126. At the word march, (marche), the leading file shall wheel; if the wheel is made on the front rank man, he is not to turn suddenly, but is to move over a small portion of a circle that is small, shortening, a little the three or four wheeling steps, in order to give the man in the rear rank of the same file, time to conform to his movement; if the wheel is made on the rear rank man, the man of the front rank in the same file, will march the step of two feet in wheeling, and the man of the rear rank conforms to his movement, by describing a small portion of a small circle, as has been just mentioned above; and each file shall, thus, wheel, on the same ground on which the first wheeled.

127. The instructor shall strictly observe, that the wheel is conducted on these principles, so that the distance between the files may be preserved always, and that there is no sudden stoppage, jerking forward, or repulsion on the march.

To halt the platoon marching to a flank, and to form it to a flank

128. The instructor shall command,

129. The second and third words of command are obeyed as directed in the Ecole du soldat, under numbers 229 and 230. The chief of platoon and covering sergeant, take their post in line, immediately after the platoon fronts.

130. The instructor, if necessary, can take up a new alignment, or cause the platoon to be dressed, on its ground, by the chief of platoon.

To form the platoon marching to a flank, by files, to the right flank, if marching to the right: or, by files to the left flank, if marching to the left.

Le peloton etant en marche par le flanc, le former par file sur la droite, ou sur la gauche, en bataille.

131. The instructor shall cause the platoon marching to the right flank, to form, by files, to the right flank, in line, as follows:

   1. Form to the right flank by files, in line. (Sur la droite par file en bataille)

132. At the word, march, (marche), the centre and rear ranks mark time; the covering sergeant, and the chief of platoon will turn to the right, march straight forward, and shall be halted by the instructor, when they have passed, at least, four paces beyond the rear rank who are marking time: the man on the right of the front rank will continue marching, shall pass behind the covering sergeant, will turn to his right when beyond him, and shall move up to his left, dressing on him; the second man of the first rank shall, in the same manner, pass in the rear of the first, shall then turn to the right, and shall move up to his left, dressing on him; and so on, to the last man of this rank, whatever number of file leaders of platoon may compose it; the second and third ranks will execute the movement in the same manner as the first, the right hand man of the centre rank taking care not to commence the march, till he perceives three or four men of the first rank dressed in line; and the right hand man of the rear rank, from marking time, is not to commence the march of his rank, till he also sees three or four men of the centre rank in line, covering the front rank. The men of the centre and rear ranks will place themselves correctly, covering their respective file leaders, as they come up, one by one, to their places in the the line.

133. The chief of platoon shall place himself on the right of the covering sergeant, when he comes up to the line; and shall direct the formation of the alignment, in proportion as the men of the front rank arrive on the line.

134. If the platoon is marching to the left flank, the instructor can form it, by files to the left flank, in line, by the words of command directed above, in number 131, but by the inversion of mode, substituting the word left, (gauche), instead of right, (droite); and the chief of platoon, placed on the left of the front rank, shall return to his proper situation in line, after the instructor, seeing the platoon formed, shall have ordered him so to do.

135. The better to make the soldiers comprehend the mechanism or component parts of this movement, the instructor will, at first, make each rank execute it separately, and afterwards, the three ranks together; directing them to form as if each rank were independent of, and unconnected with the others, but always recollecting what has been directed to be done by the centre and rear ranks, relative to the moment of recommencing the march, after marking time.

The instructor will follow up the movement, to assure himself that each file has followed the rules laid down in number 132.

The platoon marching to a flank, forming to the front, from file, either in platoon, or by subdivisions.

Le peloton etant en marche par le flanc, former le peloton, ou le section, en marchant.

136. The platoon is supposed marching in file, to the right flank. The instructor will order the chief of platoon to execute the intended movement. He will order,

137. At the word march, (marche), the covering sergeant continues to march straight on; the soldiers shall bring forward the right shoulder, passing from ordinary to quick time, and shall move into line, over the shortest line leading to their respective places, observing to dress up one after another, without running.

138. As the soldiers come into line, they are to take up the step from the covering sergeant.

139. The men of the centre and rear ranks, will conform to the movement of their file leaders, whom they will allow to precede them in coming up into line.

