REPORT OP CAPT. GEORGE B. irCLELLAN. 53 



B. A battalion of rifles is provided with — 



One 2-horse equipment tuagon. 



Pounds. 



Money chest 306 



Measurer's books, &c 40 



Adjutant's desk 40 



Officers' portmanteaus 225 



Armorer's tools 180 



Total weight 791 



One 2-horse medicine cart, as for the infantry battalions. 

 Uach company has 4 pack animals, on which it packs — 



Officers' mess chest 60 



Officers' portmanteaus 310 



Spare equipments, &c 250 



Blankets for sick men 45 



Overcoats of officers 18| 



Baggage of orderly sergeant 20 



Baggage of surgeons, hospital attendant*, &c 60 



Total load of the 4 pack animals of a comj^any 



Tactics, instruction, d:c. — The rifles are formed in 2 ranks, all other infantry in 3 ranks. The 

 largest men are in the front rank, the most active men and best shots in the third rank ; these 

 men being habitually employed as skirmishers. The distance between the ranks is 2', measured 

 from the back of the front rank to the breast of the next rank. The company is divided into 2 

 platoons; platoons of 20 files and upwards into half platoons ; the latter into sections. Platoons 

 of less than 20 files are divided only into sections. The section consists of not more than 6, nor 

 less than 4 files. In a detached company the officers, &c., are posted as follows: the captain at 

 one-third platoon distance in front of the centre ; the 1st lieutenant commands the 2d platoon, 

 and is posted on its right in the front rank ; the senior 2d lieutenant commands the 1st platoon, 

 and is posted on its right in the front rank ; the next 2d lieutenant is on the left of the 2d platoon, 

 in the front rank ; the junior 2d lieutenant is 4 paces in rear of the centre of the 1st platoon ; the 

 orderly sergeant is in the rank of file-closers, (2 paces behind the rear rank,) in rear of the 2d file 

 from the right of the company ; the right guides of the platoons are in the rear rank ; the left 

 guides in the rank of file-closers, behind the 2d files from the left of their platoons ; the remainder of 

 the non-commissioned officers are at equal intervals in the rank of file-closers ; the field music, 

 12 paces in rear of the centre of the company, except on parade, when they are 2 paces from the 

 right of the company, on the alignment of the centre rank. 



In a battalion the platoons are numbered from 1 to 8, in a regular series from right to left. 



The color guard, consisting of the color bearer, who is a non-commissioned officer, and 5 color 

 corporals, is posted between the 4th and 5th platoons. 



The commander of the battalion, with a musician, is posted at company distance in front of 

 the centre; the adjutant, 12 paces in rear of the centre. 



