Troisieme Leçon

Charge Precipitée

144. The object of this species of loading is to make the soldier understand and distinguish what motions, under different words of command, are to be gone through without stopping; and what motions, in their execution, require more regularity and attention, constituting a pause, such as those of "priming", "putting the cartridge into the barrel", and "ramming home". To inculcate this, the loading will be divided into four principle times, or pauses, denoted by the words as follows.

145. The first set of motions in quick time without any sensible pause shall be executed, on hearing the first word of command, and the other motions, without stopping, at the words two (deux), three (trois), and four (quatre).

146. The instructor shall give the word,

147. Execute the two motions of the word load, open the pan, take the cartridge, bite off the top, carry it down to the pan, and prime.

148. Shut the pan, cast round, turn the cartridge into the barrel, shaking and inserting it well in.

=Three            ( =Trois)

149. Draw the ramrod, enter it, and ram home.

=Four                 (=Quatre)

150. Return the ramrod, and shoulder arms.

151 The instructor shall, after this, teach the recruit to "Load in the Quickest Time", which shall be executed like that in "Quick Time", but continued, and without the pauses marked as above. The instructor shall command,

Loading in Quickest Time         (Charge a Volonté)

Observations relative to the loadings.

Observations relatives aux charges.

153. The instructor will remark, that the soldiers who, without apparent hurry, load with steadiness and coolness, are those who load best and quickest; because they turn the ramrod without touching it against, or interfering with those of the men aside, and before them; because they enter it, without frequent attempts, at once into the muzzle, and in returning it into the channel of the upper band (trumpet-pipe); because they ram home best; because they do not spill the powder in priming; and because, finally, they do not let fall cartridges in taking them out of the cartridge- box; all essential objects, on which the instructor must make the recruits bestow the utmost attention.

154. The instructor shall exact regularity in the execution of the motions, and in the position, without which the recruits will be under constraint, and embarrass each other. He will furnish them, at the end of some lessons, with cartridges tilled with bran, or saw-dust, and shall habituate them to prime and ram down with care.

155. These are either direct or oblique, and shall be executed as will be explained.

156. The instructor shall give the following words of command:

The platoon, or squad, will fire (Feu de Peloton)

1. Platoon, or squad,                  (Peloton)

                        4.= Fire                                     (=Feu)

157. These different commands shall be executed as has been explained in the manual and platoon exercise.

158. On hearing the second word of command, the three men in file shall assume the indicated position, according to the rank in which they are, respectively, placed; and on hearing the fifth word of command, they shall load and shoulder arms.

Feux Obliques

159. Oblique firings are executed to the right and left, by the same words of command as the direct firings, with this only difference, that the word of command present (Joue), shall be preceded by the words, obliquely to the right, or left (Oblique à Droite or à Gauche), the caution following the word ready, or cock (Armes). The men of the rear rank, on hearing the caution, are to fix their eyes on the opening between the two men of the centre rank, through which they are to present.

Position of the three ranks in the oblique firing to the right

Position des trois rangs, dans les feux obliques à droite.

160. At the word ready (Armes), the three ranks shall execute what has been described in the case of direct fire.

161. At the word present (Joue), the men of the front rank shall direct their muskets to the right, by inclining the left knee inwards, without deranging the position of the feet.

162 The centre rank shall also, without stirring the feet direct the muzzle to the right.

163. The men of the rear rank shall advance the left foot about six inches, and towards the point of the right foot of the man of the centre rank of the files they respectively belong to,

advancing also the body a little, by bending the left knee. They shall direct their muskets to the right.

164. The three ranks shall throw back the right shoulder .

In this position, the centre and rear ranks are ready and prepared to fire through the same opening as in firing direct, although in a different direction.

165. At the word load (Chargez), the three ranks shall resume the position directed for the direct fire. The rear rank shall draw back the left foot, placing the heel against the buckle of the right foot, when retiring the musket to the loading position.

Position of the three ranks in the oblique fire to the left.

