BAT 



BAT 



wirJ, fo tliat its weiglit principally bears on the fore part of 

 t'ne feet ; the head to be ere£l, and turned neither to the 

 right nor left. The pofition in which a foldicr fliould inove, 

 determines that which he is to obferve when (landing ftill. 

 No method mull be left untried to fupple the limbs, and 

 banilh the air of the ruftic. But that excefs of pofition 

 which ItifFens the perfon, and tends to throw the body 

 backwiird inftead of forward, is contrary to every true prin- 

 ciple of movement, and niull therefore be moll carefully 

 avoided. 



II. StanJiiig at Eafe. I. On the word Stand at Eafe, 

 the right foot mull be drawn back about fix inches, and 

 the greateil part of the weight of the body be brought to 

 bear on it ; the left knee a httle bent, the hands brought 

 together before the bodv ; but the flioulders to be kept 

 back and fquare ; the head to the front, and the whole at- 

 titude without coiiftraint. 2. On the worrl ylttention, the 

 hands are to fall fmartly down the outfide of the thighs ; 

 the right heel to be brought up on a line with the left, 

 and the proper pofition of a foldier to be immediately re- 

 fumed. After Handing at eafe for any confiderable time in 

 cold weather, the men may be permitted, by command, to 

 move their limbs, but without quitting their ground, fo 

 that on the word Attnit'ion, no one fliall have materially loll 

 his drelling in the line. 



III. Eyes to the right, &C. On the word Eyes right, 

 glance the eyes to the right, with the flighteft poffible turn 

 of the head ; Eyes left, turn them in the like manner to 

 the left ; Eyes front ; the look and head are to be direilly 

 to the front, the habitual pofition of the foldier. Thefe 

 motions are only ufeful on the v/heeling of divifions, or 

 when drifling is ordered after a halt. Particular attention 

 mull be paid, in the feveral turnings of the eyes, to prevent 

 the recruit from moving his body, which fliould be prefei"ved 

 perfetlly fquare to the front. 



IV. The Faeings. In going through the facings, the left 

 heel never quits the ground ; the body muft. rather incline 

 forward, and the knees be kept ilraight. At the word, 

 to the right, face, firft, place the hollow of the right foot 

 fmartly againll the left heel, keeping the (houlder fquare to 

 the front ; fecond, raife the toes, and turn to the right on 

 both heels. To the left, face ; firlt, plaoe the right heel 

 againll the hollow of the left foot, (boulders fquare to the 

 front ; fecond, turn, as before, to the left on both heels. 

 To the right about, face ; firft, place the ball of the right toe 

 againll the left heel, fiioulders fq»;are to the front ; fecond, 

 raife the toes, and turn to the right about on both heels ; 

 third, bring the right foot fmartly back, in a line with the 

 left. To the left ahout, face ; firlt, place the right heel againll 

 the ball of the left foot, keeping the fhoulders fquare to the 

 front ; fecond, turn, as before, to the left about ; third, bring 

 the right foot fmartly up, in a line with the left. The nt- 

 moft precifion muft be obferved in the facings, for if they 

 are not exaftly executed, a corps, although previoufly pro- 

 perly drefled, wilUofe their drefling on every fmall movement 

 of facing. 



V. Pofition in Marching March! The foldier muft here, 



as much as poffible, maintain the pofition of his body, as 

 direfted in feft. i. He muft be well balanced on his hmbs. 

