By Austin Williams, 33rd Virginia Co. H

The following is the first of a three part primer on skirmish drill, covering deployments and general principles, movement and firing, and reforming. These articles are intended to be a general introduction or refresher and should not be viewed as a replacement for reading the original manuals. Wherever possible, the original text from William Hardee’s revised Rifle and Infantry Tactics: Revised and Improved (Mobile, AL: S. H. Goetzel & Co., 1863), p. 171-207 is used, with rephrasing, reorganization, and additional comments to improve clarity. Topics covered by Hardee, but rarely utilized by living historians, are omitted.

The Assembly

A company deployed as skirmishers will be assembled when there is no longer danger from enemy fire; the assembly will be made habitually in quick time.

The captain wishing to assemble the skirmishers on the reserve, will command:

Assemble on the reserve.

At this command, the skirmishers will assemble by groups of fours; the front rank men will place themselves behind the rear rank men and each group of fours will direct itself on the reserve, where each will take its proper place in the ranks. When the company is reformed, it will rejoing the battalion to which it belongs.

It may also be proper to assemble the skirmishers on the center, or on the right or left of the line. If the captain should wish to assemble them on the center while marching, he will command:

Assemble on the center.

At this command, the center guide will continue to march directly to the front on the point indicated. The front rank man of the directing file will follow the guide and be covered by his rear rank man; the other two comrades of this group, and likewise those on their left, will march diagonally, advancing the left shoulder and accelerating the gait, so as to reform the groups while drawing nearer and nearer the directing file. The men of the right section will unite in the same manner into groups and then upon the directing file. As they successively unite on the center, the men will bring their pieces to the right shoulder.

To assemble on the right or left file will be executed according to the same principles. The assembly of a line marching in retreat will also be executed according to the same principles, the front rank men marching behind their rear rank partners.

To assemble a line of skirmishers at a halt, and on the line they currently occupy, the captain will give the same commands. The skirmishers will face to the right or left as needed, reform the groups while marching, and thus arrive on the file which served as the point of formation. As they successively arrive, the skirmishers will support arms.

The Rally

Unlike the deliberate assembly, the rally is a rapid movement in response to tactical circumstances, such as a charge by cavalry or to clear the front of the advancing battalion to allow them to fire. The rally may be conducted by fours, by sections, by platoons, on the reserve, or on the battalion. Because the majority of these are in response to charges by cavalry, they are rarely used in the living history community and will not be covered here. Rallying on the battalion, however, is the most expeditious way of clearing the front of the main battle line the skirmishers are screening.

When one or more platoons are deployed as skirmishers, and the captain should wish to rally them on the battalion, he will command:

Rally on the Battalion.

At this command, the skirmishers and the reserve will rapidly unmask the front of the battalion, directing themselves at a run towards its nearest flank and then form in its rear. As soon as the skirmishers have passed beyond the line of file closers, the men will take the quick step and the chief of each platoon or section will reform his subdivision and place it in column behind the wing on which it is rallied, and at ten paces from the rank of file closers. These subdivisions will not be moved except by order of the commander of the battalion.

By Austin Williams, 33rd Virginia Co. H

The following is the first of a three part primer on skirmish drill, covering deployments and general principles, movement and firing, and reforming. These articles are intended to be a general introduction or refresher and should not be viewed as a replacement for reading the original manuals. Wherever possible, the original text from William Hardee’s revised Rifle and Infantry Tactics: Revised and Improved (Mobile, AL: S. H. Goetzel & Co., 1863), p. 171-207 is used, with rephrasing, reorganization, and additional comments to improve clarity. Topics covered by Hardee, but rarely utilized by living historians, are omitted.

Once skirmishers are deployed, they will generally only receive one of four commands, ordering them to advance, retreat, commence firing or cease firing.¹ The order in which these commands are given, however, changes the action required. The order to advance, for instance, results in different actions if the men are already firing versus if they have ceased fire.

To Advance in Line, and to Retreat in Line

To order a line of skirmishers to advance, the captain will command:

1. Forward. At this command, the sergeants will move briskly on the line to their posts in the right, left, and center of the skirmish line.
2. MARCH.

At this command, the line will move to the front, preserving their intervals. The guide will habitually be in the center, unless ordered otherwise. Lieutenants will march immediately behind their sections. To halt the advance, the captain will order:

HALT.

At this command, briskly repeated, the line will halt. After rectifying any irregularities in the alignment and intervals, sergeants and lieutenants return to their positions behind the skirmish line.

To order a line of skirmishers to retreat, the captain orders:

1. In retreat. At this command, the sergeants move to the line as described above.
2. MARCH.

At this command, the skirmishers will face about individually and march to the rear, maintaining their alignment and intervals. To halt the retreat, the captain orders:

HALT.

At this command, the skirmishers will halt, and immediately face to the front.

The Firings

Skirmishers will fire either at the halt or marching.

