Second Sergeant Assistance requested

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: Second Sergeant Assistance requested

Gentlemen,

I’m relatively new here and don’t know if this is in the right spot to post this or not.

I am a Corporal in a more mainstream reenacting unit. Using my position as “Drill Instructor” I have been working on steering my unit to be more authentic (Hence my user / nickname).

For the past couple of years I have mainly focused on The Manual of Arms and have only recently read the School of the Company. Recently my unit has grown and we have added a Second Sergeant.

I have tried to help him (to the extent of my ever-expanding knowledge) understand where and what he should be doing but he is getting multiple signals from “other folks” in our unit and is still confused. Plus because of our unique impression we uses to different manuals.

All this to say I think I remember seeing an article on the duties, place in line & maneuvers, Etc. of the Second Sergeant but I can’t find it. If anyone knows of the article I’m talking about or knows of other sources I can sent to our new Sergeant I would greatly apricate it.

Regards

Karl Jacob

The Tactics will tell you where he should stand, but for every other enlisted duty (at all ranks), August V. Kautz can help you: https://archive.org/details/customss...ge/n8/mode/2up

[Silas]

Re: Second Sergeant Assistance requested

Hardee's, his revised, Gilhams and Casey all use the same source text. (Hardee's translation of a french 1845 drill book) so are there actually any difference in this area?

Forming company would be at the top of a rather short list of differences.

[thomas aagaard]

Re: Second Sergeant Assistance requested

I have tried to help him (to the extent of my ever-expanding knowledge) understand where and what he should be doing but he is getting multiple signals from “other folks” in our unit and is still confused. Plus because of our unique impression we uses to different manuals.

Hardee's, his revised, Gilhams and Casey all use the same source text. (Hardee's translation of a french 1845 drill book)
so are there actually any difference in this area?

[Silas]

Re: Second Sergeant Assistance requested

Serving suggestion : LeGal's School of the Guides. Link : https://archive.org/details/schoolof...ge/n3/mode/2up Originally a prewar, New York manual which was reprinted in Richmond during the war.

There really isn't a solitary post for the left guide of a company. Sometimes he's on the line. Sometimes he's in the rank of file closers. Post depends upon the duty he is tasked to perform. Another variable is whether the company is one unit of a battalion, by itself, or in platoons. To understand why he remained in place or moved, it's best to compare and contrast his duties in one situation compared to another and another.

In whichever manual your unit uses, you should look toward the end of the school of the company for the platoon movements. You won't get many opportunities to use platoon drill, but the lessons are building blocks for learning battalion drill. They also teach about the importance of guides. For example, when in a column of platoon, why is the first sergeant on the left of the first platoon when marching right in front? Similarly, why is the second sergeant on the right of the second platoon when marching left in front? Compare, contrast and see where you can apply the rule to other aspects of drill.

[Cpl DeFarb]

Gentlemen,

I’m relatively new here and don’t know if this is in the right spot to post this or not.

I am a Corporal in a more mainstream reenacting unit. Using my position as “Drill Instructor” I have been working on steering my unit to be more authentic (Hence my user / nickname).

For the past couple of years I have mainly focused on The Manual of Arms and have only recently read the School of the Company. Recently my unit has grown and we have added a Second Sergeant.

I have tried to help him (to the extent of my ever-expanding knowledge) understand where and what he should be doing but he is getting multiple signals from “other folks” in our unit and is still confused. Plus because of our unique impression we uses to different manuals.

All this to say I think I remember seeing an article on the duties, place in line & maneuvers, Etc. of the Second Sergeant but I can’t find it. If anyone knows of the article I’m talking about or knows of other sources I can sent to our new Sergeant I would greatly apricate it.

Regards

Karl Jacob