84 MILITARY SCIENCES. 



column is formed, from the march to the flank, by the command, " Form 

 column !" on which the first company halts and the others close upon it. 

 In the United States service, as in the French, this restriction of the 

 column is not received ; the column is formed whenever the line is 

 broken into companies, platoons, sections, or other subdivisions, placed one 

 in rear of the other, and that which alone is here called the column is 

 merely distinguished as the close column. A column of companies at 

 platoon distance is called column at half distance. 



If the column is to be formed from line of battle, it can be done on the 

 first, last, or one of the inner platoons. To form column on the first com- 

 pany {pi. 2^, Jig. 7), the command is, "On right, into column ; first company 

 stand fast ; right face ! " whereupon all the companies, save the first, face 

 to the right. On the word, " March !" all the other companies move by the 

 right flank, obliquely one behind the other, into the rear of the first company. 

 If the column is to be formed on the last company, however, the command 

 is, " On left, into column ; last company stand fast ; left face ! " whereupon 

 all the companies, save the last, face to the left ; and at the word " March !" 

 move obliquely, one before the other, in front of the last company {fig. 8). 

 To form the column on any other company (fig. 9) the command is, " Column 

 on the centre ; second (or other company), stand fast ; right and left face ! " 

 whereupon the companies in front of the designated platoon face to the left, 

 those in its rear to the right, and at the word, " March !" they move by the 

 left and right flanks obliquely to the front and rear, and establish them- 

 selves before and behind the company which stands fast. To re-form the 

 line of battle from the column of companies the deployment is practised. 

 If the column was formed to the right {fig. 18) the command is, "Deploy 

 by the left !" whereupon guides are established on the prolongation of the 

 line of the first company, by which the new alignment is determined. On 

 the further command, " Left face !" all the companies save the first face to 

 the left, and at the word, " March !" move off" by the left flank ; as each 

 company comes opposite its interval in line its chief commands, " Right 

 face !" and marches it on to the alignment, when he halts and dresses it. 

 If the column was formed to the left {fig. 20), the command is, " Deploy by 

 the right !" upon which guides are established for the new alignment on the 

 prolongation of the line of the last company ; on the command, " Left 

 face !" all the companies save the last make this movement, and at the 

 word, " March !" move by the flank, opposite to their interval in line, where 

 they face to the left again, move forward into it, then face about and 

 dress. If the column was formed on the centre {fig. 19) the command is, 

 " Deploy by the right and left !" Whereupon the guides in front of the pla- 

 toon on which the formation was made prolong themselves to the right on 

 the line of the first company, and those in rear of the company of formation 

 prolong themselves to the left of this front line : at the command, " Right 

 and left face !" the company of formation stands fast, the companies in rear 

 of this face to the left, those in front of it to the right, and at the word, 

 " March !" all move opposite to their intervals in line, the company of for- 

 mation marching, as soon as uncovered, direct to the front on to this line ; 

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