either wing closing to the middle leaders 6. Strings close to the right The right hand string moveth not but standeth fast all the rest close to the right string taking their distance one from another from the right hand 7. Strings close to the left Strings closing to the left then the left string stands fast the rest of the strings close and take their distance from the left hand Their is great vse in closing of strings for many causes 8. Strings close to the right and left by division Strings closing to the right and left by division the one half of the strings close to the right string the other half to the left string leaving a space betweene which is done vpon some speciall vse best knowne to the Commander 9. Strings open Being in close order the word is strings open not naming to whether hand and is thus to bee done the middle leaders presse vpon their wingers first taking the distance commanded having then opened both wayes the rest of the company on both wings take their distance from them 10. Strings open to the right The left string is not to moue but standeth fast the next to the left string first taketh the distance pressing vpon the right vntill the distance commanded bee obtained the rest of the strings doe the like pressing vpon their right still opening by the righ vntill they haue all done it 11. Strings open to the left The right string standeth fast the rest open to the left still pressing vpon their left string vntill they are all in distance commanded This word of command is ever given to that hand where there is most ground or fittest ground for conveniencie 12. Ranks close from the front to the Reare After this manner the reare or last ranke moveth not but standeth fast the rest of the ranks fall backe to the reare 13. Ranks close from the reare to the front To doe this the first ranke moveth not but standeth fast all the rest of the ranks close vp taking their distance commanded ranke after ranke from the front or first rank the second ranke to the front beginning first the rest consequently one after another till all haue done it 14. Ranks open from the front to the reare The first ranke moveth not the rest of the ranks fall backe till they haue gained the ground to the distance commanded then stand the second ranke taketh the distance first the rest in like manner one from another vntill they haue all effected it 15. Ranks open from the reare to the front Which is thus done all the body advanceth ford-ward the last ranke onely standeth fast the second to the last taketh the distance first then the rest advancing fordward till they haue done it 16. Strings and ranks close The whole body being at open order the word is strings and ranks close to doe the which your middle leaders of strings close first the rest of the strings close to them the ranks close all vp to the front or the first ranke to such distance as is commanded 17. Strings and ranks open The whole body being close in ranke and string the word is strings and ranks open after this maner the middle leaders of strings open and take the distance first the rest of the strings on either wing from them the ranks fall backe the second to the front taketh the distance first the rest in like maner from the front to the reare backwards 18. Strings countermarch and maintaine ground To countermarch and maintaine ground the leaders of every string having turned to the hand directed which is specially to bee observed passe thorow the company their followers march vp to the leaders ground making the same good then turne and passe thorow the company after their leaders till they haue all done the same 19. Countermarch and lose ground To countermarch and lose ground the leaders of everie string turne to the hand directed passing thorow the company the followers moue not till their leaders are passed by them then they turne and passe after their leaders the ranks doe the same one after another not moving till their leaders are passed by them then they turne in the same ground By countermarch the reare may become the front in the same ground that the front stood in having brought them vp and face about Note The strings must bee in their open order when they countermarch 20. Rankes countermarch from the right to the left The right hand man passeth betweene the first and second ranke all the rest of the same ranke follow the right hand man of the second ranke passeth betweene the second and third ranks passing to the left wing the rest of the ranke follow him all the rest of the ranks doe the like bringing the right to the left 21. Ranks countermarch from the left vnto the right The left hand man of every ranke turneth first passing to the right all the ranke followeth him the rest of the ranks doe the like so bringing the left wing to the right This is done vpon some politick respect of the commander to change the wing doubting the courage of the one by the other or otherwayes best knowne to the Commander 22. Strings ranke 3. 5. 7. or 9. The right hand string first executs the same advancing fordward and fall in ranke to such number as shall bee enjoined the next string doeth the like advancing fordward fall in ranke after the former string the rest of the strings keepe the same forme and order vnto they are all ranked 23. Strings ranke 3. 