Down Alice's Rabbit Hole: A Drill Story

[Silas]

Seems like I’m always working on another new booklet of drill. The current one derives from a list of battalion drill for the 8th S.C. Reserves in late 1862. Colonel Witherspoon listed twenty five manoeuvers to be performed over a weekend. Generally speaking, the list contains ways of performing a manoeuver, such as forming a column from line, followed by a way of reforming the line.

The list of drill has reinforced my belief that battalion drill isn’t as tough as it appears. At its essence, battalion drill is only about three things : flanks, files and lines. The men in the ranks don’t need to know the difference between Change Front Forward on the 10th Company verses Change Front to the Rear on 10th Company. They do need to know how to wheel, turn, face about and form on markers. They also need to be as skilled doing things on the left as on the right.

In creating this new booklet, I decided to follow Colonel Witherspoon’s list and put meat on his bare bones by including the text for the listed manoeuver as well as including an illustration of the manoeuver. Seemed pretty simple until I started into the project until I realized that not all his manoeuvers have illustrations. Not all the illustrations follow the manoeuvers. Many of the illustrations in the upcoming booklet are newly created by me and based upon illustrations from LeGal’s superb, School of the Guides.

Then there was the true reason for this thread : the dreaded “as prescribed in this school” or “as prescribed in the school of the company.” A paragraph number was not always listed so it had to be located. Once located, the text of one school needed to conform to the other. For the most part, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Text from one school to the other was often very similar. Generally, text from the earlier school added some much needed clarity to text from the later school.

There was one dozy which still makes my head spin. Surprisingly, it was about something I thought was pretty straight forward : Head of Column to the Left (or Right). Companies just wheel when they get to the marker, right? Well, yes, but no. Let’s proceed down Alice’s rabbit hole and I’ll show you what happened. Note : when the journey becomes too confusing, just skip to the end of my story for how I consolidated the text to provide a full explanation for Head of Column to the Right.

The below paragraph numbering is from Hardee’s Revised School of the Battalion (Goetzel, 1861), which is also the same in the U.S. Tactics of 1861.

ARTICLE THIRD.
To change direction in column at full distance.

SoB 231. The column being in march in the cadenced step, when the colonel shall wish to cause it to change direction, he will go to the point at which the change ought to be commenced, and establish a marker there presenting the breast to the flank of the column; this marker, no matter to which side the change of direction is to be made, will be posted on the opposite side, and he will remain in position till the last subdivision of the battalion shall have passed. The leading subdivision being within a few paces of the marker, the colonel will command:

Head of column to the left (right).

232. At this, the chief of the leading subdivision will immediately take the guide on the side opposite the change of direction if not already there. This guide will direct himself so as to graze the breast of the marker; arrived at this point, THE CHIEF WILL CAUSE HIS SUBDIVISION TO CHANGE DIRECTION BY THE COMMANDS AND ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLES PRESCRIBED IN THE SCHOOL OF THE COMPANY. When the wheel is completed, the chief of this subdivision will retake the guide, if changed, on the side of the primitive direction.

The first problem here is that the writer started with a difficult direction change rather than the easy one. Performing Head of Column to the Left is much more difficult than to the right. When marching a full distance, right in front, the guide is on the left. To change direction to the left means to move the guide temporarily to the right side fewer than ten paces before the direction change occurs. And there needs to be a marker at that spot. Once the direction change is completed, the company commander returns the guide to the left side.

When all the companies are the same size as prescribed in the tactics, moving the guide from one side to the other is no big deal. In the hobby, companies are never the same size. Hence the problem.

In an appendix to my booklet, I decided to lead with the easier manoeuver first by changing direction to the right. Perform four of these and the battalion is back where it started. Once sufficiently understood, then perform the tougher direction change to the left. My decision conforms to the method contained in the “school of the platoon” at paragraph 211 of the school of the company. At SoC 211 can be found the method for wheeling a marching column of platoons. The text commences with the easier direction change to the right before tackling the tougher change to the left.

[CONTINUED IN PART TWO]

- - - Updated - - -

The second problem here is the dreaded, “see somewhere else in the manual.” The other place in the manual here is SoC 211. Skim down to the last paragraph in capitals and you’ll see the problem within a problem.

SoC 211. The changes of direction of a column while marching, will be executed according to the principles prescribed for wheeling on the march. Whenever, therefore, a column is to change direction, the instructor will change the guide, if not already there, to the flank opposite the side to which the change is to be made.

212. The column being in march right in front, if it be the wish of the instructor to change direction to the right, he will give the order to the chief of the first platoon, and immediately go himself, or send a marker to the point at which the change of direction is to be made ; the instructor, or marker, will place himself on the direction of the guides, so as to present the breast to that flank of the column.