166. At the word ready (Armes), the three ranks shall execute what has been described in the case of the direct fire.

167. At the word Present (Joue), the men of the front rank shall direct their muskets to the left, without inclining the knee or stirring the feet.

168. The men of the centre rank shall present in the opening to the left of their file leader, without stirring the feet.

169. The rear rank shall advance the left foot about six inches, and towards the right heel of the man of the centre rank before them in file; and the rear rank man shall also advance the upper part of the body, bending the left knee a little, and presenting through the opening to the left of their file leader .

170. The three ranks shall throw back the left shoulder .

171. In this position, the centre and rear ranks are ready to fire through the opening to the left of their file leader, and in the oblique direction.

172.. At the word Load (Chargez), the three ranks shall draw back their muskets, in the oblique position in which they range, and shall prime in that position; the rear rank men shall carry back the right foot; and in casting round, the three ranks shall take their position as in the case of the direct fire.

173. Throwing back the shoulder in presenting; in order to be able to direct the muzzle more or less obliquely, according to the position of the object aimed at.

The instructor shall render this principle practically intelligible to the recruits, by placing a man in front more or less towards the right, or towards the left, to represent this object, when they shall perfectly understand the accuracy of position of the respective ranks in the oblique firings.

Carrying the left foot six inches in front, and advancing the upper part of the body by the men of the rear rank; in order to avoid accidents because that without this precaution, the muzzles of the muskets of the third rank would not sufficiently clear or project beyond the first rank, in the oblique position in which they are ranged.

In firing obliquely to the left, drawing back the musket and priming in the oblique position in which the muskets are ranged; because that if the position in the direct fire was resumed, it would be necessary, in drawing back the musket to the priming position, to pass it over the head of the man directly in front.

Fire of two ranks, by independent files.

Feux de deux rangs.

1. Fire by independent files         (Feux de deux rangs).

2. Platoon                                 (Peloton)

3. =Ready                                 (=Armes)

176. On hearing the third word of command, all the three ranks shall take the position described for the centre and rear ranks, in the direct and oblique fires.

177. At the fourth word command, the man in the first rank, and the man in the second rank, shall present together, and fire; the man in the rear rank not having to fire, shall only load, and hand his musket to the man in the centre rank.

178. The man in the front rank shall load quickly, and fire again, after which he shall reload and fire as before; and continue thus to fire.

179. The centre rank man having fired, shall with his right hand pass his musket to the man who is in the rear rank of his me; this last mentioned shall receive it with his left hand, and shall with his right hand pass his own to the man in the centre rank, who will fire with the musket of the rear rank man, which he will reload and fire a second time, when he shall pass it back to the man in the rear rank; and thus the fire shall continue in such a manner that the man of the centre rank fires always twice with the same musket, before he returns it to the man in his rear, excepting the first time.

180. After the first time, the man in the front and the man in the centre rank of each file shall fire, respectively without waiting for each other.

181. The men of the three ranks shall always front in casting round the musket, and after having loaded they must assume the position indicated above, No.79. For this purpose, each soldier, on returning his ramrod, shall spring up his musket to a recover with the left hand, letting the musket slip through the left hand, which seizes it near the feather-spring at the height of the chin; at the same time he will half face to the right, in order to return to the prescribed position for loading after firing; when the musket is sprung up to the recover, the thumb of the right hand shall be place on the head of the cock, in order to draw it back in cocking, the little finger being under and against the guard. The man in the rear rank shall always hand his musket to the man before him without cocking it.

182. When the instructor may wish to cease firing, he will order a roll of the drums.

183. On hearing this, the soldiers will cease firing. Each man will half-cock, if cocked; will load, if unloaded; and if loading, will complete the operation; after any of which circumstances, each will shoulder arms, the men of the centre and rear ranks taking care to have, each his proper musket.

General Observation Relative to the Firings

184. The firings shall be executed, at first, without cartridges, and afterwards with cartridges of bran, or saw-dust, in order to accustom the recruit gradually to prime, and to put the cartridge steadily into the barrel, but regularly, and without spilling the powder, as well as to ram down well; and this species of exercise will terminate by burning powder.

