and then they fall down to the reer and so of Leaders become Bringers-up till another rank comes behind them But I The first not at all good would have this manner of falling off banisht out of all armies for in a great Body it breeds confusion and though in drilling it may leisurely be done without any considerable disorder yet in service with an enemy where men are falling it procures a pitiful Embarras and though it did not yet it ought to The second good give way to a more easie way of falling off which is the second way I promised to tell you of and it is that I spoke of of falling down by the Intervals of ground that is between files and this I would have constantly done by turning to the left-hand after they have fired because after that Musqueteers recover their Matches and cast about their Musquets to the left-side that they may charge again which they are a doing while they fall off to the reer But But not at all to fall off is â—est there is a third way for Musqueteers to do service better than by any of these two and that is not to fall off at all but for every rank to stand still after it hath given fire and make ready again standing the second advancing immediately before the first and that having fired likewise the third advanceth before it and so all the rest do till all have fired and then the first rank begins again It is not possible that by this way of giving fire there can be the least confusion or any thing like it if Officers be but half men there is another way of firing sometimes practised that is by three ranks together the first kneeling the second stooping and the third standing these having fired the other three ranks march thorough the first three and in the same postures fire likewise But here I shall desire it to be granted to me that which indeed is undeniable Three ranks to fire at one time and then the other three that when the last three ranks have fired the first three cannot be ready to fire the second time Next firing by three ranks at a time should not be practised but when either the business seems to be desperate or that the Bodies are so near that the Pikemen are almost come to push of Pike and then no other use can be made of the Musquet but of the Butt-end of it I say then Not so good as all six ranks to fire at once that this manner of six ranks to fire at two several times is not at all to be used for if it come to extremity it will be more proper to make them all fire at once for thereby you pour as much Lead in your enemies bosom at one time as you do the other way at two several times and thereby you do them more mischief you quail daunt and astonish them three times more for one long and continuated crack of Thunder is more terrible and dreadful to mortals than ten interrupted and several ones though all and every one of the ten be as loud as the long one But that I seem not to pass my word to you for this be pleased to take the authority of Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden who practised it at Practised at Leipsick the Battel of Leipsick where after he had fought long and that the Saxon Army on his left-hand was beaten by the Imperialists he caused the Musqueteers of some of his Brigades to fire all at once by kneeling stooping and standing which produced effects conform to his desire If you ask me how six ranks can fire all at one time and level their Musquets right I shall tell you the foremost three How to do it ranks must first be doubled by half files and then your Body consists but of three ranks and the posture of the first is kneeling of the second stooping and of the third standing and then you may command them all to fire If you command your ranks after they have fired to fall to the reer any of the two ways already spoken of though you take never so good heed you shall lose ground besides that it hath the show of a retreat but by making the ranks successively go before those which have fired you advance still and gain ground In this order should Dragoons fight in open field when they are mixed How Dragoons should fire and fall off with Horse in this order also should they fire and advance when they intend to beat an enemy from a Pass But when they are to defend a Pass a Bridg or a Strait they must then after firing fall off to the reer by marching thorough the Intervals of their several files because it may be supposed they have no ground whereon they can advance Martinet the French Marshal de Camp tells us of another manner of firing different from all these that I have mentioned as thus Of six ranks of Musqueteers he would have the first five to kneel the sixth to stand and fire first then the fifth to rise and fire next and consecutively the rest till the first rank have fired after which he will have the foremost five ranks to kneel again till the sixth discharge if the service last so long By this way you can gain no ground and I think its very fair if you keep the ground you have for I conceive you may probably lose it and which is worse the ranks which kneel before that which gives fire may be in greater fear of their friends behind them than of their enemies before them and good reason for it in regard when men are giving death to others and in expectation of the same measure from those who stand against them they are not so composed nor govern'd with so steady reason as when they are receiving leisurely lessons in cold blood how to pour Lead in their enemies bosoms But I have spoke of this in another place perhaps more than becomes a private person since I find that manner of giving fire is practised in the French Armies by order of his most Christian Majesty In the marshalling of Regiments Brigades Companies and Troops either of Horse or Foot Commanders must be very cautious when they have to do with an enemy not to charge the ordinary forms for if at that time you offer to introduce any new form wherewith your men are not acquainted you shall not fail to put them in some confusion than which an enemy cannot desire a greater New figures of Battels commendable advantage If you have a new figure of a Battel in your head be sure to accustom your Companies and Regiment very often by exercise to the practice of it before you make use of it in earnest But by this let me not seem to put a restraint on any ingenious spirit that is capable to create new figures I think they should be exceedingly cherisht by Princes and
