BAT 



BAT 



covering ferjeant then place themfelves on the left flanks 

 of their fubdivifions. It may be conlidered as a rule al- 

 mod general (the reafons for which are fubfequeiitly given), 

 that all wheels of the battalion or line (when halted, and 

 when the di\'ifions do not exceed fixteen or^ighteen files) into 

 column, fhould be backw-ard ; and all wheels from column into 

 line, forward. The only neceflar)' exceptions feem to be in 

 narrow ground where there is not loom for fuch wheels. 



IX. Marching on an Alignment., in open Column of Subrl't- 

 v'tfwns. The platoon having wheeled backwards by fubdi- 

 vifions from line, as juft ftattd, and a diftant markcd-objeft 

 in the prolongation of the two pivot flanks bci:ig taken, 

 the commander of the platoon, who is now on the pivot 

 flank of the leading fubdivifien, immediately fixes on his in- 

 termediate points to march on. On the word March, both 

 divifions ftep ofi" at the fame inflant ; the leader of the fore- 

 moft corps marching with the utmoll fteadinefs and equality 

 of pace on the points he has taken ; and the commander of 

 the fecond divifion prcferving the leader of the firft. in an 

 exaft line with the dillant objeft, at the fame time he keeps 

 the diftance neceflary for forming from the precedii'.g divi- 

 fion, whidi dillance is to be taken from the front rank. 

 Thefe objects are in themfelves fufficient to occupy the 

 whole attention of the leaders of the two divifions ; therefore 

 they mull not look to, nor endeavour to correct, the march 

 of their men, which care mult be entirely left to the non- 

 commifGoned officers of the fupernumerarj' rank. 



X. Wheeling into Line from op^n Column of Subjiificns. 

 The plstoon being in open column of fubdivifions, marching 

 at the ordinary' ftep on the alignment, receives the word Halt 

 from the inftruftor of the drill. Both divifions inftantly halt, 

 and the inftruftor fees that the leaders of the divifions are 

 correft on the hne in which they have moved. He then 

 gives the w ord (fuppofing the right of the platoon to be in 

 front). By Sniilivijions, to the left wheel into Line. On this 

 the commander of the platoon goes to the centre of h is f ubdi- 

 vifion ; the two pivot men face to their left, exaftly fquare 

 with the alignment , and a ferjeant runs out and places him- 

 felf in a line with them, fo as to mark the precife point at 

 which the right flank of the leading fubdivifion is to halt, 



*when it (hall have completed its wheel. At the v.ord March, 

 the whole wheel up in quickeft time. During the w-heel, 

 the commander of the platoon, turning towards his men, 

 inclines to the wheehng flank, and gives the word Halt — 

 Drefs, the moment the wheel of the divifion i^ completing. 

 He alfo, if neceflar)', corrects the internal dreffing of the 

 platoon on the ferjeant and pivot men. This dreffing niuft be 

 quickly made ; and when done, the commander of the pla- 

 toon gives the word E^es Front, in a moderate tone of voice, 

 and refumes his poll in line. In all wheels of the divifions 

 of a column (cither from the halt or from the march) that 

 are made on a halted pivot, the flank firelock of the front 

 rank on the hand wheeled to, is fuch pivot ; not the officer 

 who may be on that flank, and whofe bufinefs is to con- 

 form to it. All wheels by fubdivifions or fcciions from line 

 into column, or from column into line, are performed on 

 the word given by the commander of a battalion, when the 

 whole of a battalion is at the fame inftant fo to wheel j or 

 on the word given by the captain of the company, when 

 companies fingly, or fuccefllvely, fo wheel. They arc not 

 to be repeated by the leaders of its divifions. 



XI. In Open Columns of Subdi^^ifions, "wheeling into an 

 Alignment. The platoon being in open column of fubdivi- 

 fions, marching in ordinary time ; when its leading divifion 

 arrives at the ground, where the wheel is to commence, it 

 receives the word. Right or Left Wheel, from its commander. 