5. or 7. The left string first advanceth falling in ranke the rest of the strings obserue the like forme till the words of command bee fully executed 24. Ranks ranke 4. 6 or 8. The first ranke executeth the same beginning at the right hand man the first ranke having ended the right hand man of the second ranke beginneth the rest of the ranks doe the like till all haue done it 25. Ranks ranke 2. 4 or 6. The left hand man first beginneth heere the rest of the ranks joyne with him making so many in ranke as shall be commanded every ranke passing vp till they haue all done it 26. Ranks string to the right The right hand man of every ranke stirreth not but the next to the right hand man falleth behind his right hand man the rest of the ranks follow all the ranks doe the same falling behind their right hand man making one string of the whole company 27. Ranks string to the left Every left hand man stands fast the rest fall behind one another to the left hand and so are converted into one string The vse Thus you giue a strong charge vpon the wing by facing to any hand this serveth also for a narrow passage to doe this let the ranks bee in open order and the strings in close order 28. Ranks turne to the right The right hand man turneth in the same ground he stands not moving foorth of
the same the rest of the same ranke turneth altogether and become all aboue him the left hand man being vppermost all the ranks doe this 29. Ranks turne to the left The left hand man turneth in the same ground he stands in the rest become all aboue him the right hand man being vppermost all the ranks doe this The vse By this you may giue a charge by either wing very easily Note To performe this easily and shortly let the strings be in their close order and the ranks in such open order as shall be requisit according to the number of men in ranke 30. Ranks and strings turne to the right the great turne This word of command is spoken to the whole body know that the right hand man moveth not but alittle and slowlie the left wing somewhat faster but all the whole body together till such tyme as the left wing bee brought about and then halt their faces being all one way 31. The great turne to the left Then the left hand man moveth but litle and slowly all the rest of the body turne together the right wing being brought to the left 32. The great turne right about to the reare The right hand man moveth but little and slowlie as it is said before vntill his face be at the reare then standeth 33. The great turne left about to the reare The like doeth the left hand man as the right did before vntill all bee turned The vse Thus the front is brought to either of the wings or to the reare being strongest and best armed Note For turning of this great turne the whole body must bee at their close order both in ranks and strings 34. Reare division half strings sixt ranke or middle-men double the front to the right I haue showed you before of these four words of command but tend all to one purpose Therefore I say reare division double the front to the right the leaders of this division are according to the deepnesse the just half of the number and they passe vp every man of the ranke by the right hand of his leader vntill they haue all done and then stand in the front or first ranke the next ranke followeth and standeth in the second ranke and so the rest till all haue done it 35. Reare division double the front to the left The leaders of this division or first ranke of it passeth vp vpon the left hand of their leaders vnto the front or first ranke of the front and so consequently all the rest vntill all bee doubled The vse There is a speciall vse of this motion for by this the same order in distance of ranks is still observed which can not bee in doubling of ranks The second vse Againe they bring sufficient men into the front and reare The third vse Thirdly it maketh the company to show faire vpon a march thorow a Citie or place of note for faces to any hand being thus doubled and then march and you shall bee brauely winged 36. Reare division double the front to the right and left by division The reare division divide themselues the one halfe of them face to the right hand the other halfe face to the left hand then march out both to the wing of the company then face againe to the right and left then march vp to the front and stand there The vse Thus the front is doubled on either wing and the same distance betweene strings and ranks still observed 37. Reare division double the front to the right enteare The reare division face to the right hand altogether then march foorth then face to the left hand and march vp to the front joyning ranke by ranke and their stand 38. Reare division double the front to the left enteare The reare division face to the left and then passe out then face to the right and march vp to the front joyning ranke by ranke to the wing and stand The vse Thus the front is enlarged by such wing as the commander thinkes fitt and shall bee most vsefull 39. Bringers vp double the front to the right The last ranke as formerly is showne are bringers vp who passe thorow the body by the right hand to the front and there stand the second to the reare follow the bringers vp and stand in the second ranke to the front and so the rest till they haue all done it 40. Bringers vp double the front to the left The last ranke passeth