were called Tarentines and some had Bows and Arrows and were called Scythae because the Scythians delighted much in the Bow If you will compare the Antient Grecian and the Modern Armies used not half an age ago in the point of Arms you will not find any considerable Grecian and Modern Arms compared difference To the heavy arm'd Grecian Foot answer our Pike-men when they were and still should be armed with Head-piece Back and Breast Greeves and Taslets except in this that ours want Targets and walk not in Brazen Boots To the light armed or Velites of the Greeks do answer our Bowmen or Harquebusiers when we had them and now our Musquetiers To the Grecian Cataphracti on Horse-back correspond our Gens d'Arms or Cuirassiers armed with Lances when they were in fashion and now with Pistols and Carabines To the light armed Horse-men called Sagittarii or Scythâ— you may compare those whom the French call still Archers armed formerly even since Gun-powder was found out with Bows and Arrows and half Lances and now with Pistols or Carabines To the Tarentines answer generally our Light Horse-men armed Offensively now with Hand-guns and Swords and some of them Defensively with Back Breast and Head-piece but most without any of them CHAP. IV. Of their great Engines and Machines of their Training and Exercising THe Ancients had their Artillery as well as we have These were their Rams Balists and Catapults They had also their Vineae Plutei Moscoli and other Engines whereby they made their approaches to the Walls of besieged Towâ—s I think it strange that some attribute the invention of the moving or ambulatory Tower so much admired by Antiquity to Demetrius the Son of Antigonus for to me it is clear enough that his Fathers Master the Great Alexander had one of them at the Siege of Gaza which was rendred ineffectual by the deep Sand through which it could not be brought so The ambulatory Tower near the Walls as was needful for the Wheels on which it was to move sunk down Neither do I think that Alexander himself was the inventor of it Whether the Trojan Horse whose Belly was stuffed with armed men might be such a Machine as this or whether it had only its existency in the Poets brain is no great matter But because the Romans used all these Warlike Engines at the expugnation and propugnation of Towns I shall refer my Reader concerning them to the fourth Chapter of my Discourses of the Roman Militia where I shall also show him the substance of what Aeneas an Ancient Grecian Tactick saith on that subject Here I shall only observe that as the Grecians were very apt to usurp to themselves the invention of many Arts and Sciences which they stole from others So it will be found that many of these Machines were used in the World before the Grecians were so much known as afterwards they came to be We read in the seventeenth Chapter of the second Book of the Chronicles That Ozias King of Judah by the invention of skilful Masters made and planted on the Towers and corners of the Walls of Jerusalem Engines which shot Arrows Darts and great Stones And these were no other than those Machines the Greeks called Catapults and Balists And this was long before the overthrows and defeats of the Persian Monarchs These Machines not invented by the Grecians made Greece famous in the habitable World Some think Moses invented them and I think they may as well fansie he invented the moving Tower of all which hereafter whereof I spoke but just now But the place alledged for this which is the last verse of the twentieth Chapter of Deuteronomy will not justifie that for it is said there as the Italian Translation hath it Thou shalt cut down those Trees which bear no Fruits and make Bulwarks Bastioni of them against those Cities thou art to besiege And though Lipsius and Tâ—rduzzi think that here are only meant Stakes and Pallisadoes for Ramparts and Sconces yet I may without Heresie believe that the Vineâ— and Plutei of which we read in Latin Histories may be meant in the Text and the Ram also wherewith I suppose Joshua may have battered the Walls of those Cities which he had no authority from the Almighty to beat down with the sound of Rams horns as he did the strong Walls of Jericho The Grecians were very exact in Training and drilling both their Horse and Foot and without question they taught their Souldiers very perfectly to handle and manage all the Arms they were appointed to carry whether those were Javelins Darts Stones Slings Swords Pikes Lances Maces or Bows and Arrows And as careful they were to teach them those motions Grecian words of Exercise and evolutions whereby their Bodies whether small or great changed their present posture into another either by Facings Doublings Countermarches or Wheelings And though the European Nations were forc'd to find out words of Command each in their own language to teach the use and handling of the Pistol Carabine Harquebuss Musquet or any other Fire-gun in regard none of those were known to any of the Autients yet the handling of the Pike is the same in all its postures that the Grecians had And all our European words of Command for the motions and evolutions of Bodies are borrowed from the Greek By Example That which they call'd All one with ours Declina in hastam we call To the Right hand That which with them was Declina in Scutum with us is To the Left hand Because they carried their Pike on their right Shoulder and their Target on the left Their Inflectio in hastam aut Scutum was our Right or Left about Jugare with them is to my sense though I know others think not so to Double Ranks Their Intercalatio was our Doubling of Files Reddere in arrectum is As you were It is needless to give you more since most of our Modern words are the same with theirs and are obvious in most languages Yet here I shall take liberty to speak a little of both their and our Counter-marches that hereafter I need not trouble either my self or my Reader with that point of exercise for which I have so small an esteem They called a Counter-march Evolutio per versum and they had three kinds of it which are yet retained in our Modern Exercises and these were the Macedonian the Lacedaemonian and the Persian which was also called the Choraean The Macedonian is when the Batallion is commanded to take up as much ground in the Van as it possessed before e're he who was Leader faced Macedonian Countermarch to the Rear It is done thus He who is in the Rear marcheth through or between two Files to the Van and then without an alt so many foot beyond the File-leader as the Body at their due distance possesseth all the rest that were in the File before him following him in order as they stood till
he making alt they all take up their several distances behind him till he who is File-leader turn himself about on that same ground he stood on and then all turn likewise so that all the File faceth to the Rear in that same order that before the Counter-march it fac'd to the Van by this means the Body loseth ground in the Rear and therefore our Modern Drillers when they command the Macedonian counter-march they say By the Right or Left hand Countermarch and lose ground in the Rear or gain ground in the Van which is all one thing The Laconian is when the Batallion is commanded to take up as much ground in the Rear as it possess'd before and is done thus The File-leader Lacedemonian turns just where he stands and marcheth as many foot behind the Rear-man as the Body at its due distance should possess all who follow him turn not about till their Leaders go by them and so the Bringer up doth only turn himself without any further motion The Modern word of Command for this is Counter-march to the Right and Left hand and gain ground in the Rear The Persian is when the Batallion keeps the same ground it had but with this difference that the Leader stands where the Bringer up was and the Persian Rear-man where the Leader stood It is done thus The Leader advanceth three steps and then turns and marcheth to the Rear and all who follow him turn not till they come to that place to which he advanced and then they face about and take up the same ground they formerly possest The word of Command for this is Counter-march to the Right or Left hand and keep your ground It is also