Part 281

The first adoption of file marching has been attributed to the Prussians, and the advocates for what is called the Ordre mince des Prussiens, the thin or narrow order, have in contradistinction named the ordre profond, the deep order, or column, the French order. According to a very ingenious and lively writer, who has had frequent occasions to see the practice of both orders, the ordre mince or file marching, may be very useful during a march, but the deep order or column ought only to be depended upon in manœuvring before an enemy.

To MARCH according to time and measure, (marcher en cadence, Fr.) Marshal Saxe, in page 23, art. 6. of the folio edition of his Reveries or Memoires sur l’Art de la Guerre, is of opinion, that marching to time and measure constitutes one of the essential requisites in war; he calls it indeed the principal one to be observed by troops who are going into action. By marching according to time and measure, we understand, that regular movement of a large body of men whose steps are cadenced and uniformly the same, and which are kept so by the artificial aid of music.

The marshal observes, that although military men will enter into much desultory conversation respecting the tactic, (la tactique) of the ancients, they seldom or ever understand the real definition of the word. It is, in fact, so much corrupted in modern times, that what really conveyed no more than a regular principle in marching, has since been made to signify the exercise and evolutions of troops. All the world know how to beat a march, without comprehending the real object, and half the world imagine, that the noise of a drum or fife is nothing more than military parade.

It is ridiculous to suppose, that martial sounds and military music, were first invented for the sole purpose of confounding each other on the day of battle. Let us indulge a better opinion of the good understanding of the ancients, particularly of the Romans, and endeavor to prove, that regularity in marching, (which depends wholly upon the cadenced step,) is the ground-work of military operations, and that nothing is more simple because it corresponds with nature. This was, in fact, the military step which the Romans brought to so great a perfection, and which has since been so closely followed by the Prussians. It was upon this principle, that marches were first devised, and that the drum was adopted to second the purposes. This is literally nothing more than a certain beat or tact, as the marshal expresses it, and which is evidently derived from the Roman word tactum, touch, and by means of which men may be taught to move in quick or slow time. As long as this principle can be followed up, the rear will never lag behind, soldiers will preserve the same step and march with the same foot; the wheelings will be made uniformly together, without confusion or delay; and the men will be less fatigued than if they were suffered to march or wheel at random. Every person of the least reflection or observation, will be convinced of the truth of this last remark. Let one man, for instance, be ordered to dance two hours, without the assistance of any sort of musical instrument, and let another, with the same bodily powers and activity, go through the same operation, during double the time accompanied by music, and let it then be determined which of the two has been most fatigued. It will evidently appear that the former has: for it is an unquestionable fact, that sounds of concord and harmony have a wonderful secret influence over the human frame, and that they render the exercises and functions of the body extremely easy. It is well known, that when the camel drivers wish to make their camels get on, they never flog or strike them with sticks, but sing, whistle, or repeat some humorous song.

Should it be asked what sort of music is best adapted to the human organs in military movements? It may safely be replied all those simple tunes which can be played by the fife and drum; I shall perhaps be told, (observes the marshal) that many men have no ear for music; this I deny, as far as the observation regards marching, which is a movement so easy to the human frame, that it comes, as it were, naturally to man. I have often remarked, that when the long roll has beat, the men in repairing to their several parades, have insensibly preserved the regular step, without knowing that they did so: nature, in fact, and instinct go together. If marching according to time and measure be considered in a mere superficial manner, the cadence step will undoubtedly appear of little importance; but if it be considered as an essential requisite to quicken or slacken the movement of troops who are going into action, it must be found an important object. No evolution, in fact, can be well done at close order without its assistance. The military step of the Romans, was the cadence or measured movement, and they were thereby enabled to march with ease upwards of 24 miles in five hours. This, however, would be looked upon as great exertion, if not fatigue, among some modern troops, although it constituted a principal part of the Roman exercise. Hence some opinion may be formed of the attention which they paid to that species of training, by which men were habituated to long marches; and this they accomplished by means of the tact or cadenced movement.

