240. The instructor having halted the column right in front, and wishing to form it into line of battle, will place himself at platoon distance in front of the leading guide, face to him, and rectify, if necessary, the position of the guide beyond, which being executed, he will command:
Left—DRESS.
241. At this command, which will not be repeated by the chiefs of platoon, each of them will place himself briskly two paces outside of his guide, and direct the alignment of the platoon perpendicular to the direction of the column.
242. Each chief having aligned his platoon, will command FRONT, and return quickly to his place in column.
243. This disposition being made, the instructor will command:
1. Left into line, wheel. 2. MARCH.
244. At the command march, briskly repeated by the chiefs of platoon, the front-rank man on the left of each platoon will face to the left, and place his breast lightly against the arm of the guide by his side, who stands fast; the platoons will wheel to the left on the principle of wheels from a halt, and in conformity to what is prescribed in No. 199. Each chief will turn to his platoon to observe its movement, and when the marching flank has approached near the line of battle, he will command:
1. Platoon. 2. HALT.
245. The command halt, will be given when the marching flank of the platoon is three paces from the line of battle.
246. The chief of the second platoon, having halted it, will return to his place as a file closer, passing around the left of his subdivision.
247. The captain having halted the first platoon, will move rapidly to the point at which the right of the company will rest in line of battle, and command:
Right—DRESS.
248. At this command, the two platoons will dress up on the alignment; the front-rank man on the right of the leading platoon, who finds himself opposite the instructor established on the direction of the guides, will place his breast lightly against the left arm of this officer. The captain will direct the alignment from the right on the man on the opposite flank of the company.
249. The company being aligned, the captain will command:
FRONT.
250. The instructor seeing the company in line of battle, will command:
Guides—POSTS.
251. At this command, the covering sergeant will cover the captain, and the left guide will return to his place as a file closer.
252. If the column be left in front, and the instructor should wish to form it to the right into line of battle, he will place himself at platoon distance in front of the leading guide, face to him, and rectify, if necessary the position of the guide beyond; which being executed, he will command:
1. Right into line, wheel. 2. MARCH.
253. At the command march, the front-rank man on the right of each platoon will face to the right and place his breast lightly against the left arm of the guide by his side, who stands fast; each platoon will wheel to the right, and will be halted by its chief, when the marching flank has approached near the line of battle; for this purpose the chief of each platoon will command:
1. Platoon. 2. HALT.
254. The command halt, will be given when the marching flank of the platoon is three paces from the line of battle. The chief of the second platoonhaving halted his platoon, will resume his place in the rank of file closers.
255. The captain having halted the first platoon, will move briskly to the point at which the left of the company will rest, and command:
Left—DRESS.
256. At this command, the two platoons will dress up on the alignment; the man on the left of the second platoon, opposite the instructor, will place his breast lightly against the right arm of this officer, and the captain will direct the alignment from the left on the man on the opposite flank of the company.
257. The company being aligned, the captain will command:
FRONT.
258. The instructor will afterwards command:
Guides—POSTS.
259. At this command, the captain will move to the right of his company, the covering sergeant will cover him, and the left guide will return to his place as a file closer.
260. The instructor may omit the command left or right dress, previous to commanding left or right into line, wheel, unless after rectifying the position of the guides, it should become necessary to dress the platoons, or one of them, laterally to the right or left.
261. The instructor, before the command left (or right) into line, wheel, will assure himself that the rearmost platoon is at its exact wheeling distance from the one in front. This attention is important, in order to detect negligence on the part of guides in this essential point.
262. If the column be marching right in front, and the instructor should wish to form it into line without halting the column, he will give the commands prescribed No. 243, and move rapidly to platoon distance in front of the leading guide.
263. At the command march, briskly repeated by the chiefs of platoon, the left guides will halt short, the instructor, the chiefs of platoon and the platoons, will conform to what is prescribed No. 244 and following.
264. If the column be in march left in front, this formation will be made according to the same principles, and by inverse means.
265. If the column be marching right in front, and the instructor should wish to form it into line without halting the column, and to march the company in line to the front, he will command:
1. By platoons left wheel. 2. MARCH.
266. At the command march, briskly repeated by the chiefs of platoon, the left guides will halt: the man next to the left guide in each platoon will mark time: the platoons will wheel to the left, conforming to the principles of the wheel on a fixed pivot. When the right of the platoons shall arrive near the line of battle, the instructor will command:
3. Forward. 4. MARCH. 5. Guides right (or left).
267. At the fourth command, given at the instant the wheel is completed, all the men of the company will move off together with the step of twenty-eight inches; the captain, the chief of the second platoon, the covering sergeant, and the left guide will take their positions as in line of battle.
268. At the fifth command, which will be given immediately after the fourth, the captain and covering sergeant, if not already there, will move briskly to the side on which the guide is designated The non-commissioned officer charged with the direction will move rapidly in front of the guide, and will be assured in his line of march by the instructor, as is prescribed No. 104. That non-commissioned officer will immediately take points on the ground as indicated in the same number. The men will take the touch of elbows to the side of the guide, conforming themselves to the principles of the march in line.
269. The same principles are applicable to a column left in front.