Best way to learn drill

[Johan Steele]

I've been re-enacting several years now and have joined the ranks of the "Progressive" in the last year or two. My kit has gotten much better as has my physical impression. I've managed to bring several others into the Progressive Camp in the process.

I am a man that learns by doing, ie repetition & a lot of it. I can read Hardees or Casey's until I'm blue in the face and then the next day still screw up the drill because I haven't conditioned my body to respond to the commands. As I don't have access to 5-7 hours of drill per day as the recruits of 1861 did I would like to improve my knowledge of drill.

Is there a book. pamphlet or web page out there w/ simple overhead diagrams showing what each man, ie 1 & 2, man is to do for each command barked by an officer or 1st shirt? I've used the excellent Drill network site to find online texts of manuals but have recently found the whole network loaded w/ porn pop ups; making it less than interesting to me. Sykes Regulars site is helpful but doesn't appear to have what I need...

It's easy enough to "fake it till you make it" by watching the people around you. But by God I would like to be more proficient at drill and KNOWING where I'm supposed to go when the commands are called.

Any suggestions out there?

[Tom Ezell]

Re: Best way to learn drill

Media Magic has a two-tape set of videos, "School of the Soldier" parts 1 and 2, that are good to practice with. There are one or two small things in there that aren't quite right, but overall it's a good investment that will help shed a little light into Mr. Hardee's or Mr. Casey's purplish prose...

Then practice... by the numbers, in cadence. The way to getting good at drill lies along the same path as Carnegie Hall.... practice, practice, practice...

The School of the Soldier tape set (VHS format) is usually available from Fall Creek Sutlery.

tom

[Johan Steele]

Re: Best way to learn drill

Tom, do you know if it's available in DVD format? I'll see if I can find it on their website. Thanks for the prompt reply

[dusty27]

Re: Best way to learn drill

I know this sounds like a wisea** answer, but my group has an NCO school and two camps of instructions prior to every year, and we drill at events. If you are in a group that wants to learn it, you can.....

[Michael McComas]

Re: Best way to learn drill

Johan,

Nothing to do with drill, but this may fix your problem with the Drill Network site. Get mozilla at www.mozilla.org and install it. After you start up, go to Edit-->Preferences...-->Advanced-->Scripts and Plugins. Uncheck the box that says "Allow webpages to: Open unrequested windows" You will never see another pop-up, porn or otherwise. You can also choose which sites can set cookies, so you get less spam.

Fight the evil, get mozilla.

[Johan Steele]

Re: Best way to learn drill

I know this sounds like a wisea** answer, but my group has an NCO school and two camps of instructions prior to every year, and we drill at events. If you are in a group that wants to learn it, you can.....

No dusty, I don't think it's an obnoxious answer, I agree w/ it. However, I live in MN and w/ the exception of the 2nd MN drill in these parts seem to be secondary... We in the 3rd drill at least an hour at our monthly meetings... However, from November-March/April we don't drill and we have the added problem of only about a third of our membership making monthly meetings so drill can be quite difficult. I know the manual of Arms well enough because that is something I can do on my own as needed but w/ only 3-4 privates at each meeting... I don't liek the idea of arriving at an event falling in w/ another unit & then faking it till I make it.

Ironically, the drill I'm most comfortable w/ is skirmish drill.

[natchezborn]

Re: Best way to learn drill

IMHO, the best way to learn is to call the orders out yourself and then carryout the order. When I first started reenacting (10 years ago), I would spend hours at a time standing in front of a mirror going over the manual of arms.

You can also practice your marching steps in your backyard or even your front. It would probably help if you had a tall fence to cut down on the neighbors thinking you were getting ready to take over the subdivision!!

Although drilling with others is the best way to learn, there is something to be said about someone who wants to improve there drilling performance. All to often in this hobby, people are more worried about how many button holes their underwear has rather than knowing the proper way to execute a "by the left oblique".

I salute your effort, sir.

I remain,

[poncho]

Re: Best way to learn drill

What might also help is if you can get your hands on a copy of Dalbello's drill manuals. Dom dalbello basically re-wrote caseys in plain english specifically for re-enactor use. It makes things much easier to understand. I belive you can still purchase it from the Army of the Pacific site for about $17. Hope this helps!

[cwsitebuilder]

Re: Best way to learn drill

Here's a link to two websites that have animations of drills.

http://www.reznorstudios.com/CivilWarFolder/DrillCo1.htm

http://www.10thbattalion.org/school.php

Hope they can be of help.

[Will Eichler]

Re: Best way to learn drill

Johan,

I'll stick my nose into this discussion. Currently, there is no DVD version of "School of the Soldier." Yes, there are several small mistakes. I should know. I wrote the program during my junior year of college in 1994 and produced it the next year. It was my first program as full producer.

Mistakes (off the top of my head):

We showed soldiers after firing "recover arms." NOPE. Two choices - Shoulder or load.