To Fire at a Halt

The line being at a halt, the captain will command:

Commence—Firing.

At this command, briskly repeated, the men of the front rank will commence firing. They will reload rapidly. During this time, the men of the rear rank will come to a read and, as soon as their respective file partners have loaded, they will also fire and reload. The men of each file will thus continue the firing so that one or the other shall always have his piece loaded.

To Fire Marching

This fire uses the same commands as the fire at the halt. At the command Commence Firing, if the line is already advancing, the front rank man of every file will halt, fire, and reload before throwing himself forward. The rear rank man of the same file will continue to march, and after passing 10 or 12 paces beyond this front rank man, will halt, come to a ready, and fire when his front rank man has loaded. The fire will thus continue, the men alternating firing and advancing, so that the man nearest the enemy always has a loaded piece.

If the line is currently firing at the halt, at the command Forward—MARCH, it will be the men whose pieces are loaded, without regard to the particular rank to which they belong, who will move to the front. Those men whose pieces have been discharged will remain in their places to load them before moving forward, following the principles previously described.

If the line of march be in retreat, at the command Commence—Firing, the front rank of each file will halt, face the enemy, fire, and then reload while moving to the rear. The rear rank man of the same file will continue to march and halt 10-12 paces beyond his front rank man, face the enemy, come to the ready, and fire when his front rank man has passed him in retreat and loaded. He will then move to the rear and reload; the front rank man, after marching briskly to the rear, will halt at 10-12 paces from the rear rank man, face the enemy and load and fire his piece. The process will continue, with the men alternating firing and retreating, until ordered to halt or cease fire.

If the line is currently firing at the halt or in the advance, at the command In retreat—MARCH, the men whose pieces are loaded will remain faced to the enemy. Their file partner, whose piece is discharged, will retreat loading it and halt 10-12 paces to the rear. The man nearest to the enemy will fire after his partner has reloaded and begin moving to the rear following the principles previously described.

At the command Cease—FIRING, the captain will see that the order is promptly obeyed and the men who may not be loaded, will load. If the line is marching, it will continue the movement but the man of each file who happens to be in the front will wait until the man in the rear shall be abreast with him.

If a line of skirmishers be firing, advancing, at the command HALT, the line will reform upon the skirmishers who are in front; when the line is retreating, upon the skirmishers who are in rear.

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Footnotes

By Austin Williams, 33rd Virginia Co. H

The following is the first of a three part primer on skirmish drill, covering deployments and general principles, movement and firing, and reforming. These articles are intended to be a general introduction or refresher and should not be viewed as a replacement for reading the original manuals. Wherever possible, the original text from William Hardee’s revised Rifle and Infantry Tactics: Revised and Improved (Mobile, AL: S. H. Goetzel & Co., 1863), p. 171-207 is used, with rephrasing, reorganization, and additional comments to improve clarity. Topics covered by Hardee, but rarely utilized by living historians, are omitted.

To Deploy Forward

A company may be deployed as skirmishers in two ways – forward, or by the flank. The deployment forward is used when the company is behind the desired skirmish line; the deployment by the flank is used when it is already on the desired line.

A company can be deployed on its right, left, or center file, or on any other file the commander may name.

To deploy the first platoon of a company forward on the left file, while holding the second platoon in reserve, the Captain will command:

1. First platoon—as skirmishers. At this command, the First Lieutenant will step in front of the center of second platoon and order Second platoon, backward—MARCH. After they have stepped three paces to the rear, the First Lieutenant will command HALT. The Second Sergeant then places himself on the left flank of second platoon and the Third Sergeant places himself on the right flank. If the company has a Fourth Sergeant, he places himself on the left flank of first platoon as soon as he can pass in front of second platoon. After this is complete, the Captain will command:
2. On the left file—take intervals.
3. MARCH.

The foundation of skirmisher deployment is the four man “comrades in battle,” consisting of the front and rear rank men of two files, numbered “One” and “Two” when the company counts off. At the command MARCH, the leftmost group of four men of first platoon will march straight forward at quick time, guided by the Fourth Sergeant if one is available. All the other groups of four, throwing forward the left shoulder, will march diagonally to the front in double quick time, seeking to establish a distance of 20 paces from the group to its immediate left. Once the second group of comrades in battle is 20 paces from the leftmost group, they will begin marching straight ahead, matching the gait and direction of the leftmost group and maintaining an interval of 20 paces. As each subsequent group of four reaches a distance of 20 paces from the group to their left, they too will begin marching directly forward. The First Sergeant will guide the final, rightmost group.

When the left guide reaches the point where the skirmish line is to be established, the Captain will command the skirmishers HALT. Each group of fours will immediately deploy. The front rank Two man remains in place and anchors the group. The rear rank Two man will deploy to a point five paces to the left of his file partner. The front rank One man will deploy 10 paces to the right of the front rank Two man, with the rear rank One man deploying in between the front rank men, five paces to the left of his file partner. If any groups are not yet in line at the command HALT, they will move up rapidly and deploy.