 His arms and hands, without lliffnefs, muft be kept fteady to 

 his fides, and not fuffered to vibrate. He muft not ftoop 

 forward, ftill lefs lean back. His body is to be kept fquare 

 to the front, and thrown rather more forward in marching 

 than' when halted, that it may accompany the movement of 

 the leg and thigh, which movement muft fpring from the 

 haunch. The ham muft be ftretched, but without ftiffening 

 the kuee. The toe a little pointed, and kept fo near the 



ground, that the flioefoles may not be vifible to a perfon Jb 

 front. The head to be well kept up, ftraight to the front, 

 and the eyes not fuffered to be call down. The feet, 

 without being drawn back, muft be placed flat on the 

 ground. ' 



VI. Orilinary Step. The length of each pace, from heel 

 to hed, is 30 inches, and the recruit muft be taught to take 

 75 of thefe fteps in a minute, without tottering, and with 

 perfect fteadinefs. Ordinary time being the pace on all oc- 

 cafions whatever, iinlefs greater celerity be particularly 

 ordered, the recruit is to be carefully and thoroughly trained 

 to this moft elfential part ot his duty, and made perfectly to 

 underftand, that he is to maintain it for a long time together, 

 in line, in column, and in marching over rough or fmooth 

 ground. This is the flowtft ftep which a recruit is taught, 

 and is alfo applied in all movements of parade. 



VII. The Hah. On the word, halt, let the rear foot be 

 brought upon a line with the advanced one, lo as to finifti 

 the ftep which was taking when the command was given. 



VIII. The oblique Step. Having acquired the regular 

 length and cadence of the ordinary pace, the recruit is next 

 to be taught the oblique ftep. At the words, to the lift oh- 

 lique — march ! he will, without altering his fquarenefs of 

 perfonal pofition, when he is to ftep with his left foot, point, 

 and carry it forward 19 inches, in the diagonal line, to the 

 left, which gives about 13 inches to the fide, and nearly the 

 fame number to the front. On the word t-zvo, he will bring 

 forward his right foot 30 inches, thus placing the heel of 

 that foot 13 inches di;efHy before the left one. Here he will 

 paufe, and on the word two, continue the fame mode of 

 marching, by advancing his left foot 30 inches, paufing at 

 each ftep, until confirmed in his pofition, as it is effentially 

 necelfary to take the greateft care in preierving the fhoulders 

 fquare to the front. Combining thefe two movements, the 

 obliquity gained will amount to an angle of about 25 degrees. 

 When the recruit is habituated to the ftep, he muil be made 

 to continue it firmly, without paufing, and in the cadence of 

 the ordinaiy pace, viz. 75 fteps in the minute. "As all 

 marching (the fide ftep excepted) commences by the left 

 foot, whether the obhquing commences from the halt, or on 

 the march, the firft diagonal ftep taken, is by the leading 

 foot of the fide inclined to, when it comes to its turn, after 

 the command is pronounced. Squarenefs of perfon, and 

 the habitual cadenced ftep are, confequently, the great 

 direflions of the obhqiie, as well as the dircdl march. 



Each recruit fhould be fcparately and carefully inftruiled 

 in the principles of the foregoing eight fetlions of the drill. 

 They form the bafis of all miHtary movements. Three 

 or four recruits will now be fomied in one rank, at very 

 open files, and inftrutlcd in the following manner. 



IX. Dreffmg when hailed. Drcffihg is taught equally by 

 the left as by the right. On the word, drefs, eich indi- 

 vidual will call his eyes to the point to which he is ordered 

 to drefs, with the fmalleft turn poffible of the head, but pre- 

 ferving the fhoulders and body fquare to the front. The 

 whole perfon of the man muft move as may be necelfary, and 

 bending backward and forward is not to be permitted. He 

 muft take fl,ort, quick fteps, thereby gradually and exaftly 

 to gain his pofition, and on no account be permitted to at- 

 tempt it by any fudden or violent alteration, which will in- 

 fallibly derange whatever is beyond him. The faces of the 

 men, not their breafts, or feet, are the hne of drefling. Each 

 foldier is to be able juft to dillinguifh the lower part of the 

 face of the fecond man beyond him. In drefTing, eyes are 

 always turned to the officer who gives the word ; who is 

 pofted at the point by which the body halts : and who 

 from that point corrects his men on another, at or beyond 



the 