We slightly redefined the motions for manual of arms. What we did was show in the correct steps, just stopped at each logical body movement rather than at the end of a motion by the book. If your organization will drill in cadence (1/60 of a minute per motion) you'll have to cross reference with a copy of the book. I still believe this was a good way to teach visually.

We taught the "Kentucky Swing" rather than that stack in Casey's. NOPE. As I've learned since then, Casey's is easy. Check out the Watchdog (latest issue) and give the article on stack arms a read.

This is a quick off the top of my head errata sheet. I'd like to do a revison to the program some time soon. If that happens, we'll do it on DVD. Chapters make it a better way to learn. Scroll foward to where you want to be.

Three closing personal notes.

1. I haven't made a percentage of the profits in over 4 years. So being free of the advertising/capitalistic end, I recommend buying the tapes. You'll learn from them. Also buy the book and keep it close.

2. Thanks to all of you who have supported the program by purchasing it, commenting on it and giving me criticisms. If you have more critiques (ones related to drill) that aren't listed above, feel free to send them to me at steadiwill@earthlink.net If we do a revision, the feedback will help make the program better.

3. Please learn how to load correctly. I have a friend in my unit who did that. When he had a hot musket cook off while he was loading during a morning drill (about 9:30am) he received only minor burn on the very edge of his hand. After being inspected by the emergency room, he was back with small bandages on his and and participated in the rest of the day. His words to Jim Martin (the 1st Sergeant in the show) and myself were, "Thanks for teaching me right guys. I have my hand because of it." I don't care if I ever see another cent for this program, that was the best pay in the world a fellow can get.

Dave is now serving us all as a member of the USMC.

Cheers,

Will

[Johan Steele]

Re: Best way to learn drill

Will, thanks for the info... though I'll have to wait for the DVD edition as I only have a DVD player.

Another qurestion to throw out regarding the subject. Is the Casey's "translation" by Jerry Grehl a good buy?

I'm looking for Dom Dalbello's work on Parade Inspection & Infantry Drill book but haven't found a reputable Sutler that carries it yet.

My computer is on it's last legs and until I get a repleacement I won't be able to acces the animation CWsitebuilder passed on. Thaks though.

[john duffer]

Re: Best way to learn drill

I don't know about a reputable sutler :) but Jersey Skilletlicker has Dom's books in stock. For advice worth what you pay for it - don't buy someone's "translation", get the real thing. The real manuals make more sense the more you read them, there's no need to simplify them. Do School Of the Soldier step by step as you read from the book, buy toy soldiers to practice School Of The Company. Drill is a system and you have to read thru the whole thing and get the big picture and then reread details. There's no substitute for real drill but all the at home stuff means you can make better use of the time on the field and feel like you know what's going on.

John Duffer

[Tom Ezell]

Re: Best way to learn drill

I'll echo the Admiral's comments... Don't buy the translations. The so-called Heitman's Simplified Hardee's is suitable only to wipe your hiney or line your birdcage, if you have one. Jerry Grehl's handbook is a good one, but it will only make sense after you've done a good deal of study in the original manual. I do unreservedly recommend dal Bello's PIE... and it's available on-line from the Skilletlicker, Shamrock Hill Books (http://bookguy.com), or from the man himself somewhere in the dark corners of the AoP website.

But nothing beats the real thing. For Casey's, Chris Daley offers an authentic reprint of the three-volume set at a very reasonable price, and one that you will not be embarassed to pull out of your tail pocket at the most radical convention of us stitch-counters/page turners, much less in front of your squad, company, or battalion, or during a living history display. I was able to acquire an original set of Vols 1 and 2 last week off eBay, and when I set them side by side with the Ken Mink reprints, the only real difference was 142 years of age.

If the $65 that Chris asks for his reprint is a little much, get one of the inexpensive paperback copies from your skinner of choice, find a quiet place somewhere, sit down, and read. Then read it again. Then get up and practice... "one time, and three motions..." Get the Media Magic tapes and watch them... then in the privacy of your den, practice with them, just like that Richard Simmons tape you're afraid to admit that you have.

If something in the School of the battalion isn't clear, then pull out your copy of PIE and compare the two descriptions... hopefully it will make a little more sense.

Hardee's is a little different matter... right now, there aren't any decent reprints, althoough I've heard rumors to the effect that someone is working on a reprint of the 1862 edition for sometime late this year...

Tom

[Will Eichler]

Re: Best way to learn drill

Warning. I've heard this from more than one "Richard Simmon's drill person" :)

If you drill in your den, make sure the ceiling is tall enough before going to Right Shoulder Shift! Your barrell makes a weird dent in the family ceiling if you don't. It tends to annoy others in the family who may have a direct effect on how much you can go out and play.

Yes, it has happened.

The original manuals are the best resource you can get. Our video is meant like Dom's PIE, as a reference. Read up, study up and I'll see you in the field!

Best,

Will

[RJSamp]

Cool!

Good to hear you chime in Will!

Hey, are you missing a smallish dipper from Culver Academy drill? Found one in the grass kind of near where you bedded down.

We're on for Fort Wayne?

rjsamp@ameritech.net

RJ Samp