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If the battery is marching in retreat, the captain commands,

Battery-right (or left) wheel-MARCH,

at the moment when the line of caissons has arrived at the wheeling point; and the officer of the train, immediately after him, gives the word of execution,

Right (or left) wheel-MARCH.

The line of pieces wheels at the same place as that of the caissons, at the command of the captain,

Right (or left) wheel-MARCH.

The captain and the officer of the train successively re-establish their lines in the direct march by the word Forward, given a little before the movement is finished, and then MARCH.

63.

3d. To close Intervals.

The battery being in march, and the ground no longer permitting it to march in line and preserve its intervals, the captain commands,

1. Attention. 2. On. piece, to

.....

.....

•·paces-close intervals. 3. MARCH.

(Pl. XL.) At the word MARCH, the pieces oblique towards the one hamed, to close to the distance ordered, which, except in extraordinary cases, shall not be less than six paces, and they are then successively redirected to the front by their respective chiefs.

When the ground permits the ordinary intervals to be resumed, the captain commands,

1. Attention. 2. On...... piece-open intervals. 3. MARCH. At the word MARCH, each piece obliques from the one named, to resume its proper interval.

The caissons execute the same movement when they arrive at the same place.

64. If, after having closed the intervals so much that the pieces and caissons cannot wheel-about, the captain wishes to march in the opposite direction; having halted the battery, he commands,

1. Attention. 2. Even pieces and caissons-forward. 3. MARCH. (Pl. XLI.) At the word MARCH, the pieces and caissons designated move forward, and, when the odd numbers are unmasked, the captain wheels the whole to the left-about, and immediately after the even numbers resume their places in line.

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According as the obstacle presents itself before a piece or a section, the captain commands,

piece (or section)-pass the obstacle.

(Pl. XLII.) If it be a piece, the chief of the section of the piece named commands,

...... piece-right (or left) wheel-MARCH.

At the word MARCH, the piece wheels to the right or left, and moves in rear of the other pieces of its section.

The caisson, when it arrives at the obstacle, executes the same movement at the command of its chief.

If the obstacle present itself before a section, the chief of the named section commands,

pieces-right (or left) wheel-MARCH.

This section is placed in rear of the centre section, if it be one of the

wings, and in rear of the right, if it be the centre section, and, when it has arrived there, its chief orders,

......

pieces-left (or right) wheel-MARCH. ·

The caissons of the named section execute, at the same place, and at the command of their chief, movements similar to those of their pieces. Having passed the obstacle, in order to form the line, the captain commands,

piece (or section)-into line.

At this command, the chief of the section orders,

......

piece (or section)—left (or right) oblique-MARCH.

The piece, (or section,) quickening the pace, moves into line. In horseartillery, it trots.

The passing an obstacle is effected in the same manner marching in retreat as marching to the front.

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1. Attention. 2. Battery. 3. Halt. 4. Right (or left) dress. At the word Halt, repeated only by the officer of the train, the pieces and caissons halt.

At the fourth word of command, in like manner repeated by the officer of the train, the captain rectifies the alignment of the battery.

67. If it be desired to give more regularity to the line, the captain moves the first section to the front, about the length of a piece, and, after having aligned the drivers of the wheel-horses in the direction which he wishes o give to the battery, he commands,

1. Attention. 2. By sections-right dress.

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Each chief of section gives, in succession, to his section, the command, section-forward-guide right—MARCH. When the section has arrived within four paces of the line, its chief commands,

......

section-halt. Right dress.

1

At this command, the chiefs of sections dress their pieces on those of the first section.

The caissons follow, in succession, the movements of the pieces of their sections, and are aligned by command of the officer of the train.

The captain superintends and rectifies the alignment of the battery. The alignment is made in the same manner on the third section.

ARTICLE SECOND.

To march by a Flank, in Order to gain Ground to the Righ or to the Left, and to change Direction.

68.

The Battery being in Line, halted, or marching.

To march by a Flank.

The captain commands,

1. Attention. 2. Pieces and caissons-right (or left) wheel.
3. MARCH. 4. FORWARD.

(Pl. XLIII.) At the second command, the officer of the train orders, Caissons-right (or left) wheel

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At the word MARCH, repeated by the officer of the train, each piece and caisson wheels to the right (or left) on a fixed pivot.*

At the fourth command, also repeated by the officer of the train, the pieces close, as much as possible, on one another.

The caissons follow in a parallel direction; the leading horses of each march abreast the limber of its piece.

The chiefs of sections and of caissons march on the flank of the column, except those of the first (or third) section, who march at the head of it. The chief of the first (or sixth) piece places himself in front of the leading horses of his piece.

This movement is executed in the same manner, in column of pieces, sections, or half-batteries.

69.

To change Direction, marching by a Flank.

The captain commands,

Head of column—right (or left) wheel.

The chief of the section which is at the head then coinmands,
Right (or left) wheel-MARCH;

and afterwards, when the wheel is nearly completed,

Forward-MARCH.

After having gained sufficient ground to the right or to the left, in order to resume the line, the captain gives the commands,

1. Attention. 2. Pieces and caissons-left (or right) wheel. 3. MARCH.

70.

ARTICLE THIRD.

Passing a Defile, in Advancing or in Retreat.

To pass a defile to the front, the battery, being halted or marching, is broken off by one of its flanks, or by the centre section, according to the position of the defile. If, after having broken on the centre section, the defile narrows so as to admit only one carriage, the column is again broken in succession into column of pieces, at a caution from the captain, in such a manner that the pieces of the same section shall not be separated, so that they will be arranged in the following order :-3, 4, 2, 1, 5, 6. As soon as the ground will permit, the primitive order of double column must be resumed. For this purpose, the chief of the second section commands, Fourth piece-into line―MARch,

and the section is formed.

The captain immediately commands,

Guide right.

The chief of the third section then commands,

and afterwards,

Pieces left oblique-MARCH;

Forward-MARCH."

71. The passage of a defile in retreat, when it is not necessary to cover the retreat by a position of the battery, is effected, like that to the front, by the flank which is opposite the defile. But, if the passage be made under the fire of an enemy, the opposite wing must be broken off, while the rest of the battery continues firing.

* In horse-artillery, the squads wheel to the right, (or left,) march on a line with the muzzles of their pieces, and form a third column between that of the pieces and that of the caissons.

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