MILITARY TACTICS. 



273 



battle to 

 any ride. 



Of vented of facing to the right with five or six, which is a 

 Mirch. mode of forming columns by wheeling with quarter 

 ^""V"""' platoons, very convenient on narrow roads, and which 

 leaves room enough for the soldier to niarcn uncon- 

 strained. The ohli.|ue iivirch can be performed on very 

 small distances by stepping out to the right or left and 

 the oblique step. <>i larger distance*, it is usual to 

 keep the two small sides of tii ri^ht angled triangle, 

 although it might be possible to wheel by sections into 

 the direction of th'. 1 lanje side, and preserving the re- 

 spective distance and situation of the sections among 

 then inarch into the new front, and then to 



wheel inwards again. (Fi,; If/.) In proper marches 

 the -..-ftinns wheel into the line of inarch, and at'ttr- 

 wai .to the road pr. ind the (i 



To place In order to place troop- st.m:!ing in columns, in order 

 column* in of battle towards any side, the following rule must be 

 order of observed: \Vlien troops .. in column without 



interval*, the Conning front forwards is executed by de- 

 ploying to the right ; when all the divisions except the 

 hut, . < right, and march in double quick time 

 to the flank of their next . the com- 



mand ii given : Hall front, iiur^!i, die-* ! Tin- last di- 

 , !y marche* straight forward. (Fig. 20.) In 



the It-It forward., the ' 



nnin on the spot, and the others perform the above 

 ' -:ie middle, 



the d of the iniddl* one face to the right, 



and ' the rear of it to the !(>. The ! 



i remained in its place marches ! to the 



alignement of the most advanced; the others form front, 



dignement, and dress. (Fit 



When the troop* march off* to the left, and the last di- 

 vision form* the head, all the above movements are 

 PI.ATK then reversed. (Fig. ii 1 .'.) In forming front to the rear, 

 neeesaary previous to deploying, it that each 

 mnter-iuirch in itself, i ' 



front to the flank, ur in an obliqut . when the 



columns are placed wit --.ai, i* a mami-uvrc 



not i 'i'he 



-ion would be .-el into th 



.lement, and the others then lace t the right 



it, sad vi i- deploy in 



the tuual manner. (Fig. 2V u.V) Whtn the battalion. 

 ha* been formed into columns by wheeling, it may be 

 placed in or<ler of battle to the fr. ;,' up ; 



(Fig 2S.) l>ut this mint always be a tedious movement, 

 because, in order to preserve the distance*, it must U 

 ways be performed in ordinary time ; and it must be 

 more tedious, when the troopi have marched off to 



usual, 



deploy. (FiM. 28.) I 



1 



troop< had m. 



might 



n. m !> 



und pri. 



( 



narch 



verii i ! 

 of i 



tary tu mi 



VOL. X1T. FARJ t. 



lurched off to t 



. .l tll.lt 



ly so, i ' faced i 



that t 



to advance and 

 rm front to 



. 



it, ail the sections 

 i about, and then 

 would then 

 to the right about, 

 urch in itself, 

 i ploy ; 



exirt'y in in 

 to the left, 

 l the right flank, in. 



kind 



i equally t,. left to 



it be i at the 



1C it 



the first r.iiik torwurd, it is 

 wheel inwards to- 



wards that side. (Fig. 33.) But if the usual order of Of 

 the battalion is to be completely preserved, with the Marches. 



platoon upon the right flank, the whole must conn- 

 ter-march, while the first section wheels to the right- 

 about, and ail the rest after it, as tlu-y arrive at the 

 spot. Now, when the first platoon ariives at the place 

 of the last, and ihe last upon that of the first, they wheel 

 inwards. (Fig. 34.) But if it be intended, when the 

 battalion stands thus in column, to take an oblique po- 

 sition, it is only necessary that the sections should ad- 

 vance or retire by the right or left round the point 

 about which the column is to turn, taking care always 

 to preserve their proper distance, and then to wheel 

 inwards a* soon as they arrive with their flanks in the 

 new alignement. (Fig. 35, 36.) In the flank-march, a 

 battalion can instantly form the proper or revi-r.-ed front, 

 to the flank of the march. It is a more tedious opera- 

 tion to form front to the front or rear of the march ; 

 but tiiis may be very easily performed, either by coming 

 round, if the Iwttalion is to be placed towards that sid.- 

 v here the third lire stands ; or, if it is to be placed to- 

 ward* the other Mile. l>y a double marching up, the 

 one in the diagonal line, if the ground be clear behind ; 

 the other, by m. iking each soldier go along the two 

 *ide of the right-angled triangle formed by hi* 

 position in nn>rch and that which he takes up in the 

 order of battle. This last is very u-et'ul in marching up 

 close to a defile ; and it i- .!-.. ihe basis of what is call- 

 ed the bridge-manii-uvre. (Fig. 37-) 



A* it i* necessary, however, that a battalion, as soon 

 as it arrives in the neighbourhood of the enemy, should 

 be placed in order of battle, anil so advance, frequently 

 through ditticult ground, it mutt not be permitted to 

 break it* order at e .-ery obstacle, but when any such 

 presents itself, the part of the battalion which comes 

 before it, should face to the right or left, and hang on 

 the rear of the march, and afterwards immediately 

 march up into the line, when the obstacle is passed. 

 (Fig. 38.) 



I '.i -fore we quit this branch of the subject, we must or forming 

 briefly notice a very celebrated mode of placing troops, the tqiurc. 



: has been frequently adopted, but of which the 

 utility in actual service has been much doubted, YI>. 

 the t>at<i/li>,n quairee, or square. There are various me- 

 thod* of forming the square ; one or other of which 

 may be preferable upon particular oci-.i-Ion, according 

 to the facility of its execution, the nature of the gr.> 

 the attack to be sustained, \c. In Nh.ilrr's l.lrmfnit 

 t>> (he the reader will find ei^ht different 



methods d> Vol. \ \. pp. 5*, &c.) In the neigh- 



bourhood of ihe enemy, the sides proceed by the Ci ink- 

 march ; but when unmolested they may prosecute their 

 march broken into quarter section*. 



It is scarcely necessary to observe that tlie move- 

 ment* we have described above are not executed, upon 

 long march, with the same precision as np< 

 The principle*, however, are the same; and the officers 

 must not only march in their proper \<\ - but I 

 not differ the different section* to get in 1 ., evr, fusion, or 

 extend too far in length ; so that on the first enal, all 

 may take up their mpective positions, and proceed in 

 proper order. We now proceed to the more general 

 arrangements which are necessary for an army on a 

 marr h. 



If an army were to form a single column, and to Generiltr- 

 march to the right or left, to the front or rear, it would rongi menu 

 occupy, especially with baggage and artillery, far too n a inarch, 

 long it line, and would require too much time lo form 

 in order of battle. I knee it must form more than one 

 2 M 