In order to prove the validity of our observations, let us, for a moment, imagine a thing which is scarcely possible to be accomplished by troops that do not march according to time and measure. Let us suppose, that two battalions, advancing to attack one another, should march up without floating, overlapping, or breaking in the least; under these circumstances, which would obtain the superiority? the one that should imprudently have commenced firing, or that which should have reserved its fire? Every intelligent and able officer will instantly determine in favor of the latter; and his decision would unquestionably be correct; for the former, besides being disheartened by seeing men advance against them with a reserved fire, would necessarily be retarded in their march in order to prime and load; and it must be evident to every man, that their antagonists would completely overthrow them by advancing with a rapid and cadenced step.

This was the plain and effectual method of the Romans. It may, perhaps, be said, that their ignorance of the use of gunpowder alters the case with respect to our manner of fighting. Let it, however, be recollected, that they fought with missile weapons, which did full as much mischief as our fire arms can produce. Gunpowder, in fact, is not so destructive as most people are apt to imagine. Few men are killed in regular fought actions, by the two armies engaging with musquetry only. Marshal Saxe does not scruple to assert, that it is impossible for a battalion of armed men to charge its enemy with vigor and effect, unless it preserve the cadenced step. For the ranks must unavoidably open during the march in line; and when the troops get within 50 or 60 paces of their opponents, the commanding officers see chasms, cry out serre, or close into the centre: and in the hurry of so doing, one rank overlaps another, and the centre itself becomes insensibly broken, standing eight or ten deep, while the wings are at two, three, or four. To remedy this defect, the whole line is halted, and if the enemy be wise enough to advance in regular order, during this operation, it is ten to one that he turns the flank of his opponent, and completely routs him. With regard to the musquetry firing, it may be laid down as a certain fact, that the mischief it does in pitched battles is more imaginary than real. It has been acknowleged by the most experienced officers, it is, indeed, positively asserted by marshal Saxe, (page 29 of the folio edition) that the closest vollies have produced little or no effect against a line of determined steady troops. I have seen, observes the marshal, a whole volley of cool directed musquetry, occasion the loss of no more than four men; while the troops against which it has been poured, have calmly marched up, reserved their fire till they got in contact with the enemy, and then amply revenged the deaths of their comrades by discharging their pieces and following up with the bayonet.

It is at this stage of the battle, that a real carnage commences, and its execution rests wholly with the victorious party; and we need scarcely add, that its success must be attributed to that composed, steady movement, or cadenced step, which enabled the troops to act together, when they came to close action. The military reader will be gratified by a perusal of two or three interesting anecdotes in pages 29, 30, 31, of the Reveries, fol. edit.

MARCH in prolongation of the line.--This operation is gone through when a battalion standing in open column, with the pivot flanks of its divisions on the line, and advanced points being ascertained, moves forward at the word march, which is given by the commanding officer. Whenever the battalion wheels into open column, in order to prolong the line on which it was formed, and that no distant point in that prolongation is previously given, the serjeant guide of the leading company will advance 15 or 20 paces, and place himself in the line of the pivot flanks, and the leading officer will thereby (taking a line over his head) be enabled to ascertain the direction in which he is to move.

MARCH by the inversion of files, or countermarch. A compound word signifying retrocession, backward movement, change of measures or conduct, any alteration, in fact, of an original conception or undertaking. Thus the countermarch of ideas in the mind is the precursor of the different changes made by the body. In a military sense it is variously applicable; and as every countermarch or backward movement necessarily implies a previous march, or forward movement, we shall extract under this article the most material instructions that have been published in good authors relative to the countermarch of the component parts of a battalion, &c. observing generally that the word countermarch may be applied to the most extensive scale of military operations. Thus a whole army which has advanced into an enemy’s country, is said to countermarch when it not only ceases to make progress in a forward direction, but changes its whole plan of manœuvre, and treads back the ground over which it had advanced. To countermarch in a more desultory manner, means to quit different positions by the countermarching of detached bodies, by changing their relative fronts, without abandoning the field, or scene of general operation. In order to execute such evolutions and inversions with accuracy, every battalion should be well instructed in the prescribed methods of changing front by the inversion of its files to right or left, in front or in rear of a leading division, from and on its centre.

