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LESSON
IV.-WHEELINGS.
GENERAL
PRINCIPLES OF WHEELINGS.
377.
Wheelings are of two kinds: from halts, or on fixed pivots, and in
march or on moveable pivots.
378. Wheeling on a fixed pivot takes place in passing a corps from
the order in battle to the order in column, or from the latter to
the former.
379. Wheels in marching take place in changes of direction in
column, as often as this movement is executed to the side opposite
to the guide.
380. In wheels from a halt, the pivot-man only turns in his place,
without advancing or receding.
381. In the wheels in marching, the pivot takes steps of nine or
eleven inches, according as the squad is marching in quick or double
quick time, so as to clear the wheeling point, which is necessary,
in order that the subdivisions of a column may change direction
without losing their distances, as will be explained in the school
of the company.
382. The man on the wheeling flank will take the full step of
twenty-eight inches, or thirty-three inches, according to the gait.
Wheeling from a halt, or on a fixed pivot.
383. The rank being at a halt, the instructor will
place a well instructed man on the wheeling flank to conduct it, and
then command:
1. By
squad, right wheel.
2. MARCH.
384. At the second command, the rank will step off
with the left foot, turning at the same time the head a little to
the left, the eyes fixed on the line of the eyes of the men to their
left; the pivot-man will merely mark time in gradually turning his
body, in order to conform himself to the movement of the marching
flank; the man who conducts this flank will take steps of
twenty-eight inches, and from the first stop advance a little the
left shoulder, cast his eyes from time to time along the rank and
feel constantly the elbow of the next man lightly, but never push
him.
385. The other man will feel lightly the elbow of the next man
towards the pivot, resist pressure coming from the opposite side,
and each will conform himself to the marching flank-shortening his
step according to his approximation to the pivot.
386. The instructor will make the rank wheel round the circle once
or twice before halting, in order to cause the principles to be the
better understood, and he will be watchful that the center does not
break.
387. He will cause the wheel to the left to be executed according to
the same principles.
388. When the instructor shall wish to arrest the wheel, he will
command:
1. Squad.
2. HALT.
389. At the second command, the rank will halt, and
no man stir. The instructor, going to the flank opposite the pivot,
will place the two outer men of that flank in the direction he may
wish to give to the rank, without however displacing the pivot; who
will conform the line of his shoulders to this-direction. The
instructor will take care to have between these two men, and the
pivot, only the space necessary to contain the other men. He will
then command:
Left
(or right)-
DRESS.
390. At this, the rank will place itself on the
alignment of the two men established as the basis, in conformity
with the principles prescribed.
391. The instructor will next command FRONT, which will be executed
as prescribed No. 314.
.Remarks on the principles of the wheel
from a halt.
392. Turn
a little the head towards the marching flank, and fix the eyes on
the line of the eyes of the men who are on that side
;
Because, otherwise, it would be impossible for each
man to regulate the length of his step so as to conform his own
movement to that of the marching flank.
Touch
lightly the elbow of the next man towards the pivot;
In order that the files may not open out in the
wheel.
Resist
pressure that comes front the side of the marching flank;
Because, if this principle be neglected, the pivot,
which ought to be a fixed point , in wheels from a halt might be
pushed oat of its place by pressure.
Wheeling in marching, or on a movable
pivot.
393. When the recruits have been taught to execute
well the wheel from a halt, they will be taught to wheel in
marching.
394. To this end, the rank being in march, when the instructor shall
wish to cause it to change direction to the reverse flank (to the
side opposite to the guide or pivot flank,) he will command:
1. Right
(or left)
wheel.
2. MARCH.
395. The first command will be given when the rank
is yet four paces from the wheeling point.
396. At the second command, the wheel will be executed in the same
manner as from a halt, except that the touch of the elbow will
remain towards the marching flank (or side of the guide) instead of
the side of the actual pivot; that the pivot man, instead of merely
turning in his place, will conform himself to the movement of the
marching flank feel lightly the elbow of the next man, take steps of
full nine inches, and thus gain ground forward in describing a small
curve so as to clear the point of the wheel. The middle of the rank
will bend slightly to the rear. As soon as the movement shall
commence, the man who conducts the marching flank will cast his eyes
on the ground over which he will have to pass.
397. The wheel being ended, the instructor will command:
1. Forward.
2. MARCH.
398. The first command will be pronounced when four
paces are yet required to complete the change of direction.
