or distance This doubling of the bringers up or of middle-men is very requisit in giving a generall salve of Musket and as it is to be observed in rancks that the best men are placed in front reare and middle even so in files every Corporalship being foure files of Musketiers the likeliest are put ever in the right and left files of the foure being also of best experience The doubling of rancks being done and all remitted in good order and to their first distance of open order you are to command and exercise Souldiers in three severall wayes of counter-marching requisit in some respects but in my opinion to be used but seldome except it be in necessity in such parts as the ground will not permit otherwise therefore to avoide disorder Souldiers ought not to be ignorant of any of the three sorts of counter-marching First having commanded the Souldiers to dresse their rancks and files and to carry their Muskets handsomly keeping silence say To the right hand the counter-march without noise or losing of ground To the left hand retire againe to the former ground Then command againe to dresse rancks and files and to right their Armes keeping silence taking heede to what is to be commanded and say To the right hand turne Then the Flancke before being now the Front command To the right hand counter-march and lose no ground To the left hand as you were This is used ordinarily to change one wing of Battaile in place of the other then that the Front may be as it was first before they Countermarcht To the left hand turne dresse your Rankes and Files and be silent Another sort of Countermarch is the Slavonian countermarch where you lose ground the Front being changed also then you command the first Ranke to turne about to the right hand then you say to the rest Countermarch and through to your former distance after your Leaders Then say Leaders as you were and to the rest To the left hand countermarch as you were to your first ground The third sort of countermarch I esteeme most of to be practised being rather a conversion very requisit to be well knowne to all Souldiers in all Armies chiefly to be used before an enemy for as it is most sudden so in my opinion it breeds least disorder and disturbance the Souldiers once used to it of themselves they will willingly doe it on any occasion the body being before in open order or Battaile order say Close the Ranks and Files to your closse order without encumbering one of another every man following right his owne Leader keeping closse to his side man then say To the right hand the quarter turne halfe or whole as the occasion and the ground doth permit and then say Dresse your Armes and follow your Leaders and open againe to your Battaile order Lastly the body of your Musketiers exercised perfectly after this manner for the better bringing of them in exercise and breath that in case any disorder may happen amongst them they may the better afterward be acquainted one with another say to your open order of six foote distances Open both Rankes and Files and set downe your Armes handsomely where you stand then command your Sergeant to goe an hundred paces from the body of your Musketiers and sticke in his Holbert in the ground then admonish your Souldiers that at the tucke of your Drumme they runne from their Armes about the Holbert and to stay there till the Drumme recall them againe to their Armes which being done it makes the Souldiers able in breath to know one anothers place in case they should be brought at any time in disorder to recover themselves the better Thus much for the training of Souldiers in changing of place as you will have them without giving of fire When you have gotten your Souldiers thus experimented in their motions then are you to acquaint them with shot in giving of fire to make them fix against their enemies which is easily done having once apart and singularly used their Muskets after the order of the severall postures belonging thereto as was commanded their inferiour Officers and Leaders to teach them before they were exercised Therefore before you come to the particular formes of giving fire you shall first give some generall directions to be observed by all for avoiding the hurting of themselves or of their Camerades as also how they can best offend their enemies and to this effect you shall admonish in love all brave Musketiers first to have their Muskets cleere and hansome and above all fix in the worke especially every Souldier would be well knowne with his owne Musket and cocke to cocke aright then to hold the mouth or Cannon of his Musket ever high up either being on his shoulder or in priming or guarding of his panne but in giving fire never higher or lower than levell with the enemies middle then your Musketiers being in readinesse your Muskets charged they may be commanded to give fire in skirmish disbandoned as their Officers doe direct them to advance or retire as the occasion offers also to give fire by Ranckes Files Divisions or in Salves as the Officer pleaseth to command to the effect they may be fixed Omni modo though in my opinion one way is the best yet there are severall wayes of giving fire in advancing to an enemy as retiring from an enemy or in standing firme before an enemy either by Rancks or by Files made to Rancks Advancing to an enemy not being disbandoned but in one bodie they give fire by Rancks to Rancks having made readie alike they advance ten paces before the bodie being led up by an Officer that stands in even Front with them the Cannon or mouth of their Muskets of both Rancks being past his bodie The second Rancke being close to the backe of the foremost both gives fire alike priming and casting about their Muskets they charge againe where they stand till the other two Rancks advance before them and give fire after the same manner till the whole Troope hath discharged and so to beginne againe as before after the order of the through-countermarch ever advancing to an enemie never turning backe without death or victorie And this is the forme that I esteeme to be the best as for the rest they are not to be much used but this order can be used winning ground advancing or losing ground in a Retreate When you would command the body of your Musketiers to give fire in a Salve as is ordinarie in Battell before an enemy joyne or against Horsemen then you command the bringers up or Reare to double the Front to the right hand and to make readie having the match cocked and their pannes well guarded having closed the three Rancks though not the Files the Officers standing in equall Front with the foremost Rancke betwixt two Divisions he commands to give fire one Salve two or three and having charged againe and shouldered their Armes they retire to