213. The leading guide will direct his march on that person, so that, in passing, his left arm may just graze his breast. When the leading guide shall have approached near to the marker, the chief of his platoon will command :

1. Right wheel. 2. MARCH.

214. The first command will be given when the platoon is at the distance of four paces from the marker.

215. At the command, march, which will be pronounced at the instant the guide shall have arrived opposite the marker, the platoon will wheel to the right, CONFORMING TO WHAT IS PRESCRIBED IN THE SCHOOL OF THE SOLDIER, NO. 396.

Yup. Text in the SoB told you to consult the SoC. Now, you’re told to consult the School of the Soldier (SoS). At least a paragraph number was listed. For consistency, I’ll include the entire section on wheeling to show the next problem. Look for the capitals again.

Wheeling in marching, or on a movable pivot.

393. When the recruits have been taught to execute well the wheel from a halt, they will be taught to wheel in marching.

394. To this end, the rank being in march, when the instructor shall wish to cause it to change direction to the reverse flank (to the side opposite to the guide or pivot flank,) he will command :

1. Right (or left) wheel. 2. MARCH.

395. The first command will be given when the rank is yet four paces from the wheeling point.

396. At the second command, THE WHEEL WILL BE EXECUTED IN THE SAME MANNER AS FROM A HALT, EXCEPT THAT THE TOUCH OF THE ELBOW WILL REMAIN TOWARDS THE MARCHING FLANK (OR SIDE OF THE GUIDE) INSTEAD OF THE SIDE OF THE ACTUAL PIVOT ; THAT THE PIVOT-MAN, INSTEAD OF MERELY TURNING IN HIS PLACE, WILL CONFORM HIMSELF TO THE MOVEMENT OF THE MARCHING FLANK, FEEL LIGHTLY THE ELBOW OF THE NEXT MAN, TAKE STEPS OF FULL NINE INCHES, AND THUS GAIN GROUND FORWARD IN DESCRIBING A SMALL CURVE SO AS TO CLEAR THE POINT OF THE WHEEL. The middle of the rank will bend slightly to the rear. As soon as the movement shall commence, the man who conducts the marching flank will cast his eyes on the ground over which he will have to pass.

397. The wheel being ended, the instructor will command :

1. Forward. 2. MARCH.

398. The first command will be pronounced when four paces are yet required to complete the change of direction.

399. At the command, march, which will be given at the instant of completing the wheel, the man who conducts the marching flank will direct himself straight forward ; the pivot-man and all the rank will retake the step of twenty-eight inches, and bring the head direct to the front.

Although the text doesn’t explicitly tell the reader to take a gander at wheeling from a halt, it sure is implied. So, here are the applicable paragraphs from wheeling from a halt or on a fixed pivot. You don’t have to read it. I’m just including it to take us further down Alice’s rabbit hole :

Wheeling from a halt, or on a fixed pivot.

383. The rank being at a halt, the instructor will place a well—instructed man on the wheeling flank to conduct it, and then command :

1. By squad, right wheel. 2. MARCH.

384. At the second command, the rank will step off with their left foot, turning at the same time the head a little to the left, the eyes fixed on the line of the eyes of the men to their left ; the pivot-man will merely mark time in gradually turning his body, in order to conform himself to the movement of the marching flank ; the man who conducts this flank will take steps of twenty-eight inches, and from the first stop advance a little the left shoulder, cast his eyes from time to time along the rank, and feel constantly the elbow of the next man lightly, but never push him.

385. The other man will feel lightly the elbow of the next man towards the pivot, resist pressure coming from the opposite side, and each will conform himself to the marching flank—shortening his step according to his approximation to the pivot.

386. The instructor will make the rank wheel round the circle once or twice before halting, in order to cause the principles to be the better understood, and he will be watchful that the centre does not break.

387. He will cause the wheel to the left to be executed according to the same principles.

388. When the instructor shall wish to arrest the wheel, he will command :

1. Squad. 2. HALT.

389. At the second command, the rank will halt, and no man stir. The instructor, going to the flank opposite the pivot, will place the two outer men of that flank in the direction he may wish to give to the rank, without however displacing the pivot, who will conform the line of his shoulders to this direction. The instructor will take care to have between these two men, and the pivot, only the space necessary to contain the other men. He will then command :

Left (or right)—DRESS.

390. At this, the rank will place itself on the alignment of the two men established as the basis, in conformity with the principles prescribed.

391. The instructor will next command :

FRONT,

which will be executed as prescribed, No. 314.

