Drill Bits: By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column

[27thNCdrummer]

Here is the question:
After the order : "By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column" is given, what are the next three orders?

Also, what order would you give to put the battalion into column of companies without having the companies inverted?

P.S. This is from Hardee's Revised

[Boy of '61]

Re: Drill Bits: By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column

Here is the question:
After the order : "By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column" is given what are the next three orders?

Also, what order would you give to put the battalion into column of companies without having the companies inverted?

P.S. This is from Hardee's Revised

The three orders given after By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column are: 1.Battalion, right- FACE, 2. March, 3.Guide left. Now I don't know about companies being inverted from Hardee's Revised, (I tend not to read any rebel printing :wink_smil), but in the Union army, after the last file passes the Company Commander, he orders halt, front and then left dress. This would put the battalion in column of companies, right in front, not inverted. Also if the battalion is marching the Battalion Commander can order 1.Battalion, by the left flank - march, 2. guide left. At this point your still right in front and not inverted.

I might not be sure what you mean by the question of being inverted, if I'm wrong about that then maybe you clarify it and I'll give it a try again.

[bholt61stny]

Re: Drill Bits: By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column

The three orders given after By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column are: 1.Battalion, right- FACE, 2. March, 3.Guide left. Now I don't know about companies being inverted from Hardee's Revised, (I tend not to read any rebel printing :wink_smil), but in the Union army, after the last file passes the Company Commander, he orders halt, front and then left dress. This would put the battalion in column of companies, right in front, not inverted. Also if the battalion is marching the Battalion Commander can order 1.Battalion, by the left flank - march, 2. guide left. At this point your still right in front and not inverted.

I might not be sure what you mean by the question of being inverted, if I'm wrong about that then maybe you clarify it and I'll give it a try again.

I may be reading what you wrote wrong, but when if the battalion is in a column of companies, right in front, and you are trying to get back into line of battle, if you give the order by the left flank, march, wouldn't you still be in column of companies but marching by the left flank?

When marching in column of companies wouldn't the order to get back into line of battle be...Battalion, left into line, wheel. This would result in each company wheeling left, halting, and then dressing right onto the company to the right of them, thus they would not be inverted.
Just my .02 cents, correct me if I am wrong.

V/R Brian Holt

[Silas]

Re: Drill Bits: By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column

Holt, you're backwards. The topic is about going from line into column, not the other way around.

Nevertheless, I'll continue your offtrack comment and note that left into line wheel is easier said than done. An assumption is that the companies within the column maintained their distances while marching in column. They usually don't. Another assumption is that the company guides are walking in the same trace which they usually don't. Another assumption is that the second corporals know they have duties in this manoeuver. Since many are not well schooled about the School of the Company, they don't know their respective duties in this battalion manoeuver. A final assumption is that the company commanders think their duty is to stand out front and supervise their respective companies throughout the wheel which is not true.

Other than that, there's no problem with this manoeuver. Here's a link to this manoeuver.

[Boy of '61]

Re: Drill Bits: By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column

I may be reading what you wrote wrong, but when if the battalion is in a column of companies, right in front, and you are trying to get back into line of battle, if you give the order by the left flank, march, wouldn't you still be in column of companies but marching by the left flank?

When marching in column of companies wouldn't the order to get back into line of battle be...Battalion, left into line, wheel. This would result in each company wheeling left, halting, and then dressing right onto the company to the right of them, thus they would not be inverted.
Just my .02 cents, correct me if I am wrong.

V/R Brian Holt

I guess you could order a by the left flank, but I have never seen it done myself and I'm not sure if it is a preferred method of battailoin manuvers. Basically this would be like By Left of Company to the Front, (more commonly By Company to the Right), but this would start from line of battle not column of companies and this is usually used to pass a gun line or through some woods. Like Silas said, trying to keep alinement is even hard doing this then marching by column of company. Each company needs to indpenently be in line abreast with each other and marching in a stright line, try not to veer of to the left or right into another company's space. Having done this with only two companies not even a whole battalion, it was hard to stay alined with each other. Either way, you could give the command By Company into Line and bring the battalion back into line. Again I'm not sure if doing a by the left flank is a perferred method or not in that situation.

Left into Line - Wheel can be used to get a column of companies into line to the left or the original battalion front, but it wouldn't work for any other dirction. If you want to form the battalion front to the right you would give the command: On the Right into Line. In this each company company performs a right turn and comes on to the battalion line after passing the company to their right. Also you can form lines either facing to the front or rear from column of companies, as well as by some other ways too.

I could be wrong but I hope this helps.

[Jim Moffet]

Re: Drill Bits: By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column

Once in a column of companies, right in front, and (habitually) at left dress, there are 2 commands to wheel back into line. Assuming the guides (each company's 2nd sergt.) are in the traces of one another, and at proper distances (I agree with Silas that this is frequently not the case), a would-be commander must ask himself "should I stop the column before going into line on the left.....?" Few units are well enough trained and practiced to do this on the move!

The 'safer' answer would be to halt the column, (and after giving the Lt. Col &/or Major a chance to rectify any company guides that are in the wrong place) then to give the command "Left into line wheel, march." Captains halt and dress their companies. "Guides Posts" gets the 2nd sergeants back into the file closer locations. (Except on the last company: their second Sergt. stays on the left of the battalion.)

Doing this on the move is trickier!

Remember that wheels from column into line (and vice versa) are FIXED pivot wheels. When marching forward, the commander orders "By Companies, Left Wheel, March." All of the 2nd sergeants instantly STOP and the companies wheel left, looking OUT (right) but touching IN (left). When all the companies are almost in line - timing is everything (and the companies had better have been equalized or this will not work!)- the command is "Forward March." Now the battalion is in a line and marching perpendicular to the direction the column had been moving.....

