AN ABRIDGEMENT OF THE ENGLISH Military Discipline By His Majesties permission LONDON Printed by the Assigns of John Bill and Christopher Barker Printers to the Kings Most Excellent Majesty 1676. AN ABRIDGEMENT OF THE ENGLISH Military Discipline Of the Exercise of the Foot WHen a Body of Men are drawn up to Exercise the distance of their Ranks must be at six Foot and their Files at three Foot that they may have liberty to use their Arms. The Officers of the Body he onely excepted that is to give the Words of Command are to draw off to the Right and Left forming a Rank on each Wing opposite the one to the other The Officer Commanding is to place himself before the Middle of the Pikes about ten Foot distance from them the better to observe what is done and to be the more easily understood by the whole Body The Words of Command must be given Leisurely that the Souldiers may perform their Postures without Confusion The Officer must first Command Silence and then proceed as followeth to the Exercise of the Musquet SHoulder your Musquet Lay your right hand on your Musquet Poyse your Musquet Rest your Musquet Handle your Match Blow your Match Cock and try your Match Guard your Pan. Blow your Match Open your Pan. Present Give Fire Recover your Arms. Return your Match Clean your Pan with your Thumb Handle your Primer Prime your Pan. Shut your Pan with a full Hand Blow off your loose Corns Cast about to Charge Handle your Charger Open it with your Teeth Charge with Powder Draw forth your Scowrer Shorten it to an Inch against your right Breast Charge with Bullet Ram down Powder and Ball. Withdraw your Scowrer Shorten it to a handful Return your Scowrer Poyse your Musquet Shoulder your Musquet Order your Musquet Exercise of the Pike ADvance your Pikes Charge to the Front To the Right To the Right To the Right To the Right To the Right about To the Left about as you were Charge to the Left To the Left To the Left To the Left To the Left about To the Right about as you were Advance your Pikes From Advance Shoulder your Pikes From Shoulder Charge to the Front Shoulder as you were From your Shoulder Charge to the Right Shoulder as you were Charge to the Right about Shoulder as you were Charge to the Left Shoulder as you were To the Left about Shoulder as you were From your Shoulder Port. From your Port Comport From your Comport Charge to the Front From your Charge Trail Facing to the Right about Charge as you were Advance your Pikes Exercise of the Musquet and Pike together SHoulder your Musquet Musqueteers Make ready At which time the Musqueteers must Leisurely and Distinctly perform every particular Posture of the Musquet together The Musqueteers being ready the Pikes are to Charge as the Musqueteers are Faced To the Right To the Right To the Right To the Right To the Right about To the Left about as you were To the Left To the Left To the Left To the Left To the Left about To the Right about as you were Advance your Pikes Return your Matches Shoulder your Musquets Order your Arms. Pikes to your inside Order Lay down your Arms. Which Posture is to be performed with their Left Legs and stooping all together their Arms being upon the ground they must take care to Rise all together every one observing his Right hand man at the Word of Command Quit your Arms. Face all to the Right about March clear off your Arms. To the Left about to your Leader March to your Arms. Handle your Arms. Which must be done stepping forward with their Left Legs and stooping Laying their hands upon their Arms expecting the Word of Command Order your Arms. Pikes to your outside Order Poyse your Musquets Advance your Pikes Shoulder your Musquets March This way of Exercise is not altogether the same with what hath been hitherto in use wherein it was thought fit to make some alteration by leaving out some Words as superfluous and changing some of the Postures for others that are of greater Use and readiness Closings and Openings RRanks close forward to Order Ranks close forward to close Order Ranks open backwards to Order Ranks open backwards to open Order Ranks open backward to double distances The Ranks fall back without changing aspect Files close to the Right Files close to the Left Files close to the Center Files open from the Right Files open from the Left Files open from the Center For performing of which the Body faces to the hand named and moves If to the Right the second File from the right first takes its distance by moving slower then its Leader the rest of the Files do the like successively and the left hand File moves not at all Doublings Ranks to the right hand double March Ranks to the left hand as you were March Ranks to the left hand double March Ranks to the right hand as you were March The Ranks that double are to observe their right hand Man to move at the same time with him They begin their motion with the foot next the hand named and are to come