A question came up in my company recently about the appropriate tactical manual for USCT infantry. The quick answer is the manual specifically issued for that purpose in July 1863. The not-so-quick answer is that, especially for units formed before mid-1863, one of the earlier manuals might apply, being more familiar to the officers.
This raises the further question -- what difference does it make? The attached is an attempt to answer that question based on a paragraph by paragraph comparison of the infantry manual issued in May 1861, Casey's, and the USCT manual. I would appreciate anyone with an interest taking a look at this and letting me know where I may have gone astray, either in identifying differences or appraising their significance.
By the way, my quick answer to the second question is that it makes very little difference to reenactors and that significant changes only appear in areas of the School of the Battalion that we make little use of.
My answer to an additional question is that the USCT manual didn't represent a "dumbing down" but an update that in some areas pointed the way to Upton's. But there are many of you with much more experience with these texts than I have and I would appreciate any comments you might have.
Thank you in advance.
USCT Infantry Tactics Reviewed.doc
This raises the further question -- what difference does it make? The attached is an attempt to answer that question based on a paragraph by paragraph comparison of the infantry manual issued in May 1861, Casey's, and the USCT manual. I would appreciate anyone with an interest taking a look at this and letting me know where I may have gone astray, either in identifying differences or appraising their significance.
By the way, my quick answer to the second question is that it makes very little difference to reenactors and that significant changes only appear in areas of the School of the Battalion that we make little use of.
My answer to an additional question is that the USCT manual didn't represent a "dumbing down" but an update that in some areas pointed the way to Upton's. But there are many of you with much more experience with these texts than I have and I would appreciate any comments you might have.
Thank you in advance.
USCT Infantry Tactics Reviewed.doc
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