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BAYONET EXERCISEWEST & JOIIN^fON Publishers,

llo >Iain Streel,


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SKIRMISHERS' DRILL

BAYONET EXERCISE(AS NOW USED IN THE FRENCH ARMY),

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SOLDIER IN ACTUAL CONFLICT.

COMPILED AND TRANSLATED

FOR THE USE OF THE VOLUNTEERS OF THE STATE OF VIRGINIA AND THE SOUTH,

R. MILTON QARY,LT? COL. PROV. ARMY VA.

" The bayonet is the weapon of the brave.'

RICHMOND, VA:


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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1861, byWEST & JOHNSTON,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Confederate States for theEastern District of Virginia.

H. Y'YMCE,


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INTRODUCTION.

The accompanying pages have been compiled and trans-lated by the undersigned for the purpose of supplyingwhat he believes an important want to the volunteers ofthe South.

The self-reliance and personal courage so universal withthe people of our country will render them equal to anyothers in the world, in the capacity of light troops, pro-vided they are properly trained.This little volume embraces the deployments, rallies,and assemblies of a company of skirmishers, and the drillof the bayonet and sabre-bayonet now in use in the Frencharmy, with such suggestions to the soldier in actualconflict as are given by French military writers. Thosesuggestions, and the exercise for the bayonet, have beentaken from the official books of instruction of that mostmilitary of all nations ; and the instruction for the move-ments of skirmishers has been taken from the system oftactics prepared by Col. Hardee, late U: S. A. The valueof the bayonet exercise is not a matter of speculation.Its practicability is no longer an open question ; it hasbeen brought to its present actual efficiency through asuccession of trials, all of them improved by practice,first on the drill ground, and then on the battle-field.

It is absolutely necessary for light infantry. If at-tacked by cavalry, when deployed as skirmishers, theymust rely mainly upon their bayonets. It is important


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4 INTRODUCTION.the

originand

progressof such instruction in the French

service.In 1828, the Superior Council of War of France hadunder discussion the question of abolishing the light infan-

try ; when, instead of doing away with it, a new impetuswas given towards promoting its efficiency. After variousessays, the formation of a special corps was resolved on,in 1838. The first battalion organized answered so wellits purpose, that in 1840 ten battalions of twelve hundredand fifty-nine men each were formed. These are the cele-brated "Chasseurs de Vincennes" and "Zouaves" whichare now fourfold their original numbers. The improve-ments made from time to time have culminated in theadoption of the skirmishers' drill, rifled arms, the sabre-bayonet, and the use of the bayonet according to theprinciples of fencing, as herein prescribed. The resultsobtained have been even beyond expectation. From thattime the French began to sweep before them the fearlessArabs in Algeria, in spite of their almost fabulous con-tempt of danger, and excellence in horsemanship.The Russian infantry in the Crimea, and the Austrianinfantry in Lombardy, both equal to any other infantryof the line in the world, each in turn, were over-matchedand defeated by the French troops trained in this drill.It will be recollected that the Emperor of the French, atthe opening of the campaign in Lombardy, after hislanding at Genoa, issued a short and telling proclamationto his soldiers

;in it he reminds them that, after all,"they had to rely on their bayonets for the victory -" and

this is so much the more significant, that it fell from thelips of one who had endowed his army with the improvedMinie rifle, and with those 'rifled guns of his own inveo-tion/which made such havoc amongst the Austrian cavalryat Solferino., and were then without rivals in the field,since the Armstrong gun of the English was not com-pleted, and was only tried in actual service in the lateChina war.

Notwithstanding all those advantages, Louis Napoleon


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INTRODUCTION. 5

practical chieftain, the Russian General, Souwarrow, whoused to say, in his picturesque language, " The bullet isfoolish; the bayonet alone is wise/'These details have been entered into in order that itmay be well understood that the drill which this book isintended to introduce to the volunteers of the State andof the South, is not an unimportant work of fancy, con-trived for amusement; but, on the contrary, is the fruitof time and experience, rendered into a practical form bymilitary men, who all acknowledge it to be one of themost powerful agencies of modern warfare.This book is, therefore, nothing but a translation ; theplates being fac-similes of those obtained from Paris ;and the only merit which is claimed for it is, that it ren-ders, in our language, the latest and most approved instruc-tion for the use of the bayonet, in connection with theskirmishers' drill, in a convenient form, and for smallcost. The skirmishers' drill and the bayonet drill wereintended by their inventors to go together. The one isincomplete in the absence of the other. As bearing uponthe skirmishers' drill, we will indulge ourselves with anextract from a very remarkable article published in the" Moniteur de I'Armee" in 1851, by a captain of thestaff, DuCasse. He says : "It was a noble and admirableidea, that of connecting together four men, neighbors toeach other in the ranks, under the name of comrades inbattle, and to tell them, ' Every one of you is bound forthe whole, and upon each devolves the care of preservingthe life of the three others/ No measure more apt tofoster that noble and brotherly feeling, which in the armyis called esprit de corps, could have been imagined. Theidea of comrades in battle, acting in groups for self-de-fence, forming in the plain to resist cavalry, as manylittle squares, each element of which is ready to fight tothe death in order to protect the life of his brothers inarms, is one of the most successful among those broughtforth in the organization of the ' Chasseurs-a-pied. J"


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6 INTRODUCTION.The ordinance made for them has provided for it ; to theregular manual of arms have been added volts, demi-volts,bayonet-fencing, the art of attacking cavalry and resistingtheir attacks. In short, the service of the skirmishershas been so extended as to become an habitual, not anaccidental service ; and the men have been enabled tofight in that order the whole day, without rallying uponthe platoon or battalion, cases of absolute necessity beingexcepted."By the ordinance of July 22, 1845, the skirmishers'drill and bayonet exercise were restricted to the " Chas-seurs;" but by a ministerial decree of the 7th of April,1851, they were extended to all of the infantry of theFrench army. The drill which is offered to the volun-teers of the South in this book is that now in use by theFrench infantry as well as the " Chasseurs/'' and a por-tion of it was adopted as late as 1858.The undersigned begs to be indulged in saying that heputs forth this little work with no desire to make money.His object is to place within reach of his fellow-volunteersvaluable and important material, in the hope that therebyour efficiency as soldiers may be promoted.He acknowledges the very valuable assistance of Mons.C. F. Pardigon, a native of Paris (at present attached tothe Wise Legion, and a very devoted and true soldier ofthe Old Dominion), rendered him in getting up and trans-lating the book. K. M. C.RICHMOND, VA., July, 1861.


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INSTRUCTION FOR SKIRMISHERS,ARTICLE FIRST.

DEPLOYMENTS.1. A company may be deployed as skirmishers in two

ways : forward, and by the flank.2. The deployment forward will be adopted when the

company is behind the line on which it is to be establish-ed as skirmishers; it will be deployed by the flank, whenit finds itself already on that line.

3. Whenever a company is to be deployed as skirmish-ers, it will be divided into two platoons, and each platoonwill be subdivided into two sections ; the comrades inbattle, forming groups of four men, will be careful toknow and to sustain each other. The captain willassure himself that the files in the centre of each platoonand section are designated.

4. A company may be deployed as skirmishers on itsright, left, or centre file, or on any other named file what-soever. In this manner, skirmishers may be thrown for-ward with the greatest possible rapidity on any groundthey may be required to occupy.

5. A chain of skirmishers ought generally to preservetheir alignment, but no advantages which the ground maypresent should be sacrificed to attain this regularity.

6. The interval between skirmishers depends on theextent of ground to be covered; but in general, it is notproper that the groups of four men should be removedmore than forty paces from each other. The habitualdistance between men of the same group, in open grounds,will be five paces; in no case will they lose sight of eachother.


