753. The battalion advancing in line will be supposed to encounter an obstacle which covers one or more companies; the colonel will cause them to ploy into column closed in mass, in rear of the next company toward the color, which will be executed in the following manner. It win be supposed that the obstacle only covers the third company, the colonel will command:
Third company, obstacle.
754. At this command, the captain of the third company will place himself in its front, to turn it, and command: 1. Third company, by the left flank, to the rear into column. 2. Double quick. 3. MARCH. He will then hasten to the left of his company.
755. At the command march, the company will face to the left in marching; the two left files will promptly disengage to the rear in double quick time; the left guide, placing himself at the head of the front rank, will conduct it behind the fourth company, directing himself parallelly with this company; the captain of the third will himself halt opposite to the captain of the fourth, and see his company file past; when its right file shall be nearly up with him, he will command: 1. Third company. 2. By the right flank. 3. MARCH. 4. Guide right, and place himself before the centre of his company.
756. At the command march, the company will face to the right, preserving the same gait; but the moment it shall be at the prescribed distance, its captain will command: 1. Quick time. 2. MARCH.
757. This company will thus follow in column that behind which it finds itself, and in close order, its right guide marching exactly in the trace of the captain of that company.
758. As soon as the third company shall have faced to the left, the left guide of the second will place himself on the left of the front rank of his company, and maintain between himself and the right of the fourth, the space necessary for the return into line of the third.
759. The obstacle being passed, the colonel will command: Third company into line.
760. At this command the captain, turning to his company, will add: 1. Company, by the right flank. 2. Double quick. 3. MARCH.
761. At the command march, the company will take the double quick step, the captain will hasten to the right of his company, halt in his own person; the company, conducted by its guide, will file past its captain parallel to the line, and when the left file has arrived abreast with him, the captain will command: 1. By the left flank. 2. MARCH. 3. Guide left.
762. At the command march, the company will direct itself straight-forward toward the line of battle, and retake its position in it according to the principles prescribed for deploying into line of battle while marching.
763. It will be supposed that the obstacle covers several contiguous companies (the three companies on the right for example), the colonel will command:
1. Three right companies, obstacle. 2. By the left flank, to the rear, into column. 3. Double quick—MARCH.
764. At the first command, the captains of the designated companies will each place himself before the centre of his company, and caution it as to the movement about to be executed.
0-765. At the same command, the captain of the first company of skirmishers will caution his company to face by the left flank.
766. At the command march, the designated companies will face to the left in marching, and immediately take the double quick step; each captain will cause the head of his company to disengage itself to the rear, and the left guide will place himself at the head of the front rank; the captain of the third company will conform himself to what is prescribed No. 755, and following: the captains of the other companies will conduct them by the flank in rear of the third, inclining toward the head of the column; and, as the head of each company arrives opposite to the right of the one next before it in column, its captain will himself halt, see his company file past, and conform himself for facing it to the front, in marching, to what is prescribed No. 755 and following.
0-767. At the same command, the first company of skirmishers will face by the left flank, and take the double quick step: the left guide will place himself on the left of the front rank, and the company, conducted by its chief, will follow the movement of the first battalion company, taking care to preserve its distance, and maintain its relative position.
768. When the last company in column shall have passed the obstacle, the colonel will command:
1. Three right companies into line.
769. At this command, the captain of each of these three companies will command, company by the right flank. The colonel will then add:
1. Double quick. 2. MARCH.
770. At this, briskly repeated by the captains of the three companies, each company will conform itself to what is prescribed No. 761 and following. The captains of the second and first companies, respectively, halting in their own persons when the third and second face by the left flank.
0-771. At the same command, the first company of skirmishers will face by the right flank, take the double quick step, and follow the movements of the first battalion company, preserving its distance and position.
772. It is supposed, in the foregoing examples, that the companies belonged to the right wing; if they make part of the other, they will execute the passage of an obstacle according to the same principles and by inverse means.
773. When flank companies are broken off to pass an obstacle, the general guide on that flank will place himself six paces in front of the outer file of the nearest company to him remaining in line.