vp by their leaders left hand to the first ranke and their stand the second ranke to the reare follow and stand in the second ranke to the front all the ranks doe the like vntill they haue all done it The vse This is another maner of doubling the front and not the worst for by this their is sufficient men brought to the front to the strengthning of the same By this word of command you may alter the front and bring the reare to the front by causing the reare or last ranke which are bringers vp to passe thorow the company the rest of the ranks following them 41. Ranks string by inversion After this maner the whole body standing in open order especiall in ranks one half of the ranks fall into the right string the other half into the left hand string becomming two strings onely wherein you must note that the two vttermost strings which are called the right and left hand strings they stand fast the rest of the strings invert to them The vse This serues for the avoyding of cannon shot vpon the maine body or for a gaird for some great commander to passe thorow it is vsed also at the lodging of the Handseigne 42 To your first order or as you were These words are words which bring the company to their first station or order after everie motion foresaid wee say either to your first order or els as you were which tends both to one vse But because I vse this first word in my owne practise I would wish all those that vseth this booke to follow it so that there bee no diversitie To your first order This word of command is often vsed to perfect the body after doubling of ranks or strings when the reare division hath doubled the front or bringers vp haue doubled the front after ranks turning the great turne ranks stringing either by conversion or inversion and at other tymes to bring them to their first forme The vse The vse of this is so necessarie that when the company can not vnderstand by any other word of command they can more easily fall to their first order There bee diverse other words of command generally to bee observed by the whole company in tyme of service or vpon any suddaine assault to cause face to any hand or charge to any hand The company standing in battell orderly both in ranks and strings and true distance in both the words of exercising are these viz. Faces to the right To your first order Faces to the left
To your first order Faces right about to the reare To your first order Faces left about to the reare To your first order PRESENTING Present to the right To your first order Present to the left To your first order Present right about to the reare To your first order Present left about to the reare To your first order Faces to the right and left by division To your first order Faces to the front and reare by division To your first order PRESENTING Present to the right and left by division To your first order Present to the front and reare by division To your first order There is diverse sorts of exercising of Musquetiers by themselues apart which cannot well bee set downe but in action The first is to winne ground vpon the enemie The second is to lose ground or making a retreate and yet offend the enemie The third is in marching by the enemie and discharging vpon them by strings as they march The fourth sort is by divyding the front and reare by divisions six foote distant and marching away by the enemie and discharging vpon them halfe strings the first halfe string marching thorow the division from the right to the left the second halfe string discharging vpon the enemie and falling by the reare or last ranke vnto the left halfe string The fift sort is by divyding the right and left division six foote distant one from another the first halfe rankes discharging vpon the enemie and falling off from the right hand vnto the reare the one halfe ranke falleth off by the right division to the reare the left division falleth downe thorow betweene the divisions vpon the right hand vnto the reare For brevities sake I deferre all or most kynds of frames and motions vntill I come to the practise and exercise my selfe which Godwilling wil be more profitable to the young Souldier than many tables of motions which are hinderance to the mynd Heeretofore I haue set foorth briefly and shortly the dueties and partes that everie particular officer ought to bee endued with that hee may bee found qualified for the fulfilling of his place and discharging the commandement he hath over a private company Now my discourse draweth mee a little higher to the heads and chiefest officers in an army by whom the whole body of the inferior companies are to bee directed for as the senses of our body haue residence in the head to governe the rest of the body and the sense of touching and feeing onely is spred abroad thorow the rest of the parts thereof that every particular member may haue functions for the execution of these offices wherevnto they are appoynted by nature even so it is in the body of an armie from whose chiftane as from the head should bee deryved all sort of sense and in the rest of the inferior members should bee found a ready obedience to bee disposed vpon according to the influence and government that hee shall thinke most expedient Now as the health and good order of the body depend so vpon the constitution of the head that if it bee distempered or