140. At the instant the movement commences, the chief of platoon shall face to his platoon, and conduct the operation: when the platoon is formed to the front, he shall command,director to the left, (guide a gauche), shall post himself, two paces, before the centre of the platoon, facing to the front, and taking up the step of the platoon.

141. At the word, director to the left, (guide a gauche), by the chief of platoon, the fourth rank man nearest to the left, shall, nimbly, spring to the left of the front rank man there; and the covering sergeant, who is at the opposite flank, shall remain there.

142. When the platoon is marching, in file to the left flank, the movement is executed by the same words of command, and on the same principles: the platoon being formed from file to the front, the chief of platoon would order, director to the right, (guide a droite), taking his own place, two paces before the centre; the covering sergeant who is on the right of the front rank, would answer the purpose of director on the right, and the fourth rank man place on the left flank would remain there.

143. Thus, in a column of platoons, the covering sergeant of each, shall be always placed on the right of the front rank, and the fourth rank man nearest to the left, shall be on the left of the front rank man on that flank, in their respective companies, whether the column has the right or left in front; they shall be termed director of the right, and, director of the left, (guide a droite, or guide a droite), of the platoon, and one of them will be charged with the direction, according as the column may be marching with the right, or left, in front.

144. If the platoon marching, in file, to a flank, is to be formed to the front, by subdivisions, the chief of platoon having received an order so to do, shall command,

1. The platoon will form to the front, by subdivisions.  (Par section en ligne.)

145. This movement is executed according to the same rules; the chief of platoon shall post himself before the centre of the first subdivision, and the chief of the second subdivision, before the centre of that subdivision; and they would command, director to the right, (guide a droite), or it may be director to the left, (guide a gauche), at the instant that their subdivision was formed.

146. At the word, director to the left, or, director to the right, (guide a gauche, or guide a droite), given by the chief of each subdivision, the director of each, would take post on the requisite flank, if not already there.

147. The director of the right, (guide a droite), of the platoon, or company, shall, always, answer the purpose of the director of the right, or of the left, of the first subdivision; and the director of the left, (guide a gauche), of the platoon, shall answer equally, as the director of the right, or of the left, of the second subdivision.

148. Conformable to these regulating principles, there shall never be, in a column of subdivisions, but one director on the flank of each; and he shall be, always, on the left flank, if the right of the column is in front; and on the right flank, if the left is in front.

149. Whether it is a column of companies, or subdivisions, the officers and non-commissioned officers of the supernumerary rank, will follow, and remain attached to, their respective subdivisions.

Wheeling forward, by subdivisions, from line.

150. If the platoon is to break forward, by subdivisions, to the right, the instructor shall command,

  1. By subdivision, to the right wheel.                    (Par sections a droite.)

   2.= March.                                                                 (=Marche.)

                                                                        (Plate    VIII. Figure I)

151. At the first word of command, the chiefs of subdivisions shall place themselves, two paces, in front of the centre of their subdivisions, the chief of the second subdivision passing, for this purpose, round the left flank of the platoon, and they are not to pay attention to dressing on each other, it being only necessary for them to place themselves as directed.

152. At the word march, (marche), the man on the right of the front rank of each subdivision, shall face to the right; the chief of each subdivision shall move, quickly, over the shortest line possible, to a point on the outside of that where the left will be when the wheel is effected; he shall there face to the rear, and shall place himself in such a manner, that a line drawn from him to the man on the right of the front rank, is perpendicular to the line of the platoon, previous to wheeling; the subdivisions will wheel, according to the rules of wheeling, from a halted pivot, in ordinary time; and when the man who conducts the wheeling flank shall have arrived within two paces of the perpendicular, the chief of each subdivision will command.

153. At the word halt, (halte), the subdivisions shall halt; the covering sergeant shall move, at that instant, to the point where the left flank will rest, when dressed forward; that is, the left flank of the first subdivision, and he shall move to his point, along the front of the front rank; the fourth rank man, nearest to the left of the platoon, shall move to the point where the left flank of the second subdivision will rest, when dressed forward; they must take care to leave between themselves, respectively, and the man on the right of their subdivisions, a sufficient space to contain the front of the subdivision when dressed up; and the chief of the second subdivision will regulate this, taking care to align them, between themselves and the pivot man of their subdivision, who has faced to the right.

