of platoon of the second company will caution his platoon to face to the right.
0-180. At the third command, the companies will face to the left and right respectively, and the chiefs and guides of platoons will execute what is prescribed No. 164.
181. At the fourth command, the chief of the first division will add: Guide right.
182. The three other divisions will step off together to take their places in the column in front of the directing division; each will direct itself as prescribed No. 166, and will enter in such manner that, when halted, its guide may find himself six paces from the guide of the division next previously established in the column.
183. Each chief of these divisions will conduct his division, till his right guide shall be nearly up with the guide of the directing one; he will then halt his division, and cause it to face to the front; at the instant it halts, its right guide will face to the rear, place himself six paces from the preceding guide, and cover him exactly – which being done, the chief will align his division by the right.
0-184. At the fourth command, the second platoon of the first, and the first platoon of the second company of skirmishers will stand fast; the first platoon of the first company of skirmishers will ploy in close order in the rear of its second, and the second platoon of the second company will ploy in front of its first platoon, and when the guides of the first and second platoons shall be nearly up with the guides of the second and first, respectively, the captain of the first company will command: 1. Company forward. 2. Guide right. 3. MARCH (or double quick—MARCH), and the captain of the second company will command: 1. Company forward. 2. Guide left. 3. MARCH (or double quick—MARCH).
0-185. At this, the platoon columns will direct themselves diagonally to the front, and toward the points around which the platoons will have to file, each second platoon, conducted by its chief, will take the shortest line to the point on the prolongation of the first and last division respectively, the platoon of the first column, at the distance prescribed No. 102, and the platoon of the second column at a distance of about thirty-three paces: the first platoons will conform to the movements of the second, and the platoons will execute what is prescribed No. 172–173. When halted and faced to the front the platoons will be dressed to the right.
186. The lieutenant-colonel, placed in front of the right guide of the first division, will assure the guides on the direction as they successively arrive, and then move outside of the right flank of the column, to a point six paces from, and abreast with, the fourth division, now in front.
187. The senior major will conform himself to what is prescribed No. 176, and then move outside of the right flank of the column, six paces from, and abreast with, the first division now in the rear. The junior major will conform to the movements of the column and then take post as indicated No. 176.
188. The movement being ended, the colonel will command:
Guides, about—FACE.
189. At this, the guides, who are faced to the rear, will face to the front.
190. To ploy the battalion in rear, or in front of the fourth division, the colonel will command:
1. Close column by division. 2. On the fourth division left (or right) in front. 3. Battalion left—FACE. 4. MARCH (or double quick—MARCH).
191. These movements will be executed according to the principles of those which precede, but by inverse means; the fourth division on which the battalion ploys will stand fast; the instant the movement commences, its chief will command, guide right (or left).
0-192. These movements will be executed by the companies of skirmishers, according to the principles which have been laid down, but by inverse means.
193. The foregoing examples embrace all the principles: thus, when the colonel shall wish to ploy the battalion on an interior division, he will command:
1. Close column by division. 2. On such division right (or left) in front. 3. Battalion inwards—FACE. 4. MARCH (or double quick—MARCH).
194. The instant the movement commences, the chief of the directing division will command: guide left (or right).
195. The divisions which, in the order in battle, are to the right of the directing division, will face to the left; those which are to the left will face to the right.
196. If the right is to be in front, the right divisions will ploy in front of the directing division, and the left in its rear; the reverse, if the left is to be in front. And in all the foregoing suppositions, the division or divisions contiguous to the directing one, in wheeling by file to the front or rear, will gain the space of six paces, which ought to separate their guides from the guide of the directing division.
0-197. In these movements the companies of skirmishers will be governed by the principles heretofore laid down.
198. In all the ployments on an interior division, the lieutenant-colonel will assure the positions of the guides in front, and the senior major those in rear of the directing division.
199. If the battalion be in march, instead of at a halt, the movement will be executed by combining the two gaits of quick and double quick time, and always in rear of one of the flank divisions.
200. The battalion being in march, to ploy it in rear of the first division, the colonel will command:
1. Close column by division. 2. On the first division. 3. Battalion—by the right flank. 4. MARCH (or double quick—MARCH).
201. At the second command, each chief of division will move rapidly before the centre of his division and caution it to face to the right.
202. The chief of the first division will caution it to continue to march to the front, and he will command: Quick time.
0-203. At the second 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 by the right flank, the chief of each first platoon, will command: Quick time.
204. At the command march, the first division will march in quick time, and its chief will command: Guide left. At this, the left guide will move to the left flank of the division and direct himself on the point indicated.
205. The three other divisions will face to the right and move off in double quick time, breaking to the right to take their places in column; each chief of division will move rapidly to the right of his division in order to conduct it. The files will be careful to preserve their distances, and to march with a uniform and decided step. The color-bearer and general guides will retake their places in the ranks.
206. The second division will immediately enter the column, marching parallel to the first division; its chief will allow it to file past him, and when the last file is abreast of him, will command: 1. Second division, by the left flank—MARCH. 2. Guide left, and place himself in front of the centre of his division.
207. At the command march, the division will face to the left; at the second command, the left guide will march in the trace of the left guide of the first division; the men will take the touch of elbows to the left. When the second division has closed to its proper distance, its chief will command: Quick time—MARCH. This division will then change its step to quick time.
208. The chiefs of the third and fourth divisions will execute their movements according to the same principles, taking care to gain as much ground as possible toward the head of the column.
0-209. At the command march by the colonel, each platoon of the companies of skirmishers, will face by the right flank, the chiefs will hasten to the right of their platoons, each second platoon breaking to the rear, in order to take its place in the platoon column, and when the guide is nearly up with the guide of the first platoon, the captain will command: 1. Column guide right. 2. Double quick—MARCH.
0-210. The platoon-columns will be conducted diagonally toward the points around which they are to file as indicated Nos. 172, 173 and when the left file of each platoon, shall arrive nearly up to its chief, he will command: 1. By the left flank. 2. Quick march. 3. Guide left.
211. If the battalion had been previously marching in line at double quick time, when the fourth division shall have gained its distance, the colonel (should he wish to resume that gait) will command: Double quick—MARCH.
212. In this movement, the lieutenant-colonel will move rapidly to the side of the leading guide, give him a point of direction, and then follow the movements of the first division. The senior major will follow the movement abreast with the left of the fourth division.
REMARKS ON PLOYING THE BATTALION INTO COLUMN.
213. The battalion may be ployed into column at full, or half distance, on the same principles, and by the same commands, substituting for the first command: Column at full (or half) distance by division. The battalion will not be ployed at full distance unless with a view to the route step.
214. In the ployments and movements in column, when the subdivisions execute the movements successively, such as – to take or close distances; to change direction by the flank of subdivisions, each chief of subdivision will cause his men to support arms after having aligned it and commanded FRONT.
0-215. When the battalion is ployed into column, either at half distance or closed in mass, each company of skirmishers will ploy into columns closed in mass.