. OLUMH. 



OOLUMS 



COLUMN. This term is applied to any formation of troops in whii-h 

 the divixions are plat-i-d K'hind one another exposing ;i IIMITOW frmit in 

 the enemy. Thus a column of battalions is formed 1>\ ;i nitinU-r f 

 successive battalions l>eing deployed close behind one anc-tlu-i- ; wliilr .1 

 battaUon is said to be in column when the companies of which it ia 

 composed are deployed in rear either of one of the flank < <m]n 

 in rear of the two centre companies or two centre subdivisions. A 

 battalion is said to be in open column when the dist;ui. . l.,-t\\c m ih,- 

 cnnipanicM ia such as to admit of their wheeling into line ; and to be 

 in close column when the front rank of one company is within a frw 

 paces of the rear rank of. the one before it, while the half distance 

 column is intermediate between the two. 



The formation of the Greek and Human armies was almost wholly in 

 column, both for attack and defence. And it was only on the intro- 

 duction of fire-arms and field artillery that, from the ravages c..ui- 

 mitted in dense masses, a more extended formation was a- 1 

 Gustavus Adolphus was one of the first to employ a mor< 

 formation. 



In the wars of the French Revolution, at the close of the 18th 

 century, the dense column was universally employed, almost of necessity, 

 as the raw levies were not sufficiently trained to be easily handled in 

 any other formation, and the loss of life entailed was not considered by 

 their generals, to whom success, however dearly purchased, was the 

 only "bligation. From these victories and those of the first Napoleon, 

 who also employed very dense columns in attack, it resulted that close 

 columnx came much into repute, and their advantages as compared 

 with other formations are much contested points among military writers, 

 especially between English and foreign authors ; the formw principally 

 upholding the formation in line, which bad been gosucccsHfiilly applied 

 by the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsula and at Waterloo against 

 the columns of the French. Still we must imt Mind ourselves to 

 the fact, that a formation which can be applied with troops of such 

 morale as the English may not be the best with others. .Inmini. 

 when discussing this question in his ' Precis de 1'ort do la ( : 

 remarks, " DCS lors quellc scrait 1'armce Kin -..p.Viii i-i ]',.n no 

 Anglais), que Ton put se haearder a dcpWtr en ligncs Bur deux rang*." 

 And as a three rank formation make* a column too dense, and it 

 would be next to impossible to change from a three to a two rank 

 formation, according as a deployment or column was required, he 

 recommends the constant employment nf small columns nf attack on 

 a two rank formation. 



l-'min the great advantage that the formation in mlnmn give* in 

 tho movement and handling of troops, and the impoHHibih'ty of ,-..n 

 ducting extended movements in line, even if there were any object 

 in attempting it, the cvlunui will always in some shape or other be 