CONTINUED IN PART THREE

- - - Updated - - -

For completeness, the general rules and remarks for fixed pivot wheels must also be reviewed. Don’t read them unless you’re a glutton for punishment.

General Principles of Wheeling.

377. Wheelings are of two kinds : from halts, or on fixed pivots, and in march or on moveable pivots.

378. Wheeling on a fixed pivot takes place in passing a corps from the order in battle to the order in column, or from the latter to the former.

379. Wheels in marching take place in changes of direction in column, as often as this movement is executed to the side opposite to the guide.

380. In wheels from a halt, the pivot-man only turns in his place, without advancing or receding.

381. In the wheels in marching, the pivot takes steps of nine or eleven inches, according as the squad is marching in quick or double quick time, so as to clear the wheeling point, which is necessary, in order that the subdivisions of a column may change direction without losing their distances, as will be explained in the school of the company.

382. The man on the wheeling flank will take the full step of twenty-eight inches, or thirty-three inches, according to the gait.

Remarks on the principles of the wheel from a halt.

392. Turn a little the head towards the marching flank, and fix the eyes on the line of the eyes of the men who are on that side ;

Because, otherwise, it would be impossible for each man to regulate the length of his step so as to conform his own movement to that of the marching flank.

Touch lightly the elbow of the next man towards the pivot ;

In order that the files may not open out in the wheel.

Resist pressure that comes from the side of the marching flank ;

Because, if this principle be neglected, the pivot, which ought to be a fixed point, in wheels from a halt, might be pushed out of its place by pressure.

I’ve been going through manuals for years and I’ve never noticed this problem within a problem within a problem within a problem. To end my story, here’s the consolidated text for change of direction to the right :

TO CHANGE DIRECTION IN COLUMN AT FULL DISTANCE.

Head of column to the right.


SoB 231. The column being in march [right in front and] in the cadenced step, when the colonel shall wish to cause it to change direction [to the right], he will go to the point at which the change ought to be commenced, and establish a marker there, presenting the breast to the flank of the column ; this marker, no matter to which side the change of direction is to be made, will be posted on the opposite side, and he will remain in position till the last subdivision of the battalion shall have passed. The leading subdivision being [greater than four paces] of the marker, the colonel will command :

Head of column to the [right].

SoB 232 / SoC 213. At this, the chief of the leading subdivision will immediately take the guide on the side opposite the change of direction if not already there. This guide will direct [his march on the marker so that, in passing, his left arm may just] graze the breast of the marker ; [at the distance of four paces from the marker], his chief will command :

1. Right wheel,

and instant the guide shall have arrived opposite the marker, his chief will command :

2. MARCH.

At the second command, the subdivision will wheel to the right conforming to what is prescribed in the SoS 396 :

—the man conducting the flank casting his eyes on the ground over which he will have to pass, taking steps of twenty-eight inches, advancing a little the left shoulder from the first step, casting his eyes from time to time along the rank, and feeling constantly the elbow of the next man lightly, but never pushing him ;

—the ranks turning the head a little to the left and fixing the eyes on the line of the eyes of the men to their left ; and each conforming himself to the marching flank—shortening his step according to his approximation to the pivot ;

—the touch of the elbow will remain towards the marching flank (or side of the guide) instead of the side of the actual pivot ;

—the man next to the guide feeling lightly the elbow of the next man towards the pivot and resisting pressure coming from that side ;

—the middle of the ranks bending slightly to the rear with the instructor being watchful that the centre does not break ;

—the pivot-man conforming himself to the movement of the marching flank, instead of merely turning in his place, by feeling lightly the elbow of the next man, by taking steps of full nine inches and thus gaining ground forward in describing a small curve so as to clear the point of the wheel.

SoC 216. wheel being finished, the chief of each subdivision will command :

3. Forward.
4. MARCH.

SoS 398. The first command will be pronounced when four paces are yet required to complete the change of direction.

399. At the command, march, which will be given at the instant of completing the wheel, the man who conducts the marching flank will direct himself straight forward taking points on the ground in the new direction, in order the better to regulate the march ; the pivot-man and all the rank will retake the step of twenty-eight inches, and bring the head direct to the front.

SoC 218. The second subdivision will continue to march straight forward till up with the marker, when it will wheel to the right, and retake the direct march by the same commands and the same means which governed the first subdivision.

SoB 234. The colonel will carefully see that the guide of each subdivision, in wheeling, does not throw himself without or within, but passes over all the points of the arc of the circle, which he ought to describe.