After the line is formed, the sergeants place themselves ten paces in rear of the line and opposite the positions they respectively occupied. Any lieutenants place themselves 25-30 paces to the rear of the center of their sections. The Captain will place himself in the rear about 80 paces behind the center of the line. These distances are frequently reduced by living historians, particularly if a bugler is not available to amplify commands or if the terrain limits visibility.

When the movement begins, the First Lieutenant will face the second platoon to the rear and march it promptly to about 150 paces in rear of the center of the line. He will hold it always at this distance and conform to the movements of the line, unless ordered to the contrary. This reserve fills vacant places on the skirmish line, furnishes the line with cartridges, relieves fatigued men, and serves as a rallying point for the skirmishers.

The deployment may be made on the right or the center of the platoon, by the same commands and utilizing the same principles described above, substituting the indication right or center, for that of left file.

To Deploy By The Flank

To deploy the second platoon as skirmishers by the right flank and holding the first platoon in reserve, the Captain will order:

1. Second platoon—as skirmishers. At this command, the Second Lieutenant will step in front of the center of first platoon and order First platoon, backward—MARCH. After they have stepped three paces to the rear, the Second Lieutenant will command HALT. The Fourth Sergeant then places himself on the left flank of first platoon and the First Sergeant remains on the right flank. As soon as he is able, the Third Sergeant places himself on the right flank of second platoon. After this is complete, the Captain will command:
2. By the right flank—take intervals.
3. MARCH.

At the command MARCH, the leftmost group of fours in second platoon will stand fast and deploy as soon as there is room on its right, utilizing the same method described above. The remainder of second platoon will face to the right and march to the right. As soon as the second group of comrades in battle have reached a point 20 paces from the first group, they will face to the front and deploy. The third group will deploy 20 paces from the second group and so on. The Third Sergeant will march on the left of the rightmost group to conduct it.

After deployed, the officers and sergeants place themselves behind the skirmish line as described above. The First Lieutenant will likewise move first platoon into the position of the reserve 150 paces to the rear as described above.

This deployment can also be made, using the same principles, by the left flank by substituting left flank for right flank. The platoon can also be deployed upon the center, substituting right and left flank for right flank. In this case, the center file of the platoon will stand fast, with the groups of four to their right facing and marching to the right and the groups to their left facing and marching to the left.

The entire company may also be deployed by the front or by the flank according to the same principles.

General Principles

A chain of skirmishers ought generally to preserve their alignment, but no advantages which the ground may present should be sacrificed to attain this regularity. It is not expected that the movements of skirmishers should be executed with the same precision as in closed ranks.

Skirmishers should take advantage of any cover and should lie flat on the ground whenever necessary to protect them from the fire of the enemy. Skirmishers will be permitted to carry their pieces in the manner most convenient to them and habitually carry their bayonet in the scabbard.

If available, the movements of skirmishers will be indicated by the sounds of the bugle. Officers and non-commissioned officers if necessary, will repeat and cause the commands to be executed as soon as they are given.

The interval between skirmishers can be adjusted, but is habitually five paces in open ground. The interval between each group of comrades in battle should never exceed 40 paces and in no case will comrades in battle lose sight of each other.

Skirmishers should be habituated to load their pieces while moving, but should halt always an instant when in the act of charging cartridges and priming. They should be practiced to fire and load kneeling, lying down, and sitting, and much liberty should be allowed in these exercises. Skirmishers should be cautioned not to forget that, in whatever position they may load, it is important that the piece be placed upright before ramming, in order that the entire charge of powder may reach the bottom of the bore.

By Austin Williams, 5th VA Co. A

Once a battalion is formed in line, its commander may wish to change his battalion’s formation from line into a column depending on terrain and the tactical situation (see School of the Battalion: Forming the Battalion for a description of forming the battalion into line). While columns can also be formed by divisions or platoons and can be formed with the left-most company taking the lead (left in front), we will deal here with a column of companies, right in front (i.e. the rightmost company of the battalion when in line will form the head of the column), at full distance (the width of a company is the same as the distance between that company and the company in front of it). There are two ways to form this column, either by breaking to the right via a wheel or by breaking to the rear. Both accomplish the same objective, but one or the other may be more appropriate depending on whether there is a terrain feature to the front or rear of the battalion line. For instance, if there is a fence line in front of a battalion, breaking to the rear may be the best option, while a battalion formed just in front of a wooded area may want to break by the right. We will start with breaking by the right.