185. When the firings with powder shall have been executed, it shall be recommended to the soldier to be attentive in observing, when he half-cocks, whether smoke proceeds out of the touch-hole, which if it does, indicates certainly that the piece has gone off, as is termed. If the smoke does not appear , the soldier, in lieu of reloading, will turn off to the rear in order to prick the touch-hole, and prime a second time. If the soldier thinks he has fired, and proceeds to load again, he ought at any rate to discover his mistake, if any exists, in ramming home, from the degree of ramrod projecting out of the muzzle; and he would richly merit punishment, were he to load a third time under all these circumstances. The instructor shall, after burning powder, always inspect the arms, in order to ascertain whether or not the soldier has been guilty of the fault of putting three charges into his musket.

186. The instructor ought also to watch particularly that the soldier in half-cocking does not draw it back to a cock, a fault from which accidents might result.

General Observations on the Second Part of the Discipline of the Soldier.

Observations Générales Relatives à la Seconde Partie de l'Ecole du Soldat.

187. After some days have been bestowed on the practice of the lesson relative to the use of arms, and after the recruit passes a confirmed knowledge of the position of shouldered arms, the instructor will terminate the lesson, by making the three recruits march for some time in one rank, at the distance of one pace from each other, in order to confirm them more and more in the mechanism of the direct and oblique steps. He will show them the mode of marking time, and of changing the step, as follows:

188. The three recruits marching in ordinary time, and with ordinary step, shall receive the command,

2. = March                                (=Marche)

189. At the second word, which shall be given at the instant when the foot is coming to the ground, the recruits shall, without advancing, and the same time keeping the cadence of the time, bring back the heels alternatively to the side of each other, thus making a semblance of marching.

190. When the instructor wishes the ordinary step to be resumed, he will command,

191 At the second word, which shall be given when one of the heels is coming to the ground, the recruit shall resume the step of two feet.

192. To the recruits marching in ordinary time, the instructor shall give the words,

2. =March                      (=Marche)

193. At the second word, to be given when either foot is coming to the ground, the recruits shall quickly bring up the foot in the rear, just raised from the ground, to the side of that planted in front, which latter foot shall step off.

194. When the three recruits shall have been grounded in the principles and mechanism of the step, the position of the body and the use of arms, particularly of shouldered arms, the instructor shall unite five or six men at least, and at most nine, in order to instruct them in the principles of touch of elbows in marching to the front, and in those of the march to a flank; and to teach them the quick step, the back step, the principles of changes of direction, or turning on the march, wheeling on a moveable pivot, and from the halt; and, finally, the principles of alignment or dressing.

195. The instructor will place them in one rank, elbow to elbow, and shall command,

196. At the word march (Marche ), the rank shall step off quickly with the left foot.

197. The instructor shall cause a well trained soldier to march in front of the recruit, placed on the right or left of the rank, according to the flank to which the leader may be ordered; he shall direct the soldier on the flank to march exactly in line traced out by the man who precedes him, keeping always at the distance of two paces from him: this is the surest means of making the recruits contract the habit of taking the prescribed length of step, in equal portions of time.

198. The instructor shall cause the following rules to be observed:

To touch lightly the elbow of the recruit on the side on which the leader is, supposed the pivot side; because by keeping up the touch of the elbow, the dressing is preserved, and openings out are prevented. If the light touch of the elbow were not kept up, and that an over pressure by a man against another occasioned a communication of it to the directing flank the man on such flank, being pushed laterally out of the direction, the original line of march must become altered.

Not to open out the left elbow, nor the right arm; in order that the recruit may not push his neighbour, and that he may occupy in the rank the space only which he ought.

To yield and ease off, in consequence of a pressure coming from the directing flank, and to resist that coming from the opposite side; in order to avoid throwing the leader out of the direction.