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DEPLOYMENTS.11. The left guide having reached the point where theleft of the line should rest, the captain will command the

skirmishers to halt; the men composing each group offour will then immediately deploy at five paces from eachother, and to the right and left of the front rank man ofthe even file in each group, the rear-rank men placingthemselves on the left of their file-leaders. If any groupsbe not in line at the command halt, they will move uprapidly, conforming to what has just been prescribed.

12. If, during the deployment, the line should be firedupon by the enemy, the captain may cause the groups offour to deploy, as they gain their proper distances.

13. The line being formed, the non-commissioned offi-cers on the right, left, and centre of the platoon will placethemselves ten paces in rear of the line, and opposite thepositions they respectively occupied. The chiefs of sec-tions will promptly rectify any irregularities, and thenplace themselves twenty-five or thirty paces, in rear ofthe centre of their sections, each having with him fourmen taken from the reserve, and also a bugler, who willrepeat, if necessary, the signals sounded by the captain.(See Fig. 1.)

14. Skirmishers should be particularly instructed totake advantage of any cover which the ground may offer,and should lie flat on the ground whenever such a move-ment is necessary to protect them from the fire of theenemy. Regularity in the alignment should yield to thisimportant advantage.

15. When the movement begins, the first lieutenantwill face the second platoon about, and march it prompt-ly, and by the shortest line, to about one hundred andfifty paces in rear of the centre of the line. He will holdit always at this distance, unless ordered to the contrary.

16. The reserve will conform itself to all the move-ments of the line. This rule is general.

17. Light troops will carry their bayonets habituallyin the scabbard, and this rules applies equally to the


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10 DEPLOYMENTS.

paces in rear of the centre of the line. He will havewith him a bugler, and four men taken from the reserve.18. The deployment may be made on the right or the

centre of the platoon, by the same commands, substitut-ing the indication right or centre for that of left file.

19. The deployment on the right or the centre will bemade according to the principles prescribed above; inthis latter case, the centre of the platoon will be markedby the right group of four in the second section; the firstcorporal (acting as a file closer) will place himself on theright of this group, and serve as the guide of the platoonduring the deployment.20. In whatever manner the deployment be made, onthe right, left, or centre, the men in each group of fourwill always deploy at five paces from each other, and uponthe front-rank man of the even-numbered file. The de-ployments will habitually be made at twenty paces inter-val; but if a greater interval be required, it will be indi-cated in the command.

21. If a company be thrown out as skirmishers so nearthe main body as to render a reserve unnecessary, theentire company will be extended in the same manner,and according to the same principles, as for the deploy-ment of a platoon. In this case, the third lieutenant willcommand the fourth section, and a non-commissionedofficer, designated for that purpose, the second section ;the first corporal will take the place of fourth sergeant,and the second corporal will act as centre guide ; the file-closers will place themselves ten paces in rear of the line,and opposite their places in line of battle. The first andsecond lieutenants will each have a bugler near him.

TO DEPLOY BY THE FLANK.22. The company being at a halt, when the captain

shall wish to deploy it by the flank, holding the first pla-toon in reserve, he will command:


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DEPLOYMENTS. 1123. At the first command, the first and third lieuten-ants will place themselves respectively two paces behindthe centres of the first and second sections of the second

platoon; the first corporal (who will have been placed as afile-closer) will place himself one pace in front of thecentre of the second platoon; the third sJtrgeant, as soonas he can pass, will place himself on the right of the frontrank of the same platoon; the captain will indicate tohim the point on which he wishes him to direct his march.The chief of the first platoon will execute what has beenprescribed for the chief of the second platoon, Nos. 8 and9. The fourth sergeant will place himself on the leftflank of the reserve; the first sergeant will remain on theright flank.

24. At the second command, the first and third lieu-tenants will place themselves two paces behind the leftgroup of their respective sections.25. At the command marchj the second platoon willface to the right, and commence the movement; the leftgroup of four will stand fast, but will deploy as soon asthere is room on its

right, conforming to what has beenprescribed, No. 11 ; the third sergeant will place himselfon the left of the right group, to conduct it; the secondgroup will halt at twenty paces from the one on its left,the third group at twenty paces from the second, and soon to the right. As the groups halt, they will face to theenemy, and deploy as has been explained for the left group.

26. The chiefs of sections will pay particular attentionto the successive deployments of the groups, keeping nearthe group about to halt, so as to rectify any errors whichmay be committed. When the deployment is completed,they will place themselves thirty paces in rear of thecentre of their sections, as has been heretofore prescribed.The non-commissioned officers will also place themselvesas previously indicated.

27. As soon as the movement commences, the chief ofthe first platoon, causing it to face about, will move it asindicated No. 15.


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12 DEPLOYMENTS.29. If the

captainshould wish to

deploythe companyupon the centre of one of the platoons, he will command :

1. Second platoon As SKIRMISHERS.2. By the right and left flanks TAKE INTERVALS.3. MARCH (^ Double quick MARCH.)30. At the first command, the officers and non-com-

missioned officers will conform to what has been pre-scribed, No. 23.31. At the second command, the first lieutenant willplace himself behind the left group of the right sectionof the second platoon, the third lieutenant behind theright group of the left section of the same platoon.32. At the command march, the right section willface to the right, the left section will face to the left, thegroup on the right of this latter section will stand fast.The two sections will move off in opposite directions ; thethird sergeant will place himself on the left of the rightfile to conduct it, the second sergeant on the right of theleft file. The two groups nearest that which stands fastwill each halt at twenty paces from this group, and eachof the other groups will halt at twenty paces from thegroup which is in rear of it. Each group will deploy asheretofore prescribed, No. 25.33. The first and third lieutenants will direct themovement, holding themselves always abreast of thegroup which is about to halt.34. The captain can cause the deployment to be madeon any named group whatsoever ; in this case, the firstcorporal will place himself before the group indicated,and the deployment will be made according to the prin-ciples heretofore prescribed.35. The entire company may be also deployed accord-ing to the same principles.

TO EXTEND INTERVALS.36. This movement, which is to be employed to ex-


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DEPLOYMENTS. 13at a halt, and that the captain wishes to extend it to theleft, he will command :1. By the left flank (so many paces) EXTEND INTER-VALS.2. MARCH (or Double quick MARCH).

38. At the command march, the group on the rightwill stand fast, all the other groups will face to the left,and each group will extend its interval to the prescribeddistance by the means indicated, No. 25.

39. The men of the same group will continue to pre-serve between each other the distance of five paces,unless the nature of the ground should render it neces-sary that they should close nearer in order to keep insight of each other. The intervals refer to the spacesbetween the groups, and not to the distances between themen in each group. The intervals will be taken fromthe right or left man of the neighboring group.40. If the line of skirmishers be marching to thefront, and the captain should wish to extend it to theright, he will command :1. On the left group (so many paces) EXTEND INTER-VALS.2. MARCH (or Double quick MARCH).

41. The left group, conducted by the guide, will con-tinue to march on the point of direction ; the othergroups, throwing forward the left shoulder, and takingthe double quick step, will open their intervals to theprescribed distance by the means indicated, No. 18, con-forming also to what is prescribed, No. 39.42. Intervals may be extended on the centre of theline, according to the same principles.43. If, in extending intervals, it be intended that onecompany or platoon should occupy a line which had beenpreviously occupied by two, the men of the company or


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14 TO ADVANCE.

TO CLOSE INTERVALS.44. This movement, like that of opening intervals,

\vill be executed according to the principles prescribedfor the deployments.

45. If the line of skirmishers ba halted, and the cap-tain should wish to close intervals to the left, he willcommand :1. By the, left flank (so many paces) Close intervals.2. MARCH (or Double quick MARCH).