into their places at three steps In this doubling the even Ranks double into the odd And if you would have the odd Ranks also double Face the Body to the Rere and the same Words of Command will perform it To reduce the Ranks The Ranks that doubled are first to Face to the contrary hand then beginning with the contrary foot at three steps to come into their former ground Files doubling is perform'd in the same manner and is the same thing with the reduction of doubled Ranks the reduction of doubled Files is the same thing with doubling Ranks Doubling of half Files with the Reduction Rere half Files to the Right double your Front March To the Left about as you were March Rere half Files to the Left double your Front March To the Right about as you were March If you do it upon a March let your Rere half Files move into the Front with a quicker motion the Front half Files still continuing theirs And for Reduction let the Rere half Files without facing about stand till the Front half Files have passed them and then fall after their proper Leaders Fireings THe Commander in chief gives no Command nor Direction besides Make ready Present Give fire And the first of these he uses but once The Souldiers are to be instructed and minded by subaltern Officers that when the two first Ranks make ready and advance forward the Body of Musqueteers is to make good the Front of Pikes and the two next Ranks unshoulder and make ready without any Word of Command and when the last Rank presents or both if both fire together to advance and this also without any Word of Command If the Ranks be at six Foot they are also at their advancing to close forward to three Foot without any Word of Command If
Encamping of a Battalion consisting in sixteen Companies and fifty Men in each Company There must be allowed fifty Paces for a Squadron consisting in three Troops and fifty Men in each Troop From the Head of the First Line to the Head of the Second there is commonly allowed three hundred Paces whereof One hundred and twenty are for the Encamping of the first Line So that there remains One hundred and eighty Paces for the distance between the last Tents of the first Line and the Head of the Second It is to be observed that this measure of ground aforesaid is meant onely for the Encamping of an Army For if it was to be ranged in Battel in case of Service the distances between the Battalions or Squadrons must be greater than in a Camp It must be endeavoured as much as may be that the Second Line be equal to the First keeping the same Distance upon the Right and Left All Troops or Companies of Horse or Foot consisting but of fifty Men are to be Encamped on one Row of Baraques or Hutts But when the Troops or Companies consist in more Men there must be two or three Rows of Baraques or Hutts It is to be observed that in each Squadron or Battalion the Collonels Company is always upon the Right or Left and there make their Row of Hutts behind them must be left a space for the Street then the Second Company makes their Row of Hutts near to which the Third makes theirs leaving the space of two Foot onely between their Hutts which is called the By-Street And the same thing is observed by the Horse The Hutts of the Foot always open towards the Street The Baraques of the Cavalry always open towards the Horses Heads The Particulars of Encamping of a Battalion WHen the Adjutant or Quartermaster hath his Ground allotted to him for the Encamping of a Battalion which is commonly One hundred Paces he is to divide it in the manner following viz. He must allow Seven Foot Square to each Hutt Two Foot to the By-streets and Fifteen Foot to the great Streets Every Company consisting of Fifty Men ought to have Ten Hutts and there must be the distance of Two Foot between the Hutts The Kitchens must be marked out at Twelve Foot distance from the last Row of Hutts and must be Placed just over against them so that the Streets may be open quite through for the Officers to pass easily to the Head of the Camp as there shall be occasion The length of the Kitchens is to be of Nine Foot and the breadth of Six Foot There must be thirty Paces distance between the Souldiers Kitchens and the Front of the Captains Tents There must be distance of fourty Paces between the Captains Tents and the Front of the Tents of the Subaltern Officers and the remaining Ground is for the Encamping of the Captains Equipage The Sutlers are to Encamp behind the Officers Tents By this account there remains Fifteen or Twenty Paces which makes the distance from one Battalion to another which is always left upon the Left hand The Pikes whether they are Placed against a Cross or in a Stand must be allowed at Eighteen Foot distance from the Hutts The Musquets must be at Eighteen Foot distance from the Pikes or they may be Placed upon the same Line with them The Particulars of Encamping of a Squadron WHen a Quartermaster