Route Step

[firstexas]

Gents.

I was talking with a pard at an event last weekend. He told me that he had read "somewhere" that when the men moved to the "route step" the company commander would move to the rear of his column to keep an eye on his men falling out from the ranks. The captain would have slips of paper pre-filled out to issue to any man that needed to fall out. To the paper the man's name would be added stating that he had permission to be out of the ranks if the provost came upon him. He did not know where he read this and I am curious if this is correct. Is it in a manual or is it more of a custom if true? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

Best regards, Bill.

[yipper]

Re: Route Step

Sir,

John William DeForest mentions the practice of preparing and issuing such permits in his book "A Volunteer's Adventures: A Union Captian's Record of the Civil War" (1996, Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge). DeForest was at the time a Captain in the 12th Connecticut and on campaign in the Teche region of Louisiana. This reference was from his chapter on "Forced Marches", but I highly recommend the entire book.

Regards,

geoffrey lehmann

[Greg Renault]

Re: Route Step

Bill,

One source for this is Viele's Handbook for Active Service. The section quoted below is from the chapter on The March:

After having proceeded a short distance in this manner, the word of command, “route step,” is given by the general at the head of the leading battalion, and this is passed quickly on to the rear from company to company. The captains, instead of continuing at the head of their companies, drop back to the rear of them: the reasons for allotting this station to them is, that they may see any men of their respective companies who attempt to leave the ranks without leave. The officers and non-commissioned officers preserve the wheeling distance. The soldiers now carry their arms in any manner most convenient. Some sling them over their shoulder, (most of them, indeed, prefer this mode as the least fatiguing,) others slope them, and many trail them, and they constantly change from the right hand or right shoulder to the left. Although allowed to prosecute the march in this easy and unrestrained manner, a heavy penalty, nevertheless, awaits the man who quits the ranks without permission from the captain or officer commanding his company. The captains are always provided with tickets bearing their own signature; on each is written, “The bearer has my permission to fallout of’ the ranks, being unable to proceed with the regiment.” Any soldier found on the line of march by the rearguard, without a ticket, is liable to be punished for disobedience of orders; and as no difficulty is ever experienced by men who are sick, or used up, in procuring this certificate of inability to keep up with their regiments, such offenders certainly merit punishment.

If a soldier wants to fall out of the ranks for a few minutes only, he is required to ask leave of the captain to do so, and, moreover, to take off his knapsack, and to give it, together with his musket, in charge of the men of’ his own section, to be earned by them until he rejoins them. This is an admirable order, and it operates in two ways: first, the soldier is enabled, not being encumbered with either knapsack or musket, more speedily to overtake the column on its march; and secondly, if he loiters unnecessarily on the way to rejoin his comrades, who are doubly armed with his arms and pack, he will be certain to incur their displeasure. [pp. 50-51 http://members.cox.net/ltclee/Vieles.htm#March]

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Route Step

Perhaps where your pard read this was in a 'Camp Chase Gazette' article a year or two ago by John Tobey called, "Federal Troops on the March". Prior to printing this article in our unit newsletter (prior to its publication in CCG) this article had increased annotation added, and information on route step marching. The article includes DeForrest's citation about handing out 15-minute passes to allow exhausted soldiers a brief rest. If someone would like a PDF if this article, please drop me a note at ColumbiaRifles@aol.com.

[firstexas]

Re: Route Step

Gents.

Thank you all for your input. I do appreciate it. Kevin, I emailed you about getting a copy of the article that you mentioned. Take care.

Best regards, Bill.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Route Step

Regarding the practice of line officers marching at the rear of their company, that's prescribed in Kautz's "Customs of Service for Officers of the Army" in paragraph 666, and on pages 50-51 of Viele's "Handbook for Volunteers" (which is online on "the Drill Network" website). It's touched on in other sources as well, such as Mahan's Outpost manual. Dom Dal Bello gives a very good write up about marching by the flank at the route step in his "Parade Inspection and Basic Evolutions of the Infantry Battalion" (4th Ed., page 73-74).

[WB Tharp]

Re: Route Step

The soldiers now carry their arms in any manner most convenient. Some sling them over their shoulder, (most of them, indeed, prefer this mode as the least fatiguing,) others slope them, and many trail them, and they constantly change from the right hand or right shoulder to the left.

This came up at the latest event we attended. In reading the manuals, references to "route step" seem to indicate that even though arms were "at will", muzzles still needed to be elevated. I wonder whether this requirement depended on the length of the march, whether weapons were loaded or if they were in proximity of the enemy. References: U.S. Infantry & Rifle Tactics (Hardee's 1861) SOS, para.219 & SOC, paras. 306-314. Granted, I like the more liberal interpretation, but wondered why the difference?
Thanks,
Mark R. Terry
Bothell, WA

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Route Step

The positions that soldiers used in actually carrying their weapson at the route step is one of those "historical things" that, to get the real answer, one needs to look deeper than drill manuals. Yes, Casey's and others clearly state that at Route Step, March a soldier could carry his weapon at pleasure with the muzzle elevated. Period drawings, engravings, etc. however, show soldiers carrying their weapons on the march in about every manner conceivable, regardless of what the manual said.

When teaching it, it may not be a bad idea to tell your fellow reenactors what the manual says, and then also toss in a remark about how "the real soldiers" actually did it.

There's a few levels of progression through the hobby:

1. Farb reenactor legend/dogma/"the way we've always done it".
2. Campaigner dogma/fashion.
3. What the period manuals and handbooks say.
4. How they actually did it, which may not be the same as #3.

[ThehosGendar]

Re: Route Step

I've posted this before on another thread, but here is an image of Federal soldiers on the march, crossing the Germanna Ford during the Wilderness campaign, May 1864. Note the ragged column that the begins to peel apart towards mid-span, the loaded knapsacks, and the varying angles of right-shoulder shift.