called the Chorâ—an Counter-march because Oâ— Choraean as the Chorus useth to sing and dance all together so here all the Ranks move at once and keeping that same measure and distance in turning resembles a Dance But indeed all these Counter-marches as most of all evolutions are better and sooner illustrated nay demonstrated by a Body of Souldiers in the Field than they can be either by words or figures on Paper Philip King of Macedon Father of the Great Alexander put down the first of these Counter-marches which was his own Countrey one and with good reason for it hath a show of flying at least of retiring being a Body of sixteen deep as the Macedonian Phalanx was by that Counter-march lost in the Rear where the Enemy is suppos'd to be one hundred and twelve foot of ground one foot being allowed for every Rank to stand on and six All three of small use foot of distance between the Ranks at least it loseth one hundred and six foot And truly I think the hazard were small if all the three several Counter-marches were for ever banish'd out of all Armies except those of our Enemies It is true I never saw any of them used in sight of an Enemy for if they be practis'd then I am confident confusion would follow them which is but too ready to appear in any Army though never so well order'd when it is unexpectedly attack'd by an Enemy in the Rear If the Grecians had been acquainted with our great Guns nay even with our Muskets which kill at a greater distance by far than Darts or Arrows and against which their Defensive Arms would not have been proof they would have found that an Enemy a good way from their Rear would have render'd their best Counter-marches both unfeasible and dangerous All the good I suppose that is intended by a Counter-march is to place the very same men and Ranks with their faces to the Rear in that very same order they were with their faces to the Front And truly if Captains be careful to place their best men in the Front their next best in the Rear and make middle men of the third and rank every man according to his worth and dignity as they should do but too many of them are negligent in this it will be needless to hazard a Counter-march but with much ease and with one word of Command and that is By the Right or Left hand about an Enemy may be fac'd in the Rear without danger of any confusion or disorder I have seen some very punctual Officers and Drill-masters who have taken much pains to teach new beginners all these three sorts of Counter-marches and have made them practise their lessons very exactly yet for all that I could never in my own Judgement have a better opinion of Counter-marches than they say some Physicians have of Cucumbers which they first order to be well corrected and prepar'd with Vinegar Oyl Pepper and I know not what else and then advise to throw them out of doors or over the Windows In exercising Bodies the first care is to make Ranks and Files keep that distance that is allowed by the Prince or General who commands the Army for he may do in that according to his pleasure The Grecian Foot had a three-fold distance the first was of six foot and this Aelian will have to be in exercisings and marches between File and File as well as Rank and Rank but assuredly there was not so good reason for the one as there was for the other in regard all the heavy arm'd Foot cartying long Pikes required six foot in their march between Rank and Rank for the conveniency of their Pikes but there was no need of so much between File and File as Distances of the Foot any man at first view may easily comprehend The second distance was of three foot between Rank and Rank as also between File and File and this was when they were drawn up and stood in Battel with their Pikes order'd and their posture at this distance was called Densatio The third was of one foot and a half between both Files and Ranks and that was when they were either to give or receive a charge and it was call'd Constipatiâ— In that posture having presented their Pikes with their left foot formost their Targets touch'd one another and so their Phalange look'd like a Brazen Wall as Lucius Aemilius the Roman Consul spoke of that wherewith King Persâ—â—s fac'd him at the Battel of Pidna where they fought for the Soveraignty of the Kingdom of Macedon The Grecian Horse were marshall'd in several figures and of their distance I can say nothing nor doth Aelian help me in it at all Of these several figures of Horse Troops I shall speak in the next Chapter but one And Of the Horse then my Reader will perhaps believe with me that the Square Battels probably kept that distance that Troops have done since and that both the Rhombus and the Wedge required a greater distance when they were commanded by a motion either to the Right or Left hand to change the posture or the place wherein they stood and I conceive when either of them was to charge the Horse men were obliged to â—err
he speaks there of Macedonian and Persian Warriours and is confuting Calisthenes his History of the Battel of Issus between Alexander and Daâ—ius as I noted before Achilles Terduzzi imagines the Roman Foot to have been twelve in File but that was to make good his conjecture of the quantity of ground a Consular Army took up whereof I may chance to speak hereafter But the common opinion carries me along with it that both the Roman Horse and Foot ordinarily were Roman Horse and Foot teâ— deep marshall'd ten in File but upon emergencies Generals might alter it though I confess the strong reason for it to me seems very weak which is that the Leader of the Horse was called Decurio and he of the File of Foot Decâ—nus for this last is appropriated to other Offices and the first by Aelian's Translator is given to the Leader of a Macedonian File which consisted of sixteen But this supposition as probable we must make the basis or ground on which to build our most probable conjectures of the Intervals of several Bodies and Classes in which both our Authors give us small assistance yet I shall give you all I can pick out of them or others on that Subject When Polybius in his twelfth Book told us that for most part Horse-men were ranged eight deep meaning I think the Persian Horse he subjoins that there must be an Interval between several Troops but what that Interval was he forgot to tell us It is pity he who knew things so well should needlessly have kept them up from us as secrets the reason he gives for an Interval between two Troops doth not weigh much because saith he they Intervals between Troops must have ground for conversion that is to face to either Right or Left hand or by any of them to the Rear If any of these be needful whole Squadrons of four six or eight Troops joyn'd together may do it as easily and conveniently as single Troops which consist of three or four Files at most But conversions on that same ground are seldome necessary never convenient But being left to guess how many foot of Interval Troops ten deep Conjectured required one from another I conjecture eight Foot which I ground on that the same Polybius saith in that same twelfth Book which is that a Stadium or Furlong contain'd eight hundred Horse drawn up in Battel Then I say First a Stadium is the eighth part of an Italian mile one hundred twenty five paces six hundred twenty five Foot Secondly eight