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ftep inclines to the fifth company, to ciofe the interval that was 

 made by the falling back of the colours. At the word right 

 about face, the companies that were in echellon face accord- 

 ingly. The colonel then gives the word, in echillm, march 

 to form fquare — march. Two ftrjeants or camp colours 

 fhoiild be placed in the rear, in a perpendicular line with 

 the outfide flanks of the front face, marking out a perfeCl 

 fquare. The companies now march in echellon, and by the 

 -turning of the left (houlders of the right companies, and 

 the right (houlders of the left companies, they wheel in to 

 form fquare. Tlieir captains halt and front them in a cor- 

 re& line. The firft company will wheel round the ferjeant 

 placed to mark the angle, and the grenadiers round the 

 proper right of the firil company ; the hght infantry at the 

 lame time wheeling round the ferjeant on the oppofite an- 

 gle, till its right flank touches that of the grenadiers. 

 They then, as alfo the firfl company, get the words hah, 

 front, dnfs, from their captains. They have then formed 

 the rear face of the fquare, and in this manner the proper 

 front rank of the rear face will 'be outward. The fquare 

 is now perfetlly formed, and compofcd of four faces. The 

 front face confiils of the fourth, fifth, and fixth companies ; 

 the right face of the third and fecond ; the left face of the 

 feventh and eighth ; and the rear face of the firft company, 

 the grenadiers, and light infantry. The mounted ofhcers, 

 colours, niullc, drummers, &c. and the battalion guns, are 

 nil within the fquare. 



'I'iie colonel then gives the words the fquare tvill march hy 

 ihi right angle of the front face, left and rear faces — ri^ht 

 ahoitt face. The two fides that form the right angle, that is, 

 the front face and tlie right face, ftand fail ; the other two 

 fides, via. the left face and the rear face, go to the right 

 about. At the word by fubdivifwns four paces to the right and 

 left ivhcel — march, the whole by fubdivifions wheel up one 

 eighth of the circle, two lides to the right and two fides to 

 the left, and are thus parallel to each other, and perpendi- 

 cular to the diredlion in which they are to move. The pi- 

 vot flanks are in this manner placed on the fides of the 

 fquare, each fide being thus in echellon, and the colours be- 

 hind the leading angle. At the word march, captains, who 

 are on the inward flank of their leading fubdivifions, care- 

 fully preferve the diftances they w.hecled at, and from the 

 flanks to which they wheeled. At the words halt, front 

 fquare, or reform f-.r:; the whole wheel back into fquare ; 

 and the two fides that require it, that is, the left and rear 

 faces, go to the right about. Captains dreis their divifions 

 asufual, in the fame manner as is defcribed for the fquare. 

 The dircftions given for the march of the fquare by the 

 right angle of the front face, will equally apply, fhould it 

 be found necei?dry to march the fcmare by any of its 

 other angles. 



The colonel then gives the words the fquare will march 

 ly the right face. The colours move up behind the centre of 

 the named face, as do the mounted officers, &c. At the 

 word front and rear faces, by fubdivifwuj to the right and left 

 -wheel — quid march, the oppofite fide, that is, the left face, 

 faces about ; and the two flank fides wheel up by fubdivi- 

 fions, fo as to (land each in open column. At the word by 

 right face — march, the fquare marches two fides in line and 

 by their centre, and two lides in open column, which cover 

 and drefs to their inward flanks on which they wheeled up, 

 carefully preferving their dillances. The fame dircftions 

 that are given for marching by the right face, will apply 

 to the march by any of the other faces. The colonel, 

 when the fquare has marched as far as he fees neceffary, 

 jrives the word halt, reform fquare. The fquare halts, the 

 lubJiyiilons iu column immediately wheel back, awl form 



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their fides, and the fide which faced about again faces out. 

 wards. The captains give the words halt, dnfs. 



On the word pref ire for f ring, the front rank kneel and 

 prefent their bayonets Hoped. The fquare is then ordered 

 to fire in whatever manner may be judged proper ; the two 

 rear ranks to fire (landing ; or companies by ranks fuccef- 

 fivcly : or by companies independent of each other ; or by 

 fubdivifions, one firing when the other has loaded ; or com- 

 panies by files ; as ordered. The front rank remains as a 

 referve. Should the battalion be formed only two deep, the 

 front rank will remain kneeling, and the other rank will fire 

 by files. The word is now g^wtrt fquare ivill fire by compa- 

 nies, beginning on the right. When the firing h^' companies 

 has ceaftd, the command is given by the colonel kneeling 

 ranks, make ready, prefent, fire (the men rife up after firingj, 

 prime and load. I'he word is then given the fquare will form 

 line on the three centre companies— fide and rear faces — by com- 

 panics, fix paces to the right and left wheel, quick march. The 

 captains, as ufual halt^drefs their companies. The words 

 are then given in echellon march and form line, march. The 

 whole march in echellon, except the three centre companies, 

 the outward companies taking care not to impede the 

 inner ones, which mud form before them. This may be 

 done by the facing and filing of each divifion from its in- 

 ward flank to its point in the new line, where it will form 

 up. Captains hah — drefs their companies, as in the third 

 manoeuvre. 



If the fquare is compofed of the eight battalion compa- 

 nies only, then the grenadier and light company may be 

 placed as a referve in the rear, ready to be applied according 

 to circumflances. In marching the fquare by any of its 

 faces, fome regiments have been inftrudled to march two 

 fides in file inftead of open column ; and if the men march 

 tolerably in file, there can be no queftion but that it is the 

 beft method. 



Fifteenth Manoeuvre. Retiring and ^filing to the 



Rear. 



When the battalion is to retire, it ought to be previoully 

 dreffed with the fame exaftnefs as when it is to advance, and 

 the fame care in afcertaining the direftion of its march muft 

 be taken. Therefore, before the retreat is to begin, an 

 officer or ferjeant will have placed himfclf thirty paces in 

 the rear, fo as to ftand perpendicular to the front direfting 

 ferjeant ; and of courfe he will be in the line, or nearly fo, 

 of the direfting ferjeant. Whenever the battalion marches 

 to the rear, it muil cover its proper extent of ground. The 

 rear muft therefore avoid clofing their files more than 

 ufual ; otherwiie the front rank men, who are in general 

 larger, will be crowded in their rank. Mufic, drums, fuper- 

 numerary officers, &c. will take to care maich with exadl- 

 nefs, and not to interrupt, but rather afllft the battalion. 



The colonel gives the word the battalion will retire. As 

 foon as this caution is given, the three direfting ferjeants 

 face about. The fame centre ferjeant that direfts to the 

 front, direfts alfo to the rear. He moves on in the line 

 of the advanced officer, fix paces beyond the rear rank, and 

 halts. The two other ferjeants move up on each fide of 

 him. When the line is retiring, mufic is never to play. On 

 the word right about face, the whole face; and the fupemu- 

 merary officer, who had replaced the dire£ling ferjeant, 

 moves up into the leading rank. A mounted field ofBcer 

 paffes through to the rear, and the diredling ferjeant in the 

 interior prolongs his fine, and takes his objtdl betwixt the 

 feet of the pofted officer. Immediately after facing about, 

 the word march is given by the colonel. The whole batta- 

 lion inftantly fteps off. The replacing officer betwixt the 

 colours prefervcs, during the movement, his exaft diftance 

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