To Break by the Right Into Column

With his battalion formed in line, the colonel will order By company, right wheel (1). At this command, each captain moves to the center of his company and cautions them to prepare to right wheel. The first sergeant replaces the captain in the front rank. The colonel then commands MARCH, the first sergeant does not move and the front rank man to his left (usually the first corporal) right faces to the left elbow of the first sergeant. The captain moves quickly to the point where they estimate the left flank of their company would rest 90 degrees from their initial position, facing towards the immobile first sergeant. As soon as the company has wheeled enough for the second sergeant to leave the rank of file closers, he takes his place on the left flank of the company.

Figure 1. Just after the order MARCH, with each company captain placed where they estimate their left flank will lie and the second sergeant covering the left flank of the company.

When the second sergeant is three paces from the captain, each captain will individually command [1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, etc..] Company—HALT. As the company is halting, the second sergeant immediately moves forward and places his left arm lightly against the breast of the captain. The captain will confirm that the second sergeant is aligned with the front rank man of the first file (usually the first corporal), who had previously faced to the left elbow of the first sergeant as discussed above. The first sergeant now takes his post to the right of this front rank. Once satisfied with the alignment, each captain will command Left—DRESS.

Figure 2. Just prior to Left—DRESS, with the left flank of each company three paces from the perpendicular and the second sergeant with his left arm lightly against the captain’s chest.

Once the company is fully dressed, each captain commands FRONT and takes his place two paces in front of the center of the company.

Figure 3. A completed column of companies, right in front.

The column is now fully formed and is prepared to begin marching. As the column is right in front, the guide will habitually be to the left. If the captains have not correctly judged their wheeling distance or if the companies are not of similar size, the left guides (second sergeants) may not be aligned immediately upon starting the march. The left guide of each company other than the first company will therefore need to march at an angle to the left or right until properly aligned. A column can be formed left in front according to the same principles, simply inverting the previous commands.

To Break to the Rear Into Column

We turn next to breaking to the rear into column (2). With his battalion formed in line, the colonel will order By the right of companies to the rear into column. Each captain will move to the center of his company and caution them to prepare to face to the right. The colonel then commands Battalion right—FACE. Each captain moves quickly to the right of his company and orders his men to break to files to the rear. The captain then places himself so that his breast is touching the left arm of the front rank man of last file of the company to the right of his own. The captain of the first company places himself as if there were another company to the right and aligns himself off the other captains. Each company’s first sergeant breaks to the rear as well, taking his place in front of the front rank man of the first file.

Figure 4. Just after breaking files to the rear, each captain next to the last file of the preceding company and the first sergeants preparing to lead each company by the flank to the rear.

The colonel next commands MARCH and the men of each company begin marching, following the front two files perpendicularly to the rear and wheeling at the same point.

Figure 5. Each company marching to by the right flank, with each file wheeling at the same point as the first two files and proceeding to the rear, led by the first sergeant.

When each captain sees the last file of his company march past him, he commands [1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, etc…] Company—HALT. FRONT. As soon as the company fronts, the second sergeant places himself so that his left arm is lightly touching the breast of his captain. Each captain then orders Left—DRESS.

Figure 6. Just prior to Left—DRESS, with each company faced to the front and each second sergeant aligned with his captain.

When each captain is satisfied with his company’s alignment and taking care that it is perpendicular to the original battalion line, the captain then commands FRONT and takes his post two paces in front of the middle of his company. Once all companies have dressed, the column is fully formed. As with breaking to the right, these same principles can be used with inverse commands to form a column of companies with the leftmost company at the head of the column (i.e. left in front).

Figure 7. A completed column of companies, right in front. Note the column’s relationship with the original battalion line and how this might affect whether a commander wishes to form column by breaking to the right or by breaking to the rear.

 

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Endnotes

1. Hardee, William J. Hardee’s Rife and Infantry Tactics for the Instruction, Exercises and Maneuvers of Riflemen and Light Infantry. New York: J.O. Kane Publisher, 1862. Volume II – School of the Battalion, Part Second, Article First, para 68-73; Gilham, William. Manual of Instruction for the Volunteers and Militia of the United States. Philadelphia: Charles Desilver, 1861. Article VI School of the Battalion, Section 300. The texts of Hardee’s and Gilham’s manuals are identical on this topic other than section numbering.
2. Hardee, Tactics Volume II, Part Second, Article Second, para 87-93; Gilham, Manual of Instruction, Article VI School of the Battalion, Section 301. The texts of Hardee’s and Gilham’s manuals are identical on this topic other than section numbering.

By Austin Williams, 5th VA Co. A

A battalion marching in a column has several options to return to a line of battle, formed to the left, front, or right of the column’s original line of march (see School of the Battalion: Forming the Battalion for a description of forming the battalion into line and School of the Battalion: Line to Column for a description of forming a column of companies). While columns can also be formed by divisions or platoons and can be formed with the left-most company taking the lead (left in front), we will deal here with a column of companies, right in front (i.e. the rightmost company of the battalion when in line will form the head of the column), at full distance (the width of a company is the same as the distance between that company and the company in front of it). Although these procedures can be followed with slight modifications to form a line directly from the march, we will assume here that the column is currently at a halt.