hundred Horse being at our Authors rate eight in File are one hundred in Front Thirdly For every Horse-man to stand on Horse back and room to handle his Arms I allow with others four foot of ground and so for one hundred Horses four hundred Foot Fourthly According to Polybius and I suppose the Out of Polybius Roman rule the eight hundred Horse must be divided into several Troops and in each of them but thirty Riders so there will be twenty â—â—x compleat Troops and twenty Horse-men for the twenty seventh Troop Fifthly Twenty seven Troops require twenty six Intervals Now allow with Polybius a Stadiâ—m for eight hundred Horse-men that is for one hundred in Front and for these hundred allow with me four hundred Foot for the Horsemen to stand on you will have of six hundred twenty five foot of ground for your twenty six Intervals two hundred and seventeen foot and that will be eight foot and near one half for every Interval So my opinion is if I understand Polybius right that the Interval between two single Troops was about eight foot But let us fancy the Roman Horse to have been ten in File and so every Troop only three in Front for so I probably think they were and let uâ— remember that in every Consular Army there were twenty Roman Troops and forty of the Allies in all sixty Fancy those sixty Troops drawn up in one Field upon one of the Wings of the Army as several times all the Cavalry was marshall'd on one Wing they must have fifty nine Intervals Next remember that sixty Troops at thirty in a Troop were compos'd of eighteen hundred Too many Intervals Riders these drawn up ten in File made one hundred and eighty Leadders allow to every one of these four foot that will amount to seven hundred and twenty foot then for fifty nine Intervals which according to Polybius sixty Troops must have you are to allow four hundred seventy two foot at eight foot for each Interval I suppose still that which I can scarcely believe of so many Intervals but add four hundred seventy two foot to seven hundred and twenty the aggregate will be eleven hundred ninety two foot How these sixty Troops marshall'd so thin so few in Front with so many Intervals could stand out the brisk and furious charge of a numerous and couragious Enemy is beyond my fancy unless they have been interlin'd with well-armed Foot As to the Distances between Bodies of Foot Polybius in the twelâ—th Book Overâ—ight in Polybius so often cited allows expresly six foot between Files but he is to be understood in that place of the Macedonian Phalanx confâ—ting the impertinent relation of Calisthenes but he speaks not there or elsewhere oâ— distance between Roman Files And yet here is an inadvertency in that great man as we shall see another immediately in Vegetius of the same nature Polybius allows six thousand foot of ground for the Front or Longitude of sixteen thousand men sixteen deep and so we have one thousand Files between every one of the Files he allowâ— six foot of distance so the distances do compleatly take up his six thousand Foot and so no ground is allow'd to stand on to which if he had adverted he would have allow'd one foot to each man whereon to stand and consequently seven thousand foot for one thousand Files in Front But I shall not question the six foot of distance between Files being I have told you in the Grecian Militia that much was necessary for their Pike-men between Ranks on their march though not between Files and that in standing in Battel they used Densatio three foot of distance and in fight Constipaâ—â—â— one foot and a half Vegetius is more inexcusable than Polybius for he allows for the Ranks one foot Two in Vegetius of ground to stand on in these words Singuli Bellatâ—res stantes singulos obtinent pedes Every Combatant says he takes up one foot of ground But that he allows none for them to stand on when he speaks of Files I prove thus In the fourteenth Chapter of his third Book he allows three foot of distance between Files and in the next place saith that ten thousand men marshall'd The first in distance of Files six deep made a Front of sixteen hundred sixty six and so it doth with a fraction only of four hitherto he is very right but concludes very
ill that these sixteen hundred sixty six Files took no more ground up in Front but one thousand paces that is five thousand foot A thing purely impossible for three foot of Distance is allowed by himself between File and File and next sixteen hundred sixty six Files require sixteen hundred sixty five distances multiply sixteen hundred sixty five by three the product is four thousand nine hundred ninety five these want but 5 foot of Vegetius his one thousand paces Where shall then the sixteen hundred sixty six Combatants stand certainly they had sixteen hundred sixty six foot of ground to stand on add sixteen hundred sixty six to four thousand nine hundred ninety five the aggregate is six thousand six hundred sixty one foot a third more than Vegetius allow'd to sixteen hundred sixty six Files In imitation of him Terduzzi commits the very same errour in his fifth and sixth Chapters In the next place Vegetius allows six foot of distance between The second of Ranks Ranks because men must run when they throw their Darts and Javelines for so they cast them with greater â—orce Vehementius saith he I think he speaks reason but not at all sense when he avers that six Ranks of men having one foot of ground allow'd for every Rank to stand on and six foot between one Rank and another took up forty two foot of ground from the Van to the Rear that is as I think from the toes of the Leaders to the heels of the Bringers up for by his own account and allowance six Ranks can take up no more from Van to the Rear than thirty six foot as thus six foot for the six Ranks to stand on and thirty foot for the five distances The error seems to have proceeded from a fancy he hath had that six Ranks must have six Intervals which is not only false but ridiculously childish In regard in six Ranks there is one distance between the first and second Rank the second between the second Rank and the third the third between the third and fourth Rank the fourth between the fourth and fifth rank and the fifth distance between the fifth and sixth Rank And for his first error that sixteen hundred sixty six Files take no more ground in Front than five thousand foot it will be a folly to defend him by â—aying three Foot were but allowed both for Files to stand on and distance between them for a distance as Lieutenant-Colonel Eltâ—n Definition of a Distance in his compleat Body of the Military Art discribes it well is a place or Interval of ground between every particular File and File and Rank and Rank and therefore no part of that ground on which the Files oâ— Ranks stand When I look'd upon these places of Vegetius and consider'd them I could not but approve of Lipsâ—â—s for qualifying him but on another account with the Titles of Solutus negligens The same Lipsius in the fourth Book of his Commentary quarrels with Polybius for not informing us what distances the several Maniples kept one from another nor what Intervals were kept between the three great Classes and if that piece of Polybius be not lost with others of his works assuredly it was an inexcusable oversight I dare not accuse Vegetius of this neglect though Lipsius seems