having cast off his loose powder then to cast about his Musket to his left side drawing backe with his Musket his left foote and hand till the mouth of the musket come right to his hand to charge againe in the same place standing firme till his follower marched by him on his right hand standing at the same distance before him that he stood behinde and then to give fire blowing his pan priming casting off and retiring his musket with his left hand and foote and to charge againe as is said and so forth one after another discharging at a like distance till at last the Rot-master should be under-rot and the under-rot Leader and then his follower marching up by him while as he is charging giving fire on the enemy and having discharged standing still also charging till in th' end the Rot-master come to be Leader againe and so forth still advancing per vices till the enemy turne backe or that they come to push of Pike and Buts of Muskets Thus having exercised the Rots apart for a weeke or two doubtlesse they will become expert Souldiers in using their Armes when they are joyned in a strong body lesse or more The Pike-men would be exercised also by Rots apart in the severall Postures thereof till they were acquainted also with their Leaders and were made expert in using their Pikes aright till thereafter the whole body of Pikes might be exercised apart with great ease to their Officers The Musketiers being drawne in a body being sixteene or thirty-two men in Front being but six Rancks deepe the first Rancke discharging at once casting about their muskets and charging all alike the second Rancke marches through every follower going by on the right hand of his Leader standing before him at the distance they were behinde and then being firme they give fire all alike on their enemies blowing priming casting about and charging all alike where they stand till per vices the whole Ranckes have discharged and so forth ut antea successively advancing and giving fire till the enemy turne backe or that they come to push of Pike and being thus well exercised in advancing to the enemy and winning ground if through necessity they be forced to retire from an enemy losing ground they must also keepe their faces to their enemies the Reare being still in fire and the last Rancke having given fire they march through the Rancks till they that were last are first comming off and so per vices till they have made a safe retreate the Reare which is ever the Front coming from an enemy is in fire The manner to exercise a body of Musketiers TO exercise a Squadron of Musketiers how strong soever they be the number of Rancks being no deeper than six the files being even may be so many as your voice can extend to ever observing that your Command be given in the Front otherwise may breede disorder and before you begin to command you would enter first with a Prologue as good Orators commonly doe to reconciliat their hearers attendance even so you ought with an exhortation of attendance entreate but by way of command your Souldiers not to be gazing in time of their exercise but with stedfastnesse to settle their mindes on their exercise that they may the better observe and obey the words of command and above all things you are to command them to keepe silence not babling one to another neither in their motions to suffer their Armes to rattle one against another alwayes to take heede to their Leaders that goe before them and to follow them orderly without disturbance keeping and observing their due distance either of Ranckes or Files which may be easily done if they but duely follow their Leaders and have an eye on their right and left fellow Camerades for keeping their Ranckes even in a like Front Likewise they are to observe when they are commanded to turne any where whether it be by Rancks or Files that their faces may by turned to the hand they are commanded to before they sturre to march and then to march alike and when ever they double Rancks or Files or counter-march they must ever observe to retire to the contrary hand they were commanded to double on if they doubled to the right when they fall off they retire turning to the left hand et contra for avoiding of disorder or hinderance that their Armes would make if they retired to the same hand they were commanded to double or march to In their counter-marches it is also requisit in time of exercise that neither Officer nor Souldier doe presume to command direct or finde fault with the errour but he that commands in chiefe whether he be superiour or inferiour Officer for the time since it is said when many speake few heare Therefore he must command alone suffering no rivall for avoiding of disorder Order therefore of distance being a chiefe point observed in exercising is three fold to wit Open order of Rancks or Files is six foote of distance being betwixt Rancks and Files both alike only requisit to be observed in mustering or while as they stand in danger of Cannon not being in battaile where in battaile order the distance to be observed betwixt Rancks or Files should be three foote where Elbow to Elbow of the side Camerades may joyne where in the open order aforesaid hand to hand can but joyne But in close order used most in conversion or wheeling is shoulder to shoulder and foote to foote firme keeping themselves together for feare to be put asunder by the force of their enemies and then to disorder which is ever to be looked unto chiefely before an enemy Your speech thus ended for your generall directions you begin againe to command silence and to take heed what is commanded to be done saying Height your Musketiers dresse your Rancks and Files to your open order of six foote and take heede To the rìght hand turne as you were To the left hand turne as you were To the right hand about turne as you were To the left hand about turne as you were To the right hand double your Rancks as you were To the left hand double your Rancks as you were The even Rancks or Files double ever unto the odde and the fourth Rancke is the middle Rancke of six To the right hand double your Files as you were To the left han◠double your Files as you were Middle-men or fourth Rancke to the right hand double your Front To the left hand retire as you were Middle-men to the left hand double your Front To the right hand as you were Nota. The sixth Rancke is called bringers up or reare or under Rot-masters Bringers up to the right hand double your Front To the left hand as you were Bringers up to the left hand double your Front To the right hand as you were All that doubled turne first about and then they retire falling behinde those were their Leaders before in the same place