Forming a Line to the Left

With his battalion formed in column of companies and wishing to form a line facing to the left, the colonel will order Left into line, wheel (1). At this command, the first sergeant of the first company in the column will move quickly to align himself with the line of second sergeants on the left flank of the column, facing them. He should be far enough in front of his own second sergeant so that, when his company wheels into line, he will be in front of one of the first three files of his company. The colonel will then command MARCH, quickly repeated by all of the captains. At the command MARCH, the left front rank man of each company faces to the left and rests his breast against the right arm of his second sergeant. The companies will then each wheel to the left, with each captain marching backwards to watch his company.

Figure 1. Just after the order MARCH, with each company wheeling in the direction of the line established by the second sergeants and the first sergeant of the first company.

When each captain sees that his company is three paces from the desired line of battle, he will command [1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, etc…] Company—HALT. The captain then stands on the desired line next to the left front rank man of the company to the right and command Right—DRESS. When he is satisfied with the alignment, each captain orders FRONT. Once the battalion is fully aligned and dressed, the colonel commands Guides—POSTS and the second sergeants and the first sergeant off the rightmost company will return to their usual places in the battalion, passing through the nearest captain’s internal. Captains and first sergeants step aside to allow the guides to pass through their interval and then resume their posts. The battalion is now formed in a line of battle to the left of the original direction of march.

Figure 2. Just prior to the command Right—DRESS, with captains next to the leftmost man of the company to their right.

Forming a Line to the Front

With his battalion formed in column of companies and wishing to form a line facing in the same direction as his line of march, the colonel will order instruct the lieutenant colonel to move forward with two markers and place them where the colonel desires the new battalion line (2). The first marker designates where the rightmost front rank man of the first company will be and the second marker designates the point where one of the three leftmost files of the first company will be. Both markers face to the right.

The colonel will then give the command Forward into line. At this command, the captain of the first company in the column then gives the order to his company 1^st Company, Forward—MARCH. Guide Right and marches his company forward until they are three paces from the desired battalion line, as designated by the markers. He stands along the desired line and orders Right—DRESS and then FRONT when he is satisfied with the alignment.

Once the first company is correctly aligned, the colonel will order By company, left half wheel—MARCH. Each company, except for the first company (which does not move for the remainder of this evolution), then wheels to the left on a fixed pivot. When the colonel judges that the companies have sufficiently wheeled, he orders Forward—MARCH. Guide right. The companies will then begin marching straight forward and guiding to the right, thus moving at an angle towards the desired line.Figure 3. Just after the companies left half wheel and begin marching forward. First company has established the battalion line as designated by the markers.

As soon as the second company reaches the point where its first sergeant has passed the leftmost file of the first company, its captain orders 2^nd Company, Right turn—MARCH. The first sergeant immediately turns to the right and marches straight towards the desired line of battle. The rest of the company completes a right turn and follows the first sergeant forward. When the company is three paces from the desired line, its captain commands 2^nd Company—HALT. He then stands next to the leftmost front rank man of first company. The second sergeant of second company moves forward to align himself with the two markers, standing in front of one of the three leftmost files of second company and facing to the right. The captain of second company then orders Right—DRESS.Figure 4. Just before the second company dresses to the right. Simultaneously, the third company is just about to execute a right turn, having cleared the flank of the second company.

After the captain of second company is satisfied with the alignment of his company, he commands FRONT. His second sergeant remains forward as a guide aligned with the markers. Once he sees that second company is fully aligned and dressed, the captain of first company orders 1^st Company, Support—ARMS (3). Meanwhile, third company will be moving up to the line in the same manner as second company. Once the captain of third company orders FRONT, the captain of second company will order 2^nd Company, Support—ARMS. These procedures will continue until the entire battalion is dressed on the desired line. The colonel then orders Guides—POSTS and the second sergeants and markers return to their normal posts as previously described. The battalion is now formed in line of battle facing to the front.

Forming a Line to the Right

With his battalion formed in column of companies and wishing to form a line facing to the right of the current direction of march, the colonel will order instruct the lieutenant colonel to move forward with two markers and place them where the colonel desires the new battalion line (4). As with forming a battalion to the front, the first marker will designate where the rightmost front rank man of the first company will be and the second marker will designate the point where one of the three leftmost files of the first company will be. Both markers face towards what will be the right when the company is formed (i.e. towards the column’s current rear).

With the markers in place, the colonel will command On the right, into line. Battalion, guide right. MARCH. At the final command, the battalion will march forward. When the first company is precisely aligned with the first marker, its captain will order 1^st Company, Right turn—MARCH. The company’s first sergeant will immediately turn ninety degrees to the right and march forward so as to bring the first file front rank man (usually the first corporal) opposite the right marker. The rest of the company completes the right turn and marches towards the desired battalion line. When they are three paces from the markers, the captain will command 1^st Company—HALT. At this halt, the second sergeant will return to his post in the line of file closers and the captain will position himself along the desired battalion line. He will then command Right—DRESS, with the company dressing up to the two markers. Once properly aligned, the captain will order his company to FRONT.

