Infantry tactics, or, Rules of the exercise and manoeuvres of infantry

Front matter

RIFLE

AND

INFANTRY TACTICS,

Part First

Lesson 1. Position of the soldier without arms; Eyes right, left and front.

Lesson 2. Facings.

Lesson 3. Principles of the direct step in common and quick time.

Lesson 4. Principles of the direct step in double quick time and the run.

PA.IIT SECOND.

Lesson 1. Principles of shouldered arms.

Lesson 2. Manual of arms.

Lesson 3. To load in four times, and at will.

Lesson 4. Filings, direct, oblique, by file, and by rank.

Lesson 5. To fire and load, kneeling and lying.

Lesson C. ,Bayonet exercise.

PAET THIRD.

Lesson 1. Union of eight or twelve men for instruction in the principles of :!j ■ alignment.

Lesson 2. The direct march, the oblique march, and the different steps.

Lesson 3. The march by the flank.

Lesson 4. Principles of wheeling and change of direction.

Lesson 5. Long marches in double quick time, aud the run, with arms and knap-aek.-.

8 SCHOOL OF THE SOLDIER — PART I.

TART FIRST.

77. This will be taught, if practicable, to one recruit, at a time ; but three or four may be united, when the number be great, compared with that of the instructors. In this case, the recruits will be placed in a single rank, at one pace from each other. In this part, the recruits will be without arms.

Lesson 1.

Position of the Soldier.

78. Heels on the same line, as near each other as the conformation of the man will permit ;

The feet turned out equally, and forming with each other something less than a right angle;

The knees straight without stiffness ; The body erect on the hips, inclining a little forward; The shoulders square and falling equally ; The arms hanging naturally ; The elbows near the body ;

The palm of the haed turned a little to the front, the little finger behind the seam of the pantaloons ;

The head erect and square to the front, without constrain ; The chin near the stock, without covering it;

The eyes fixed straight to the front, and striking the ground about the distance of fifteen paces.

Remarks on the Position of the Soldier,

Heels on the same line ;

79. Because, if one were in rear of the other, the shoulder on that side would be thrown back, or the position of the soldier would be constrained.

Heels more or leas closed ;

Because, men who are knock-kneed, or who have legs with large calves, cannot without constraint, make their heels touch while standing.

The feet equally turned out, and not forming too large an angle.

Because, if one foot were turned out more than the other, a shoulder would be deranged, and if both feet be too much turned out, it would not be practicable to incline the upper part of the body forward without rendering the whole position unsteady.

Knees extended without stiffness;

Because, if stiffened, constraint and fatigue would be unavoidable.

The body erect on the hips ;

Because, it gives equilibrium to the position. The instructor will observe that many recruits have the bad habit of dropping a shoulder, of drawing in a side, or of advancing a hip, particularly the right, when under arms. These are defects he will labor to correct.

The tipper part of the tody inclining forward ;

beginoing, particularly with resruits who have naturally the oppositeHabitT "

Shoulders square.

Because, if the shoulders be advanced beyond the line of the breast, and the back arched (the defect called round shouldered, not uncommon among recruits) the man cannot align himself, nor use his piece with address. It is important, then, to correct this defect, and necessary to that end that the coat should set easv about the shoulder and arm-pits ; but in correcting this defect, the instructor will take care that th p shoulders be not thrown too much to the rear, which would cause the bellv to „„;„„, and the small of the back to be curved. * project,

SCHOOL OF THE SOLDIER — PART I. *J

The arms hanging naturally, elbow* near the hody, the. pa'm of the hand a little turned to the front, the little finger behind the seam of the pantaloone ; Becrittsc, these positions are equally important to the iJioulder-armt, and to prevent the man from occupying more space in a rank than is* nr-cessary to a free ujc of the piece ; they have, moreover, the advantage of keeping in the shoulders. T he face ttraiyht to the front, and teithont restraint ;

Because, if there be stiffness in the latter position, it would communicate itself to the whole of the upper part of the body, embarrass its movements, and give pain and fatigue.

Eyes direct to the front ;

Because, this is the surest means of maintaining the shoulders in line; — au essential object, to be insisted on and attained.

80. The instructor having given the recruit the position of the soldier, without arms, will now teach him the turning of the head and eyes. He will command:

1. Eye* — Right. 2. Front.

81. At the word right, the recruit will turn the head gently, so as to lHng the inner corner of the left eye in a line with the buttons of the coat, the eye-, fixed on the line of the eyes of the men in, or supposed to be in, the same rank.

82. At the second command, the head will resume the direct or habitual fnition.

83. The movement of Eyes — Left will be executed by inverse means.

84. The instructor will take particular care that the movement of the head docs not derange the squareness of the shoulders, which will happen if the movement of the former be too sudden.

85. When the instructor shall wish the recruit to pass from the state of attention to that of ease, he will command:

Rest:

SC. To cause a resumption of the habitual position, the instructor will command :

1. Attention. 2. Squad.

87. At the first word, the recruit will fix his attention ; at the secbm', he will resume the prescribed position and steadiness.

Lesson II.

Facings.

SS. Facing to the right and left will be executed in one time, or pause. Top instructor will command :

1. Squad 2. Right [or left]— Face.

89. At the second command, raise the right foot slightly, turn on the left I.t.1. raising the toes a little, and then replace the right heel by the side of the le?'t, aal on the same line.

