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At the Chickamauga battle reenactment, I had a little drill disagreement with a mainstream field grade officer who said he'd been around for a couple decades. I did something which made his head spin and really upset his world. He said I did something he'd never seen before. His tone of voice suggested I didn't know what I was talking about. I told him the answer was in the manuals, but he said it couldn't be because he'd never seen it.
The issue concerned assembly of the right wing companies onto the battalion line of battle. Below are the facts and the rules.
I commanded a company whose place in the battalion line belonged in the right wing. After waiting for the color company and the company on its right to form, it was my turn to be the last company on the right to assemble with the rest of the battalion. I halted my company about five paces behind the line. I moved from the front of my company to the right of the preceeding company. I stepped into the front rank of the battalion and stood beside the corporal of the right most company on the line. After waiting for my first sergeant to place himself onto the line of markers, I ordered my company to dress left. This illustration I prepared several years ago shows what I was doing : http://draytons.tripod.com/drill/rightwingforms.pdf
I think the mainstream field officer was shocked that I had stepped into the space of the captain of the preceeding company. (I don't recall where that captain was. I just know he wasn't standing in my space.) My being on the left of my company really upset the field grade officer.
Here's the rule from Wm. Gilham's Manual of Instruction for Volunteers and Militia of the United States. The rule for my situation can be found in the very last sentence :
For several years, I was the drill guy for the old First Confederate Division aka Army of Tennessee. I created a drill manual for all the officers in the division/army. Of course, the mainstream field grade officer belonged to the division/army. I guess he never got the message from the commanding general during those several years that he should be using the drill manual I pieced together from actual sources. Here's a link to the manual. You'll find the above text from Gillam at page four. Link : http://44tennessee.tripod.com/2ColAoTmanual.pdf
If you'd like a copy which you can print into a booklet, follow this link and the directions : http://www.zipcon.net/~silas/Drill/mcdbooklet.htm
The issue concerned assembly of the right wing companies onto the battalion line of battle. Below are the facts and the rules.
I commanded a company whose place in the battalion line belonged in the right wing. After waiting for the color company and the company on its right to form, it was my turn to be the last company on the right to assemble with the rest of the battalion. I halted my company about five paces behind the line. I moved from the front of my company to the right of the preceeding company. I stepped into the front rank of the battalion and stood beside the corporal of the right most company on the line. After waiting for my first sergeant to place himself onto the line of markers, I ordered my company to dress left. This illustration I prepared several years ago shows what I was doing : http://draytons.tripod.com/drill/rightwingforms.pdf
I think the mainstream field officer was shocked that I had stepped into the space of the captain of the preceeding company. (I don't recall where that captain was. I just know he wasn't standing in my space.) My being on the left of my company really upset the field grade officer.
Here's the rule from Wm. Gilham's Manual of Instruction for Volunteers and Militia of the United States. The rule for my situation can be found in the very last sentence :
Gilham 297. At the signal, called the adjutant's call, the companies are marched from the company parades by their captains, the music playing. The color company serves as the basis of the formation, and is the first to form ; the color-guard being at the point where the centre of the line is to rest, one marker is placed in front of it, his elbow touching the right corporal of the color guard, and another on the line at a little less than company distance from him, on his right, and facing towards him ; the color company is halted three paces behind this line, faced to the front, and dressed up upon the line by the captain, who aligns it to the left.
The company on the left of the color is the next to take its post ; it is halted three paces behind the line, its right nearly behind the left file of the color guard, and faced to the front ; as soon as it halts the left guide of the company throws himself out, so as to be opposite one of the three left files of the company, faces to the right, and aligns himself upon the two markers ; the captain then places himself on the left of the color guard, on a line with its front rank, and aligns the company to the right. The company on the right of the colors forms next upon the same principles ; the right guide posts himself upon the line opposite one of the three right files of the company, and faces to the left ; the captain places himself on the right of the color company, and aligns his company to the left.
The company on the left of the color is the next to take its post ; it is halted three paces behind the line, its right nearly behind the left file of the color guard, and faced to the front ; as soon as it halts the left guide of the company throws himself out, so as to be opposite one of the three left files of the company, faces to the right, and aligns himself upon the two markers ; the captain then places himself on the left of the color guard, on a line with its front rank, and aligns the company to the right. The company on the right of the colors forms next upon the same principles ; the right guide posts himself upon the line opposite one of the three right files of the company, and faces to the left ; the captain places himself on the right of the color company, and aligns his company to the left.
If you'd like a copy which you can print into a booklet, follow this link and the directions : http://www.zipcon.net/~silas/Drill/mcdbooklet.htm
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