46. At the command march, the left group will standfast; the other groups will face to the left and close to theprescribed distance ; each group facing to the enemy asit attains its proper distance.

47. If the line be marching to the front, the captainwill command :1. On the left group (so many paces') close intervals.2. MARCH (or Double quick MARCH).

48. The left group, conducted by the guide, will con-tinue to move on in the direction previously indicated;the other groups, advancing the right shoulder, will closeto the left, until the intervals are reduced to the pre-scribed distance.

49. Intervals may be closed on the right; or on thecentre; according to the same principles.

ARTICLE SECOND.TO ADVANCE.

TO ADVANCE IN LINE, AND TO RETREAT IN LINE.50. When a platoon or a company, deployed as skir-

mishers, is marching by the front, the guide will be


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TO ADVANCE. 15

on the right or left, the command, guide right, or guideleft, will be given immediately after that of forward.

51. The captain, wishing the line of skirmishers toadvance, will command :

1. Forward.2. MARCH (or Double quicJc MARCH).

52. This command will be repeated with the greatestrapidity by the chiefs of sections, and, in case of need,by the sergeants. This rule is general, whether the skir-mishers march by the front or by the flank.

53. At the first command, three sergeants will movebriskly on the line, the "first on the right, the second onthe left, and the third in the centre.54. At the command march, the line will move to thefront, the guide charged with the direction will move onthe point indicated to him, the skirmishers will hold them-selves aligned on this guide, and preserve their intervalstowards him.

55. The chiefs of sections will march immediatelybehind their sections, so as to direct their movements.56. The captain will give a general superintendence tothe movement.

57. When he shall wish to halt the skirmishers, hewill command :

HALT.58. At this command, briskly repeated, the line willhalt. The chiefs of sections will promptly rectify any

irregularity in the alignment and intervals, and aftertaking every possible advantage which the ground mayoffer for protecting the men, they, with the three ser-geants in the line, will retire to their proper places inrear.

59. The captain, wishing to march the skirmishers inretreat, will command :

1. In retreat.


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16 TO ADVANCE.61. At the command march, the skirmishers will faceabout individually, and march to the rear, conforming tothe principles prescribed No. 54.62. The officers and sergeants will use every exertion

to preserve order.63. To halt the skirmishers, marching in retreat, the

captain will command:HALT.

64. At this command, the skirmishers will halt, andimmediately face to the front.

65. The chiefs of sections and the three guides willeach conform himself to what is prescribed No. 58.

TO CHANGE DIRECTION.66. If the commander of a line of skirmishers shall

wish to cause it to change direction to the right, he willcommand :1. Right ivheel.2 MARCH (or Double quick MARCH).

67. At the command march, the right guide will marktime in his place; the left guide wilhfiiove in a circle tothe right, and that he may properly regulate his move-ments, will occasionally cast his eyes to the right, so asto observe the direction of the line, and the nature of theground to be passed over. The centre guide will alsomarch in a circle to the right, and in order to conformhis movements to the general direction, will take care thathis steps are only half the length of the steps of theguide on the left.68. The skirmishers will regulate the length of theirsteps by their distance from the marching flank, beingless as they approach the pivot, and greater as they areremoved from it; they will often look to the marchingflank, so as to preserve the direction and their intervals.


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TO ADVANCE. 1770. At the command march, the line will cease to

wheel, and the skirmishers will remove direct to the front;the centre guide will march on the point which will beindicated to him.71. If the captain should wish to halt the line, in

place of moving it to the front, he will command :HALT.

72. At this command the line will halt.73. A change of direction to the left will be made

according to the same principles, and by inverse means.74. A line of skirmishers marching in retreat, will

change direction by the same means, and by the samecommands, as a line marching in advance; for example,if the captain should wish to refuse his left, now becomethe right, he will command : 1. Left Wheel. 2. MARCH.At the command halt, the skirmishers will face to theenemy.

75. But if, instead of halting the line, the captainshould wish to continue to march it in retreat, he will,when he judges the line has wheeled sufficiently, com-mand :

1. In retreat. 2. MARCH.TO MARCH BY THE FLANK.

76. The captain, wishing the skirmishers to march bythe right flank, will command :

1. By the r'ujlit flank.2. MARCH (or Double quick MARCH).

77. At the first command, the three sergeants willplace themselves en the line.

78. At the command march, the skirmishers will faceto the right and move off; the right guide will place him-self by the side of the leading man on the right, to con-duct him, and will march on the point indicated; eachskirmisher will take care to follow exactly in the direc-


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18 FIRINGS.

commands, substituting left for right; the left guidewill place himself by the side of the leading man, to con-duct him'.80. If the skirmishers be marching by the flank, and

the captain should wish to halt them, he will command :HALT.81. At this command, the skirmishers will halt and

face to the enemy. The officers and sergeants will con-form to what has been prescribed No. 58.82. The reserve should execute all the movements of

the line, and be held always about one hundred and fiftypaces from it, so as to be in position to second its ope-rations.

83. When the chief of the reserve shall wish to marchit in advance, he will command : 1. Platoon forward.2. Guide left. 3. MARCH. If he should wish to marchit in retreat, he will command : 1. In retreat. 2. MARCH.3. Guide right. At the command halt, it will re-face tothe enemy.84. The men should be made to understand that thesignals or commands, such as forward, mean that theskirmishers shall march on the enemy; in retreat, thatthey shall retire; and to the right or left flank, that themen must face to the right or left, whatever may be theirposition.

85. If the skirmishers be marching by the flank, andthe captain should wish to change direction to the right(or left), he will command : 1. By file right (or left).2. MARCH.

ARTICLE THIRD.THE FIRINGS.

86. Skirmishers will fire either at a halt or marching.TO FIRE AT A HALT.


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FIRINGS. 19

88. At this command, briskly repeated, the men ofthe front rank will commence firing; they will reloadrapidly, and hold themselves in readiness to fire again.During this time the men of the rear rank will come toa ready, and as soon as "their respective file leaders haveloaded, they will also fire and reload. The men of eachfile will thus continue the firing, conforming to this prin-ciple that the one or the other shall always have hispiece loaded.

89. Light troops should be always calm, so as to aimwith accuracy; they should, moreover, endeavor to esti-mate correctly the distances between themselves and theenemy to be hit, and thus be enabled to deliver their firewith the greater certainty of success.90. Skirmishers will not remain in the same placewhilst reloading, unless protected by accidents in theground.

TO FIRE MARCHING.91. This fire will be executed by the same commands

as the fire at a halt.92. At the command commence firing, if the line beadvancing, the front-rank man of every file will halt, fire,and reload before throwing himself forward. The rear-rank man of the same file will continue to march, and afterpassing ten or twelve paces beyond his front-rank man,will halt, come to a ready, select his object, and fire whenhis front-rank man has loaded ; the fire will thus continueto be executed by each file ; the skirmishers will keepunited, and endeavor, as much as possible, to preserve thegeneral direction of the alignment.93. If the line be marching in retreat, at the commandcommence firing, the front-rank man of every file will halt,face to the enemy, fire, and then reload whilst moving tothe rear ; the rear-rank man of the same file will continueto march, and halt ten or twelve paces beyond his front-rank man, face about, come to a ready, and fire when his


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20 FIRINGS.face to the enemy, load bis piece, and fire, conforming towhat has just been prescribed; the firing will thus becontinued.

94. If the company be marching by the right flank,at the command commence firing, the front-rank manof every file will face to the enemy, step one pace for-ward, halt, and fire; the rear-rank man will continueto move forward. As soon as the front-rank man hasfired, he will place himself briskly behind his rear-rankman, and reload whilst marching. When he has loaded,the rear-rank man will, in his turn, step one paceforward, halt, and fire, and returning to the ranks willplace himself behind his front-rank man ; the latter, inhis turn, will act in the same manner, observing the sameprinciples. At the command cease firing, the men of therear-rank will retake their original positions, if not al-ready there.