to do it for I am apt to believe that what he speaks of Vegetius 〈…〉 to be understood the distances between Ranks as I have understood him it is in the fourteenth and fifteenth Chapters of his third Book he may have meant Intervals between the greater Bodies for in these places he useth the words Ordâ— and Acies indifferently and though Ordo be sometimes taken for a Rank sometimes for a Band or Company yet Acies is ever taken for a Battel or Batallion And to me it is clear enough that in the mentâ—â—n'd places he takes Ordo for Batallion and makes six of them the first of Principes the second of Hastati the third â—ourth and fifth of light armed the sixth of Triarii Now it is palpable these great Bodies were not Ranks for every one of them if I mistake not consisted of ten Ranks but were all several Batallions whereof as I told you before he composed his Legion But whether he meant Ranks or Batallions the error I mention'd was still the same in making six several Bodies be they Ranks Files Squadrons or Batallions to have six distances for they cannot possibly have more than five But if in these places he allow'd but six foot of Interval between these Classes and great Bodies it speaks him to have been almost out of his wits when he wrote it as the Reader may collect from the insuing Discourse But being neither Polybius nor Vegetius help us much in the matter of Intervals Lipsius in his fourth Book comforts us and tells us he will not suffer so profitable Lipsius undertakes much a business as is the knowledge of Intervals to remain in darkness In finibus noctis are his words In the Borders of Night and therefore promiseth out of the plentiful Magazine of his own reading to clear the whole matter to us But I am afraid he will not be a man of his word for the greatest undertakers are seldome the best performers However it is fit we hear him for he deserves it First He tells us that he conceives that the Interval between the Hastati But performâ—â—â—ttle and the Principes was fifty foot and between the Principes and the Triarii one hundred Next concerning the Intervals between the Maniples of any of the three Classes which the Romans call'd Via Directa he saith if the Velites were to stand in them the Interval might be of twenty or thirty foot if not ten foot was enough This is briefly all he says on the matter But assuredly if this learned man could convenlently have left the University of Louvaine and followed the Spanish Armies but one Summer or as we call it one Campagne he would have seen under the conduct of the famous Dukes of Alva and Parma the greatest Captains of that age who liv'd at the time that he was writing his Books how pitifully simple that School-speculation of his was I must confirm my opinion with Reason for authority of Writers I have no more than he and that is none at all Each of the two Classes of the Hastati and Principes consisted of twelve hundred men which being marshall'd ten deep made one hundred and twenty Files Vegetius allows three foot distance between Files these make three hundred and sixty foot in Front add one hundred and twenty foot for the Files to stand on the ground that either of these Batallions stood on was four hundred and eighty foot in Longitude but to shun debate I shall be content to allow but one foot for every File to stand on and two foot of Interval between Files and so the Front of the Hastati though they had been all marshall'd
was marshal'd in one Division I know some are of opinion that the Majors Company should be in the Reer Objection against that way of marshalling of the Lieutenant-Colonels Division because the third place of honour in the Regiment belongs to him and the Colonel having the Van of the first Division and the Lieutenant-Colonel of the second the Major should have the Reer of the second Division because it is the Reer of the whole Regiment I should easily subscribe to this if it were not for two reasons First though it be but Answered one Regiment yet being divided it should be lookt on as two distinct Bodies and it is more honourable to have the Reer of the first than of the last Secondly when a Regiment is divided into two parts the Major ought to wait and lodg at the quarter of that Division of the Regiment where the Colonel is because from him he receives his Orders Directions and the Word which he is not oblig'd to carry to the Lieutenant-Colonel if the quarters of the two Divisions be divided as many times they are but the oldest Captain is obliged to come and receive them from the Major at the Colonels Quarter the first Captain in that case officiating as Major for the Lieutenant-Colonels Batallion Now if the Major ought to be where the Colonel is as I think he should then I think the Majors Company should be where himself is The Great Gustavus used another way of marshalling his Regiments and Brigades of Foot which taken altogether was not square of front yet all the four parts or Bodies which composed it were square The manner was this Regiment or Brigade marshal'd a third way Suppose one of his Brigades to be eighteen hundred men as I can assure you he had many weaker whereof twelve hundred were Musqueteers and six hundred were Pikemen the Pikes advanced twenty paces before the two Bodies of Musqueteers who immediately join'd to fill up the void place the Pikemen had possest Then were the Pikes divided into three equal Bodies two hundred to each Batallion the middle Body whereof advanced before the other two so far that its Reer might be about ten paces before the Van of the other two The two Bodies of Pikes that staid behind were order'd to open a little to both hands and then stand still all fronting one way to the Enemy by this means the place which the two hundred Pikes possest in the middle remaining void there were two passages like sally-ports between the Reer of the advanced Body of Pikes and the two Batallions that staid behind out of one whereof on the right hand issued constantly one or two or more hundreds of Musqueteers who before all the three Bodies of Pikes gave incessantly fire on the Enemy and when the word or sign for a Retreat was given they retir'd by the other passage on the left hand back to the great Body of Musqueteers where so many of them as came back unwounded were presently put in rank and file the fire continuing without intermission by Musqueteers who still sallied thorough the passage on the right hand and it is to be observed that the firemen fought thus in small Bodies each of them not above five files of Musqueteers and these for most part but three deep So you may consider that near the third part of the Musqueteers being on service the other two thirds were securely shelter'd behind the three Batallions of Pikemen who were to be compleatly arm'd for the defensive These Pikes had Field pieces with them which fir'd as oft as they could as well as the Musqueteers this continued till the Pikemen came to push of Pike with the Enemy if both parties staid so long as seldom they did and then the Musqueteers were to do what they were order'd to do and the order did depend on emergencies and accidents which as they could not be then seen so no certain rules could be given for them In this order did I see all the Swedish Brigades drawn up for one year after the Kings death but after that time I saw it wear