The COUNTERMARCH by files.--According to the last printed regulations, this movement is of two kinds. Either successive (the body being halted) by each file successively turning on its own ground, the moment it is disengaged by the departure of its preceding file: or progressive (the body being in motion) by each file turning when it arrives at the point from which the leading or head file first wheeled. In the first case the body must shift its ground to a flank a space at least equal to its front: in the second it will perform this operation of the countermarch on its original ground, exchanging flanks and fronts; so that what before stood as the leading or head division will become the rear of the column; or, if in line, what was the right flank fronting one way, will still remain the right flank fronting another. In both cases the pivots are in a small degree moveable, but they must be so as little as possible, since a solid and compact inversion of the files is as requisite to a true and close formation in line or column, as the lock-step is indispensible in every other movement by files.

COUNTERMARCH by files in front of the battalion, &c. In this case the front men become the pivots, on which every successive file turns, till the rear file gets upon the identical space of ground from whence the front file first wheeled.

COUNTERMARCH by files in rear of the Battalion. In this case the rear rank men become the pivots upon similar principles of movement. All countermarches of a battalion or greater body, must be made in ordinary time; of smaller divisions in general in quick time. The observations which have already been made, under the head files, with respect to a solidity and quickness of movement in each wheeling, and to an unity of step, (allowing for an increased length of it in the wheeling men) are especially applicable to the countermarch by files.

The COUNTERMARCH of a battalion from both flanks on its centre, by files. In order to effect this movement and change of formation, the wings face outwards from the colors, which stand fast, and a serjeant remains at the point of each wing in order to mark the ground. At the word march, the right wing files successively close behind the rear rank, and the left wing before the front rank of the battalion, till they arrive at the points where each other stood. They then halt, cover, and front by word of command, looking to the colors which take their places. The commanding officer dresses the line if necessary.

The COUNTERMARCH of the battalion, from its centre, and on its centre, by files. The wings face inwards to the colors, which stand fast, and a serjeant remains to mark each flank. The whole then take three side steps to the right, by word of command, in order to disengage the centre. At the second word of command, the whole move on, and each file successively wheels into the centre as it arrives at and beyond the colors. As soon as each company is in the line from the colors to the flank serjeant, its leading officer fronts it. When the whole is formed, the colors countermarch, and every company dresses to the colors till otherwise ordered. It must be remembered, as a general rule, that in the countermarch from both flanks, no part of the battalion is fronted till the whole is on its ground. In the countermarch from the centre, the battalion begins instantly and successively to front by companies, as each is ready and on its ground.

The COUNTERMARCH by companies or subdivisions, on the centre of a battalion or line. Although this maybe done by files, it has been allowed, that on account of the unavoidable openings which always occur in file marching, a battalion, or larger body, will be best enabled to execute that movement with quickness and rapidity, by the march of columns of companies or subdivisions in front. To effect this object, the battalion is cautioned to countermarch from its centre by subdivisions; one or two central subdivisions having wheeled the half circle upon their centre point, or countermarched into the new line, so that the front rank stands precisely where the rear rank did: one of the wings then faces to the right about, and both wheel inwards by subdivisions: they march along the rear and front of the formed division, and successively wheel up into their respective places on each side of those already arranged in the line. The subdivisions which wheel up to the rear, successively mark time, when they reach their ground. The officers who lead them must be particularly attentive to their wheeling points, by being at their proper front rank when they halt their subdivisions. They would otherwise pass the rear, and disfigure the formation.

If it be intended that the front rank of the directing company or subdivision, should stand on the identical line which it occupied before the countermarch, it will be placed in that direction. In that case, after the subdivision has wheeled inwards, the wing which is to march in rear of it, must shift a few paces to the flank, in order to get clear of the rear ranks, and then proceed.

When one flank of a battalion or line is to occupy the spot where the other one stands, its most expeditious movement to arrive at it, will be along the prolongation of the line. If the flanks are to exchange places with each other, the countermarch on the centre, or on a flank, is the best method by which that exchange can be effected. The single battalion may do it by files, if its ground be confined, but a line must do it by countermarch of divisions in open column.