95. If the company be marching by the left flank,the fire will be executed according to the same prrinci-ples, but in this case, it will be the rear-rank men whowill fire first.96. The following rules will be observed in the casesto which they apply.97. If the line be firing at a halt, or whilst march-ing by the flank, at the command forward march, itwill be the men whose pieces are loaded, without regardto the particular rank to which they belong, who willmove to the front. Those men whose pieces have beendischarged, will remain in their places to load them beforemoving forward, and the firing will be continued agreea-bly to the principles prescribed. No. 92.98. If the line be firing either at a halt, advancing, orwhilst marching by the flank, at the command in retreat

march, the men whose pieces are loaded will remainfaced to the enemy, and will fire in this position ; themen whose pieces are discharged will retreat loading them ;and the fire will be continued agreeably to the principles


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FIRINGS. 21

step one pace out of the general alignment, face to theenemy, and fire in this position ; the men whose piecesare unloaded will face to the right (or left), and march inthe direction indicated. The men who stepped out of theranks will place themselves, immediately after firing, uponthe general direction, and in rear of their front or rearrank men, as the case may be. The fire will be continuedaccording to the principles prescribed No. 94.100. Skirmishers will be habituated to load their pieceswhilst marching; but they will be enjoined to halt alwaysan instant, when in the act of charging cartridge andpriming.101. They should be practiced to fire and load kneel-ing, lying down, and sitting, and much liberty should beallowed in these exercises, in order that they may beexecuted in the manner found to be most convenient.Skirmishers should be cautioned not to forget that, inwhatever position they may load, it is important that thepiece should be placed upright before ramming, in orderthat the entire charge of powder may reach the bottom ofthe bore.102. In commencing the fire, the men of the samerank should not all fire at once, and the men of the samefile should be particular that one or the other of them bealways loaded.

103. In retreating, the officer commanding the skir-mishers should seize on every advantage which the groundmay present, for arresting the enemy as long as possible.104. At the signal to cease firing, the captain will seethat the order is promptly obeyed ; but the men who maynot be loaded will load. If the line be marching, it willcontinue the movement; but the man of each file whohappens to be in front will wait until the man in rearshall be abreast with him.

105. If a line of skirmishers be firing advancing, atthe command halt, the line will re-form upon the skir-mishers who aro in front; when the line is retreating,


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THE RALLY.

ARTICLE FOURTH.

THE RALLY. TO FORM COLUMN.106. A company deployed as skirmishers, is rallied in

order to oppose the enemy with better success; the ralliesare made at a run, and with bayonets fixed ; when orderedto rally, the skirmishers fix bayonets without command.

107. There are several ways of rallying, which the chiefof the line will adopt according to circumstances.108. If the line, marching, or at a halt, be merely dis-turbed by scattered horsemen, it will not be necessary tofall back on the reserve, but the captain will cause bayo-nets to be fixed. If the horsemen should, however,advance to charge the skirmishers, the captain will com-mand, rally by fours. The line will halt if marching,and the four men of each group will execute this rally inthe following manner : the front-rank man of the even-numbered file will take the position of guard againstcavalry ; the rear-rank man of the odd-numbered file willalso take the position of guard against cavalry, turninghis back to him, his right foot thirteen inches from theright foot of the former, and parallel to it ; the front-rankman of the odd file, and the rear-rank man of the evenfile, will also place themselves back to back, taking a likeposition, and between the two men already established,facing to the right and left; the right feet of the fourmen will be brought together, forming a square, andserving for mutual support. (See plate 2, pages 8 and9.) The four men in each group will come to a ready,fire as occasion may offer, and load without moving theirfeet.

109. The captain and chiefs of sections will each causethe four men who constitute his guard to form square,the men separating so as to enable him and the bugler tothemselves in the centre. The will


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THE RALLY. 23too weak, but should wish to hold his position by strength-ening his line, he will command :

Rally by SECTIONS. (Plate**, pages 8 and 9.)111. At this command, the chiefs of sections will move

rapidly on the centre group of their respective sections,or on any other interior group whose position might offera shelter, or other particular advantage ; the skirmisherswill collect rapidly, at a run, on this group, without dis-tinction of numbers. The men composing the group onwhich the formation is made, will immediately formsquare, as heretofore explained, and elevate their pieces,the bayonets uppermost, in order to indicate the point onwhich the rally is to be made. The other skirmishers, asthey arrive, will occupy and fill the open angular spaces,between these four men, and successfully rally aroundthis first nucleus, and in such manner as to form rapidlya compact circle. The skirmishers will take, as theyarrive, the position of charge bayonet, the point of thebayonet more elevated, and will cock their pieces in thisposition. The movement concluded, the two exteriorranks will fire as occasion may offer, and load withoutmoving their feet.112. The captain will move rapidly, with his guard,wherever \\Q may judge his presence most necessary.113. The officers and sergeants will be particular toobserve that the rally is made in silence, and with prompt-itude and order; that some pieces in each of their sub-divisions be at all times loaded, and that the fire is directedon those points only where it will be most effective.114. If the reserve should be threatened, it will forminto a circle around its chief.

115. If the captain or commander of a line of skir-mishers formed of many platoons, should judge that therally by section does not offer sufficient resistance, he willcause the rally by platoons to be executed, and for thispurpose, will command :


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24 THE RALLY.sections. The chiefs of platoon will conform to what hasbeen prescribed for the chiefs of sections.117. The captain Wishing to rally the skirmishers onthe reserve, will comrmmd :

Rally on the RESERVE.118. At this command, the captain will move brisklyon the reserve ; the officer who commands it will take

immediate steps to form square; for this purpose, he willcause the half sections on the flanks to be thrown perpen-dicularly to the rear ; he will order the meri^to come to aready.119. The skirmishers of each section, taking the run,will form rapidly into groups, and upon that man of eachgroup who is nearest the centre of the section. Thesegroups will direct themselves diagonally towards eachother, and in such manner as to form into sections withthe greatest possible rapidity while moving to the rear ;the officers and sergeants will see that this formation ismade in proper order, and the chiefs will direct their sec-tions upon the reserve, taking care to unmask it to theright and left. As the skirmishers arrive, they will con-tinue and complete the formation of the square begun bythe reserve, closing in rapidly upon the latter, withoutregard to their places in line; they will come to a readywithout command, and fire upon the enemy; which willalso be done by the reserve as soon as it is unmasked bythe skirmishers.

120. If a section should be closely pressed by cavalrywhile retreating, its chief will command halt; at thiscommand, the men will form rapidly into a compact circlearound the officer, who will re-form his section and resumethe march, the moment he can do so with safety.121. The formation of the square in a prompt andefficient manner, requires coolness and activity on thepart of both officers and sergeants.122. The captain will also profit by every moment ofrespite which the enemy's cavalry may leave him ; as soon


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FORM COLUMN. 25to the corps to which he belongs. For this purpose,being in square, he will cause the company to break intocolumn by platoons at half distance ; to this effect, he willcommand :

1. Form Column. 2. MARCH.123. At the command march, each platoon will dresson its centre, and the platoon which was facing to therear will face about without command. The guides will

place themselves on the right and left of their respectiveplatoons; those of the second platoon will place them-selves at half distance from those of the first, countingfrom the rear rank. These dispositions being made, thecaptain can move the column in whatever direction hemay j udge proper.124. If he wishes to march it in retreat, he will com-mand :

1. In Retreat.2. MARCH (or Double quick MARCH).

125. At the command march, the column will imme-diately face by the rear rank, and move off in the oppositedirection. As soon as the column is in motion, the cap-tain will command :

3. Guide right (or left).126. He will indicate the direction to the leading

guide ; the guides will march at their proper distances,and the men will keep aligned.127. If again threatened by cavalry, the captain willcommand :

1. Form Square. 2. MARCH.128. At the command march, the column will halt;the first platoon will face about briskly, and the outer

half-sections of each platoon will be thrown perpendicularlyto the rear, so as to form the second and third fronts ofthe square. The officers and sergeants will promptlyrectify any irregularities which may be committed.