out when Defensive Arms first and then Pikes came Worn out to be neglected and by some vilipended For the March of a Regiment if it can all march in one breast it should The March of a Regiment do so but if not and if the ground permit it let the right hand of Musqueteers march in breast next it the Body of Pikes and after it the left wing of Musqueteers But if none of these can be then as many should march in one petty Division as the way can permit as suppose twelve eight or ten and so soon as you come to open ground you are to march presently in Squadrons or as they are now called Squads or in full Battel that is the Regiment all in one front for by that means your Soldiers are readiest to receive an Enemy they march in a more comely order and straggle far less than when they march few in breast and in a long row The Major appoints Captains Lieutenants and Ensigns to lead Divisions and Serjeants to attend the flanks every one according to their dignities but for my own part I never thought it convenient much less necessary that every small Division of a Regiment should have a Bringer up since he must be as some will have it a Commission'd Officer as well as the Leader of a Division should be For first consider that in a Regiment of one thousand strong there are an hundred sixty and six files and admit that the way will permit eight files to march in breast as that falls not always out by that account you shall have one and twenty Divisions consisting of eight Files apiece multiply twenty one by eight the Product is a hundred and Reasons why every petty Division cannot have a Bringer up sixty eight Files which consists of a thousand and eight men eight more than the number Reckon again how many Commission'd Officers you have in ten Companies besides the three Field-Officers you shall have but twenty nine now of these twenty one must be allow'd to lead the Divisions and by that account you have but nine Officers to bring up so you want thirteen Commission'd Officers for that imployment for Serjeants should neither be permitted to lead or bring up but in case of necessity their duty being to attend the flanks Besides all Commission'd Officers are not always present some frequently being either sick wounded or absent on furloff It will be enough therefore if all these petty Divisions be led by Commission'd Officers which yet cannot be unless you allow some Ensign-bearers to stay from their 〈…〉 ours and by this means you may spare six foot of ground between two Divisions for those who will allow Bringers up allow eighteen foot between two Divisions to wit six foot between the Reer of the first Division and him that brings it up secondly six foot between
must every Interval between Brigades have now in six Brigades there are 5 Intervals 5 times 600 make 3000 allow for three ranks and two Intervals in every Brigade marching in breast 36 foot and multiply 36 by 6 which is the number of the Brigades the product is 216 add 216 to 3000 the aggregate is 3216 add that to 8688 the aggregate is 11904 divide this number by 5 to make paces the Quotient will be 2380 paces and four foot this will be two Italian miles and more than one third An intollerable distance between the first rank of the Cavalry and the last rank of it the Infantry marching in the middle a thing intollerable that there should be so vast a distance between the Front and Reer of an Army of 18000 Horse and Foot marching in Brigades and every Brigade marching in breast and neither piece of Ordnance Waggon or Baggage-horse among them And this leads me to another speculation which is that all who have the conduct of Armies should in a march allow as little Interval between either greater or smaller Bodies as possible may be in regard Woods Waters Passes close Countries Straits and narrow ways will make a greater distance between the Vans and Reers of their Armies than is in their power Distance between Van and Reer of an Army marching to make less To verifie which let us suppose with Bockler a late German Author that 10000 Foot and 1000 Horse are upon a march where the Foot may march ten in breast and the Horse five and have only ten half Cannon with Powder and Bullets for one day and only some necessary Baggage with them he passeth his word to us that this little Army when it is marching shall take up of ground between Van and Reer 28000 foot this is more than five Italian miles and one half I have a little examined the computation and I believe his reckoning to be right But if you please let us not trust his word but try our selves what distance there may be between the Van of an Army consisting of 15000 Foot and 3000 Horse with which shall be no more Ordnance than ten Demi-cannon Instanced in an Army of 18000 men and twenty Field-pieces and a less Train if any you cannot allow to an Army of 18000 fighting men And with this Army we shall suffer no more Waggons to be than 1200 for carrying all the Ammunition Instruments for Fortification and Artillery Proviant and Baggage belonging to the General Officers and the whole Horse and Foot whereas twice that number may be well enough allowed and to make the distance the less we shall allow but two horses for every Waggon without having any regard to Coaches or great Rust-Waggons drawn ordinarily by six horses whereof there be but too many in every Army Let us imagin we march not in a Champaign but in a close Country yet not so close but the Horse shall march five in breast and the Foot ten and there be many ways which will not permit so much and to spare ground I shall allow no Intervals between Regiments or Brigades of Foot only Intervals between Divisions shall be allowed and no Interval at all between either Regiments or Divisions of the Cavalry shall be allowed but the whole 3000 shall march five in breast all in one row The Foot being six deep and ten in front will march 60 men in each Division 15000 Foot marching ten in front or breast We must see how many such Divisions will be in 15000 men To know this divide 15000 by 60 the Quotient will be 250 so you have 250 divisions allow as you must 36 foot for the 6 ranks of every Division that is 6 foot for the ranks to stand on and 30 foot for the 5 Intervals therefore you must multiply 250 by 36 which is the number of your Divisions and the product will be 9000. For an Interval between two Divisions I shall only allow 12 foot whereas many allow 18 now there be 249 Intervals multiply therefore 249 by 12 the product is 2988. Add 2988 to 9000 the aggregate is 11988 And so many foot of ground must 15000 Foot have from Van to Reer when they march ten in breast Being our 3000 Horse are to march five in breast you are to divide 3000 3000 horse marching five in Breast by 5 and the Quotient will be 600 so you have 600 ranks we must allow every Rider ten foot for the length of his Horse multiply then 600 by 10 the Product is 6000. Ordinarily a Horses length is allow'd for an Interval between ranks of Horse but because we would march close we shall allow but the half of that to wit five foot now there be in 600 ranks 599 Intervals multiply then 599 by 5 the Product will be 2995. Add 2995 to 6000 the aggregate is 8995 so many foot of ground 3000 Horse take up in their marching five in breast We have ten Demi-cannon which shoot each of them a bullet of 24 pound at least each of