of Horse hath his Ground allotted to him for a Squadron which is commonly fifty Paces he is to divide it in the following manner viz. He must allow three Paces for the length of a Baraque and two Paces distance from the Opening of the Baraque to the Stakes to which the Horses are fastened and three Paces for each Horses standing and ten Paces for the Street To the Second Troop is to be allowed two Paces distance three Paces for their Baraques and one Pace distance for the By-street The third Troop must have two Paces distance three Paces for the Baraques and three Paces for the Horses After which there will remain fifteen Paces which makes the distance from one Squadron to another If the Squadrons are stronger they must have more Ground And this is onely for a Squadron of one hundred and fifty Men in three Troops each Troop making but one Row of Baraques The Colours must be Placed at eighten Foot distance from the Front of the Baraques in the same Line with the Pikes There are commonly ten or twelve Baraques on a Row for every Troop of fifty Men And there must be at least two Paces distance from one Baraque to another For the Troops Kitchens the Officers Tents and the Sutlers which attend upon the Troops the same measures are to be observed in proportion as are used for Encamping of Foot By a Pace here is meant three Foot Orders for Battel THough there can be no certain Rules given for any Order of Battel which depend chiefly upon the circumstances of Place and other Accidents that may happen yet I shall set down some which may serve for an Example to shew the nature of the Thing You must then first of all Command Silence next to March very Leisurely To observe the right in Marching and preserve the Intervals which are always to be fifty or sixty Paces at least that fifty of a Battalion may pass through them None to speak but the Commander in chief or the Major by his Order Advancing against the Enemy in Battel out of Musquet Shot the Captains and other Officers at the head of the Battalion are all to March in a Line with their Pikes in their Hands two good Paces before the Men and are often to look behind them Because otherwise they may insensibly get too much before the Body And the Souldiers by following too fast fall into disorder whereof great care is to be taken in Marching against an Enemy At which time the Ranks are to be two great Paces distant and the Files closed in such a manner that every Souldier may March at his ease and so Charge and Fire which will be effected if he have liberty of moving his Elbows as he Marcheth When the Musqueteers come within Shot and March ready with their Pans guarded the Ranks should be closed forward to the Swords point But to avoid talking which usually happens at this instant it is better to leave the distance of one Pace between the Ranks so the Souldiers will not press one upon another which ordinarily causes breach of Silence in a Battalion The distance of Files is to be preserved as hath been said already He that Commands a Battalion is to be in the Center of it at the Head of the Pikes the Officer next in degree is to be in the Rere of the Pikes the third in degree at the Right Wing of Shot in the Front the fourth at the Left Wing of Shot in the Front The rest of the Captains are to be in the Rere on the Wings of Shot according
The Captains are to March with their Pikes Shouldered A Lieutenant to March with a Partizan And an Ensign to March with his Pike Comported which is to be the distinction between the Captains and other Officers Serjeants have no place assigned them in Marching but are to be moving up and down to observe that the Ranks and Files be at their due distance Of Drawing up a Body of Men and the Place of the Officers WHen a Regiment is to be Drawn up the easiest and readiest way of Placing the Companies is that the Eldest Company Draw up on the Right hand and the second Company on the Left the Third next to the First the Fourth next to the Second and so consequently to the youngest which is to be in the Center for which the Words of Command are Musqueteers to the Right and Left outwards Pikes to the Right and Left inwards Interchange Ground March When a Regiment hath so taken its Ground to Place the Officers you must divide the Lieutenants equally Placing one half of them at the head of the Right Wing of Shot and the other at the Left The Ensigns are to be at the Head of the Pikes upon the same Line with the Lieutenants and each of them at four Foot distance from the Body The Captains are likewise to be divided equally and Placed on each Wing four Foot before the Lieutenants None must stand before the Ensigns but he onely that Commands in Chief who is to be ten Foot before the Pikes there must be a Serjeant Placed at the Right and Left of every Rank and the Rest of the Serjeants are to be in the Rere at twelve Foot distance from the Body making a Parallel