730. The battalion being halted, if it be the wish of the colonel to cause it to march in retreat, he will command:
1. Face to the rear. 2. Battalion, about—FACE.
731. At the first command the color-rank and general guides, if in advance, will take their places in line. At the second command the battalion will face about, the color-bearer will pass into the rear rank, now leading; the corporal of his file will step behind the corporal next on his own right, to let the color-bearer pass, and then step into the front rank, now rear, to re-form the color-file; the colonel will place himself behind the front rank, become the rear; the lieutenant-colonel and senior major will place themselves before the rear rank, now leading.
732. At the second command the companies of skirmishers will face about with the battalion.
733. The colonel will take post forty paces behind the color-file, in order to assure the lieutenant-colonel on the perpendicular, who will place himself at a like distance in front, as prescribed for the advance in line of battle.
734. If the battalion be the one charged with the direction, the colonel will establish markers in the manner indicated No. 650, except that they will face to the battalion. If the markers be already established, the officer charged with replacing them in succession will cause them to face about, the moment that the battalion executes this movement, and then the marker nearest to the battalion will hasten to the rear of the two others.
735. These dispositions being made, the colonel will command:
3. Battalion, forward.
736. At this command, the color-bearer will advance six paces beyond the rank of file closers, accompanied by the two corporals of his guard of that rank, the centre corporal stepping back to let the color-bearer pass; the corporal of the color-file in the front-rank, now rear, will replace the color-bearer when the latter steps out, the two file closers nearest this centre corporal will unite on him behind the color-guard to serve as a basis of alignment for the line of file closers; the two general guides will place themselves abreast with the color-rank, the covering sergeants will place themselves in the line of file closers, and the captains in the rear rank, now leading; the captains in the left wing, now right, will, if not already there, shift to the left of their companies, now become the right.
737. The colonel will then command:
4. MARCH (or double quick—MARCH).
738. The battalion will march in retreat on the same principles which govern the advance in line: the centre corporal behind the color-bearer will march exactly in his trace.
739. If it be the directing battalion, the color-bearer will direct himself on the markers, who will of their own accord, each place himself in succession behind the marker most distant, on being approached by the battalion; the officer charged with the superintendence of the markers will carefully assure them on the direction.
740. In the case of a subordinate battalion, the color-bearer will maintain himself on the perpendicular by means of points taken on the ground.
0-741. At the fourth command by the colonel, the companies of skirmishers will march to the rear, retaining their relative positions with reference to the first and last battalion companies.
742. The colonel, lieutenant-colonel, senior and junior majors will each discharge the same functions as in the advance in line.
743. The lieutenant-colonel, placed on the outside of the file closers of the color company, will also maintain the three file closers of the basis of alignment in a square with the line of direction: the other file closers will keep themselves aligned on this basis.