18th Texas Volunteer Infantry Re-enactors - Black Confederate Soldiers

SCHOOL OF THE SOLDIER

Alignments

The instructor will at first teach the recruits to align themselves man by mail, in order the better to make them comprehend the principles of alignment; to this end, he will command the two men on the right flank to march two paces to the front, and having aligned them, he will caution the remainder of the squad to move up, as they may be successively called each by his number, and align themselves successively on the line of the first two men.

Each recruit, as designated by his number, will turn the head and eyes to the right as proscribed in the first lesson of the first part, and will march in quick time two paces forward, shortening the last, so as to find himself about six inches behind the new alignment, which he ought never to pass; he will next move up steadily by steps of two or three inches, the hams extended, to the side of the man next to him on the alignment, so that, without deranging the head, the line of the eyes, or that of the shoulders, he may find himself in the exact line of his neighbor, whose elbow he will lightly touch without opening his own.

When the recruit shall have thus learned to align themselves man by man, correctly, and without groping or jostling, the instructor will cause the entire rank to align itself at once by the command: Right (or left)-DRESS

At this, the rank, except the two men placed in advance as, a basis of alignment, will move up in quick time, and place themselves on the new line, according to the principles prescribed No. 312.

The instructor, placed five or six paces in front, and facing the rank, will carefully observe that the principles are followed, and then pass to the flank that has served as the basis, to verify the alignment.

The instructor seeing the greater number of the rank well aligned, will command:

FRONT.

The instructor may afterwards order this or that file forward or back, designating each by its number. The file or files designated, only, will slightly turn the head towards the basis, to judge how much they ought to move up or back, steadily place themselves on the line, and then turn eyes to the front, without a particular command to that effect.

Alignments to the rear will be executed on the same principles, the recruits stopping back a little beyond the line, and then dressing up according to the principles prescribed No. 312, the instructor commanding:

Right (or left ) backward-DRESS.

After each alignment, the instructor will examine the position of the men, and cause the rank to come to ordered arms, to prevent too much fatigue, and also the danger of negligence at shouldered arms.