them shall weigh no more but 4400 pound of metal though the Germans allow more than 5000. Allow then one Horse to draw 250 pound of this Piece you shall need 18 Horses at least to draw one Demicannon with her Carriage Leaver Sponge and Laddle these 18 Horses being Ten Demi-Cannon drawn one after another coupled make nine couple allow then for nine couple of Horses for the length of the Piece and her Carriage 110 foot and it will be little enough multiply then 110 by 10 which is the number of your Demi-cannon the Product is 1100 so much ground they must have when they are drawn one after another and here is no allowance for distance between them nor shall we give any between the 20 Field-pieces but shall allow each of them to be drawn by two Horses nor shall we give more ground to the Horses Piece And twenty Field-pieces and Carriage than 20 foot that is for all the twenty 400 foot Our 1200 Waggons will take up much ground nor is it possible to help it Nor can we allow less ground for a Waggon drawn with two Horses and a convenient distance between it and the Waggon which follows it than 1200 Waggons drawn one after another 22 foot multiply then 1200 by 22 the Product will be 26400 so much ground require twelve hundred Waggons when they are drawn one after another The Foot then require 11988 foot the Horse 8995 the Demi-cannon 1100 the Field-pieces 400 the Wagons 26400 add these numbers together the aggregate will be 48883. These make in paces 9776 and three foot about nine Italian miles and three quarters If you suspect I have cast up a wrong account be pleased to work your self and mend it at your pleasure By this you may see if the Army be stronger than this of ours as many be or the Train greater as indeed it should be or your Waggons more numerous as assuredly they
will be or the way narrower as for most part it chanceth to be you may see I say how many miles may be between your Front and your Reer And indeed though the Train of Artillery by the sticking of great Guns and Pot-pieces in deep dirty or clay ground give no retardment to the march as frequently it doth or that an Army meet with no extraordinary encumbrances as happily it may yet it will be no marvel to see the Van at the head quarter before the Reer-guard be march'd out of their last nights Leaguer though the march be fourteen or fifteen English miles long and therefore there is good reason to allow as little distance or Interval between several bodies or batallions as may be and to A close march the best and securest divide an Army into two three or more bodies and march several ways to make the greater expedition when it may be done safely and without danger of an enemy and if he be in your Reer and that you intend not to fight dividing so you keep good order facilitates your Retreat The two Princes of Orange Maurice and Henry both of them excellent Captains order'd that in a march when one Regiment was divided into two great Partitions there should be no more but fifty foot of distance between them and only eighty foot between one Regiment and another These Princes caused their Armies to march according to ancient custom in three great Bodies Van guard Battel and Reer-guard and those they called Tercias or Tersos a Spanish word which signifies Thirds and so the Spaniards called their Regiments of old and for any thing I know they do so still These Tersos of the Princes of Orange were indeed grand Brigades and these had Maâ—â—rs who were call'd Majors of the Brigades besides Majors of Regiments And in a march the Princes allowed no greater distance between these great bodies but an hundred or a hundred and twenty foot at most And herein they did not quadrate with the opinion of some of our modern Captains who will have as great a distance between Brigades as the longitude of a Brigade is which we may suppose to be very many times a thousand foot though sometimes less and consequently if there be ten such Brigades of Foot the very nine Intervals between the ten Brigades takes up nine thousand foot near two Italian miles and therefore if the way be not very broad there will be several miles between the Van and the Reer of the Infantry but the reasons brought by those that are of this judgment may be demonstrated to be but weak by a visible practice When an Army is to go over a Pass a Water or a Bridg the whole To march over a Pass or a Strait Bodies of it should be order'd to march very close losing something of their ordinary distances that one Brigade or Batallion being past another may immediately follow without intermission Captain Rud the late Kings Engineer a very worthy person says at the passing a strait an Army should make an halt and draw up in battel and then pass over so many in breast as the place will permit and when they are all over draw up again before And not lose time they march For the last part I shall agree with him for no sooner should any Forlorn-hope Troop Company or Regiment be over a Pass but they should draw up in Battel till some others be over and if there be not ground enough they should advance by little and little till they find a more spacious field where they may draw up in breast and expect the rest or if he mean that every particular Regiment or Brigade should draw on that side of the strait which it is to pass till the Reer of that Regiment or Brigade come up and then begin their march over I shall yet agree with him but for a Van of an Army to stay till the Reer come up before it begin to pass a strait is a great loss of time which in the march of an Army is very precious for in an Army but of an indifferent strength that halt shall be the space of at least four hours and this furnisheth an opportunity to an enemy to oppose the passage or wait his advantages on the other side of the strait with more force policy and deliberation CHAP. XX. Of Quartering Encamping and Modern Castrametation Of the Quarter-master General and of the Quarter-master of the General Staff THE day is far spent and the Army hath march'd far Quarter must be made somewhere and it must be either in Towns Villages or the fields If the Army be dispersed in several Villages or Hamlets it is done that it may To Quarter in Villages be refreshed for some short time and when there is no danger of an enemy If it be to lodg for one night and an enemy is near then both Horse and Foot stand in the field all night with strong Guards Forlorn-hopes Rounds and Patrovilles If an enemy be not near ordinarily the Head quarter is in some little Town or Village and the Cavalry quarter'd round about in Hamlets the Infantry is encamped close by the Head-quarter and if it be but to stay a night or two it doth not usually Entrench but as the old Grecians did Encamps on some place something fortified by nature as on a hill or some defensible ascent or where a river may be on one hand and a marsh on the other and where the place iâ— defective they must help it with Spade and Mattock if danger is apprehended Or if the Foot must lodg in a Champagn their Waggons To Quarter in the Field drawn about them will be an excellent good shelter against sudden Infalls and this the Germans call a Wagonburg that is a Fortification of Waggons and it is better than the Roman Fossa Tumultuaria in ancient times Where ever this Night-leaguer chanceth to be he who commands in chief must be careful to chuse such a place as wants for neither wood water nor foderage An Alarm-place should be appointed for the Horse in case their Quarters happen to be beat up in the night as also a place of Rendezvouz at which the whole Army is to meet next day if it be all in one Body and at such an hour as the General shall appoint The Encamping of an Army for some considerable time requires an orderly To Encamp and fortifie for a long time Castrametation and Fortification and though it be not very ordinary yet it hath been and may be occasion'd by several accidents and emergements such as these When an enemy comes unexpectedly whose strength and designs are not known when a Prince or his General thinks it not fit to hazard a Battel Reasons for it when he would preserve the Country behind him whether it belong to the Prince himself or to his friends or that he hath won it from his enemy When the Pestilence or other