Figure 5. Just after first company has dressed along the desired battalion line. Note the subsequent companies continuing to march forward.

Simultaneously, the other companies in the battalion will continue to march straight forward. When the captain of the second company sees his company has cleared the left flank of first company, he will order his company to turn and march towards the new battalion line as described above. The Second company’s second sergeant will align himself with the two markers, facing towards them. The captain then causes second company to right dress  alongside first company. Once he orders second company to FRONT, the captain of first company orders his company to Support—ARMS. Meanwhile, third company will be moving up to the line in the same manner as second company. Once the captain of third company orders FRONT, the captain of second company will order his company Support—ARMS. These procedures will continue until the entire battalion is dressed on the desired line. The colonel then orders Guides—POSTS and the second sergeants and markers return to their normal posts as previously described. The battalion is now formed in line of battle facing to the right.

Figure 6. Just before second company dresses along the desired battalion line. Note third company in position to conduct their right turn.

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Endnotes

1. Hardee, William J. Hardee’s Rife and Infantry Tactics for the Instruction, Exercises and Maneuvers of Riflemen and Light Infantry. New York: J.O. Kane Publisher, 1862. Volume II – School of the Battalion, Part Fourth, Article Second, para 390-396; Gilham, William. Manual of Instruction for the Volunteers and Militia of the United States. Philadelphia: Charles Desilver, 1861. Article VI School of the Battalion, Section 323. The texts of Hardee’s and Gilham’s manuals are identical on this topic other than section numbering.
2. Hardee, Tactics Volume II, Part Fourth, Article Second, para 440-448; Gilham, Manual of Instruction, Article VI School of the Battalion, Section 329. The texts of Hardee’s and Gilham’s manuals are identical on this topic other than section numbering.
3. This is a general rule for all successive formations. Hardee, Tactics Volume II, Part Fourth, Article Second, para 437; Gilham, Manual of Instruction, Article VI School of the Battalion, Section 328. The texts of Hardee’s and Gilham’s manuals are identical on this topic other than section numbering.
4. Hardee, Tactics Volume II, Part Fourth, Article Second, para 414-428; Gilham, Manual of Instruction, Article VI School of the Battalion, Section 328. The texts of Hardee’s and Gilham’s manuals are identical on this topic other than section numbering.

By Austin Williams, 5th VA Co. A

Before a reenactor infantry battalion can be marched the drill field or battlefield, its various component companies must first be formed into a cohesive single unit. Soldiers during the Civil War likely formed their battalions thousands of times over the course of their service, rendering it a habitual action after only a short time. However, reenacting battalions are frequently comprised of companies with little experience drilling together as a single battalion. It is therefore important for reenactors, particularly those filling the roles of company officers and non-commissioned officers, to understand the principles of forming the battalion and their role in this foundational evolution before advancing onto other evolutions of the infantry battalion.  

Unfortunately, several period drill manuals say little about how a battalion is formed. Hardee’s drill manual, used by so many reenactor units, opens its School of the Battalion by stating only: 

“The color-company will generally be designated as the directing company.  That, as soon as formed, will be placed on the direction the colonel may have determined for the line of battle.  The other companies will form on it, to the right and left, on the principles of successive formations which will be herein prescribed.”(1)

Thankfully, as with several other maneuvers so basic that other period manuals don’t cover them in detail, Major William Gilham’s 1861 manual for volunteers and militia goes through this maneuver step by step. Gilham’s description is consistent with Hardee’s instructions to follow the principles of successive formations, suggesting that Gilham is a solid foundation upon which to build our understanding of how to form a battalion regardless of the specific drill manual being used by a battalion. The following is derived from Gilham’s manual unless specified otherwise. (2)

Prior to the formation of the battalion, company officers and NCOs form their companies at their company’s individual company streets. Upon the adjutant’s call, each company commander will march his company to the location designated to form the battalion. The color company should be the first company formed, with the color guard on the company’s left flank marking the center of the desired battalion line. Battalion officers will place two markers to designate where they wish the color company to form, with one marker in front of the right corporal of the color guard and the other approximately where the right flank of the color company would rest, facing towards the first marker. The color company is halted by its captain three paces behind these markers and then dressed to the line of markers by its captain with the command Left—DRESS. Note that the captain stands on the left flank of his company for this order, which will be discussed in further detail later in this article. Gilham’s has no further instructions for the color company, but Hardee’s instruction to follow the principles of successive formations suggests that the captain of the color company (and those which follow) should order Support—ARMS after the company that forms after it is properly dressed.   