To retouch, very gently, and as it were insensibly the elbow of the man towards the directing flank, in case he should incline off in that direction; or in case the person wishing to resume the touch of the elbow may, himself, have opened out from the leading flank; because it may happen that a recruit towards the leading flank, throws himself improperly to the right or left, losing his direction and individual touch of the elbow; if the man marching by his side, and successively those removed from him, were to conform suddenly to his false movement, it would follow, that the result of one man would extend to many; and then, afterwards, the man with whom the fault originated wished to repair it, he would be obliged to push, laterally, his neighbour, he the man next to him, and so on to the opposite flank; a thing that would occasion a continual floating in the march. If, on the contrary, each man attends to the principle of conforming, gradually, to the movements of his neighbour , this last will have time afforded him to repair his error, if he has committed one, and if he has, it will not be communicated, and floating will not take place.

To keep always the head direct to the front, the eyes fixed on the ground, at a distance of twelve or fifteen paces in front, on whatever flank the leader may be posted; because that if the head were turned to the directing flank, the opposite shoulder would project forward, would give a false direction to the rank, and would produce a continual pressure towards the directing flank, and consequently, a floating or undulation of the rank on the march. The keeping of the eyes fixed on the ground, twelve or fifteen paces to the front, prevents the soldier from deviating from his direct line of march, which is a very essential point.

If a recruit finds himself too far advanced, or too much behind, he is gradually to regain his situation, either by insensibly lengthening, or contracting his step; because sudden transitions or movements in marching, tend to produce a breaking of the rank, and occasion a floating, and losing the cadence; for one man cannot take a step of two feet and a half in the same space of time in which the man next to him takes a step of two feet, without a quicker movement of the foot of the former than of that of the latter; whereas one may lengthen the step one or two inches without producing any sensible acceleration of movement.

199. In short the instructor shall endeavour to make the recruit comprehend that the alignment in marching cannot be preserved without the regularity of the step, the touch of the elbows, and the squareness of the shoulders to the front: for instance, he must convince them that if some took longer steps than others, or marched some at quicker, some at slower rate than others, the result must be a breaking of the rank; and he will show them that if the head is held direct to the front without keeping up the light touch of the elbow, it will be impossible for them to judge whether or not they march in the same line with those on the right and left, and whether or not openings take place.

200. The instructor shall, after this, exercise them in the oblique to the right, with the leader on the left; and in the oblique to the left, with the leader on the right.

201. In both the oblique and direct marches, the touch of the elbow ought to be kept towards the flank where the leader is; and thus each man will touch, lightly, with his own elbow, that of the man next to him in that direction.

202 The oblique march to the side opposite to that on which the leader is, being much more difficult than that to the side he is on, the instructor shall recommend to the recruits to redouble their attention, when obliquing in such direction.

203. When the different principles have become familiar to the recruits, and when they are confirmed in the position of the body, the carrying of arms, the mechanism, the length of the step, and time in which each step ought to be taken in the case of the ordinary pace,( or time), the instructor shall make them pass from the ordinary to the quick, and the back step, as follows.

204. The rank marching in ordinary time, shall receive the word,

2. =March                     (=Marche)

205. At the word March (Marche ), given when either foot is coming to the ground, the rank will assume the quick step.

206. The length of step shall be the same as that of the ordinary step, but one hundred of these steps must be taken in one minute.

Remarks on the Quick Step

Observations Relatives au Pas Accéleré.

207. The oblique step shall never be in quick time.

208. Marching in quick, and ordinary time, is regulated by the same principles; but the impulse of quick time disposing the soldier to throw himself out, the instructor will take especial care to regulate the cadence of the step, and to habituate the recruit, always, to preserve the perpendicularity of his body, as well as the regularity of the step.

The instructor shall make the recruits marching in quick time, sometimes mark time, and change feet.

210. When the instructor wishes to make the recruits resume the ordinary step, he shall command,

1. Ordinary time            (Pas Ordinaire)

211 At the word march (Marche), given when either foot is coming to the ground, the rank shall resume the ordinary step.

212. The instructor shall cause the rank marching, to halt, as directed No.24.

213. If the rank is marching in quick time, the word halt (Halte), shall be given, an instant previous to planting the foot on the ground.