154. The director of each subdivision being, thus, fixed on the perpendicular, the chiefs of subdivisions will command.

155. The dressing being effected, each chief of subdivision shall command, front, (fixe), and place himself, two paces, in front of the centre of his subdivision.

156. The fourth rank officers and non-commissioned officers in rear of the third rank, will conform themselves to the movement of their respective subdivisions, placing themselves, two paces, in the rear of that rank.

157. The platoon will break forward, and wheel by subdivisions to the left, on the same principles. The instructor will command,

 1. By subdivisions, to the left wheel.        (Par section a gauche)

 2. =March.                                                     (=Marche)

158. The first command is executed as in wheeling forward by subdivisions to the right.

159. At the word march, (marche), the man on the left of the front rank of each subdivision will face to the left; and the subdivisions are to wheel to the left, on the principles of wheeling on a halted pivot; the chiefs of subdivisions conforming to the rules just laid down under number 152.

160. At the word halt, (halte), given by the chief of each subdivision, the covering sergeant placed on the right of the first subdivision, and the fourth rank man nearest to the left flank of the second subdivision, shall conform to the directions laid down under number 153; and the chiefs of subdivisions will align them, between themselves and the man on the left of the front rank of their respective subdivisions, giving them the word.

161. The subdivisions being dressed, each chief of subdivision is to command,  front, (fixe), and place himself, two paces, in front of the centre of his subdivision.

Remarks on wheeling forward from line into column.

162. The instructor, situated in front of the platoon, will carefully observe, whether or not the movements are executed according to the rules laid down in this section; whether or not the subdivisions, after wheeling, are placed on lines perpendicular to the original ones; and whether or not the director, who has posted himself where the wheeling flank ought to be rested when dressed, has left between himself and the man on the right (or left) of the front rank, a space accurately adequate to hold the front of the subdivision.

163. The subdivisions having once broke into column, if the director on the flank of the rear one does not exactly cover the director of the preceding one, he must not endeavour to correct his situation till the column is put in march; unless the instructor wishes to wheel, immediately into line, and, consequently, to rectify the covering of the directors, which will be effected, as will be explained in the fifth article of this lesson.

164. The instructor shall take notice that the man on the right (or the man on the left) of each subdivision, who on the second word of command given by the instructor, shall have faced to the right, or left, being the real pivot of the wheel, the man of the front rank placed at the side of him, ought, in wheeling, to gain a little ground to the front, so as clear the shoulder of the pivot, which projects, after he faces, beyond the front of the original line, a space equal to half the breadth of his body.

165. The platoon having broken to the right, from line into column of subdivisions, the instructor, previous to putting the column in motion, shall place himself on the line of the flank directors, at the distance of fifteen to twenty paces from the head of the column, and facing it. He shall, being thus correctly situated in the line of direction, order the director of the first subdivision to mark two points on the ground, on the line.

166. The instructor being, thus, situated, the director on the left flank of the first subdivision, marks two points on the ground, between himself and the instructor, on the straight line passing from himself to between the heels of the instructor, who then commands.

   1. The column will advance.                                (Colonne en avant)

    2. Directing sergeants on the left, or                    (Guide a gauche)

167. At the word march, (marche), which shall be quickly and with vivacity repeatedmby the chiefs of subdivisions, they and the directing sergeants shall march off their subdivisions with a firm decided step, throwing forward the left foot, smartly, at the same instant. 

168. The soldiers will maintain the light touch of the elbow of each man next to them, respectively, towards the flank the director is on, taking care to march according to the principles detailed under number 198 of the Ecole du soldat; the man of each subdivision, next to the director, shall always keep at the distance of six inches from him, in order to avoid pushing him out of the direction; and he will be also careful never to project himself to the front so as to be more advanced than the director.

169. The leading director shall attend, with the greatest precision, to the length and cadence of the step, maintaining the direction of the march agreeable to the rules laid down under number 79 of the Ecole du soldat.

170. The second directing sergeant shall march, accurately, in the path of the leading director, observing to keep such a distance from him, as may be, exactly, equal to the front of his own subdivision, and to keep up the same step as that of the director who precedes him.