399. At the command march, which will be given at the instant of
completing the wheel., the man who conducts the marching flank will
direct himself straight forward; the pivot-man and all the rank will
retake the step of twenty-eight inches., and bring the head direct
to the front.
Turning, or change of direction to the
side of the guide.
400. The change of direction to the side of the
guide, in marching, will be executed as follows: The instructor will
command
1. Left
(or right)
turn.
2. MARCH.
401. The first command will be given when the rank
is yet four paces from the turning point.
402. At the command march, to be pronounced at the instant the rank
ought to turn, the guide will face to the left (or right) in
marching, and move forward in the new direction without slackening
or quickening the cadence, and without shortening or lengthening the
step. The whole rank will promptly conform itself to the new
direction ; to effect which, each man will advance the shoulder
opposite, to the guide, take the double quick step, to carry himself
in the new direction, turn the head and eyes to the side of the
guide, and retake the touch of the elbow on that side, in placing
himself on the alignment of the guide, from whom be will take-the
step , and then resume the direct position of the head. Each man
will. thus arrive successively on the alignment.
Wheeling and changing direction to the
side of the guide, in double quick time.
403. When the recruits comprehend and execute well,
in quick time, the wheels at a halt and in marching. and the change
of direction to the side of the guide, -the instructor will cause
the same movements to be repeated in double quick time.
404. These various movements will be executed by the same commands
and according to the same principles as in quick time, except that
the command double quick will precede that of march. In wheeling
while marching, the pivot man will take steps of eleven inches, and
in the changes of direction to the side of the guide, the men on the
side opposite the guide must increase the gait in order to bring
themselves into line.
405. The instructor, in order not to fatigue the recruits, and not
to divide their attention, will cause them to execute the several
movements of which this lesson is composed, first without arms, and
next, after the mechanism be well comprehended, with arms.
LESSON
V.- LONG
MARCHES IN DOUBLE QUICK TIME AND THE RUN.
406.
The instructor will cause to be resumed the exercises in double
quick time and the run, with arms and knapsacks.
407. He will cause long marches to be executed in double quick time,
both by the front and by the flank, and by constant practice will
lead the men to pass over a distance of five miles in sixty minutes.
The pieces will be carried on either shoulder, and sometimes at a
trail.
408. He will also exercise them in long marches at a run, the pieces
carried at will; the men will be instructed to keep as united as
possible, without however exacting much regularity, which is
impracticable.
409. The run, in actual service, will only be resorted to when it
may be highly important to reach a given point with great
promptitude.
To stack arms.
The men being at order arms, the instructor will
command:
Stack-ARMS.
410. At this command the front rank man of every
even numbered file will pass his piece before him, seizing it with
the left hand near the upper band; will place the butt a little in
advance of his left too, the barrel turned towards the body, and
draw the rammer slightly from its place; the front rank man of
every, odd numbered file will also draw the rammer slightly, and ass
his piece to the man next on his left, who will seize it with the
right hand near the upper band, and place the butt a little in
advance of the right too of the man next on his right, the barrel
turned to the front; he will then cross the rammers 'of the two
pieces, the rammer of the piece of the odd numbered man being
inside; the rear rank man of every even file will also draw his
rammer, lean his piece forward, the lock plate downwards, advance
the right foot about six inches, and insert the rammer between the
rammer and barrel of the piece of his front rank man; with his left
hand he will place the butt of his piece on the ground, thirty-two
inches in rear of, and perpendicular to, the front rank, bringing
back his, right foot by the side of the left; the front rank man of
every even file will at the same time lean the stack to the rear,
quit it with his is right hand, and force all the ram rammers down.
The stack being thus formed, the rear rank man of every odd file
will pass his into his left hand, the barrel to the front, and
inclining it forward, will rest it on the stack.
411. The men of both ranks having taken the position of the soldier
without arms, the instructor will command:
1. Break
ranks. 2.
MARCH.
To resume arms.
412. Both ranks being re-formed in rear of their
stacks, the instructor will command:
Take-ARMS.
413. At this command the rear rank man of every odd
numbered file will withdraw his piece from the stack.; the front
rank man of every even file will seize his own piece with the left
hand and that of the man on his right with his right hand, both
above the lower band; the rear rank man of the even file will seize
his piece with the right hand below the lower band; these two men
will raise up the stack to loosen the rammers, the front rank man of
every odd file will facilitate the disengagement of the rammers, if
necessary, by drawing them out slightly with the left hand, and will
receive his piece from the hand of the man next on his left; the
four men will retake the position of the soldier at order
arms.
END of the SCHOOL of the SOLDIER
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