line to the last Rank The Drums must be divided likewise one half on the right Wing and the other on the left and are to stand on the same Line with the first Rank of the Souldiers It is to be understood that this way of Placing of the Officers is onely for Ordinary drawings out either for Musters or Parade For upon any occasion of Service they are to be otherwise placed as shall be shewn hereafter But if the Regiments March in a Body this Order of the Officers must be changed For then the Lieutenants are to be removed from the Front to the Rere the rest of the Officers keeping still their same Post and the Serjeants that were in the Rere must be moving up and down to see that the Ranks and Files March according to the Rules above given And if the Regiment March in Division the difference is yet greater for then one half of the Captains are to March at the Head of the first Division of Shot and the other in the Rere of the last Division One half likewise of the Lieutenants are to be in the Rere of the first Division of Shot and the other at the Head of the last The Ensigns are to March before the Pikes and no other Officer at their Head The Officers in Marching are to observe the same Distance from the Body as when they were Drawn up Of Salutes WHen a Regiment is Drawn up the Officers are to Salute one after another as the Person passes by whom they are to Salute If the Regiment March in Division the Officer that Commands must begin first to Salute and the Captains that March in a Rank behind him must not Salute till he hath done and then they must observe all one Motion The Lieutenants likewise when they Salute must keep the same Time as also the Ensigns which is much more Graceful then doing it one after another The Ensigns must further observe in their Salutes to bring their Colours all the same way otherwise they will be apt to meet and Entangle In making a Guard when the King or Queen passes by the Pikes must be Advanced Otherwise onely the Drums Beat the Musquets are Shouldered and the Pikes Ordered When the King or General comes in the Rere the Colours or Officers are not to March through the Ranks but to keep still at the Front If it be in the Field and the whole Army Drawn up then as the King Marches by every Battalion is to Charge their Pikes and Rest their Musquets which is a Posture of more Guard Of Wheeling when a Body Marches in Division WHen the Word of Command is given to Wheel if it be to the Right the Right-hand man is to keep his Ground and onely turn upon his Heel whilest at the same time the Left-hand man moves about quick till the Officer bids him Stand. The second Rank doth not begin to Wheel till they have taken the Ground of the first So every Rank is to take the Ground of that which is before them Upon which depends this way of Wheeling Of the Exercise of Horse THe Exercise of Horse consisting in fewer Words of Command then that of Foot is more generally known and there is little need of any Alteration to be made therein but what is rather for Shew then Use When a Troop or Squadron are to Exercise they must first have Charg'd their Carabins and Pistols And when the Corporals have been through the Ranks and seen that they are all ready the Officer must Command Silence and proceed as followeth Lay your Hands upon your Swords Draw your Swords Put your Swords into your Bridle Hands Lay your Hands upon your Pistols Draw your Pistols Cock your Pistols Hold up your Hands Give fire Return your Pistols The same Words of Command are given for the other Pistol and then as followeth Lay your hands upon your Carabins Advance your Carabins Cock your Carabins Present your Carabins Give Fire Let fall your Carabins Take your Swords from your Bridle Hands Return your Swords All which Motions the Officer must take care to see done exactly at the same Time and therefore must not give the Words of Command too fast When a Body of Horse is Drawn up the Officers must stand close to their Men onely he that Commands must be a Horse length before the Rest of the Officers And they must observe the same thing in Marching for nothing is more unseemly than to see the Officers at too great a Distance from their Men. It is thought necessary to make an Alteration in the manner of Wheeling of Horse For whereas formerly when a Squadron of Horse was Commanded to Wheel if it were to the Right the Right-hand Men closed to the Left Which way was found subject to put the Ranks out of Order and therefore the Practise now is That the Right-hand Men should keep their Ground onely turning their Horses Heads to the Right whilst the Left comes about in which Motion they must observe their Left-hand man When a Squadron of Horse is to Charge another it is better they should do it with their Swords in their Hands than either with their Pistols or Carabins The manner of Encamping for Horse or Foot THere must be allowed One hundred Paces for the