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26 FORM COLUMN.130. Which will be executed as prescribed No. 123.131. The column being formed, the captain will com-mand :

1. Forward.2. MARCH (or Double quick MARCH.)3. Guide left (or right.)

132. At the second command, the column will moveforward, and at the third command, the men will takethe touch of elbows to the side of the guide.133. If the captain should wish the column to gainground to the right or left, he will do so by rapid wheelsto the side opposite the guide, and for this purpose, willchange the guide whenever it may be necessary.134. If a company be in column by platoon, at halfdistance, right in front, the captain can deploy the firstplatoon as skirmishers by the means already explained ;but if it should be his wish to deploy the second platoonforward on the centre file, leaving the first platoon in re-serve, he will command :

1. Second platan As skirmishers.2. On the cenfy^file Take intervals.3. MARCH (or pouble quick MARCH.)

135. At the first command, the chief of the first pla-toou will caution hi$ platoon to stand fast; the chiefs ofsections of the second platoon will place themselves beforethe centres of their sections ; the first corporal, acting asa sergeant, will place himself one pace in front of thecentre of the second platoon.136. At the second command, the chief of the rightsection, second platoon, will command : Section rightface ; the chief of the left section : Section left face.137. At the command march, these sections will moveoff briskly in opposite directions; and having unmaskedthe first platoon, the chiefs of sections will respectivelycommand: By the left flank MARCH, and By the rightflank MARCH; and as soon as these sections arrive onthe of the first will As


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ASSEMBLY. 27left section, which will be directed by the first corporalon the point indicated.138. If the captain should wish the deployment madeby the flank, the second platoon will be moved to thefront by the means above stated, and halted after passingsome steps beyond the alignment of the first platoon ; thedeployment will then be made by the flank, according tothe

principles prescribed.THE ASSEMBLY.

139. A company deployed as skirmishers will be as-sembled when there is no longer danger of its being dis-turbed ; the assembly will be made habitually in quicktime.140. The captain wishing to assemble the skirmisherson the reserve, will command :

Assemble on the Reserve.141. At this command the skirmishers will assemble

by groups of four ; the front-rank men will place them-selves behind their rear-rank men ; and each group offour will direct itself on the reserve, where each will takeits proper place in the ranks. When the company is re-formed, it will rejoin the battalion to which it belongs.

142. It may be also proper to assemble the skirmisherson the centre, or on the right or left of the line, eithermarching or at a halt.143. If the captain should wish to assemble them onthe centre while marching, he will command :

Assemble on the Centre.144. At this command, the centre guide will continue

to march directly to the front on the point indicated ; thefront-rank man of the directing file will follow the guide,and be covered by his rear-rank uinn ; the other two com-rades of this group, and likewise those on their loft, willmarch diagonally, advancing the left shoulder and accel-


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28 BAYONET EXERCISE.then upon the directing file, throwing forward the rightshoulder. As they successively unite on the centre, themen will bring their pieces to the right shoulder.145. To assemble on the right or left file will be exe-cuted according to the same principles.146. The assembly of a line marching in retreat willalso be executed according to the same principles, thefront-rank men marching behind their rear-rank men.

147. To assemble the line of skirmishers at a halt,and on the line they occupy, the captain will give thesame commands; the skirmishers will face to the rightor left, according as they should march by the right orleft flank, re-form the groups while marching, and thusarrive on the file which served as the point of formation.As they successively arrive, the skirmishers will supportarms.

BAYONET EXERCISE,WITH THE MUSKET AND THRUST BAYONET.

Part First.In teaching this exercise the men, if few in number,may be placed in one rank, if more numerous, say ex-

ceeding eight or ten, they should be placed in two ranks,in quincons (the second rank showing between the inter-vals of the first rank). To do this, the instructor, havingopened the ranks to four paces, commands :

1. By the leftflanlc, at four paces, take intervals.2. Quick MARCH.At this command, number one in the first rank stands

fast, number one in the rear rank moves two paces to theleft, and all of the men in each rank, take the intervals


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BAYONET EXERCISE. 29

substituting right for left. To close the ranks and inter-vals, the instructor commands :1. Assemble on No. 1 (or any other JVb.) of thefront rank.2. Quick MARCH.

FIRST LESSON.SIMPLE MOTIONS. POSITION OF THE GTTAED.

On Guard. (Two motions) (Fig. 1.)1. Being at a light infantry shoulder, raise a little the

piece with the right hand, turn the left toe square to thefront.

2. Carry the right foot about eighteen inches backward,the right heel on the prolongation of the left, the bodyerect and perpendicular on both legs, so that the weightis divided equally between them, the knees bent, andtake the position of charge bayonet.At the command, shoulder arms, spring the musket upinto the hollow of the right shoulder, and retake theposition of the soldier.The instructor, wishing to allow a rest, when recruitsare on guard, commands Rest.At this command, the man brings the right foot bythe side of the left, places the butt of the musket on theground, and is no longer required to remain immovableor to preserve silence.The instructor, wishing to resume the position of guard,commands :

1. Attention Squad (or Platoon).2. Resume GUARD.

At this command, raise the piece with the


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30 BAYONET EXERCISE.

EXTENSION.Extend MARCH. (One motion.) (Kg. 2.)

At the second command advance quickly the left footabout twelve inches, the left leg (from knee to ankle)vertical, the right

foot flat on the ground, and the rightleg extended and straight, the body remaining erect.At the command, on guard, retake the position ofguard, by bringing back the left foot to its former po-sition.

1. Pace to the right (or left.')2. Riyht (or left) FACE. (One motion.)

Turn on the left heel, raising a little the toe of thatfoot; face to the right (or left), and carry at the sametime the right foot eighteen inches to the rear.

1. Pace about to the right (or left.)2. Right (or left) about FACE. (One motion.)Turn to the right (or left) on the left heel, by raisingthe toe of the left foot, facing to the rear, without chang-

ing position of the piece, carrying the right foot eighteeninches to rear, and keeping the body erect.1. One pace forward MARCH. (Two motions.)

1st motion : Carry first the right foot against the leftheel.2d motion : Advance the left foot about eighteen inches,preserving the position of the piece and the body.

1. One pace backward MARCH. (Two motions.)1. Bring back the left foot against the right.2. Then carry the right foot eighteen inches to the rear.1. One pace to the right MARCH. (Two motions.)1st motion : Carry the foot about eighteen inches to


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BAYONET EXERCISE. 311. One pace to the left MARCH. (Two motions.')1st motion : Carry the left foot about eighteen inches

to the left.2d motion : Bring back immediately the right foot at

its distance, and in its position.Passade forward MARCH. (Two motions.')

1st motion : Throw the right foot eighteen inches infront of the left, the inside of it kept to the front.2d motion : Carry quickly the left foot eighteen inchesin front of the right, preserving the guard.

Passade bac7cward MARCH. (Two motions.)1st motion : Throw the left foot eighteen inches in rearof the right foot.2d motion : Carry quickly the right foot eighteeninches in rear of the left, preserving the guard.Leap to the rear MARCH. (One motion?)