90. The full face to the rear (or front) will be'executcd in two times, or patse-i. The instructor will command :

1. Sqnud. 1. About — Face.

91. (First time.) At the word about, the recruit will turn on the left heel, bring the left toe to the front, carry tbe right foot to the rear, the hollow opposite tn, .ijl full three inches from, the left heel, the feet square to each other.

92. (Second time.) At the word /ace, the lecruit will turn on both heels, r.ii>.- the toes at little, extend the hams, face to the rear, bringing, at the same tinn', the right heel by the side of the left.

93. The instructor will take care that these motions do not derange the position of the body.

LKS30K III.

Principles of the Direct Step.

94. The length of the direct step, or pace, in common time, will be twenty-eight inches, reckoning from heel to heel, and in swiftness, at the rate of ninety iD a minute,

95. The instructor, eeeing the recruit confirmed in his position, will explain to him

10 SCHOOL OF THE SOLDIER — PART I.

the principle and mechanism of this step — placing himself six or seven paces from, and facing to, the recruit. He will himself execute slowly the step in the way of illustration, and then command :

1. Squad, forward. 2. Common time. 3. March.

96. At the first command, the recruit will throw the weight of the body on the right leg, without bending the left knee.

97. At the third command, he will smartly, but without a jerk, carry straight forward the left foot twenty-eight inches from the right, the sole near the ground, the ham extended, the toe a little depressed, and, as also the knee, slightly turned out ; he will, at the same time, throw the weight of the body forward, and plant flat the left foot, without shock, precisely at the distance where it finds itself from the right when the weight of the body is brought forward, the whole of which will now rest on the advanced foot. The recruit will next, in like manner, advance the right foot and plant it as above, the heel twenty-eight inches from the heel of the left foot, and thus continue to march without crossing the legs, or striking the one against the other, without turning the shoulders, and preserving always the face direct to the front.

98. When the instructor shall wish to arrest the march, he will command :

1. Squad. 2. Halt.

99. At the second command, which will be given at the instant when either foot is coming to the ground, the foot in the rear will be brought up, and planted by the side of the other, without shock.

100. The instructor will indicate, from time to time, to the recruit, the cadence of the step by giving the command one at the instant of raising a foot, and two at the instant it ought to be planted, observing the cadence of ninety steps in a minute. This method will contribute greatly to impress upon the mind the two motions into which the step is naturally divided.

101. Common time will be employed only in the first and second parts of the School of the Soldier. As soon as the recruit has acquired steadiness, has become established in the principles of shoulder arms, and in the mechanism, length and swiftness of the step in common time, he will be practised only in quick time, the double quick time, and the run.

102. The principles of the step in quick time are the same as for common time, but its swiftness is at the rate of one hundred and ten steps per minute.

103. The instructor wishing the squad to march in quick time, will command :

1. Squad, forward. 2. March.

Lesson IV.

Principles of the Double Quich Step.

104. The length of the double quick step is thirty-three inches, and its swiftness at the rate of one hundred and pixty-five steps per minute.

105. The instructor wishing to teach the recruits the principles and mechanism of the double quick step, will command :

1. Double Quick Step. 2. March.

106. At the first command, the recruit will raise his hands to a level with his hips, the hands closed, the nails towards the body, the elbows to the rear.

107. At the second command, he will raise to the front his left leg bent, in order to give to the knee the greatest elevation, the part of the leg between the knee and the instep vertical, the tee depressed ; he will then replace his foot in its former position • with the right leg he will execute what has just been prescribed for the left and the alternate movement of the legs will be continued until the command : '

1. Squad. 2. Halt.

108. At the second command, the recruit will bring the foot which is raised bv thp side of the other, and dropping at the same time his hands by his side, will resume thp position of the soldier without arms.

109. The instructor placing himself seven or eight paces from, and facing the recruit, will indicate the cadence by the' commands, one and two. given alternately t the instant each foot should be brought to the ground, which at first will be in com mon time, but its rapidity will be gradually augmented.

11.0. The recruit being sufFicit.-i.Lly established in the principles of this step, the instructor will command :

1. Squad, forward. 2. Double Qairk. 3. March.

11!. At the first command, the recruit will throw the weight of his body on the right leg.

112. At the second command, he will place his arms as indicated Xo. 10".

113. At the third command, he will carry forward the left foot, the leg slighilv bent, the knee somewhat raised—will plant his left foot, the toe first, t.hirty-thn-j inches from the right, and with the right foot will then execute what lias juibein prescribed for the left. This alternate movement of the legs will take place by throwing the weight of the body on the foot that is planted, and ty allowing a natural oscillatory motion to the arms.

114. The double quick step may be executed with different degrees of swiftness. Under urgent circumstances the cadence of this step in ay be increased to one hundred and eighty per minute. At this rate a distance of four thousand yards would be passed over in about twenty-live minutes.

115. The recruits will be exercised also in running.

116. The principles are the same as for the double quick step, the only difference consisting in a greater degree of swiftness.

117. It is recommended in marching at double quick time, or the run. that the men should breathe as much as possible through the nose, keeping the mouth closed. Experience has proved that, by conforming to this principle, a man can pass over a much longer distance, and with less fatigue.