171. If the director of the second subdivision should lose his distance, which can arise only from his own carelessness, he ought to regain it, gradually, either by insensibly lengthening or shortening his steps, so that the subdivision may march uniformly and steadily, without sudden rectifications, transitions, or stops - constraining efforts, or sudden jerks.

172. If the director of the second subdivision has neglected to follow, exactly, the traces of the first, by being thrown sensibly out of the direction, he would remedy this fault by bringing forward, more or less, the left shoulder, in such a manner, as to regain the line of direction, gradually, by the direct step, in order to avoid the inconvenience arising from the oblique step, apt to occasion a loss of distance; if, on the contrary, the director has got on in the inside, or in this case, right hand side of the line, he would remedy that defect, by pursuing the opposite means; and in either case, the instructor will see that the soldiers conform to the movements of the directing sergeant.

Remarks on the march and direction, in open column.

173. Were the chiefs of subdivisions remiss in not marching off their subdivisions in a lively, smart style of step, from the very first taken, the consequence would be, that the march would be unsteady, and that the step and distance would be lost.

174. If the leading director did not march with an equality of step, the march of his subdivision, and of the following one, would be uncertain and unsteady; and there would arise a floating, waving, and repulsion of the ranks and files.

175. Were the leading director inexperienced in prolonging a given line, he would describe a curve in marching, and the column would lose its rectilinear direction.

176. Were the second director not trained properly, to follow his leader of the head of the column, he would constantly lose his proper distance, the preservation of which is essential and leading principle in the march in open column.

177. The directing sergeant on the pivot flank, shall be held responsible for the distance, step, and direction; and the chief of subdivision shall be answerable for the maintenance of order and uniformity in his subdivision, to which he shall frequently turn, to see that such is the case.

178. The instructor situated near the flank on which the directors are, shall superintend the execution of all the prescribed principles; and he shall place himself, sometimes in the rear of the directing sergeants, aligning correctly on them, and stopping during the time of taking twenty or thirty paces, to ascertain whether or not the director of the head of the column deviates from the line of direction, and whether or not the following director marches exactly, in the traces of the first.

179. Whenever the line breaks into open column, the chiefs of subdivision will repeat the words of command, march (marche), and halt, (halte), given by the instructor, at the moment they hear them, and without waiting for each other: and they shall not repeat any other word of command, but shall caution their men if they have not understood and heard the word given.

In open column of subdivisions, wheeling into a new direction, on a moveable pivot, turning on the march.

180. The column marching with the right in front, will change its direction, by order of the instructor communicated to the chief of the leading subdivision; instructor will post himself, or will station a camp-colour man at the point where the movement is to commence; and the person place there, in the line of direction of the sergeants on the pivot flank, is to have his right side nearest to the head of the column.

181. The director of thehead-subdivision, shall conduct his march on the instructor, or on the marching man stationed at the wheeling point, in such a manner, that his left arm shall lightly touch the breast of the stationed man; and when the leading subdivision is nearly up to the stationed man, the chief of subdivision will command,

                  1. Right shoulder forward.           (Tournez a gauche)

182. The first word of command shall be given when the pivot flank is within two paces of the wheeling point.

183. At the word march, (marche), which shall be given at the moment of arriving on the wheeling point, the director shall turn to the left, and the soldiers will turn into this species of wheel, as has been directed under number 270 of the Ecole du soldat.

184. The director of the first subdivision having turned to the left, shall fix on two points on the ground, in the new direction, in order to march on them.

185. The second subdivision marches off with the first, and proceeds straight forward, its director rasing (grazing) the surface of the breast of the instructor, or camp-colour man, placed at the wheeling point; and when arrived there, the second subdivision will turn to the left, by the same words of command, and by the same rules as the first subdivision.

186. In order to wheel, on a moveable pivot, on the flank opposite to that on which the director is, the instructor, after giving orders to that effect to the chief of the first subdivision, shall, immediately, proceed to the point where the change of direction is to commence, or, shall detach a camp-colour man thither, placing himself or such marking man, in the position described in order to change direction on the flank the director is on.

187. The directing sergeant of the leading subdivision conducts himself on the march, as has been directed above, under number 181; and when arrived within two paces of the initial point of wheeeling, the chief of subdivision will command,

        1. Left shoulders forwa rd.           (A droite conversion)

188. The wheel being effected, the chief of subdivision shall command,

            4. =March.                                (=Marche)

190. These commands will be pronounced, and executed, conformable to the rules laid down under numbers 266 and 267, of the Ecole du soldat.

