SCHOOL OF THE SOLDIER

PART III - LESSON V

Manual of Arms

Long marches in double quick time and the run
  1. The instructor will cause to be resumed the exercises in double quick time and the run, with arms and knapsacks.


  2. He will cause long marches to be executed in double quick time, both by the front and by the flank, and by constant practice will lead the men to pass over a distance of five miles in sixty minutes. The pieces will be carried on either shoulder, and sometimes at a trail.


  3. He will also exercise them in long marches, 411. Number two of the rear rank will turn his piece, lock square to the front, and pass it to his front rank man, who will seize it with his right hand about the middle band and incline it forward, resting the neck of the bayonet on that of his own bayonet and close to the blade. at a run, the pieces carried at will; the men will be instructed to keep as united as possible, without however exacting much regularity, which is impracticable.


  4. The run, in actual service, will only be resorted to when it may be highly important to reach a given point with great promptitude.

    ** Stack Arms Video

    The men being at order arms, the instructor will command:

    Stack-ARMS


  5. At this command, number two of the front rank will pass his piece before him, seize it with the left hand about the middle band; slope it across the body, barrel to the rear, the butt three inches above the right toe of the man on his left, muzzle six inches to the right of his right shoulder.


  6. Number two of the rear rank will turn his piece, lock square to the front, and pass it to his front rank man, who will seize it with his right hand about the middle band and incline it forward, resting the neck of the bayonet on that of his own bayonet and close to the blade. Number one of the front rank will turn the barrel of his piece square to the front, slope it across the body, place the neck of his bayonet, above the necks, and between the blades of the other two bayonets, holding the piece with the right hand at the middle band, the butt three inches form the ground at his right toe.


  7. Number two of the front rank will throw the butt of the rear rank man's piece about thirty inches to the front, at the same time resting the butt of his own piece on the ground on the left, and a little in rear of his left toe. At the same instant, number one of the front rank will rest the butt of his piece on the ground, a little on front of his right toe. Number one of the rear rank will incline his piece on the stack thus formed.


  8. The men of both ranks having taken the position of the soldier without arms, the instructor will command:

    1. Break ranks. 2. MARCH.

To resume arms.
  1. Both ranks being re-formed in rear of their stacks, the instructor will command:

    Take-ARMS.


  2. At this command number one of the rear rank will retake his piece. Number two of the front rank will seize his own piece with the left hand at the middle band, and his rear rank man's piece in like manner with his right hand; and number one of the front rank will seize his piece with his right hand in the same manner. These two men will raise the stack, bring the butts together and disengage the bayonets. Number two of the rear rank will receive his piece from his front rank man, and all will resume the position of ordered arms.

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