66 MILITARY SCIENCES. 



of the battles in which the regiment bearing the color has distinguished 

 itself. Cords, tassels, and fringes are of gold. There is here, however, the 

 greatest diversity. The color of the United States of America is cross 

 striped red and white, with gold fringe and tassels. 



Military Gymnastics. 



Indispensable requisites for a good soldier are, great activity, precision, 

 and dexterity in all his movements. The ordinary exercises, however, are 

 entirely insufficient to effect this physical training, being directed principally 

 to the carriage of the person, the motions in rank and file, and the manage- 

 ment of the weapons. In order, therefore, to render the soldier agile and 

 to increase his strength and muscle, the practice of gymnastics, upon which 

 the Greeks and Romans formerly laid great stress, has now been made one 

 of the objects of military instruction, and reduced to a species of system, as 

 found most applicable to the wants of war service. Plates 26, 27, and 28, 

 contain the principal exercises of military gymnastics. 



The first exercises of gymnastics relate to the right positions of foot, 

 knee, hip, shoulders, arms, head, and the whole body in place ; to render 

 the limbs movable and maintain the body in equilibrium ; upon which 

 follow the staff and ball exercises, to strengthen the muscles of the breast, 

 arm, and spine. The wheeling exercises which succeed these have for 

 object to maintain the good carriage of the body, once acquired, in all 

 directions, and that the wheelings should be made rapidly and with pre- 

 cision ; for which purpose the exercises are continued in advancing, march- 

 ing, and running, as well in straight line as in zigzag and curve, singly and 

 in rank and file. The next exercises are in leaping, partly free, partly with 

 the leaping-pole, the leap in length, the leap in height, and the leap in depth, 

 and then the swinging or vaulting. The leaps on to and over the vaulting- 

 horse are divided into longitudinal and cross leaps, the first from behind, 

 the last from one side. At first the effort is only to complete the leap by 

 the assistance of the hand, afterwards without touching with the hands. 

 One of the most remarkable leaps is the back leap {pi. 26, fig. 6), where 

 the leaper clears the saddle by a running jump, resting both hands upon the 

 cantles ; in rising the legs are stretched wide with the toes pointed out- 

 wards, so that one leg passes over the crupper, the other over the neck of 

 the horse, without touching him ; the hands then let go the cantles, and the 

 descent is made with the legs closed together, the back towards the horse. 

 If it is desired to render the leap stillmore complicated, the half-turn can 

 be made at the same time, bringing the face towards the horse in alighting. 

 Very difficult also are the half and whole thief's leap. The half thief s leap 

 (pi. 26, fig. 7) is made by a run directly towards the saddle, then at the 

 distance of a half to two paces from it, springing up with the left foot alone, 

 bringing the right shoulder by a turn directly over the middle of the saddle, 

 the well extended right leg, with the toes pointed forwards, raised so high 

 as to clear it entirely, and ending in the saddle. The right leg must not be 

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