774. In the preceding movements, it has been supposed that the battalion was marching in quick time, but if it be marching in double quick time, and the colonel shall wish to cause several contiguous companies to break to the rear, he will first order the battalion to march in quick time; the companies will break as indicated No. 763.
775. When the movement is completed, the colonel may order the double quick step to be resumed. He will also cause the battalion to march in quick time when he shall wish to bring into line the several companies which are to the rear in column; the movement will be executed as previously indicated; and when the last company shall have nearly completed its movement, the colonel may cause the double quick step to be resumed.
776. In the movement of a single company, or of several companies not contiguous to each other, the battalion will continue to march in double quick time, but in these cases the companies which are to ploy in column, or re-enter the line, will increase the gait.
777. If the colonel wishes to charge bayonet while advancing in line, he will previously order the color and general guides to their posts.
778. In the march in retreat, these several movements will be executed on the same principles as if the battalion marched by the front rank.
0-779. If in marching in retreat the first and last battalion companies ate broken off to pass an obstacle, the companies of skirmishers will be faced by the right and left flanks respectively, and take such position as to be covered by the same battalion companies that the first or last battalion company cover respectively. When the first and last battalion companies come into line the companies of skirmishers will be faced by the flank, and resume their proper position. In performing this movement the captain of each of the companies of skirmishers will take care to incline the head of his company well to the front, and to quicken the pace so the distances may not be lost.
780. When a battalion, advancing in line of battle, shall be obliged to execute the right about in order to retreat, if there be companies in column behind the rear rank, these companies will also execute the right about, put themselves in march at the same time with the battalion, and will thus precede it in the retreat.
781. If the battalion be marching in retreat in double quick time, and the colonel should desire to bring into line the companies which may be marching before the rear rank of the battalion, he will cause the battalion to take the quick step, he will then cause those companies to take full distance by the head of the column. The companies marching before the rear rank will then be brought successively into line as the ground will permit, whatever may be the gait of the battalion.
782. When the color-company shall be obliged to execute the movement of passing an obstacle, the color-rank will return into line at the moment the company shall face to the left or right; the senior major will place himself six paces before the extremity of the company behind which the color-company marches in column, in order to give the step and the direction; he himself first taking the step from the battalion.
783. As soon as the color-company shall have returned into line, the front rank of the color-guard will again move out six paces in front of the battalion, and take the step from the senior major; the latter will immediately place himself twenty or thirty paces in front of the color-bearer, and face to the colonel placed behind the centre of the battalion, who will establish him on the perpendicular; and, as soon as he shall be assured on it, the color-bearer will instantly take two points on the ground between himself and the senior major.
784. It is prescribed, as a general rule, that the companies of the right wing ought to execute the movement of passing obstacles by the left flank, and the reverse for the companies of the other wing; but if the obstacle cover at once several companies of the centre, each will file into column behind that, still in line, and of the same wing, which may be the nearest to it.
REMARKS ON THE DISPOSITION OF THE COMPANIES OF SKIRMISHERS, AND OF THE BATTALION COMPANIES, WHEN DEPLOYED AS SUCH.
785. When one or more platoons of the companies of skirmishers are deployed, and the colonel wishes to recall them, he will indicate his intention to the junior major, or other commandant of the line, who will either cause the rally on the battalion to be sounded or will command: [Editor’s Note: See Changes.]
Rally on the battalion.
786. At this sound, or command, the skirmishers and reserves will rapidly unmask the front of the battalion, directing themselves in a run around its nearest flank: each company will immediately be formed in close column, by platoon in rear of the first and last battalion companies respectively, or behind any shelter whatever in the vicinity that may offer. The companies of skirmishers will not be engaged in the fire of the line; but, in case the enemy are broken by the fire, they will be prepared for a rapid pursuit. They will also cover the battalion when in retreat, unless the colonel should desire to face it about and open the fire of the line. [Editor’s Note: See Changes.]
787. When any of the battalion companies acting as skirmishers are rallied on the battalion in line, they will direct themselves around the nearest flank, as prescribed above, and form in the rear: they will then immediately take their proper places in the line. [Editor’s Note: See Changes.]