214. The rank being halted, the instructor shall cause it to march backwards, as follows:

2. = March                    (=Marche)

215. At the word march (Marche), the recruit shall step off, backwards, with the left foot, which he shall plant at the distance of one foot from the right, reckoning from heel to heel, and so on, till the word Halt (Halte) is given, which shall always be preceded by that of, Squad (Peloton). The recruits shall halt on hearing the word, by carrying back the foot in front and planting it by the side of the other.

216. The instructor will watch that the recruits do not lean against each other; that they march straight backwards; and that the proper position of the body and musket is always preserved.

Deuxieme Leçon

217. The recruits being drawn up in one rank, elbow to elbow, the instructor shall command as follows:

    (or left)                                              (or flanc gauche))

2. To the right (or left)=Face                  (=A Droite (or à Gauche))

3. =March                                               (=Marche)   

218. At the second word of command, the recruits will face to the right (or left).

219. At the March (Marche ), they shall step off, quickly, with the left foot, and in ordinary time.

Observations on marching to a flank

220. The instructor shall place a well drilled soldier at the side of the leading recruit, on

the flank to which the rank has faced, in order to conduct this last, and to regulate his step: it shall be recommended to the soldier who leads the recruits in file, to march, always, touching the elbow of the man who is assigned to direct him.

221. In marching to a flank, the instructor shall cause the following rules to be observed:

That the step is taken and executed, according to the prescribed principles; because that these principles, without observing which, men placed side by side in one rank, cannot in marching, preserve their dressing and alignment, become still more indispensably necessary to be followed when marching in file.

That at each step, the man in rear of another shall plant his foot on the spot, at least, from whence the man in front of him has raised his foot; in order to exclude the possibility of opening out of the files.

The recruit is not to bend the knee, which he will be apt to do, to avoid treading on the heels of the man before him; because that if the knees are bent, the lock-step and the cadence would be lost.

The head of a man preceding another, must cover in and hide from his last, the heads of all the men who may be in front; because this constitutes the surest rule that can be laid down for marching on, and covering the leader of the file.

222. The instructor, during the march, will place himself by the flank, and must frequently at five or six paces from that on which the recruits he is drilling are, in order to watch that the principles laid down above are strictly observed.

223. He will also sometimes, place himself behind the file, and let it pass him fifteen or twenty paces, in order to observe whether or not the recruits cover the file leader exactly.

224. The instructor shall make the recruits wheel, in file to the right or left, as follows;

1. By file to the right (or left) wheel        (Par file à droite {or à gauche}) 2. =March                                           (=Marche)

225. At the second word, the leading man of the me shall wheel to the right, or left, and

shall then march straight forward, each man turning or wheeling successively, on the same ground as the first wheeled on.

226. The instructor shall also cause the recruits to turn to the right, and left, on the march, thus:

1. To the left flank (or right)                  (Par le flanc gauche (or droit)

2. =Turn                                                (=Marche)

228. When the instructor wishes to halt, and front, the rank marching to the flank, he shall give the following words of command:

                        2. = Halt                        (=Halte)

                        3. =Front                       (=Front)

229. At the second word, the rank marching in file shall halt, and no one will stir, even to rectify a false distance; this attention being necessary to habituate the soldiers to maintain the proper distance, or lock-step.

230. At the third word of command, each man shall front, by facing to the left, if the march has been to the right flank; and by facing to the right, if the march has been to the left flank.

Observations on Marching to a Flank

231. When the recruits have acquired an ease and facility in marching to a flank, the instructor will practice them in this species of march, in quick time: the practise of this will make them sensible of the necessity of maintaining the lock-step (Emboiter les Pas) in marching to a flank, and of observing the cadence of the step, and the upright position of the body.

232 The instructor shall instruct and exercise the recruits in the mode of dressing, one by one, in order the better to make them comprehend the principle of the alignment, or dressing; and for this purpose he shall order the two men on the right flank, to step two paces to the front, and having aligned them, he shall caution each man successively to make up into the line of dressing of the two first.