235. As often as no distinct object presents itself in the new direction, the lieutenant colonel will place himself upon it in advance, at the distance of thirty or forty paces from the marker, and be assured in this direction by the colonel ; the leading guide will take, the moment be shall have changed direction, two points on the ground in the straight line which, drawn from himself, would pass between the heels of the lieutenant colonel, taking, afterwards, new points as he advances.

236. The major will see that the guides direct themselves on the marker posted at the point of change, so as to graze his breast.

237. If the column be composed of several battalions, the lieutenant colonel of the second, will cause the marker of the first battalion, to be replaced as soon as the last subdivision of this battalion shall have passed ; this disposition will be observed by battalion after battalion, to the rear of the column.

Remarks.

238. It has been demonstrated, school of the company, how important it is, first, that each subdivision execute its change of direction precisely at the point where the leading one had change and that it arrive in a square with the direction ; second, that the wheeling point ought, always, to be cleared in time, in order that the subdivision engaged in the wheel may not arrest the movement of the following one. The deeper the column, the more rigorously ought these principles to be observed; because, a fault that would be but slight in a column of a single battalion, would cause much embarrassment in one of great depth.

There’s still a lot going on with what I had always thought was a simple manoeuver. I can say that many of the seemingly complicated manoeuvers are much simplier than they appear. And with much less text than a seemingly simple change of direction...

[Silas]

Re: Down Alice's rabbit hole : a drill story

PART FOUR.

Just so I don’t scare any more people away, here’s the illustration which accompanies the text.



Long text seems so much easier to understand when there's a decent illustration. Regardless, it astounds me that such a simple manoeuver has so many possible moving parts.

Most manoeuvers in the 1862 list have much simpler text and much less than the full and complete list for Head of Column to the Right. A manoeuver like this sets up the next manoeuver in the list : Left Into Line Wheel.

[Silas]

Left Into Line Wheel

PART FIVE

This example is more representative of the bulk of the manoeuvers listed in the booklet : Left Into Line Wheel. Considering it's a more complex manoeuver than the first one, there isn't that much text. By comparison, that is.



Each manoeuver of the booklet can be seen by itself, but the genius of the list is the combination of manoeuvers listed back to back. The first manoeuver was a column of companies which need to be formed to the front into a line a battle. Other manoeuvers provide possibilities about manipulating the line into another manoeuver such as "wheeled" to the right or left forward ; "wheeled" to the right or left rearward ; column to the right or left ; by the right or left of companies forward, rearward or into column. This is great stuff.

The upcoming booklet contains this methods for performing the above listed manoeuver at full distance from a halted position and at half distance while marching.

2. LEFT INTO LINE, WHEEL, PAGE 88.

Concept : Column into line.
Performed by : Wheeling.
Nuance : SoC 239.

SoB 390. A column, right in front, being at a halt, when the colonel shall wish to form it to the left into line, he will assure the positions of the guides by the means previously indicated, and then command :

1. Left into line, wheel.
2. MARCH (or double quick—MARCH).

391. At the first command, the right guide of the leading company will hasten to place himself on the direction of the left guides of the column, face to them, and place himself so as to be opposite to one of the three right files of his company, when they shall be in line ; he will be assured this position by the lieutenant colonel.

392. At the command, march, briskly repeated by the captains, the left front rank man of each company will face to the left, and rest his breast lightly against the right arm of his guide [by his side, who stands fast] ; the companies will wheel to the left on the principle of wheeling from a halt, conforming themselves to what is prescribed, SoC 194, by the instructor :

—realizing that the true pivot of the wheel is the man on the [left] of each company who, at the command, march, faces to the [left] ; and

—observing the front rank man next to him gains a little ground to the front in wheeling, so as clear the pivot man.

Each captain will turn to his company, to observe the execution of the movement, and, when the right of the company shall arrive at three paces from the line of battle, he will command :

1. Such company.
2. HALT.

393. The company being halted, the captain will place himself on the line by the side of the left front rank man of the company next on the right, align himself correctly, and command :

3. Right—DRESS.

394. At this command the company will dress up between the captain and the front rank man on its left, the captain directing the alignment on that man ; the front rank man on the right of the right company, who finds himself opposite to its right guide, will lightly rest his breast against the left arm of this guide.

395. Each captain, having aligned his company will command,

FRONT,

and the colonel will add :

Guides—POSTS.

396. At this command, the guides will return to their places in line of battle, each passing through the nearest captain's interval ; to permit him to pass, the captain will momentarily step before the first file of his company, and the covering sergeant behind the same file. This rule is general for all formations into line of battle.

397. When companies form line of battle, file closers will always place themselves exactly two paces from the rear rank, which will sufficiently assure their alignment.

