WHEELINGS.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF WHEELING.
390. Wheelings are of two kinds: from halts, or on fixed pivots, and in march, or on movable pivots.
391. Wheeling on a fixed pivot takes place in passing a corps from the order in battle to the order in column, or from the latter to the former.
392. Wheels in marching take place in changes of direction in column, as often as this movement is executed to the side opposite to the guide.
393. In wheels from a halt, the pivot-man only turns in his place, without advancing or receding.
394. In the wheels in marching, the pivot takes steps of nine or eleven inches, according as the squad is marching in quick or double quick time, so as to clear the wheeling-point, which is necessary, in order that the subdivisions of a column may change direction without losing their distances, as will be explained in the School of the Company.
395. The man on the wheeling-flank will take the full step of twenty-eight inches, or thirty-three inches, according to the gait.
WHEELING FROM A HALT, OR ON A FIXED PIVOT.
396. The rank being at a halt, the instructor will place a well-instructed man on the wheeling-flank to conduct it, and then command:
1. By squad, right wheel. 2. MARCH.
397. At the second command, the rank will step off with the left foot, turning at the same time the head a little to the left, the eyes fixed on the line of the eyes of the men to their left; the pivot-man will merely mark time in gradually turning his body, in order to conform himself to the movement of the marching flank; the man who conducts this flank will take steps of twenty
eight inches, and from the first step advance a little the left shoulder, cast his eyes from time to time along the rank, and feel constantly the elbow of the next man lightly, but never push him.
398. The other men will feel lightly the elbow of the next man toward the pivot, resist pressure coming from the opposite side, and each will conform himself to the marching flank – shortening his step according to his approximation to the pivot.
399. The instructor will make the rank wheel round the circle once or twice before halting, in order to cause the principles to be the better understood, and he will be watchful that the centre does not break.
400. He will cause the wheel to the left to be executed according to the same principles. 401. When the instructor shall wish to arrest the wheel, he will command:
1. Squad. 2. HALT.
402. At the second command, the rank will halt, and no man stir. The instructor, going to the flank opposite the pivot, will place the two outer men of that flank in the direction he may wish to give to the rank, without however displacing the pivot, who will conform the line of his shoulders to this direction. The instructor will take care to have between these two men, and the pivot, only the space necessary to contain the other men. He will then command:
Left (or right)—DRESS.
403. At this, the rank will place itself on the alignment of the two men established as the basis, in conformity with the principles prescribed.
404. The instructor will next command: FRONT, which will be executed as prescribed No. 323.
REMARKS ON THE PRINCIPLES OF THE WHEEL FROM A HALT.
405. Turn a little the head toward the marching flank, and fix the eyes on the line of the eyes of the men who are on that side;
Because, otherwise, it would be impossible for each man to regulate the length of his step so as to conform his own movement to that of the marching flank.
Touch lightly the elbow of the next man toward the pivot;
In order that the files may not open out in the wheel.
Resist pressure that comes from the side of the marching flank;
Because, if this principle be neglected, the pivot, which ought to be a fixed point, in wheels from a halt, might be pushed out of its place by pressure.
WHEELING IN MARCHING, OR ON A MOVABLE PIVOT.
406. When the recruits have been brought to execute well the wheel from a halt, they will be taught to wheel in marching.
407. To this end, the rank being in march, when the instructor shall wish to cause it to change direction to the reverse flank (to the side opposite to the guide or pivot flank) he will command:
1. Right (or left) wheel. 2. MARCH.
408. The first command will be given when the rank is yet four paces from the wheeling point.
409. At the second command, the wheel will be executed in the same manner as from a halt, except that the touch of the elbow will remain toward the marching flank (or side of the guide) instead of the side of the actual pivot; that the pivot man, instead of merely turning in his place, will conform himself to the movement of the marching flank, feel lightly the elbow of the next man, take steps of full nine inches, and thus gain ground forward in describing a small curve so as to clear the point of the wheel. The middle of the rank will bend slightly to the rear. As soon as the movement shall commence, the man who conducts the marching flank will cast his eyes on the ground over which he will have to pass.
410. The wheel being ended, the instructor will command:
1. Forward. 2. MARCH.
411. The first command will be pronounced when four paces are yet required to complete the change of direction.
412. At the command march, which will be given at the instant of completing the wheel, the man who conducts the marching flank will direct himself straight-forward; the pivot man and all the rank will retake the step of twenty-eight inches, and bring the head direct to the front.
TURNING OR CHANGE OF DIRECTION TO THE SIDE OF THE GUIDE.
413. The change of direction to the side of the guide, in marching, will be executed as follows: The instructor will command:
1. Left (or right) turn. 2. MARCH.
414. The first command will be given when the rank is yet four paces from the turning point.
415. At the command march, to be pronounced at the instant the rank ought to turn, the guide will face to the left (or right) in marching, and move forward in the new direction without slackening or quickening the cadence, and without shortening or lengthening the step. The whole rank will promptly conform itself to the new direction: to effect which, each man will advance the shoulder opposite to the guide, take the double quick step, to carry himself in the new direction, turn the head and eyes to the side of the guide, and retake the touch of the elbow on that side, in placing himself on the alignment of the guide, from whom he will take the step, and then resume the direct position of the head. Each man will thus arrive successively on the alignment.
WHEELING AND CHANGING DIRECTION TO THE SIDE OF THE GUIDES IN DOUBLE QUICK TIME.
416. When the recruits comprehend and execute well, in quick time, the wheels at a halt and in marching, and the change of direction to the side of the guide, the instructor will cause the same movements to be repeated in double quick time.
417. These various movements will be executed by the same commands and according to the same principles as in quick time, except that, the command double quick will precede that of march. In wheeling while marching, the pivot man will take steps of eleven inches, and in the changes of direction to the side of the guide, the men on the side opposite the guide must
increase the gait in order to bring themselves into line.
418. The instructor, in order not to fatigue the recruits, and not to divide their attention will cause them to execute the several movements of which this lesson is composed, first without arms, and next, after the mechanism be well comprehended, with arms.