BAT 



BAT 



forward. On the perfeft execution of this, depends much of 

 the accuracy of march. On the word March, the firft ftcp 

 in all fituations is taken with the left foot. When the com- 

 manding officer of the battaUon gives that word, the whole 

 ftep off together, whether in line or in column. When he 

 gives the word Halt, the whole halt at that inftant. At 

 the word March, e)e3 are direfted to the pivot flank, if in 

 column ; or to the head of the file, if fihng ; to the colours, 

 if marching in battalion j and in general to that point by 

 which they are condudied. At the word Halt, the foot in 

 the air finiflies its ttep, and the other is brought up to it. 

 Eyes remain direfted to the pivot flank if marcliing in co- 

 lumn ; to the colours, if in line ; or to tlie wheeling flank, 

 if wheeling ; and in general to the point to which they v:iirc 

 turned when in movement, until a new order commands a 

 new dreffing. Whenever the word Drefs is given by platoon 

 officers to their platoons, eyes are turned to the pivot where 

 the officer is, and from whence he corrects them upon a di- 

 ftant object. In marching in line, each man muil preftrve 

 his body perfe6\Iy fquare, and juft feel the touch of his 

 neighbour, who is nearer than himfclf to the directing 

 point. The rear ranks are to be well locked up, particularly 

 when firing. In marching in battalion, or when halted, 

 rear ranks will be locked up ; but in marching in column, 

 they may in general be at one pace diftance. The fteps are 

 to be taken firm, and marked. 



All alterations in carrying, fupport'mg arms. Sec. are done 

 by the whole battahon at once, whether in line or column, 

 and not by the divifions of it feparately. The commanding 

 officer gives the word, and not the platoon officers ; and no 

 fuch change is at any time made, but in confequence of his 

 command. The men therefore, in all cafes, wheel, halt, 

 march, drefs. Sec. with their arms carried, fupported, 

 trailed, or floped, according as the laft-given command di- 

 rected them. The fame is to be obferved whenever the bat- 

 tahon, moving in line or in column, changes its time of march. 

 In column, when the right of the battahon is in front, 

 the left is the pivot flank ; and when the left is in front, the 

 right is the pivot. In marching in column, the pivot files 

 of men next to the officers muit have great attention in co- 

 veting, when the movement is made i". a ftraight line, as 

 they are points on which the formation is made ; and there- 

 fore for that purpofe, thev muft remain clofe to their pivot 

 officers, who in that fituation cover and give diftance. 



Supported arms fhoulJ only be allowed when halted in line, 

 cr when moving in column. But the march in line, and in 

 general all wheelings up into line, and all formings of the 

 line or dreffing it, fhould be made with carried arms, as the 

 only fituation which prefer\-es the true diftance of files, or 

 can give an accurate hne. 



II. Covering Platoon Serjeants. 

 The covering ferieant accompanies and affilts the platoon 

 officer in all his movement";, and preferves his place m line, 

 or on the pivot flank in colu.Tin, whenever the officer's duty 

 requires him occaiionaliy to quit it. In battalion, he covers 

 ia the rear rank. At open order he moves into the officer's 

 place in the front rank. At clofe order, he leaves it for 

 the officer to take it. In the march in echellon, he is on 

 the outv.-ard flank of the front rank. When the battalion 

 breaks into column to the right or left, the ferieant falls 

 back two paces ; and when the wheel is finilhed, he covers 

 his officer on the pivot flank. When the column marches, 

 if the officer is in front of the platoon, the ferjeaut is on 

 the pivot of the front rank, and is anfwtrable for the pla- 

 toon diftance ; if the officer remains on the pivot flank, the 

 ferjeant then tails behind the rear rank, and covers the fe- 

 cond file from the pivot. When from column the right in 

 front platoons wheel up to the left into line, the Isrjeant at the 



word P/heet, goes to the right of the front rank of the 

 platoon, and wheels up with it, thereby preierving the offi- 

 cer's place. If the wheel is to the right, the ferjeant is be- 

 hind the right file, ready to move up to the officer's place 

 at the conclufion of the wheel. On all occafions, when 

 any platoon, which is then fcparated, joins in line to one 

 on its right ; at that iiillant muft the covering ferjeant be 

 on its right, to preferve the place of his officer, who may 

 be employed in dreffing his platoon. 



When the platoons wheel either into line or into column, 

 the ferjeant of the leadirig platoon runs out, and marks 

 tlie point in the line of pivots where its flank is to halt. 

 When platoons countermarch in column, the ferjeant 

 moves into the officer's place on his quitting it to lead in 

 file, faces to the right about, ftands fall, and becomes tht 

 pivot point for the front rank leader to clofe to after the 

 countermarch is finifhed, and its place is occupied by the 

 officer after dreffing his divifion. When the platoons from 

 columns file, in order to take a new line either to the front 

 or rear ; the ferjeant of each fucceffively, as it arrives within 

 thirty yards of that line, and no fooner, runs out, takes di- 

 ftance, places himfeif upon it, and remains as a point to 

 which his officer is to bring and clofe in the pivot fiank man 

 of his platoon, and as a point which the officer himfeif is 

 afterwards to occupy. Whenever the battalion halts to fire, 

 the fcrjeants fall back, and in concert with the fupernume- 

 rary rank, keep the rear ranks well locked up and attentive 

 to their duty. When the battahon again moves, fcrjeants 

 refume their places. When the battahon is in column of fub- 

 divifions, if the officer is ordered to march in front of his pla- 

 toon, the ferjeant is on the pivot of the leading fubdinfion. 

 If the officer is on the flank of his leading fubdirifion, the 

 ferjeant takes the flank of the fecond. In column of fec- 

 tions, the ferjeant alfo takes the flank of the fecond fec- 

 tion. In clofe column, the ferjeant is on the flank of the 

 rear rank, behind the officer ; and in forming hne after 

 the Hall, Front, of the platoon, he remains on its outward 

 flank, and marches up with it. 



The pioneers, in column of march, are in front ; in line, 

 they are formed two deep behind the centre, and nine paces 

 from the rear rank. Drummers, in column of march or 

 clofe column, are with their companies, and on the flank 

 not the pivot one. In line, the grenadier and light drum- 

 mers are fix paces behind the rear rank of their companies. 

 The battahon drummers are in two divifions, and formed 

 fix paces behind the third and leventh companies. In pa- 

 rade, at open order, the drummers preferve their fix paces- 

 from the rear rank. Whenever the platoon is cautioned to 

 wheel forward or backward any named number of p?.ces, 

 the ferjeant immediately pofts himfeif before or behind the 

 eighth file from the ftanding flank, and takes the ordered 

 number of paces ; when his platoon has confonned, he 

 places himfclf on its outward flank. The mufic, in open 

 or clofe column, are on the flank which is njt the pivot 

 one ; in line, they are in a fingle hne behind the centre, 

 twelve paces from the rear rank. On parade, at open order, 

 they are between the colours and the front rank. Drum- 

 mers, mufic, pioneers, Sec. will take care not to impede 

 the flank movements of the clofe column, nor its forma- 

 tion into hne, but will get into the rear of their refpecfive 

 battalionsj as foon as they are difeng-aged from each, 

 other.. 



III. Attentions in Plat cm Offcers. 

 When the battahon is formed in line, company or platooa 

 officers are all on the right of their platoons. In column, 

 tliey arc on the pivot flank, unlefs particularly ordered into 

 the front of each platoon, if a march for any confiderabie 

 diftance is to be made. When on the pivot flanks, tliey 



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