Throw the weight of the body on the left leg, andspring backward as far as possible, preserving the guard.

1. Volt to the right MARCH. (Two motions.)1st motion : Raise the piece by bringing the left handnear to the left breast, without moving the right, the

barrel turned toward the body, and at same time turn tothe right on the toe of the right foot, carrying the leftfoot to its place and distance.2d motion : Turn to the right on the toe of the leftfoot; carry the right to its place and distance, at thesame time resuming the guard.

Volt to the left -MARCH. t (Two motions.}1st motion : Bring the piece to the position last ex-

plained; turn to the left on the toe of the right foot, car-


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32 BAYONET EXERCISE.SECOND LESSON.PARBIES.*

Tierce (or three) designates the parry to the right inthe upper line.Carte (or four), the parry to the left in the upper line.Seconde (or two) designates the parry to the right inlower line.Prime (or one), the parry to the left in the lower line.The upper line comprehends that portion of the bodyabove the waist. The lower line, that portion below the

waist.

Parry three ARMS. (Two motions.} (Fig. 3.)1. Move the piece six inches to the right, with the left

hand, without changing the position of the right hand.2. Resume guard.Parry four ARMS. (Two motions.} (Fig. 4.)

1. Move the piece to the left, about six inches, withthe left hand, moving the right hand slightly to the leftaround the hip.

2. Resume guard.Parry one ARMS. (Two motions} (Fig. 5.)

1. Turn rapidly the rammer of the piece upward; de-scribe a half circle with the point of the bayonet fromabove to below, to throw the piece of the adversary out-side of the line of the left knee ; bring the left elbownear to the side, the right hand at the height of the fore-head, opposite to and six inches from the right eye.

2. Resume guard,*In fencing with the bayonet, the men are considered as right-handed,although the body is faced to the right, and the left knee and left shoulderare foremost. The fact is, the left hand is auxiliary only, the right handthe


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BAYONET EXERCISE. 33Parry two ARMS. (Two motions.) (Fig. 6.)1. Turn rapidly the rammer upward; describe a half-

circle with the point of the bayonet from above to below,to throw the piece of the adversary outside of the line ofthe right knee, without moving the left hand, the leftelbow closed into and resting on the left breast, the righthand opposite the right shoulder at the height of the eye,

2. Resume guard. (The figure 6, represents the parrybeing executed, not completed.)With the butt parry ARMS. (Four motions.) (Fig. 7.)

1. Straighten the right leg; bring the gun perpendicu-larly before the centre of the body, the lock to the front,the right arm nearly straight, the thumb of the left handnot higher than the shoulder.

2. Move the butt of the piece to the left.3. Move the butt of the piece to the right.4. Resume guard.Body and head parry ARMS. ( Three motions.)

(Figs. 8 and 9.)1. Bring the left hand near the left hip; advance the

right hand; place the piece horizontally before the body,lowering it to the thighs, the barrel upward.

2. Raise it immediately just above the top of the cap,the barrel downward, the fingers of the left hand closed.3. Resume guard.

THIRD LESSON.LUNGES AND THRUSTS.

Lunge one ARMS. ( Two motions.) (Fig. 10.)1. Bring rapidly the piece to a horizontal position (thelock plate up) in the direction of the breast of the ad-

versary, by extending the left arm to its full length, the


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Lunge two ARMS. (Two motions.) (Figs. 11 and 12.)1. Draw the piece back with the right hand, the lefthand following the piece in order to give it a greater im-

pulse ; direct quickly the bayonet towards the breast ofthe adversary, by extending the right arm, making thepiece slide horizontally through the left hand up to thetrigger guard, the lock upward, the flat of the butt underthe right forearm, and the right leg straight.

2. Resume guard.Lunge three ARMS. (One motion.) (Fig. 13.)Thrust quickly the piece against your adversary by a

full extension of the right arm, turning the lock upward,the flat of the butt under the right forearm, the upperpart of the body following the motion of the right hand,the left hand (which has quit its hold in making thelunge) open ready to receive the piece, and resumequickly the guard.

Thrust three ARMS. (Fig. 14.)Extend quickly the left arm, directing the point of the

bayonet on the left breast of the adversary; raise thepiece at the same time to the height of the face and with-in four inches of it, turning the trigger guard upwards,the butt resting upon the right forearm ; straighten theright leg, the upper part of the body thrown forward.

2. Resume the guard.Thrust four ARMS. (Fig. 15.)

1. Direct quickly the point of the bayonet on the rightbreast of the adversary, the lock downward, the pieceunder the left arm, the butt-plate against the breast, theleft arm extended, with the left hand holding the piece,the right hand remaining at the small of the stock, theright leg straight, the upper part of the body forward.

2. Resume the guard.


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BAYONET EXERCISE. 35tending the arms, the point of the bayonet directed onthe belly of your adversary, just below the belt.

2. Resume the guard. *(This thrust can be advantageously parried with the

butt, and can be replied to by the thrust four, or a cut orblow, as shown in fig. 16.)

Thrust two ARMS.Take the position of parry two, and thrust by extend-

ing the arms as in thrust one.Against cavalry, thrust ONE. (Three motions.}

(Fig. 17.)1. Raise the piece with both hands, the arms extended,the trigger guard upward, the band between the thumband fingers of the left hand.2. Bend the left knee and straighten the right knee,

thrusting at the height of a man on horseback.3. Resume the guard.

AGAINST INFANTRY.With the lutt strike ARMS. (Three motions.') (Fig. 18.)

1. Extend quickly the right arm to its full length,draw back the piece with the left to within five inches ofthe breast; straighten the right knee; strike the adver-sary in the lower part of the belly, with the toe of the butt.

2. Then on the head, with the barrel, by drawing backthe right hand, using the left as a pivot.3. Resume guard.

Shortened stroke ARMS. (Three motions.)(Figs. 19 and 20.)

1. Jerk the piece back with the left hand, which willbe placed near the upper band, the left forearm touchingthe oody, the right hand seizing the piece at the tail-band.


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Coup de melee ARMS. (Three motions.) (Fig. 21.)1. Pitch up the piece with both hands to the heightof the chin, and about three inches from it, seize it with

right hand (the back of it turned outwards) at the tail-band, and with the left hand at the middle band, theback of it turned inwards.

2. Thrust, straightening the right knee, and bringback the piece the right hand opposite the shoulder.3. Give the piece a rotary motion in that hand (the

right) with the left hand, which leaves the hold of thepiece to seize it again in front of the right hand ; placethe latter at the small of the stock; resuming the guard.

FOURTH LESSON.COMBINED MOTIONS, PARRIES AND THRUSTS, STANDINGFAST.

3. Parry three, and thrust3. " four, "3.3.4.4.4.4.4.4.4.

one,two,three and four, thrust four

rARMS.

four and three, " threeone and two, " twotwo and one, " oneone and three, u threetwo and four, u fourtwo and three, " three

6. With butt parry, and strike6. " " " shorten stroke3. " " thrust four6. Body and head parry Coup de melee3. Head parry against cavalry Thrust oneThe figures indicate the number of motions in exe-

cuting the commands to which they are prefixed.