without suspition within shot of Cannon But when either Trumpeter or Drummer is sent with letters or message to prisoners he ought before he come neere the Guards sound his Trumpet or beate his Drumme giving advertisment to the Guards before he enter within their outward Centries otherwise he is lyable to the highest punishment but having law fully aduertised the Guard an Officer by command of the Captaine of the watch with a Convoy of Musketiers ought to meete him and having enquired for his commission and passe and seene his open letters having search't him for private letters and finding none then he ought to sile or blinde him up and convay him blinded unto the chiefe Commander who receives his letters reades and delivers them and then after he being siled up againe he is convaied unto the Gavilliger where he is kept till he be ready and suffered to depart againe with open Letters being convayed out as he came in and no Prisoner ought to deliver any letters though open to any man till first he acquaint his Guard who ought to impart it to the Commander of the pâ—ce and it is ordinary to Governours or Commanders to whom Trumpeters or Drummers doe come having received their answer being brought siled from the Gavilligers unto their lodging first to talke merrily with them and then to cause attenders drinke to them till they be merrry and then being siled againe they are convayed without the whole Contries having their passe they are free to returne Prisoners having agreed for their Ransomes or being exchanged out for others they ought not be suffered to depart without getting first the Generalls passe and then he may goe with a Trumpeter or without one to the next friendly Garrison For quartering an Army in field upon March Dorpe Towne or Leaguer An Observation A Commander ought not be ignorant of the circumstances belonging to the quartering of an Army therefore for the better Information of the younger sort who have not seene such Marches as I have bin at with his Majesty of worthy memory who quartered his Army Summer or Winter according as the occasion or neerenesse of his enemy did offer where many times the whole winters night the Army horse foote and Artillery being without fire did stand in battaile order by their Armes in the fields having placed their Artillery apart with a guard to attend them their baggage also being behinde them apart and well guarded and a maine guard being commanded out apart before the Army of horse and foote And the Armies being neere one another all Officers were commanded to abide on their severall charges as they were commanded on the March to leade Briggads Troopes or Divisions The commanded men being also apart next unto the enemy with their Officers by them which all being orderly quartered in this first manner they entertained one another with such dainties as the time afforded passing the night with variety of merry jests and discourses till day that either Drumme or Trumpet did invite them unto earnest The second forme of our quartering was in the fields not being neere an enemy where we quartered a little more commodiously for our ease being commonly drawne up by foure or five of the clocke in the afternoone neere some Towne or Village in some faire meadow by water if it could be had in the Summer and in the Winter being quartered we drew neere the side of some wood both for fire and for build or shelter The Army drew up in battaile by Briggads as they marched where behinde the place the Briggads drew up unto at a reasonable distance their quarters were marked out severally according as they stood in battaile and before the Briggads removed from their Armes their guards were first commanded out every Briggads guard being placed at a distance of foure score paces from their Colours where they were appointed to watch and the watch being set Centries were put to the Colours and then the Pike-men were ordained to six their Pikes fast in the ground as they stood in battaile the Musketiers also were ordained in dry wether to set up their Muskets in order in even front with their Colours but when it rained they were commanded to keepe them carefully dry by themselves which all orderly done they were suffered part and part to goe and provide themselves of straw and fire providing also many times well for their Officers Kitchins beside The Artillery and Amunition waggons being also drawne up a part and well guarded their horses were sent to grasse for good quarters then the Baggage and wagons as they came up did draw up orderly behinde their owne Regiments and their horses being sent to grasse the Officers Tents were set up orderly at a distance before their Colours and then cookes went to dresse meate and all being returned to quarters before supper the whole Drummes of the Army did beate before their severall Briggads inviting all to publique prayers which were never forgotten And after prayers the Majors of the Regiments did give out orders for that night to the Sergeants and for up-breaking the next morning and then all went to meate first and next to rest and the whole horsmen were drawne up in this fashion and parties were sent out of their quarters to batter the streets two or three mile off the whole night lest we should be surprised by an enemy without intelligence The next morning Drummes having called all to Armes the Briggad that had the Van marched out first in a new ground and drew up the Briggad that had the Van the day before marched out drawing up on their left hand having fallen backe one degree from the Van and then the rest of the Briggads drew out orderly one after another till the left hand of the foote Army were closed up and then they went to prayers and the prayers ended they marched the Baggage marching after being drawne up in order as the Briggads or Regiments did march so did they The Artillery marched with the Briggads in part and the rest marched before the Army with their Convoyes and guard of Musketiers which were changed every two dayes being commanded men out of all Regiments proportionally having Officers commanded them accordingly Thus much of quartering in the fields The third manner of quartering an enemy being a farre off and we neere Townes onely in cold weather quarterings were given for the Hoffestaffe being the King or Generall and their followers and the principall Officers of the Army including his Majesties houshold whose quarters were first appointed by the generall quarter-master in the Townes and next to the Hoffe-staffe the Colonells that commanded Briggads were quartered and next to them the Colonells of Regiments their Officers and Souldiers agreat part and the best of the quarters ordained for the Officers belonging to the Artillery their horses and servants The Artillery and baggage standing without the Towne those who quartered within the Towne had allowance of free meate and drinke