the senses troubled the actions of the whole man are of that same kynd confuted and perverted so the proceedings of an army receaue their beginning and successe according to the sense and vnderstanding of those who governe therein and therefore I haue thought it expedient to speake alittle of them lykewayes that everie one at his first entrie into a campe may know how all things ought to bee rightlie governed and to whom hee ought obedience if any thing should fall amisse so that from the lowest degree to the highest they bee not ignorant how the rule of perfection may be aymed at and obteined THE GENERALL THE highest office of all is that of a Generall who as hee is aboue the rest in authoritie and power so ought hee not only to know perfectly the dueties of every officer but also to excell them all in religion wisedome experience policie gravitie secrecie counsell modestie temperance valour magnanimitie vigilancie care constancie liberalitie and resolution with all other good partes incident to a perfect man of warre and how much all these good parts and many more ought to bee in the personage elected to this high and carefull dignitie you may easily conceaue and gather because hee is set over the rest to the end that he being their chiftane and head may not onely know how to governe them both in actions but also in his vertuous lyfe and carriage bee a paterne light and lanterne vnto the whole numbers of the companies to imitate for it is an old proverb such master such man such Generall such officers and followers for commonly a wise valiant and vertuous generall will chuse wise valiant and vertuous captaines and officers good and vertuous captaines will as neere as they can chuse good honest sober and vertuous officers vnder them intertaine their Souldiers with good and faire speeches to command with all allurements to bring them to the due forme of martiall discipline THE CROWNER THE Crowners place and office is to be commander over the Captaines and all other inferior officers of his regiment having jurisdiction and dominion over them all whereby may bee inferred and gathered the parts and qualities which ought to bee in him and the great skill and experience in warre as one who ought to exceede them all for to know how to command rule and governe them with prudencie and valour And forasmuch as in many occurrants and occasions growing and presented in warre hee should know to performe the parts and office of a generall being alone with the companies of his owne regiment as when his generall commands him to the batterie or seige of any fort or citie or to defend any fort or towne or to warre in any open campania to giue battell to the enemie to make incursions to retire and withdraw skirmishers to frame brigs over rivers to fortifie himselfe in campe to conduct artillirie and many other peeces of service to bee performed in him he is greatly to respect and honour his generall obeying and performing his commands and orders with great care and diligence as hee would bee obeyed himselfe and reverenced by his Captaines and other officers of his regiment THE SERGEANT MAIOR HIS office is to bee the generall minister or officer of a whole regiment of sundrie companyes and superintendent of all the Sergeants of the same by whose hand and industrie the crowner doth giue the orders convenient to the due governement of his regiment as in marching encamping imbattelling and in such other matters concerning heerevnto whereby may bee gathered the parts the qulities the valour the great skill experience and great diligence which ought to bee in him who is chosen to this degree of office being of such importance the Sergeant majors office is of much higher degree than any ordinarie Captiane for every Captaine doe receaue his directions from the Sergeant major and
THE MILITARY GARDEN OR INSTRVCTIONS FOR ALL YOVNG SOVLDIERS AND SVCH WHO ARE DISPOSED TO LEARNE AND HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE MILITARIE DISCIPLINE Wherein are set downe the conditions and qualities which are required in every severall officer of a private company Observed and set in order according to the best Military practise by IAMES ACHESONE Gentleman at Armes Burges of EDINBVRGH EDINBVRGH Printed by IOHN WREITTOUN Anno DOM. 1629. Cum privilegio REGALI TO THE RIGHT VERTVOVS AND WORSHIPFVL DAVID AKENHEAD PROVEST IOHN SINCLAIRE ARCHBALD TOD EDWARD FORKER ALEXANDER HERIOT BALLIES IOHN MAKNATH Dane of Guild DAVID MAKALL Treasurer and to all the remnant of the Councell of the Towne of EDINBVRGH RIght vertuous and worthshipfull having by your direction trained vp and practized in the militarie discipline the youth of this most flourishing Towne and now for the common good being to publish to the World those precepts which I had privatlie taught all them that would learne of mee I thought I could not more deservedly present the fruites of my laboures to any than vnto that Towne to which I was so much oblished and to you which were so carefull to haue your Burgesses made able as well for Warre as Peace As the Governour of this World hath apointed Life and Death Summer and Winter Day and Night and almost given evrie thing a contrarie so hath hee made Peace and Warre to haue an interchanging course on the face of this earth Though Peace bee alwayes to bee desired yet Warre