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BAYONET EXERCISE. 37The thrusts are delivered standing fast, and after a mo-tion forward. The parries are made when standing fast,and after a motion backward. One may execute, indif-ferently, either a thrust or a parry after the followingmotions : Right or left face. Right about or left aboutface. A pace to the right or to the left. The commandsrelating to the legs, must always precede those relatingto the arms. A command must include only one motionof the legs with one thrust or one parry, asExtend lunge one, March. (2 motions.)One pace forward lunge two, " 4 "" " backward parry one, " 4 "Passade forward lunge three, " 4 "" backward with butt parry, " 6 ""

forward, against cavalryparry one, " 3 "* Leap to the rear parry two, " 2 "* " u head and body parry, " 4 "

SIXTH LESSON.MOVEMENTS FORWARD THRUSTS AND PARRIES.MOVEMENTS BACKWARD PARRIES AND THRUSTS.

f Extend, lunge one, parry three, March. (3 motions.)One pace forward, lunge two, parry


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38 BAYONET EXERCISE.Passade forward, against cavalry,

thrust one, head parry, March. (5 motions.)Leap to the rear, parry two, thrust

two, " 3 "fe " body and head parry,

Coup de melee, " 7 "After the motions, face to the right or left, right or

left about face, one pace to the right or to the left, onecan execute indifferently the thrusts and parries or theparries and thrusts of this lesson.

BAYONET EXERCISE,WITH THE RIFLE AND SABRE BAYONET.

1. In teaching this exercise, the men will be placed inone rank, at a distance of four paces from each other, inorder that they may not be able to meet when vaulting.

2. The men being at a light infantry shoulder; theinstructor will command :

1. Guard against Infantry (PI. 1).2. GUARD. (Two motions.)3. 1st motion: Make a half-face to the right on both

heels, the feet square ; raise at the same time the piece alittle, and seize it with the left hand below and near themiddle band.

4. 2d motion : Bring the right leg to the rear perpen-dicularly, about eighteen inches, the right heel on thesame line with the left; the knees a little bent, the weightof the body bearing equally on both legs ; lower the piecewith both hands, the barrel upward, the left elbow press-ing against the body ; seize at the same time the piecebelow the trigger-guard with the right hand ; the armshanging naturally, the point of the bayonet slightly ele-vated.

Shoulder ARMS. (One motion.)


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BAYONET EXERCISE. 391. Guard against Cavalry. (PI. 2.)2. GUARD. (Two motions.)

6. The first and the second motions as in the guardagainst infantry, with the exception that the right handwill be fixed at the hip, and the bayonet as high as theeye, as in the position of charge bayonet.

7. The meq placed in either of the above positions,will execute the following motions :

1. Face to the right (or left).2. Right (or left} FACE.

8. Turn on the left heel, by raising the toe, and faceto the right (or left) ; at the same time bring the rightfoot to the rear, at eighteen inches.

1. Face to the right about.2. Right about FACE.

9. At the command face, turn to the right on the leftheel, by raising the toe a little; face to the rear withoutchanging the position of the piece, and bring the rightfoot to the rear, at eighteen inches from the left.

1. Face to the left about.2. Left about FACE.

10. Turn to the left on the left heel by the inversemeans of that above prescribed.1. One pace forward. 2. MARCH.

11. At the command march, carry first the right footagainst the left heel, and then the left foot at eighteeninches to the front.

1. One pace backward. 2. MARCH.12. At the command march, carry first the left foot

close to the right, and then the latter at eighteen inchesto the rear.1. One pace to the right. 2. MARCH.


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40 BAYONET EXERCISE.1. One pace to the left. 2. MARCH.

14. Carry the left foot eighteen inches to the left ;bring immediately the right foot at its distance and in itsposition.

1. Passade forward. 2. MARCH.15. Carry the right foot eighteen inches in front of the

left; bring quickly the left foot eighteen inches in front,and preserve the position of the guard.

1. Passade backward. 2. MARCH.16. Carry the left foot twelve inches in the rear of the

right; bring quickly the right foot eighteen inches in therear of the left; preserve the position of the guard.

1. Volt to the right. 2. MARCH.17. Bring the piece near the body with the left hand,the barrel opposite the left shoulder, without moving theright hand ; turn to the right on the toe of the right foot,planting the left foot perpendicularly to the rear at eigh-teen inches ; finish the volt by turning the toe of the leftfoot, and bringing the right foot to the rear and at itsdistance ; resume the guard at the same time.

1. Volt to the left. 2. MARCH.18. Turn to the left on the toe of the right foot; plantthe left foot perpendicularly to the rear, at eighteen

inches; and finish the volt by inverse means of that aboveprescribed.

19. When the men, at home in those different posi-tions, will be able to execute with precision and quicknessthe divers paces and volts, they will be taught the use oftheir weapon for attack and defence.

1. In carte parry. 2. ARMS.20. At the 2d command, raise the muzzle of the piece

twelve inches with the left hand, without moving theright; at the same time move the piece about six inchesto the left, and remain in that position.


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BAYONET EXERCISE. 4122. Each time the instructor causes the parries andthe thrusts to be executed, he will cause the guard to beresumed at the end of each motion, by the command,resume guard.

1. In tierce parry. 2. ARMS.23. Raise quickly the muzzle of the piece twelve

inches with the left hand, without moving the right; atthe same time move the piece with the left hand sixinches to the right.1. In prime parry. 2. ARMS. (PI. 3.)

24. Eaise the piece with both hands, the arms fullyextended, the piece covering the head, the lock plateturned towards the body, the barrel grasped by the thumband forefinger of the left hand, the bayonet menacing,although slightly inclined to the left, the tail-band at thetop of the hat.

1. In prime right (or left) parry. 2. ARMS.25. Advance the left shoulder (or the right shoulder)

and parry (as explained in 24) to the right (or to the left.)1. In carte thrust. 2. ARMS. (PI. 4.)

26. At the second command, throw the weight of thebody forward ; bend the left knee and straighten the right;extend the left arm in full, the fingers of the left handbeing open and maintaining the piece; bringing the buttbefore the left breast, the lock-plate turned downward ;and remain in that position until the command resumeguard.

1. In tierce thrust. 2. ARMS. (PI. 5.)27. Bring the upper part of the body forward ; straightenthe right knee and bend the left ; fully extend the left

arm, the fingers of the left hand being open and main-taining the piece, the lock-plate turned upward, the buttbefore the right breast.


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42 BAYONET EXERCISE.the thumb and fingers of the left hand; bend the leftknee and straighten the right, thrust at the same timethe piece to the adversary, directing the blow at the heightof a man on horseback.

1. In prime to the right (or left) thrust.2. ARMS.

29. Advance the left shoulder (or the right shoulder)and thrust to the right (or to the left) as explained in 28.

1. Lunge. 2. ARMS. (PL 7.)30. At the 2d command, throw the upper part of the

body forward, by bending the left knee and straighteningthe right; thrust rapidly the piece at the adversary, fullyextending the right arm, leaving off with the left handwhen thrusting, which is kept extended to receive thepiece, and resume the guard.

31. When the men are on guard against infantry,they will thrust at the height of the breast of a man ;when on guard against cavalry, they will aim the blowat the height of a horse's head, or of the sides of ahorseman.

32. When the men are perfectly acquainted with thedivers paces, parries, and thrusts, the instructor will causethem to execute those divers motions put together, at thecommand march. Example :1. Passade forward, in prime parry and thrust.2. MARCH.

33. At the 2d command, the man will execute thepassade, parry in prime, and thrust in prime.34. As one must admit the case when one singleman will be in the necessity of defending himself againsttwo or three adversaries, the instructor will cause thedouble motions and thrusts to be executed, and thatwill add considerably to the address and nimbleness ofthe men. Example :

1. One pace forward, lunge, volt to the left, in carte


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EXERCISE WITH THE PLASTRON. 43

EXERCISE WITH THE PLASTRON.In the lesson with the plastron, the same progression isfollowed as in the figurative lesson.In order to obtain more rapidity in the execution ofthe motions, the pace forward and the pace backward

will be executed on the command, advance, retreat; asfor the other motions of the arms and legs, the commandsarms and march are suppressed.After the parries have been executed separately theywill be executed by two, three, four, five, and six, together.In the lesson with the plastron, the Extension] (fig. 2)always accompanies the lunge one, the lunge two, thethrusts three, four, one, and two.The blows with the butt and the shortened strokeare generally delivered standing fast, and after a parry.When the shortened stroke is used it must be repeatedthree times. One must not return the lunges one, two,or three, after the parry four or the parry one, exceptwhen the bayonet of the adversary has been well thrownoff the line of carte, (the left side of the body) ; other-wise one is exposed to receive a blow at the same time.The lunge three is not to bo used against an infantrysoldier, except with the greatest circumspection, becauseit leaves, when parried, the man at the mercy of his ad-versary; never " extend" when delivering it.When the blow with the butt is delivered after parrythree, the bayonet must pass over the right shoulder;on the contrary, it must pass over the left shoulder, ifafter parry four.

