Part 257

LINE, how regulated. Its regulating body in movement is, in general, the battalion of that flank which is nearest to, and is to preserve the appui, or which is to make the attack. There are very few cases in which the centre ought to regulate, although the direct march of the line in front appears to be the easiest conducted by a battalion of the centre. It is the flank, however, that must preserve the line of appui in all movements in front, if the line is thrown backward or forward, it is generally on a flank point.

It may not be superfluous to remark, that the term line, as expressing a military disposition for battle, was not known until the sixteenth century.--Before that period when armies were ranged in order of battle upon three lines; the first line was called advanced guard, (avant garde,) the second, main body only, (corps de bataille,) and the third, rear guard, (arriére garde.)--These terms are never used in modern times, except when any army is on its march; when drawn up for action, or in the field for review, columns, or lines are substituted.

LINES of support, are lines of attack, which are formed to support one another. Where there are several, the second should outflank the first, the third the second; the advanced one being thereby strengthened and supported on its outward wing.

LINE of march. The regular and tactical succession of the component parts of an army that is put in motion.

LINES of march, are bodies of armed men marching on given points to arrive at any straight alignement on which they are to form. The general direction of such alignement is always determined before the troops enter it, and the point in that line at which their head is to arrive, must next be ascertained. See Am. Mil. Lib.

The line is said to be well dressed, when no part is out of the straight alignement. That this may be effected, at the word dress, which is given by the commander, it is immediately to commence from the centre of each battalion, the men looking to their own colors, and the correcting officers lining them upon the colors of their next adjoining battalion.

LINE-firings, are executed separately and independently by each battalion.

Inversion of the line, in formation. This is a manœuvre which ought only to be resorted to on the most urgent occasions, as it is prudent to avoid the inversion of all bodies in line. The inversion is effected by facing a battalion or line to the right about, instead of changing its position by a counter march; sometimes, indeed, it may be necessary to form to a flank with its rear in front. The column with its line in front may arrive on the left of its ground, and be obliged immediately to form up and support that point, so that the right of the line will become the left. Part of a second line may double round on the extremity of a first line, thereby to outflank an enemy. These, and various other movements, may be found necessary, and they can only be practised with safety and expedition by the inversion of the line.

LINES advancing to engage an enemy. Lignes marchant à l’ennemi, Fr. According to Marshal Puységur, all lines should take the centre for the regulating point of movement, and not the right, as others have maintained. He grounds his opinion upon a known fact, that the more extended a line is, the more difficult it must prove to march by the right. By making the centre the directing portion of the line, more than half the difficulty is removed. To which it may be added, that the centre is more easily discernible from the right and left, than the right is within the just observation of the left, or the left within that of the right.

When the line advances it must uniformly preserve a convexity from the centre, so that when it halts, the right and left may have to dress up; but this convexity must be scarcely perceptible. Were the line to be concave on approaching the enemy, a necessity would occur of throwing the wings back, perhaps even of putting several corps to the right about, during which operation the whole army might be endangered.

When lines are marching forward they must be occasionally halted: in which cases the centre halts first, and when the line is ordered to advance again, the centre steps off though in an almost imperceptible manner, before the right and left.

Each commanding officer must place himself in the centre of that proportion of the line which he has under his immediate orders, unless he should be otherwise directed. The centre is always the most convenient point, from whence every thing that passes on the right and left may be observed. When the line advances in charging order, he must march at the head of his battalion or squadron, taking care, that he is followed by his troops with an equal cadenced step, and regulating his own movement by that of the divisions which are formed on his right and left. The greater the extent of line proves, which is composed of several battalions and squadrons that advance forward with the same front, the more difficult will be the movement of the several bodies; but as we have already observed, a great part of this difficulty is overcome when the centre is made the directing body. The right and left must be invariably governed by it.

Retiring LINE, are bodies of armed men that have advanced against an opposing enemy in order of battle, withdrawing themselves with regularity from the immediate scene of action. On this occasion it is of the greatest importance, that the line should be correctly dressed before it faces to the right about; and the battalions will prepare for the retreat in the manner prescribed for the single one by receiving the caution, that the line will retire.

To form the LINE, in land tactics, is to arrange the troops in order of battle, or battle array.

To break the LINE, to change the direction from that of a straight line, in order to obtain a cross fire.

Turning out of the LINE, in a military sense. The line turns out without arms whenever the general commanding in chief comes along the front of the camp.

In the British army the following is the usage:

When the line turns out, the private men are drawn up in a line with the bells of arms; the corporals on the right and left of their respective companies: the piquet forms behind the colors, with their accoutrements on, but without arms.

The serjeants draw up one pace in the front of the men, dividing themselves equally.

The officers draw up in ranks, according to their commissions, in the front of the colors; two ensigns taking hold of the colors.

The field officers advance before the captains.

The camp colors on the flanks of the parade are to be struck, and planted opposite to the bells of arms; the officers espontoons are to be planted between the colors, and the drums piled up behind them; the halberts are to be planted between, and on each side the bells of arms, and the hatchets turned from the colors.

Full or close LINES, (lignes pleines, Fr.) Marshal Puységur in his Art de la Guerre is a strong advocate for full or close lines, in his disposition of the order of battle, provided the ground will admit it. He proposes, in fact, that the battalions of infantry and the squadrons of horse should form one continuity of line, without leaving the least interval between them.

LINES that are close and open, (lignes tant pleines que vuides, Fr.) When troops are drawn up in order of battle with intervals between the battalions and squadrons, the lines are said to be close and open.

LINE, or camp courts-martial. These courts-martial are frequently resorted to, and differ from regimental ones, in as much as they are composed of the officers belonging to different corps, and the ratification of the sentence is vested in the general or commanding officer of the camp. So that no time is lost in waiting for the commander in chief’s approbation, when he is delegated by him; nor has the colonel or commanding officer of the regiment to which the offender may belong, any power to interfere. The sentences of line or camp, field, and garrison courts-martial, are confined to corporeal punishments, but they can neither affect life, nor occasion the loss of a limb. The proceedings are read by the adjutant of the day; the surgeon is from the regiment to which the prisoner belongs, and the punishment is inflicted in front of the piquet by the drummers of the different corps under the direction of the drum-major, who is from the regiment to which the adjutant of the day belongs. Field and drum-head courts-martial, may be considered in the same light, when an army is on its march; with this difference, that the prisoner is tried either by officers belonging to his own corps, or by a mixed roster. A circle is formed at a short distance from the men under arms, and the sentence is written upon a drum-head; whence the appellation of drum-head courts-martial is derived. When there are several regiments present, the same forms are attended to in punishing prisoners as are observed in line or camp courts-martial; and when there is only one regiment, the examination and the punishment of the prisoner or prisoners take place within itself.

LINES, in fortification, bear several names and significations; such as,

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LINE of communication. (Ligne de communication, Fr.) That space of ground in a fortified place which joins the citadel to the town.