But there is a little trick the 2nd sergeants have to know. After setting the pivot point for his company's wheel (the second corporal faces against his right arm), and before the door closes behind him, he has to get out of the way, and slip behind their wheeling company to his standard slot as a file closer. There is no command of "Guides Posts." If he fails to do this, the 2nd corporal will have to march over him.

Poorly schooled and trained 2nd Sergeants are the bane of reenactor battalion drill!

Jim Moffet
Western Brigade

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Drill Bits: By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column

Just curious about the answers the original poster is looking for. Andy Miller got the first two commands (right - FACE, followed by MARCH). However, that ends the commands given by the colonel.

Remaining commands are given by the company commanders. The first two files of each company break to the rear. Once each company is placed in motion by the colonel, each captain will command his company "Xth Company" - "HALT" - "FRONT" - "Left-DRESS". At the end of the maneuver, the battalion has moved from a line to a column, right in front, with the left of each company posted on what was previously the line. Companies would necessarily be at full wheeling distance if the maneuver is performed correctly....

HOWEVER, while the battalion *may* be put back into line via left wheel, that is not "the" required way of doing so. There are a number of ways for a column to deploy into line in a number of different directions.

[flattop32355]

Re: Drill Bits: By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column

Poorly schooled and trained 2nd Sergeants are the bane of reenactor battalion drill!

Hey, now! ;)
They can't possibly be any worse that officers who know what they'd like their men to do, but can't quite recall the commands to get them there.

Seriously, for the benefit of all commissioned officers and NCO's, an early spring battalion drill is a good thing to have, with enough corporals to hold the rope "battle line", so the 1st and 2nd sgts. can get to know their responsibilities, and the officers can practice giving commands and thinking ahead.

Of course, early spring is also a great time for flooding, rain, snow, sleet, etc.

[27thNCdrummer]

Re: Drill Bits: By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column

John,
I'm sorry, I was under the impression the colonel gave the order to halt. My mistake. Also, Andy is correct. I thought once in column moving to the rear the order would be left face to bring the battalion into a column of companies, but it is front. Another mistake. I'm not an expert on battalion drill but there is no better way to learn than this.

One thing I would like to mention is that I think you do not automatically have to front once the companies are in columns. In this manner you could march the battalion between artillery pieces if needs be.

Regards,

[Bushrod Carter]

Re: Drill Bits: By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column

One thing I would like to mention is that I think you do not automatically have to front once the companies are in columns. In this manner you could march the battalion between artillery pieces if needs be.

Regards,

This would depend on the order given. There is a difference between "By the right of companies to the rear (or front)" and "By the right of companies to the rear (or front) into column."

The difference is what you want the battalion to do next.

Remeber, you think three steps ahead in a chess game.

[27thNCdrummer]

Re: Drill Bits: By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column

Thanks for the info Patrick.

[flattop32355]

Re: Drill Bits: By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column

This would depend on the order given. There is a difference between "By the right of companies to the rear (or front)" and "By the right of companies to the rear (or front) into column."

On of the reasons to give "By the right of companies to the front/rear" is to put them on a parallel line either forward or behind the original line, and within the same area of the greater battleline (neither to the left or the right of the original position). When doing so to the front, it takes a simple "By companies into line" command to reset the line facing, and directly in front of, the original line position.

But I'm not seeing it as that simple when doing this maneuver to the rear, either by the left or the right. It seems it would take at least a wheel to get back into line facing front, and that would displace the battalion line position in one direction or another. What am I missing?

[27thNCdrummer]

Re: Drill Bits: By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column

Bernard,
If you front the men thereby stacking companies you can come into line with a battalion into, line I think. Then you would have to wheel the whole battalion in the direction you wanted to go because you would be marching in line of battle to the right flank of the original position of the battalion.

I'm not sure about this so others more knowledgeable feel free to critique this suggestion.

[Boy of '61]

Re: Drill Bits: By the Right of Company to the Rear Into Column

The easiest way to get the battalion back into line facing the original direction after being ordered By the right of company to the rear or moving to the rear is for the Battalion Commander to order By file left, March. Then each company would file in behind each other and by moving as if by the right flank. Then to get back to line you can either halt the line, front and dress on the center or if you want to keep moving you can give the order by the left flank. It would be preferred to use the first method I stated so that you can make sure that everybody is alined and on the same page.

You can also give the order right about, march and then By company into line. Doing this would depend on the knowledge of the men under your command because after the right about march, the companies will be inverted and the by company into line would not be the normal way practice in re-enacting. Normally the men would swing out to the left and fill in the line but with the company inverted they would swing out to the right to fill the line in. This would probably be a hard maneuver to perform so I would use the first one I said.

[john duffer]

It's only very slightly off the original subject, do you double when you right face just to move the length of the company ? It would seem so but apparently there was enough mystery for Casey to address it. Gilham's is Paragraph 301, the others all at the start of S.B. Part II, Article II. All underlinings are mine.

SCOTT'S 1835 - before there was doubling, drawing shows three ranks

;each captain will hasten to the right of his company, break three or two files (according as the formation may be in three or two ranks) to the rear; the first file will break the whole depth of the ranks; the second file less;…..

HARDEE'S 1855/1861, US TACTICS & GILLHAM'S - drawings show undoubled

;each captain will hasten to the right of his company, and break two files to the rear; the first file will break the whole depth of the two ranks; the second file less;…..

CASEY'S - drawing changes to show the men doubled

;each captain will hasten to the right of his company, and break three files to the rear; the first file will break the whole depth of the four ranks...