191. The second subdivision continues to march straight forward, the director paying attention to conducting it on, and toward the instructor, or camp-colour man; this subdivision shall wheel, on a moveable pivot, in its turn, at the same point, also from the same words of command, and by similar means, as the first, resuming, likewise, the direct march.

192. The changes of direction of a column having the left in front, are executed on the same principles, and by inverted means, or arrangement.

Remarks on the changes of direction of a column.

193. It is of the utmost importance, in order to maintain the distance and direction, that the subdivisions should effect their change of direction, precisely, in the same place where the leading one did it; and it is for this reason, that the instructor ought, before hand a little, to station himself (or a camp-colour man) at the wheeling point; that the directors are ordered to march on the person so posted; and that the chiefs of subdivisions, ought not to commence the execution of the movement, till the director shall rase, or graze, the surface of the breast of the person planted at the wheeling point.

194. The chiefs of subdivisions ought to see that their subdivisions arrive forming a right angle with the directing line, on the ground where the change of direction is to take place; and, for this purpose, they ought to turn round to their subdivision, when that which proceeds is beginning the operation of change of direction, in order to be convinced that the subdivision marches square to the line of direction, up to the wheeling point.

195. If, in the changes of direction on the flank opposite to that the director is on, the pivot of the wheeling subdivision, did not disengage, or clear the wheeling point, the following subdivision would be impeded, and the distance would be lost; for the director who guides the wheeling wing describing the larger portion of a concentric circle, having to go over about a half part more than the extent of the front of the subdivision, that which immediately follows would be arrived at the commencing point of the wheeling, while the wheeling subdivision would have a space equal to half the extent of its front, still to go over; and, consequently, the second subdivision would, necessarily, mark time, till the first could finish the wheel; again, the first subdivision afterwards going over, as it advances, a half part more than the extent of its front, while the second is effecting its wheeling, it would result, if the pivot were a halted or fixed one, that there would be as many successive stops, less by one, as subdivisions in the column, and that the last subdivision would find itself, at the moment of finishing its wheeling, too far removed from the subdivision leading, by half the extent of the front which the column would occupy in line, less by, or, deducting the front of the first subdivision. It is with a view to remedy these defects, that the pivot man is directed to take steps of six inches, in order that the succeeding subdivision may not be impeded; the chiefs of subdivisions shall, with the utmost care attend to the observation of this principle, or rule, turning to their men, and cautioning the pivot man to lengthen or shorten his steps, as they may deem it necessary. From the nature of this movement, the centre of the subdivision ought to curve a little towards the rear.

196. The directing sergeants ought never to alter the cadence nor length of the step, whether the change of direction is made on the flank the director is on, or on the opposite flank.

197. The instructor situated at the wheeling point (or the camp-colour man whom he shall have stationed there) shall, always, keep his right side towards the column, if the right is in front, or his left side, if the left is in front; and shall place himself, in the line of direction passing along the flanks. The instructor will bestow the most unremitting attention in following all the prescribed principles, by seeing that each subdivision does not commence the wheel till the instant when the director rases the breast of the stationed person, and is ready to pass him; and that the wheeling wing, in the changes that take place on the flank opposite to that the director is on, does not describe too large a sweep of a circle, which would be apt to throw it out of the new direction.

198. The column is halted by the instructor, as follows:

199. At the word, halt, (halte), quickly repeated by the chiefs of subdivisions, they shall halt, at the same time; and the directors shall not stir, even though they should not have their distance, nor their direction, unless that the instructor, thinking it necessary to form the line, begins with rectifying the line of direction, which is to be effected as will be directed in the following article.

200. The chiefs of subdivisions shall not order their men to dress. The instructor alone being the person assigned for giving this order, should he deem it necessary to form the line, as directed in the following article.

Remarks on the directions given for halting the column.

201. If the word, halt, (halte), were not repeated with the greatest vivacity, and instantly complied with, the distances would be lost.