233.Each recruit, on receiving the caution from the instructor, to dress up into the alignment, shall turn his head and eyes to the right, keeping his body in the position prescribed in the first lesson of Part First of the Discipline of the Soldier; he shall march in the cadence of the ordinary step, two paces to the front, shortening the last step in such a manner, as that the foot taking his second step, shall be six inches behind the new alignment, when it comes to the ground: the new line is never to be passed, so as to occasion dressing back; the recruit shall steadily, and without jerking forward, then move by short steps into the line of dressing, keeping the hams stretched; and he shall dress up to the man who stands next to him in the new alignment, without deranging the position of his head, the line of his eyes, or squareness of the shoulders; so as to find himself in the line of direction of this man, whose elbow he is lightly to touch, without opening out his own.

234. Dressing by the left is conducted by the same principles.

235. When the recruits shall have learnt, thus, one by one, to align correctly, and without dressing backward, and forward, and groping into their situations, the instructor shall make a whole rank align at once, as follows:

By the right (or left ) =Dress       (A droite(or à gauche)=Alignement)

shall steadily march up to, and place themselves on the new line; conformable to the principles laid down in the above paragraph No.233.

237. The instructor, situated five or six paces in front of the rank, and facing towards it, shall carefully observe that the principles are adhered to; and to verify this, he shall, after that, proceed to the flank which has served for a base to dress on.

238. Seeing the whole, nearly, of the rank dressed, he will command,

= Front                                      (= Fixe )

239. At this command, the recruits shall turn the head to the direct position to the front, resuming their immovable position.

240. The instructor then observing that certain files are not dressed on the alignment, shall direct, by its number from the right, such file (or such and such files) (telle-file, or telles- files) to dress up, or back, (rentrez or sortez). The files alluded to only, immediately casting the eye to the flank dressed to, to be enabled to judge how far it may be necessary to move forward, or fall back, shall steadily place themselves on the line, afterwards replacing the head in the direct position.

241. The instructor shall have, previously, numbered the files.

242. Dressing back is conducted on the same principles; the recruits shall step back a little beyond the line, and shall then move up to it by taking small steps to the front, conformable to what has been laid down above, No.223.

In this case, the command given by the instructor will be,

                        (or left to the rear)         (or à gauche)

Observations on the Principles of the Alignment

Observations relatives aux principles d'alignement

243. The instructor shall inculcate observance of the following principles:

That the soldier should quietly, and steadily, arrive on the dressing line; because hurry prevents the observing of good order; and even the promptitude of execution; and these are obtained by accustoming the soldier to execute his movements with calmness, coolness, and precision.

That he does not bend back the body, nor the head forward; because it is by a regularity of position, he is to learn to dress correctly, on a given line.

That he is to turn his head the least degree possible, and in such manner only, as to be able to see the line of dressing; in order that the shoulder may not be drawn forward out of the line of the ranks, and that the false position of one man may not lead into error, all the men about to come on to the alignment.

That the shoulder should never pass beyond the dressing line; because that if one soldier is passed the alignment, he would be under the necessity of dressing back to the true line, and his committed fault would extend to the men place beyond him, who would be obliged, in their turns, to fall back also; a circumstance to be avoided with so much the more care, as, besides the loss of time arising from it, it is much more difficult to dress back than forward.

That at the word of command Front, or Eyes Front (Fixe), all movement on the part of the soldier should cease, though he may not even be on the line of dressing; in order to make him form the habit of judging readily when he is on his alignment, and to fix himself there without wavering and grasping, as it were, backwards and forwards.

That on the word of command Such File, or Such Files (telle-file, or telles-fIles), Forward (En Avant), or Backwards (En Arriere), and those others not mentioned do not stir; in order not to derange the dressing of those who are already aligned.

That in dressing backwards, the soldiers are to pass the line a little in stepping back, and then, by small steps, to align up, or forward; in order that they may dress forward to the line, by a final movement to the front, because it is easier, thus, to judge of, and hit the alignment.