 

Figure 1. Immediately following the order Left—DRESS by the captain of the color company. (3)

The company to the left of the colors forms next. Its captain marches the company to the left of the color company and three paces behind their line. The company’s second sergeant is then placed in line with, and facing towards, the original two markers, roughly in front of the three left files of his company. The battalion Adjutant assists with aligning the second sergeant. The captain then places himself to the left of the color company and orders Right—DRESS. As mentioned above, after this captain commands Front, the captain of the color company orders Support—ARMS for his company. 

Figure 2. Just prior to the order Right—DRESS by the captain of the company to the left of the colors.

Of note, the captain of the color company stood on the left of his company to order them to dress to the left, while the captain of the company to the left of the color company stands on the right of his company to dress them to the right. These two captains must therefore occupy the same captain’s interval, since the captain of the color company will return to his usual spot on the right of his company only once the battalion is fully formed. Gilham does not address this issue. The solution, as laid out in Dominic Dal Bello’s excellent modern manual Parade, Inspection, and Basic Evolutions of the Infantry Battalion, is for the captain of the color company to move to the rear rank of the captain’s interval (to the position which would normally be a first sergeant) when the company to his left arrives at the battalion front. (4) Additionally, despite widespread and incorrect reenactor practice, the color company’s second sergeant is not posted on the left flank of the color company. His proper post is in the rank of file closers. 

 

Figure 3. Just prior to the order Left—DRESS by the captain of the company to the left of the colors.

Next, the company to the right of the color company forms. Its captain marches his company to the right of the color company, halting them three paces to the rear of the forming battalion line. The company’s first sergeant then joins the line of markers, facing towards the colors and roughly aligned with the right three files of the company. The battalion Sergeant Major assists with aligning the first sergeant. The company’s captain then places himself to the right of the color company and orders Left—DRESS, aligning his company into the battalion front. After the captain of this company orders Front, the captain of the company to the left of the color company orders Support—ARMS. 

All subsequent companies continue to form using these principles, one company at a time and alternating to the left and right of the color company. Companies to the left of the colors place their second sergeant out as a guide and their captains stand on the right side of their companies. Companies to the right of the colors send their first sergeant out as a guide and their captains stand to the left of their company, in the captain’s interval of the company to their left. All guides face towards the colors. After the following company has properly dressed, the preceding company takes the position of Support—ARMS. 

 

Figure 4. A battalion with all its companies in position, but with guides still in place.

Once the battalion is fully formed, the battalion adjutant commands Guides—POSTS, upon which all sergeants who are posted as guides will pass through the nearest captain’s interval to reach their usual spot behind their captain for first sergeants or in the rank of file closers for second sergeants (with the exception of the left flank company of the battalion, whose second sergeant stands on the left flank of the battalion as the left general guide of the battalion). Captains of companies to the right of the colors, including the captain of the color company, will move to their usual spots at the right of their companies, in front of their first sergeants.  The battalion is now formed and may be inspected, drilled, or marched to battle.

 

Figure 5. A fully formed battalion. As this battalion has only three companies, the second sergeant of the 3rd Company serves as the left general guide of the battalion.

 

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Footnotes

(1) Hardee, William J. Hardee’s Rife and Infantry Tactics for the Instruction, Exercises and Maneuvers of Riflemen and Light Infantry. New York: J.O. Kane Publisher, 1862. Title Fourth – School of the Battalion, Section 2.

(2) Gilham, William. Manual of Instruction for the Volunteers and Militia of the United States. Philadelphia: Charles Desilver, 1861. Article VI, Section 297.

(3) Please note that only three companies are shown in these diagrams for the sake of simplicity. If this battalion consisted of only three companies, the first company, rather than the second, would properly be the color company.

(4) Dal Bello, Dominic J. Parade, Inspection and Basic Evolutions of the Infantry Battalion. Santa Barbara: Army of the Pacific Press, 1998. Page 62.

Winter is a great time to work on improving your impression. A big part of our ability to accurately portray veteran soldiers from the Civil War era is to ensure our drill appears as accurate and as practiced as possible. We’ll never get as good as the men who practiced and drilled for hours and days on end, but a wealth of videos now available can help ensure our individual movements are as close to the manual as possible. Check out these great videos from our friends in the Liberty Rifles that demonstrate portions of the School of the Solider from Hardee’s Revised and Casey’s. Spend some time practicing at home before an event to make sure you’re not the one fumbling around to remember a command during our next drill demonstration!

 

By Brad Ireland, 4th Virginia, Co. A

When a battalion is marching in a column of fours (for sake of discussion, by the right flank), the battalion commander has the ability to build a company front to the left, right, and straight ahead of the column of march. Each scenario requires a different command, and the rank and file must be able to understand the command and execute it in an organized and timely manor. Lets break each of these three scenarios down.