Captain of Arms under him the Furer and below the Furer the second Tambour and under him the other fifty huts for the other fifty Soldiers all in one row all these having a proportion of ground allowed equal to the first row on the right hand In the reer of the Souldiers huts there must be a Street 20 foot broad for Waggons and Carts to pass and repass and this Street traverseth the whole breadth of both Company and Regiment as the other of 10 foot doth at the Van of the Inferior Officers huts Next to this traverse Street in the reer there is a place for Waggons and Sutlers 10 foot long and behind that there is another place 10 foot long likewise for fires and dressing meat for there must be no fire among the huts and both these places enjoy the full breadth of the Company which is 24 foot Be pleased then to remember that 40 foot in length are allowed for the Captain 10 for the Lieutenant 10 for the first traverse Street 200 for the rows of under Officers and Souldiers huts 20 for the second traverse Street 10 for Sutlers and 10 for fire add these together the aggregate will be 300 which is the length of the quarter Remember also that 8 foot are allowed for the breadth of all Officers and common Souldiers huts except the Captains Then two rows of huts require 16 foot in breadth between these rows there must be a direct Street running from the back of the Captains Tent to the reer as I told you before and it is 8 foot broad add 8 to 16 makes 24 and so much ground the Captains Length and breadth of a Foot companies quarter Tents possesseth and it is the breadth of the Companies quarter Multiply the length by the breadth that is 300 by 24 the Product is 7200 foot near one Italian mile and a half within the Circumference of this Companies quarter Let us in the next place quarter the Colonel with his Field and Staff Officers which shall be done thus There shall be a place in the middle of the Regiment which shall be 300 foot long and 64 broad on the right hand of this place five Companies shall lodg and on the left hand of it the other five Of this place Quarter for the Staff of a Foot Regiment the whole breadth to wit 64 foot shall be allowed to the Colonels Lodgings and 50 foot in length by which means he shall have all the Tents and Huts of his Captains Lieutenants and Ensigns in a parallel line with his own Beâ—ind the Colonels Lodgings is that Street whereof I spoke before of 10 foot broad which traverseth the breadth of the whole Regiment and in which most Castrametators will have the Colours and Arms to stand but Tents and huts before that Street will make it in my judgment very improper for that use Below that Street there shall be a plot of ground 40 foot in length and 64 broad to be equally divided between the Lieutenant Colonel and Major if they do not quarter besides their Companies and behind them a Street 20 foot broad Below that Street shall be a quarter 50 foot long and 64 broad to be divided among the Minister Quarter-master Auditor Secretary Chirurgeon and Marshal and below them the third Street 20 foot broad Next to that shall be a place 70 foot long and 64 broad for Waggons and Baggage behind that the fourth Street of 20 foot broad which is at the reer of all the Souldiers huts and traverseth the breadth of the whole Regiment Next to that are the two places formerly mention'd for Sutlers and fire one behind the other each 10 foot long and 64 broad If you then remember that the length of the Colonels Lodgings is 50 foot 10 for a Street 40 for the Lieutenant Colonel and Major 20 for a second Street 50 for the Staff-Officers and 20 for a third Street 70 for Waggons 20 for the fourth Street and 20 for Sutlers and fires It 's length and breadth when you add these numbers together the aggregate will be 300 which is the length of this quarter as it is of all other quarters of our Camp the breadth of this particular one being 64 foot as I told you before In the quartering the ten Companies of the Regiment five on the Colonels right hand and five on his left respect would be had to the dignity antiquity and precedency of the Captains my own opinion is they should be quarter'd according to that order wherein they were marshal'd in the field and what that is you may find in the Eleventh Chapter Let us then take a view of the whole breadth of this Regiments quarter for doing whereof we must first consider that the ten Companies make ten distinct Bodies and the quarter for the Colonel and his Staff the eleventh Eleven Bodies must have ten Intervals for every one whereof we shall allow 16 foot that one Waggon may pass by another multiply then 10 by 16 the aggregate is 160 this much is allowed for the ten Intervals every Company hath 24 foot for its Length and breadth of a Regiment of Foot 's quarter breadth inde for 10 Companies 240 foot the Colonel and Staff hath 64 add 160 to 240 and both these to 64 the aggregate is 464 and that is the latitude of a Regiment of Foot 's quarter If you would know the superficial measure of this quarter multiply the length of it which is 300 foot by the breadth of it which is 464 foot the Product will prove to be 139200 foot near â—ts Superficiâ—l measure 28 Italian miles By what hath been said it will be easie to know how any Troop Company or Regiment either of Horse or Foot of what strength soever may be quarter'd as if the Colonels Company be stronger by fifty men than the rest as in some places they be it may have a row of Huts more than others have In the Low Country Wars the Princes of Orange allowed four foot for the length of every Foot-Souldiers Hut but the Germans for most part allow but 3½ whom in this Princes of Orangâ— their allowance for Souldiers huts point I have followed in this Castrametation By the account oâ— four foot long for every Hut a row of Huts for fifty men should have the allowance of 200 foot but in our days Henry Prince of Orangâ— took away 20 of that leaving but 180 and these 20 foot he join'd to the breadth of the traverse Street in the reer of the Huts which before was but 20 but by this addition came to be 40 foot broad that Waggons and Provisions might have more room to go out and in and pass and repass The 300 foot which I have allow'd for the length of every Companies quarter may be abridged or enlarged as the General shall find occasion for it but an uniformity in the length of the whole Camp is both decent and requisite He who