398. The battalion being correctly aligned, the colonel, lieutenant colonel, and major, as well as the adjutant and sergeant major, will return to their respective places in line of battle. This rule is general for all the formations into line of battle ; nevertheless, the battalion being in the school of elementary instruction, the colonel will go to any point be may deem necessary.

[john duffer]

Re: Down Alice's rabbit hole : a drill story

This is actually some pretty cool stuff Silas.

[Mississippian]

Re: Down Alice's rabbit hole : a drill story

Interesting, I had a number of relatives in the 3rd, 4th, & 5th South Carolina Reserves. IIRC these were mostly older men and got very little support from the SC state government. The senior officers were mostly men who had not been reelected to their posts during the reorganizations of early 1862.

William MacDonald

[Silas]

Re: Down Alice's rabbit hole : a drill story

The notion that the old men of the reserves - aged 35-50 years - or that volunteer regiments didn't do drill is knocked for a loop here. There's some serious stuff here. The specification that the drill be from Hardee's also shows there was an effort to standardize drill. The page numbers noted here correspond to the Gotezel edition of Hardee's. There were times I had trouble understanding how the manoeuver was identified, but the page number clarified what was intended.

Here's a link to the actual page of drill : https://archive.org/stream/cardofevo...ge/n1/mode/1up

Here is the full list :

Card of Evolutions
for Drill and Review
of the 8th Regiment,
1st Corps of Reserves,
at Camden, 20th and 21st Oct., 1862

1. Break to the right into column. Pass in Review, page 18.
2. Left into line wheel, page 88.
3. Change front forward on 1st Company, page 166.
4. By the right of Companies to the rear into column, page 23.
5. Into line, faced to the rear, page 106.
6. Change front forward on the 10th Company, page 166.
7. Change front to the rear on 10th Company, page 170.
8. By the left of Companies to the front, page 27.
9. Left into line, wheel, page 88.
10. Ploy into column double on the centre, 172.
11. Form square, 182, 183 and 186.
12. Advance by front and retire, 188.
13. Reduce square, page 193.
14. Deploy column faced to the front, 177.
15. Close column by division, on 1st division right in front, page 30.
16. On the 1st division deploy column faced to the front, 117.
17. Close column by division on 5th division left in front, 34.
18. On 5th division, deploy column, faced to the front, 123.
19. Break to the right into column, 18.
20. On 10th company, to half distance, close column, 62.
21. By the rear of column left into line wheel, 114.
22. By the right of companies to the rear into column, 23.
23. On 1st company to half distance, close, 60.
24. On 1st company take wheeling distance, 77.
25. Left into line wheel, page 88.

The figures at the end of each Evolution refer to the page in 2d volume of Hardee’s Tactics, where the different Evolutions will be found.

JAMES H. WITHERSPOON,
Col. 8th Regt. 1st Corps Reserves.
Lancaster, C. H., October 10th 1862.

[thomas aagaard]

Re: Down Alice's rabbit hole : a drill story

When all the companies are the same size as prescribed in the tactics, moving the guide from one side to the other is no big deal. In the hobby, companies are never the same size. Hence the problem..

But is that not a very central part of the problem reenactors have when trying battalion drill?

Harde's vol 1
11. For manoeuvring, the companies of a battalion will always be equalized, by transferring men from the strongest to the weakest companies.

doing this obviously create issues with men being in companies with people they might not know and under a captain they might not know... but it might make the drill work better.


--
The danish 1863 drill book, got the same rule.*
It is not based on the french tradition, but use a 4 company, structure.. so it do indicate that this is a rule that is pretty general for close ordered drill across military traditions.
(*that is, the 4 platoons in the company is to be of the same size... this make sense with the 200 man company being the main tactical unit, not the battalion)

[Silas]

Re: Down Alice's rabbit hole : a drill story

But is that not a very central part of the problem reenactors have when trying battalion drill?

While I completely agree with the theory stated in the manual and the reasons for same, the reality will trump theory. You tell those guys who traveled all the way by caravan from Texas that a third of their guys have been administarily tossed into another company composed of reenactors from a different region with a different level of authenticity. Good luck with that.

[thomas aagaard]

Re: Down Alice's Rabbit Hole: A Drill Story

Oh, Iam not arguing that you should force anyone to do anything.

But when a number of groups, companies, mess's or what ever we call them, agree to form a battalion together it might work, if it is part of the "rules" everyone agreed to.
Also it is not an administrative change of company, but a tactical one so only relevant when the battalion is formed.


anyway, I would expect that this rule was similar not always followed during the war... for the same reasons. Companies was often formed locally and the captain elected. (or being the man who formed the company) So keeping the men together might have been priorities over the drill.