The COUNTERMARCH in column, is the inversion of the different files which constitute the several divisions, subdivisions, or sections of which the column is composed. By which inversion the front of the column is completely reversed.

To COUNTERMARCH a column, the right in front, is to change the front, or aspect of the leading company, subdivision, or section, and to place it in the rear of its perpendicular formation. After the caution has been given to countermarch by files the whole will face to the right, by word of command. Each company or leading officer or serjeant, will immediately quit the pivot, and place himself on the right of his company, subdivision, or section, whilst his covering serjeant advances to the spot which he has quitted, and faces to the right about. At the word march the whole move. The leader in the first instance wheels short round to the right, and proceeds, followed by his files of men, until he has placed his pivot front rank man close to his serjeant, who remains immoveable. As soon as the leading officer or serjeant of each company, subdivision, or section, has countermarched the extent of his front, he instantly gives the words mark time, so as to have it squared and closed in to the right, which is now become the pivot flank, and on which the officer or serjeant replaces the person that had advanced to ascertain the exact point of perpendicular formation; and who falls back behind the rear rank; and when dressed, halt. By means of this inversion of the files, the column will face to its rear, each company, subdivision, or section, having its original follower its head or leading object.

To COUNTERMARCH a column, the left in front, is to make the left company, subdivision, or section, which is now in the rear of the column, become the head of it. After the caution, to countermarch by files, has been given, at the word left face, the whole face to the left, the officer or serjeant moves to the left of his company, subdivision, or section, and the person who has covered him, moves to his place, and faces about. At the word march, the officer turns short to the left, and proceeds as before until he is fixed on the left, which is now become the pivot flank, as the column stands with its right in front. In all countermarches, the facing is always to that hand which is not the pivot, but which is to become such. The countermarch of each division, subdivision, or section, separately on its own ground, is an evolution of great utility on many occasions. It enables a column which has its right in front, and is marching in an alignement, to return along that same line, and to take such new positions in it as circumstances may require, without inverting or altering the proper front of the line. In many situations of forming from column into line, it becomes a previous operation which ought not to be dispensed with.

When a column countermarches by divisions, each on its own ground, unless the divisions be equal, the distances after the countermarch will not be the true wheeling distances, but will be such as are equal to the front of the preceding division, and therefore the true distances must be regained before the divisions can wheel up into line with the accuracy and completion of space which are required.

MARCHING past by the cavalry.--At a review, or inspection, regiments, brigades, or lines, do not march past in column of squadrons, but in column of half squadrons.

In passing by in half squadrons at open ranks, the commander of the squadron will be in front of his leading half squadron, covered by the standard, with which the other officers of the half squadron dress. In the second half squadron all its officers are in front, and in one line. The trumpets are all in front of the regiment, and when they have passed, wheel quickly round, and remain posted opposite the general, and sound till the regiment has passed; when they cease, (and those of the succeeding regiments commence) follow their regiment, and regain its front.

The half squadrons, or divisions, will dress, and cover to the passing hand; after the successive wheel, which brings them on the line of passing, they will open ranks, 60 or 70 yards, before they approach the general, and close them about the same distance after passing, and they will continue so to dress, and preserve the line, till each division wheels at the point, where the head one has changed its direction: there, and not before, the dressing and covering will be made to the proper pivot flank of divisions.

The whole pass, (whether at open or close ranks) as one column; nor is any division, squadron, or regiment, to increase, or alter the distances it possessed, at the moment it wheeled from line into column.

In passing by half squadrons or divisions, at close ranks, the standard may take the centre of the front rank of the leading one. The commanding officer is before it, other officers are at their squadron posts, and care is taken, that there shall be an officer on each passing flank.

At the drawing of swords, and general salute, on the general’s approach, the trumpets all sound the parade march. When the general passes along the line, each regiment successively sounds its own march, or such other as it shall be ordered, and the same is done by each regiment when it passes the general.