Salute. (Figs. 22 and 23.)When t^> men are about to proceed to a fencing-match, the salute will be made in the following manner :


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44 EXERCISE WITH THE PLASTRON.

bringing the right heel against the left, so that the feetbe square to each other; raise at the same time the pieceagainst the right shoulder, the left arm on the breast,the hand at the height of the shoulder; salute to theright by presenting the piece towards that side, that isto say, by turning the ramrod to the right, the piecebeing perpendicular opposite to the shoulder; turn, also,the head to the right ; salute to the left by similar mo-tions of the piece and head ; bring back the piece oppo-site the middle of the body to salute the adversary bylowering, a little, both hands ; resume the guard ; maketwo " appeals ; " then the fencing begins.

Materiel (Fig. 24.)The materiel in the fencing-room should consist of

plastrons of buckskin, masks and gloves, as for fencingwith the broadsword (the left hand only should re-quire a glove) ; muskets made of ash or hickory, andgutta percha bayonets; also, a lance and a sabre, pre-pared as the bayonet, to be used in sham-fights against ahorseman.


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SUGGESTIONS. 45

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SOLDIER IN A FIGHT.HOW TO FIGHT A FOOT SOLDIER.

When the bayonets are engaged for a fight, if youradversary succeeds, by means of a strong pressure, tomove your piece towards the right or left, it will benecessary then to yield to that pressure in such a man-ner as to parry one or two ; if, for instance, the pressureis felt towards the left, yield in the same manner, parrytwo and thrust two, and return to the position of parryone, or parry two, according to circumstances. Whenattacked by two infantry soldiers marching withoutinterval between them, wait for them in front in a de-fensive attitude, and, as soon as they are within reach,deliver lunge three and pass to the right, if the lunge isdelivered against the man on the left ; by inverse meansone should pass to the left, if the lunge was deliveredagainst the man on the right. If the blow has takeneffect, the fight will be continued with the next man;but, admitting that the lunge was parried by the former,the motion of passing to the right (or left) has broughtyou to the right (or left) flank, and given you time fornew thrusts against your adversary, as the other man,until he has also shifted his position, is masked by theone you have engaged.If the two adversaries are advancing with an inter-val between them, with the view of attacking by theflanks and placing you between them, rush diagonallyagainst the man on your right, or that on your left, at-tack him vigorously, and force him to turn his back tothe other man when facing you. If the two adversariesare advancing in order to close upon you, the one infront, the other in the rear, then run to meet one of themin order to attack him and to turn him, as above.

seve-


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46 SUGGESTIONS.

How to Fight a Horseman.The streDgth of a horseman lies in his individualaddress and audacity much more than in his arms, whichare little to be feared by a man skilled in the use of thebayonet. A wary horseman is careful not to approachan infantry man as long as the foot-soldier has a load inhis gun. He will ride about, at a distance of a hundredpaces or more, and fire with pistols or carbine, in orderto draw the fire of the foot-soldier. In such a case thefoot-soldier will take his aim at the horseman at theinstant the horseman is firing, and go through the motionsof taking cartridge, priming, &c., in order to induce thebelief that his piece is not loaded.

The infantry soldier who is a good shot, and, at thesame time, a good Layonetsman, waits, standing fast, forthe horseman who charges him. He takes aim at hisadversary, and fires as soon as the latter is within six oreight yards distance; immediately after firing he takesthe left of the horseman, if he does not already occupythat position. The footman must always manage to oc-cupy that position, which is the least advantageous to thehorseman, who has less facility for handling his sabre tohis left than to his right. A dead-shot aims at the man ;an ordinary shot aims at the horse, and runs up to thehorseman as he falls; and the defeat of the horseman isthen an easy matter.

However, a man nimble and confident in his weapon,although taking aim at his adversary, holds'his fire. Heuses first his bayonet, and only fires when the horsemanhas passed him, or even later, when he thinks it necessaryto bring the fight to an end.If the horseman is armed with a sabre, he cannot reachfurther than two yards, and the infantry soldier, byplacing himself at that distance, only looks for an oppor-tunity of delivering the lunge three, by means of whichhe is able to reach the horseman at a distance of threeyards. If the horseman manages to get near enough to


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SUGGESTIONS. 47and to protect the fingers of his left hand behind thebarrel. He takes the guard of head parry (fig. 9), andreturns by the thrust against cavalry (fig. 17), or by thelunge three, which is used principally against cavalry.When the horseman is armed with a lance, the twoadversaries can reach from the same distance. The foot-soldier will avoid the first shock, or any blow whichparticipates in the momentum acquired by the impulsionof the horse ; whether he happens to be placed to the leftor to the right, he must, when parrying, throw his piecein the direction of the motion of the horse. When hehas succeeded in warding off the blow of his adversary,he closes as quickly as possible, if the horseman keepscircling around him, and multiplies his attacks with thebayonet. The lancer, in close quarters, finds great diffi-culty in parrying and thrusting. A skillful horseman,who can cause the infantry soldier to lose his self-possesion(sang froid), will have the advantage of him but, if thelatter keeps cool, with his gun loaded, he will be able toconquer one, and even two horsemen.A foot-soldier who has been engaged in or witnessed afight with a horseman, is soon convinced of the superiorityof his means, and cannot be scared by the impetuouscharge of his adversary.

If the horseman comes direct upon the infantry soldier,the latter will deliver the lunge three on the mouth ofthe horse, and make a step to the right, parrying four atthe same time, if the horseman be armed with a sabre;on the contrary, he will pass to the left, if the horsemanbe a lancer, and parry three; returning the thrust oneagainst cavalry (fig. 17), if the adversary is near enough,and lunge three, if not.The most critical position for the foot-soldier is that inwhich he finds himself opposed to a skillful adversary, whowill charge him impetuously in front, and suddenly obliqueto the left, at a distance of ten paces, then oblique to theright again, in order to keep his man on his right. Thiscircular motion has a tendency to bewilder the footman


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48 SUGGESTIONS.four, making paces to the right and lunging three when-ever an opportunity occurs.If the foot-soldier wishes to get out of the circle inwhich the trooper has placed him, he will direct himselfby the shortest way to the rear of the horseman, and lungethree against the sides of the man or the horse.If the horseman comes out unhurt, and makes to theright, taking a circuitous road, in order to keep again thefoot soldier to his right, go straight to the front of thetrooper, and strike the head of the horse.

If the trooper, instead of taking a roundabout way,makes right about face, in order to sabre the foot-soldieron his right, one must, in such a case, close at once withthe horseman, from behind and at his left ; and that oughtto be done at the instant that the trooper slackens themotion of his horse in order to right about face. As soonas the foot-soldier has closed on the left; he will lungethree on the left side of the horseman.

Against two horsemen, the fencing will be carried onaccording to the same principles as against two infantrysoldiers. It is hardly necessary to repeat that composureof mind, coolness, and resolution, are the requisites, insuch encounters; in order to insure success.


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