Some New Items at OHS

[dahoude]

Gents,

Greetings all. I'd like to call your attention to a few new offerings just posted on our website.

First, a new music CD by the "Camp Lincoln String Band", they call this new CD "Counting Stitches" and it is a collection of 19 CW era songs that have all been performed using only period instruments played in period fashion. This CD is another great addition to our extensive selection of authentically performed period music.

Second, we are pleased to offer you a new Civil War Drill Manual compiled by our forums own Mark (Silas) Tackitt. His manual titled "Guides-Posts" consolidates and reclassifies the Schools of the Soldier and Company, incorporates Division Drill, and also includes Complete Instruction for Skirmishers. All has been derived from Hardee's "Revised and Improved Tactics" (1862) and from other period sources. Complete with diagrams, resources, and documentation. His manual is suited for fresh fish as well as the most seasoned campaigner. All will find it useful and worth making a space for in your knapsack.

You may see these items and much more by visiting our website at http://www.orchardhillsutlery.com

Thank you all for your interest and continued support. Take care all.

Best Regards;

Dan Houde - Proprietor
Orchard Hill Sutlery

[Wild Rover]

Dan,
Reviewed Guides Post by Silas, and agree it is a great publication. Something no NCO or Officer should be without.

IMHO it does for company drill what PIE did for Battalion.

Pards,

[DougCooper]

Guide's Posts is a perfect companion to Dom's PIE and IGP and is just what you need for a Camp of Instruction or any training evolution. It will re-train the vets and start the fresh fish out right. Considering that there is no good repro of Revised Hardees (that I have seen) and originals cost a mint, while Gilham's weighs a ton, this manual is ideal. Nice to see the skirmisher commands in there as well.

The corded binding will stand up well to abuse in the knapsack.

But try as I might I just could not find "load and hold", or "stand up" or "prepare to take arms" or any of those wonderful 20th century commands we know and love. Imagine that.

[Silas]

I couldn't find prepare to stack arms or prepare to take arms, but I did find prepare to rest in Coppee at pg 15-16:

1. Prepare to rest. 2. Order - ARMS. 3. REST (or In place - REST)
These are commands for a colonel. The commands from the commanding general are the same. The general states the first order to his colonels, then the colonels to their commands. The pattern is repeated.

If the general desired arms to be stacked, he would command,

Stack - ARMS
after arms have been ordered.

Coppee notes that the colonels will cause the ranks to be broken after stacks have been formed and "without waiting for the other colonels." Coppee then notes:

When the period of rest has been sufficiently long, to reform the ranks the general will cause the short roll to be beaten. Each colonel, having caused the men to reform, and take their arms from the stacks, will then command:

1. Battalion,
After which the general will command:

Shoulder - ARMS.
The colonels then command:

Shoulder - ARMS.
The only "prepare to" in the entire operation for a brigade is the "prepare to rest." I'd like to see this performed properly some day instead of the zillion "prepare to's" that I usually hear from well meaning, but uninformed, battalion commanders.

I tried to find some way to insert the above quotes into the manual, but it just didn't belong. My manual gets as high as division drill, as in two companies, not divisions, as in two or more brigades.