BAT 



A muflcet ball, fiifpendtd by a ftriag wliicli is not fubjecl 

 to ftretch, and on which are marked the ditTeront required 

 lengths, will anfwer the above purpofe, and fiiould be fre- 

 quently compared with an accurate (landard. Accurate di- 

 ftances of (leps may alfo be marked out on the ground 

 along which the foldicr is praftifed to march, and thereby 

 accuTlom him to the juft length of each. 



Six or eight recruits will now be formed in a rank, at 

 clofe files, having a fteady well-drilled foldier on their flank 

 to lead ; and Jile marching may be taught them. 



XVIII. F/k Marchin;^. The recruits mnft firfl face, 

 and then be inftrufted to cover each other exactly in file, 

 fo that the head of the man immediately before may con- 

 ceal the heads of all the others in his front. The ftricleil 

 obfervance of all the rules for marching is particularly necef- 

 fary in marching by hies, which is iirll to be taught at the or- 

 dinar)', and afterwards in quick time. On the word March, 

 the whole immediately ftep off together, gaining at the very 

 firft ilep thirty inches, and continuing each llcp without in- 

 creafing the diilance betwixt each recruit, every man lock- 

 ing or placing his advanced foot on the ground, before 

 the fpot whence the preceding man has taken up his. 

 No looking down nor leaning backward is to be tolerated 

 on any pretence. The leader is to be diredled to march 

 ftraight forward to fome diltant object given him for that 

 purpofe, and the recruits made to cover one another during 

 the march with the moft fcrupulous exadnefs. Great at- 

 tention muft be paid to prevent them from marching with 

 their knees bent, which they will at firll be extremely apt 

 to do, from an apprehenfion of treading down the heels uf 

 tho^e before them. 



XIX. Wheeling in ftngk Rani, from the Halt. At the 

 word to the Right Wheel, the man on the right of the rank 

 faces to that flank ; on the word March, they itep off to- 

 gether, the whole turning their eyes to the left (the \s-hteling 

 flank), except the left hand man, who looks inwards, and 

 during the wheel becomes a kind of bafe line for the reft 

 to conform to and maintain the uniformity of front. The 

 outward wheeling man always lengthens his ftep to thirty- 

 three inches. The whole obferve the fame time ; but each 

 man fliortens his ftep, in proportion as he is nearer to the 

 ftanding flank on which the wheel is made. During the 

 wheel, the whole remain clofed to the ftanding flank, i. e. 

 they touch without incommoding their neighbour ; nor 

 mult; they fioop forward, but remain upright. Opening 

 out from the ftanding flank, or clofing in upon it, during the 

 wheel, are equally to be avoided. On the word Halt — Drefs, 

 each man halts immediately, without jumping forward or 

 making any falfe movements. When able to perform the 

 wheel with accuracy in the ordinary time, the recruits 

 muft be next pradlifed in the quickeft. Nothing fooner 

 tends to enable them to acquire the proper length of ftep, 

 according to their diftance from the pivot, than continuing 

 the wheel without halting for feveral revolutions of the circle. 

 I XX. Wheeling, in Jingle Rani, from the March. The re- 

 cruits are firft taught to perform this wheeling at the ordi- 

 naiy, afterwards in the quickeft time, the proper wheeling 

 ftep. The rank marching to the front in ordinary time, 

 receives the word of command. Right — Wheel. The man 

 on the right of the rank inHantiy halts, and faces to his 

 right. The reft of the rank turning their eyes to the 

 wheeling flank (as above directed), immediately change 

 the ftep together to wheeling time. As foon as the portion 

 of the circle intended to be wheeled, is completed, the 

 words Halt — Drefs will be given, (a paufe of two or three 

 feconds may be made), and then March, at which the whole 

 rank fteps off together in ordinary time. 



Vol. III. 



BAT 



XXI. Wheeling back^varJs, in Jingle Rank. At the word 

 On your Right, backwards, — Wheel, the right-hand m.an of 

 the rank faces to his left. At the word March, the whole 

 ftep backward in wheeling time, dreffing by the outward 

 wheeling man ; thofe nearell the pivot making their ftcps 

 extremely fmall, and thofe towards the wheeling man in- 

 creafiiig them as they are placed nearer to him. The re- 

 cruit in this wheel muft not bend forward, nor be fuffered 

 to look down ; but by calling his eyes to tl'.e wheeling 

 flank, preferve the dreffing of the rank. On the word Halt, 

 the whole remain perfectly fteady, ftill looking to the wheel- 

 ing flank, till they receive the word Right — Drefs. TiiC 

 recruits rtiould be firft practifed to wheel backwards at the 

 ordinary ftep. At all times it will be neceffary to prevent 

 their hurrying the pace, an error foldiers are very fubject to, 

 particularly in the backward wheel. Where large bodies 

 wheel from line into columin, this wheeling is neceffary to 

 preferve the covering of pivot flanks, and the diftances of 

 the divifions, which the line has broken into. 



XXII. Wheeling in fingle Rani, on a inoveable Pivot. In 

 performing this wheel, both flanks are moveable, and de- 

 fcribe concentric circks round a point, which is removed a few 

 paces from what would otherwiie be the itanding flank; and 

 eyes are all turned towards the directing pivot man, whether 

 he is on the outward flank or the flank wheeled to. When 

 the wheel is to be made to the directing pivot flank (fup- 

 pole the left), the rank marching at the ordinary pace, re- 

 ceives the word Right Shoulders For'ward ; on which the 

 pivot man, without altering either the time or length of his 

 pace, continues his march on the circumference of the 

 lefTer circle ; and tracing out a confiderable arch, on the 

 principle of dreffing, gradually brings round his rank to 

 the direction required, without obliging the other flank, 

 which is defcribing the circumference of a larger circle, 

 to too great hurry. On the word Forward, flioulders are 

 fquared, and the pivot marches direAly to his front. 

 VVhen the directing pivot is on the outwai'd flank, and 

 has to defcribe the circumference of the larger circle, on the 

 word Left Shoulders Forvjard, he w-iil (preferving the time 

 and length of his pace) gradually bring round the rank to 

 the required direction, fo as to enable the inward flank to 

 defcribe a fimilar arc of a leffer circle, concentric to the 

 one he himfeif is moving on. During both thefe wheels, 

 the rank dreifes to the proper pivot ; and whvn he defcribes 

 the fmaller circle of the wheel, the other flank which ha» 

 more ground to go over, will quicken its march and ftep 

 out. When the pivot defcribes the greater circle of the 

 wheel, the other flank having lefs ground to go over, will 

 ftep fliorter and graduaUy conform. In the firll cafe, the 

 recruit muft be cautioned againft opening out from the pi- 

 vot ; and in the latter, from crowding on him. The juft 

 performance of this mode of wheeUng depends fo much on 

 the direfting pivot, that a well-drilled foldier (hould at firft 

 be placed on the flank named, as the proper pivot, and 

 changed occafionally. It is ufed when a column of march 

 (to follow the windings of its route) changes its directioa 

 in general lefs than the quarter circle. 



Drill of the Recruit tuith Arms. 



I. Pq/ition of the Soldier. \\ hen the firelock is given, and 

 is fliouldered, the perfon of the foldier remains in the pofi- 

 tion defcribed in fection I. of the drill without arms, except 

 that the wrift of the left hand is turned out, the better to 

 embrace the butt ; the thumb alone is to appear in front, 

 the four fingers to be under the butt, and the left elbow a 

 little bent inwards, without being feparated from the body, 

 or being more backward or forward than the right one. 

 The firelock is pk^ed in the hand, not on the middle 

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