202. If one director having lost the distance, endeavoured to resume it after hearing the word halt, (halte), he would only by this procedure, communicate his own error to the director in his rear; who, if he has marched accurately, would then find that his distance was, thus, rendered inaccurate; and if he, in his turn, were desirous to resume his distance, the same movement would extend, successively, to the rear of the column.

203. When the instructor having halted the column, does not wish to form it in line, he might dispense with rectifying the line of the directing sergeants, it being sufficiently exact, as well as the distances, if the leading director, and the following ones, have observed the rules laid down under numbers 169 and 170.

When a column of subdivisions wheels to the left, or, right into line.

Etant en colonne par sections, se former a gauche, ou a droite, en bataille.

204. The instructor having halted the column with the right in front, in order to wheel it up into line, will immediately on that, proceed to the distance of one subdivision from the leading director whom he faces; and will, so place on the line of the directing sergeants, rectify, if requisite, the position of the second director; giving then, the command,

Left=dress                     (A gauche=alignement)

205. At this word, which shall not be repeated by the chiefs of the subdivisions, each chief of subdivision, will, quickly, proceed to the distance of about two paces on the outside of his directing sergeant and shall there direct the alignment of his subdivision to be made perpendicular to the direction of the column. (Plate VIII. Figure 4)

206. The chiefs of subdivisions having aligned their respective subdivisions, will order, (eyes) front, (fixe), and shall, nimbly, place themselves before the centre of their subdivision.

This arrangement being made, the instructor is to command,

1. To the left wheel into line.                    (A gauche en bataille)

 2. =March.                                                  (=Marche)

207. At the word march, (marche), quickly repeated by the chiefs of the subdivisions, the man of the front rank on the left of each subdivision, shall face to the left, and is to bear his breast, lightly, against the right arm of the director placed by his side, who shall not stir; the subdivision shall wheel to the left on the principles laid down under number 164 of the Ecole du peloton; and each chief of subdivision shall turn to his subdivision to conduct the wheel, giving the following words, when the right of his subdivision arrives within two paces of the line.

208. The chief of the second subdivision, having halted his subdivision, shall retire to the supernumerary rank.

209. The chief of platoon having halted the first subdivision, shall place himself, nimbly, on the line, at the point where the right will rest when dressed forward; and commands, as soon as he plants himself,

                  Right=dress.                  (A droite =alignement)

210. At this word, the two subdivisions shall dress up to the alignment; the man of the first who is opposite will dress up, to the instructor placed on the directing line, and shall, lightly, with his breast, touch the instructor's left arm. The chief of platoon shall direct the alignment on the man on the left of the front rank of the platoon.

211. The platoon being aligned, the chief of platoon will command,

212. The instructor seeing the platoon formed steady in line, shall command,

213. At this word of command, the covering sergeant shall retire the chief of platoon, the director of the second subdivision, retiring also to the supernumerary rank.

The instructor shall ascertain the accuracy of the alignment, and if requiring it, shall order it to be rectified by the chief of platoon.

214. In order to wheel up into line, the column with the left in front, the wheel being to the right, the instructor shall place himself, facing the leading director, on the directing line, at the distance of a subdivision from him, rectifying, if necessary, the position of the second director; after effecting which, he shall command,

   1. To the right wheel into line.                  (A droite en bataille)

215. At the word march, (marche), the front rank man on the right of each subdivision, shall face to the right, and shall bear his breast, lightly, against the left arm of the director placed by his side, who shall not move; each subdivision shall wheel to the right, and will be halted by its chief of subdivision, when the wheeling wing is within two paces of the line; and, for this purpose, the chiefs of subdivisions will give the word of command,

216. The chief of the second subdivision, having halted his subdivision, shall retire to the supernumerary rank.

217. The chief of platoon having halted the first subdivision, shall step, nimbly, to the left flank of the platoon, placing himself at the point where the left hand front rank man will rest, when the platoon is in line; and being there, he shall command,

               Left=dress                     (A gauche =alignement)

218. At this word of command, the two subdivisions shall dress up to the alignment, the man of the front rank on the left of the second subdivision, who dresses up to the point the instructor is at, shall, lightly, with his breast, touch the instructor's right arm; and the chief of platoon shall direct the alignment on the man on the right of the front rank of the platoon.

219. The platoon being aligned, the chief of platoon will command,