 On this the rear ranks, if at one pace diftance, lock up ; 



the flank front-rank man alone halts, and faces into thf 

 new direftion, while the others quicken their pace to the 

 wheehng time, and regulate their ftep by the outward hand 

 to which they have turned their eyes, until the wheel is 

 completed. He then gives the word Hah — Drefs, for his 

 divifion to drefs to the hand it is to move by ; and whenever 

 the fecond divifion, which has continued to advance in or- 

 dinary time, arrives clofe to the wheeling point, he gives 

 his divifion the word March, and moves on in ordinary tim.e, 

 fo as its rear rank does not occafion even a momentary ftop 

 < to the divifion behind it, whicTi at that moment receives the 

 word Wheel, then Hah — Drefs, and finally March, when. 

 ever the leading divifion has gained its proper diftance from 

 it. The officer conducing the leading and every other di- 

 vifion of the column in march on any given point or objeft 

 where it is to wheel into a new direftion, and to its proper 

 pivot liand on a halted pivot, always Hops at that point or 

 objedl clofe on his outward hand, and gives the word Wheel, 

 when the front rank of his divifion has taken one pace be-' 

 yond fuch object. He thus allows fpace for his own perfon, 

 when the wheel is finilhed, to move on clofe behind the 

 new direftion of march. But if the proper pivot flank is 

 to be the wheeling one, each commander of a divifion gives 

 his word Wheel, as he fucceffively arrives at fuch a diftance 

 from the point on which he has moved, as that at the com- 

 pletion of the wheel, his divifion may halt pei-pendicular to 

 the new line, but with the given point of courfe behind the 

 proper pivot ; and that he alfo, in his own perfon, be on 

 the new direftion, prepared to give his word March, and to 

 proceed. The rear ranks, if at one pace diftance, mult 

 clofe up at the word Wheel ; and during the wheel, they in- 

 cline fo as to cover their proper front-rank men. The fub- 

 divifions muft take care that they continue their march cor- 

 rectly upon, and wheel exaftly at the point where the 

 leading one wheeled, and that they do not fliift to either 

 flank, which without much attention they are apt to do. 

 In this manner, the fubdivifions fucceed each other ; and if 

 the words of command be juftly given, no ftop made on ar- 

 riving at the whecli"g point, the wheels performed at an 

 increafed time and ftep, and the proper halt, dreffing, and ■ 

 paufe, be made after the wheel, no extenfion of the column 

 will take place, but the juft diftances between the divifions 

 will be prefervcd. The officer conducting the direfting 

 flank of a divifion may, during the wheel, be advanced one - 

 or two paces before it, and remains fo, facing to the flank, , 

 that he may the more critically be enabled to give the word 

 Halt, at which inftant he will again place himfelf on the flank, . 

 ready to judge his diftance, and to give the word March. 



XII. In Open Column of Suhtli'uifi'.,ns, ivheeling into a ne<uj 

 DireBion on a moveable Pivot. The commander of the lead- 

 ing fubdivifion, when at a due dillance from the intended 

 new dire£tion, will give the word Right or Left Shouhlers 

 Forward ; and he himfeif carefully preferving the rate of 

 march, without the leaft alteration of ftep or time, will 

 begin to circle in his own perfon from the old into the 

 new direftion, fo as not to make an abrupt wheel, or that 

 either flank ftiall be ftationary. The reft of his divifion, on 

 the principle of dreffin^, will conform to the diredtion he is 

 giving them ; when this is effefted, he will give the word 

 Forward. The leader of the fecond fubdivifion, when he 

 arrives at the ground on which the firft began to wheel, 

 will in this mannt:r follow the exaft tra-<£t of the firft, al- 

 ways preferving his proper diftance from him. Thus, with- 

 out the conftraint of formal wheels, a column, when not 

 confined on its flanks, may be conducted in all kinds of 

 winding and changeable direftions ; for, if the changes be 

 made gradual and circling, and that the pivct leaders of 



divifions 