Building a company front to the left of the column
(While marching at the right flank)
If the battalion commander wishes to build a company front to the left of the line of march, he can do this in one of two ways. This is the easiest of the three scenarios to perform.

1. Company – Halt.       Front.   Upon this command, the column will halt, and then front as usual.
2. By the left flank –       March.       Upon this command, the column will front with out halting and continue marching as a battalion in line of battle.

(When marching by the left flank, the commands will be the same but this will cause the company front to be to the right.)

Building a company front to the front of the line of march.
If the battalion commander wishes to build a company front in the same direction as the column is marching, he will order Company into line – March. At this command, the company will adjust their arms to the right shoulder shift position, and build the company front on the left of the first sergeant. The men will stay in the right shoulder shift position until ordered to change or the company is halted. Fortunately there is a great demonstration of this on the internet found of the web page of the 10^th Battalion, ANV (a mainstream reenactment organization)

https://www.10thbattalion.org/by_company_into_line.php

(When marching by the left flank, the command will be the same but the men will build the front on the right of the second sergeant)

Building a company front to the right of the line of march.
If the battalion commander wishes to build a company front to the right of the company, he will order On the right by file into line – March. This is the most difficult of these three scenarios to accomplish and requires much practice. Again, the 10^th Battalion website has a nice diagram that demonstrates how this is accomplished.

https://www.10thbattalion.org/sos_148.php

(When marching by the left flank, the command will be On the left by file into line – March.)

Test Yourself
Now that we have established how to build the company front to the left, right, and straight ahead of the column of march, how might a company commander build the company front to the rear?

By Brad Ireland. 4^th Virginia, Co. A

The Right Oblique
What the manual says: “192. The oblique firings will be executed to the right and left, and by the same commands as the direct fire, with this single difference—the command aim will always be preceded by the caution, right or left oblique. Position of the two ranks in the oblique fire to the right. At the command ready, the two ranks will execute what has been prescribed for the direct fire. At the cautionary command, right oblique, the two ranks will throw back the right shoulder and look steadily at the object to be hit. At the command aim, each front rank man will aim to the right without deranging the feet; each rear rank man will advance the left foot about eight inches toward the right heel of the man next on the right of his file leader and aim to the right, inclining the upper part of the body forward and bending a little the left knee.”

What this means: The command given will be “At the right oblique, ready, aim, fire”

• For the men in the front rank, they will simply throw back his right shoulder so that his musket will aim to the right. We are looking for about a 35 Degree angle of fire to the right. It is important that the front rank man does not move his feet. They must stay in the proper “T” formation.
• The man in the rear rank, in order to place his muskets on target, 35 degrees to the right, will need to adjust his foot position and throw back his right shoulder. To do this, he will advance his left foot about eight inches toward the right heel of the front rank man to the right of your file partner. The musket will, as always, be off the right shoulder of your file partner. You are looking to advance the musket to a point where your file partner’s ear is somewhere between the middle and rear barrel bands.

The Left Oblique
What the manual says: “At the cautionary command, left oblique, the two ranks will throw back the left shoulder and look steadily at the object to be hit. At the command aim, the front rank will take aim to the left without deranging the feet; each man in the rear rank will advance the right foot about eight inches toward the right heel of the man next on the right of his file-leader, and aim to the left, inclining the upper part of the body forward and bending a little the right knee. In both cases, at the command load, the men of each rank will come to the position of load as prescribed in the direct fire; the rear rank men bringing back the foot which is to the right and front by the side of the other. Each man will continue to load as if isolated.”

What this means: The command given will be “At the left oblique, ready, aim, fire”

• For the men in the front rank, this is executed exactly the same as the right oblique but now to the left. They will simply throw back his left shoulder so that his musket will aim to the left. We are looking for about a 35 Degree angle of fire to the left. It is important that the front rank man does not move his feet. They must stay in the proper “T” formation.
• The man in the rear rank, in order to place his muskets on target, 35 degrees to the left, will need to adjust his foot position and throw back his left shoulder.   He will advance his right foot about eight inches towards the right heel of the front rank man to the right of your file partner. Again, you are looking to advance the musket to a point where your file partner’s ear is somewhere between the middle and rear barrel bands off his right shoulder.

Summary for the rear rank men: Remember you are always advancing your foot towards the right heel of the front rank man to the right of your file partner. Since that man is in his correct firing “T” foot position, his right heel will actually be a little to the left of his left foot. You are only advancing eight inches… you don’t need to step way up into the gap between the front rank men. The trick to remembering which foot to advance is to advance the opposite foot for the oblique you are executing. So a right oblique advances the left foot, a left oblique advances the right foot.

By Brad Ireland, 4th Virginia, Co. A

Facing by the right flank is one of the most basic drill movements in the manual, yet is also the one that is almost guaranteed to cause mass confusion. Do I step up? Who should be on either side of me? Am I a one or a two? Every soldier must master at least the basics of the drill manual and right face is a good place to start.

 

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