BAT 



BAT 



sne. But if a (Iraiglit line is to be entered, and formed 

 upon, from the point wliere the head enters, and not fooner, 

 and where a mounted officer remains polled, dots every pla- 

 toon pivot officer begin to cover in the true line, to march 

 in that line, and to preferve his true diftance ; nor muft any 

 obftacle that can poffibly be fui-mounted, ever force the 

 pivot officers out of that line, although the men of their 

 platoon, when it becomes neceiTarj', may open or widen their 

 files from them. If the pivots, on account of any material 

 impediment, nrs thrown for a time out of the Hne, they (hould 

 always, if poffible, move to the hand which carries them be- 

 hind the lii;e, and again re-enter it if they can ; for which 

 purpofe an officer, or non-commiffioned officer, fhould be 

 placed where they are to re-enter it. In marching in the 

 alignment, the commanding officer fhould frequently place 

 himfelf in it, fee with a glance of the eye whether his iiles 

 preferve it, and conecl; them if nectflary. 



As one iield officer at a time muft command the battalion, 

 the others pi'efent can only acl in aid of him, nor can their 

 fituation in all cafes be afcertained ; but (hould the com- 

 manding officer not be at the head of the open column when 

 it matches, and particularly when it halts, to correft if 

 neccffary the pivots in the general line, another field officer, 

 or the leading officer, if no field officer is there, fnould in- 

 ftantly attend to it, that the wheeling up may not be de- 

 layed. If in the courfe of exercife and inilruftion, the com- 

 manding officer is not behind the centre when the battalion 

 marches in line or halts, another field officer from that fitua- 

 tion can immediately give eveiy proper aid in movement, or 

 in lining as it ought when halted ; and in every cafe it muft 

 be evident in what manner the commanding officer caa be 

 affilUd. 



When the line is to break and wheel into open column of 

 march, in alinoll all cafes it is better done by wheeling back- 

 ward than forward, for the wheel is in thij manner made on 

 the pivot flanks ; and although diviljons may be unequal, 

 yet thele flanks cover after the wheel, an advantage which is 

 loll if the wheels be made forward. When a battalion 

 makes a retired echcUon, or part of an ec^iellon of a con- 

 fiderable line, the commanding officer mud take great care 

 to regulate his movements by thofe of the one preceding 

 him, viz. that he prcfcrves his parallclifm, his ordered diftance, 

 his proper flank interval, and when the leading echelloiis 

 halt, and that he is to move up into line, th;it the outward 

 flank is not thrown too forward (which without great atten- 

 tion will happen), and thereby perhaps be expofed to the 

 enemy's enfilade. 



Commanding officers of regiments, brigades, or larger 

 bodies, are moveable according to circumllances, and ihoiild, 

 by no means, confidcr the centre of fuch bodies as their 

 general pofl in exercife or movements, or expetl by the 

 exertion of one voice, from one fixed fituation, to command 

 and direct the whole. Their prefence is more frequently 

 required near one or the other flank. In general, they ihould 

 be at the cond icling point of movem.ert or formation, and 

 to that addrefi their orders by voice or meflage; for if that 

 point is led or placed in the diieition it iliould take, there 

 is little danger of the other parts of the cpi'ps not properly 

 and fucceffivtdy conforming to it. There are many fituatioiis 

 in the movements of great bodice, where commands, that 

 are not immediately to influence the whole, are not given 

 loud, but quietly, to the direcliiig body, to whofe fituation 

 the reft by the eye confonn : as when the head of an open 

 column is ordered to halt, that the rell of the divifions may 

 move on, and fucceffivclv ilop in clofe column ; and on all 

 occafions where parts only of a large body are to march, or 

 halt, fucceffively. In thele cafes, commanding officers of 

 Vol. \\l. 



regiments (hould have an attention to give their comman'l* 

 in fuch manner as not to produce an alteration in thofe 

 points that are not meant to be influenced by them at that 

 inllant. 



Where a large body is marching in column or column*, 

 through a narrow ground, and when its parts are to be 

 adembled beyond the defile in feveral fines, in a compact 

 manner behind each other, fuch parts are not to begin 

 to aflemble when the leading one does, but the head of each 

 line is fncceffively (irft to come up to the ground on which it 

 is to ftaiid, and when it there halts, its proper followers, and 

 not before, move into line with it ; thus not impeding the 

 divifions that are ftill behind them in the defile, and are to 

 perform the fame operation. 



Precifion of movement depends altogether on tVie inftant 

 circulation of commands of execution, and that on the at- 

 tention of officers to the point they may be expefted to come 

 from. Unlcfs the w hole of a body, however large, is put in 

 motion at the fame inilant, a column will be extended badly, 

 and a hne will be ill dreffcd, and with falfe intervaU. 

 Officers muft particularly attend to the difference between 

 changes of direction made by -wheel, and h\ J}:ouh!ersforzL'<ird. 

 In the firll cafe, one flank remains fixed, while the other is 

 on the wheel; in the fecojid, both flanks are in motion. 

 S/yrju/Jers forziiard zppMes. to a fmall front, and to a column 

 of march, where the change of direflion is to be made gra- 

 dually, without an alteration of the pace. In proportion t» 

 the front of the body fo changing, muft be the degree of 

 fweep made by both flanks ; and in all cafes, the reverfe 

 flank conforms to the pace of the pivot flank. In no cafe 

 can it be made ffiort and quick, otherwife it becomes a 

 wheel. 



Regulations in Firing. 



1. The advance of the battalion (hould inftantly fucceed 

 the forming of the line, and when it arrives and halts at the 

 point where it is to fire, the firing ought inftantly to com- 

 mence at the word Halt, for the battai on having been ap- 

 prized, during the march, of the nature of the requind 

 fixing, no improper delay need therefore be made. The 

 greateft care (liould be taken by the officers and ron-com- 

 miffioned officers in the rear (whofe principal attention this 

 is) that the rear ranks are well locked up in the firings, ar.i 

 tl«t in loading they do not fall back. 



2. The panfe betwixt each of the firing words Jlfnie 

 ready — Prefent — -Fire, is the fame as the ordinary time, viz. 

 the 75th part of a minute, and no other paule is to be made 

 betwixt the words. 



3. In firing wings by companies, each wing carries en jt« 

 fire independent, and without regard to the other wn'ng, 

 whether it fires from the centre to the flanks, or from the 

 flanks to the centre. If there are five companies in the 

 wing, two panfes will be made betwixt the fire ot each and 

 the make ready of the fucceeding one. If there are fourcom- 

 panies in the wing, three paufes will be made in the fame 

 interval. This will allow fufficient time for the firft com- 

 pany to have again loaded, and (houldered a: the time the laft 

 company fires, and will eflabli(h proper iuterv-d^ between 

 each. In firing by wings, one wing will rr.ake ready the 

 iiiftant the other is (houidering. The commanding officer 

 of the battalion fires the wings. 



4. In filing by grpnd divifions, three paufes will be made 

 betwixt the iire of each divifion and the make r.ady of the 

 fucceeding one. In platoon firing, two paufes will be made. 

 In tiring by lubdivifions, Tvliefi one j^rr/, the i:sx.t pre fentf, 

 when one f>r:jints, the next i» ready : thus keeping up aa 

 incelT.int fire. 



5. In firing companits by files, each company fires inde- 



£ N pendectly ; 