is to bee provided for and the youth when it should fall forth for the chasticement of People is to be trained therevnto All civill lawes and orders if there were no defence prepared to maintaine them were no better than beautifull Pallaces destitute of Roofes to hold out the violence of storme What haue the most peacefull Comonwealths beene without trained Souldiers but a pray to some stronger It is set downe as a blemish in Constantin the great that at the desire of some too peacefull subjects hee cassired the auncient Legions and in them overthrew the Militarie discipline of Rome leaving a breach for barbarous nations to invade the Empyre not considering how lawes justice subjects and the whole Bodie of the estate lie vnder the protection of Armes as by a mighty forteresse Salomon in tyme of Peace prepared armes and chariots None dare doe wrong to that nation which they know it ready prepared and promptlie furnished for Warre If GOD shall moue the posteritie to continue this noble exercise which yee in this tyme haue so happelie begunne there are faire hopes that as this Towne is the chiefe of this laend so shall it be farr aboue many and equall if not exceed the braue number of Souldeours that haue with losse of tyme and blood followed the Warres in forraine partes of the earth To which they may bee stirred vp if there were some plot of ground alloted to bee a militarie Garden for the training vp of the rude youth which the Kings M. desired most earnestlie to be done knowing how the youth of Scotland is not inferiour to any living in courage To which worthie purpose I found the most and best of the commons most willing and well affected By this meanes of weake citizens yee shall haue strong of timorous couragious of idle laborious and for a People which scarce are able to sustaine a desensiue Warre against invaders a Nation reddie to offend any stranger kingdomes abroad Thus hoping yee will accepte of this tractise with the same minde that it is presented vnto you I pray Almightie GOD to prospere and make ever flowrish this Towne with a race of such Worthie and Vertuous Magistrats and Councellours as yee are which now this present yeere governe it Yours ever to command IAMES ACHESONE THE MILITARIE GARDEN AS naturall things are conserved by comelie disposition so ARTE which followeth nature is most maintained by the same Confusion is the mother of mischiefe and nothing can be strong where disorder is admitted either to giue counsell or to command So long every common-wealth and pollicie hath beene able to stand as it hath found Citizens submit themselues to the authoritie of the lawes and the power of Magistrats and so long may wee hope to haue happie successe in the exercise of Armes as these who professe to follow the same shall bee readie and willing to keepe that station wherein their merits hath placed them but that it may bee knowne what is required of every one in his office I shall touch alittle their severall dueties according to the order and place they carry first A CAPTAINE A Captaine should consider that he hath the charge of mens liues committed to his hands over the which hee should watch least any of them bee lost vnder his conduct either by rashnesse or want of knowledge which should bee more easilie performed if skilfull and sufficient men were chosen to beare rule and such as either had passed or at least did vnderstand the degrees of all the inferiour officers whereby hee may bee able to discharge a place of such importance that hee may presentlie redresse any thing amisse and giue ininstructions and orders vpon every new accident either in marching encamping or fighting what the said officers haue to doe for no man is able to teach that which he hath not himselfe before learned for if hee haue not experience by his ignorance a whole company may be overthrowne hee must diligentlie vse his Souldiers to the often vsing of their armes which shall bee more profitable vnto them than the asistance of the Physitians for dayly practise and exercise makes them both perfite and healthfull and at last victorious in the fields in tyme of battell LEIVETENANT HEE that is elected vnto this office ought to bee a man of great experience fidelitie and valour who in the absence of his Captaine carryeth his place charge and command vnto whom the Souldiers and vnder officers are to obey for the tyme as vnto the Captaine himselfe His place of March his Captaine being present is in the reare of the Company but in retiring or marching out of the Field hee is to march in the Front and the Captaine in the Reare THE HANDSIGNE THE Handsigne is the foundation of the Company wherein consisteth the honour and reputation of the Captaine and Souldiers hee ought not onely to bee a good Souldier bold and valiant but as neere as may bee the Captaines equall in valour discretion and counsell His place of march is vpon the head of the Pickes the same place hee must obserue in set Battells but rather betuixt the third and fourth Rankes THE SERGEANT IN this officer consisteth the principall partes of the observation of military discipline and for that the execution of the supperiour officers orders and commands doe concerne his charge and duety it importeth that hee bee a skillfull and valiant Souldier and well experienced in Military discipline yea of so great