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A51271 The perfect major shewing the easiest way of handling arms, the millitary motions, with the manner how to enter into a field, and to form a batallion. By F. d' Morains, formerly an officer in the French army's [sic]. Licensed April the 24th. 1686. Ro. L'Estrange. Morains, François de. 1686 (1686) Wing M2613D; ESTC R217864 47,994 201

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for we often see Soldiers carry their Arms sometimes upon one shoulder and sometimes upon another and sometimes under their Arms which ought not to be suffer'd without cause for whoever neglects small things in time will also neglect greater things for neglect will turn into an habit and for that reason the under Officers ought to view their Soldiers Arms to see if they are fixed and in good order and in case they be not so after they have had warning of it they must be got mended and cleansed at their own cost and charge which they might do themselves if they were vigilant which is the mark of a good Soldier The Captains ought not altogether to trust to their inferiour Officers they ought from time to time to take a review of their Companies and at the same time to view their Arms and in case they don't find them as they ought to be after they have commanded the Serjeants to have a care of it they must get them to be mended at the charge of all the under Officers They shall no sooner have done it once but that every one shall mind his Duty according to his post For there must be some subordination in an Army CHAP. II. The manner how to Form a Battalion and the terms which are to be used with an easie method to learn the Military motions In the first Place THe terms of a square Battalion of Men. The Battalion is made up of a File Leader and a Bringer up of a half File Leader and of a Bringer up of a half File of a right hand File and of a left hand File The fore part of the Battalion is called the Head or the Front The hinder part is called the Rear The Explication of it The manner how to form a Battalion and the terms which are to be used 1. The first File of a Battalion is that which is on the right hand of the Battalion upon which all the rest are to order themselves 2. A File is so many Men directly behind one another all in a direct line so that no man leaneth neither to the right nor to the left 3. To keep a streight line every Souldier in his File shall look his File-leader on the right hand and on the left and shall bend his body of neither side 4. To even the Ranks is to post the Men of every Rank in a direct line side by side and all of a Front so that none be too much forward nor too backward 5. To even the Ranks the Men of each Rank shall look before and behind their right hand Man without leaving their post or as we shall shew hereafter they shall turn to the right or to the left afterwards they shall post themselves as it is order'd in the third Article 6. A Battalion is to be drawn up six deep when it is to fight But when you exercise more carefully you must put eight men to a File that you may have quarter Files 7 The depth of the Battalion is divided into quarter Files one is called the Front quarter File and the other the Rear quarter File or the out quarter File and the other the Center quarter File 8. When a Souldier turns it must always be upon the same foot which is commonly the left to observe the distances and when he changes place he must always begin to step with the right foot foremost 9. If a Souldier will march backward he must first turn to the right about 10. To the right is to turn a quarter turn towards the right hand and then to stand 11. To the left is to turn a quarter turn towards the left hand 12. To the right about is to turn half a turn to the right hand so that the man that was behind you may then be before 13. To the left about is to turn half a turn to the left hand and to stand as above 14. It is to observed that when the word of Command is given without further explication it is to be always understood to be forward 15. When the word of Command is to the Right or to the Right about it must be afterwards to the left as you were and if the word of Command is to the left or to the left about it must be afterwards to the right as you were and you must take care to keep your Ranks even and your Files streight 16. To double your Ranks to the right the second Rank must come up to the first the fourth to the third the sixth to the fifth and so in order come up upon the right hand of the Men that are before you and shall be as before only two Ranks shall make but one 17. To double your Ranks upon the left you must do as before the second Rank must come up to the first but instead of coming up upon the right you must come up upon the left 18. To double your Ranks upon the right by half Files the half Files must march forwards to the Front and pass between the Bringers-up of half files and every half file Leader must joyn upon the right 19. To double your Ranks upon the left by half Files you must march forward to the Front and follow as before taking the left hand of every half file Leader of them who are to follow 20. As you were is to take the same post you had before 21. Having doubled your Ranks single or by half Files upon the right you must quitting their Ranks turn to the right about and having taken your post to your first distance you must turn again to the right about and having doubled upon the left single or by half Files you must quiting your Ranks turn to the right about and having taken your distance turn to the left about and thus every man shall find himself behind him who did march before him 22. To double your Files to the right is when the second File of the right joyns to the first and of two makes but one and likewise the fourth to the third the sixth to the fifth and so of the rest by order as many Files as there is 23. To double your Files to the left is when the second File of the left joyns to the first the fourth to the third the sixth to the fifth in the same order as above 24. To open your Ranks is to make the distance of the Ranks wider 25. To close your Ranks is to make the distance of the Ranks less 26. The Ranks may be open three several ways to the Front to the Rear and to the Front and and Rear all at once and often at double distance 27. To open your Ranks to the Front at double distance is when all the Ranks do advance forward except the Bringers-up till they have taken a requisite distance which ought to be double of what it was before you opened your Ranks 28. To open your Ranks to the Rear at double distance is when all the Ranks
right and left March Halt As you were CHAP. XIII Of the manner how to behave your selves in all sorts of Defiles YOV must take care in all Defiles that the Files be alwayes odd and when you find supernumerary Files you must form a Rank of them to the Rear of the Division Observe when the Divisions File off that in the places where you are to wheel to the right or left the Ranks turn to the place where the first Rank hath turned taking care to follow your File Leader step by step To that end the Serjeants of the Division must stop at the place where it is to wheel till the last Rank is past and hath Filed off When you File off upon a Bridge before the Enemy after the detach'd men have past you must make the Battalion File off by Ranks from the Center You must wheel to the right or left or to the right or left about CHAP. XIV Of the manner of Firing THE best way of Firing is by Ranks when you intend to Fire in a parallel Line to the Enemy To that end to Fire without confusion you must Fire standing firm upon your feet without any other motion than making kneel the five first Ranks and the sixth Rank is to Fire first the fifth getting up doth the same and so the rest The Ranks before the skirmish begins again are to be close at two paces distance When you are to bear the Enemies fire by Detached men either in the Pass of a River Hollow way or retreating you must detach by Files from the right and left of Musketeers who shall be led without intermission by Officers appointed for that purpose And so coming back to their post they shall be led to it by the same Officers When you march by Divisions to form again the Battalion marching for the greater facility you must first double in three bodies two of Musketeers and one of Pikes and afterwards without losing time joyn the thre● bodies together In making these motions the Front must step but slowly to give time to those that double to joyn the Front without precipitation You may also File off marching after the same manner observing also that the Front must move faster and that notwithstanding the Battalion marches continually with a slower pace without making any Halt When the Regiment is in Battalia and that you will make the Companies File off to lay down their arms or to return to their quarters you must march the two Wings of Musketeers and the Pikes are to stay behind so that the said Wings of Musketeers closing to the right and left may joyn upon that ground which shall be necessary to give way to the Pikemen to be each at the Rear of their proper Company after which each Company Files off without losing time and each Officer in his proper post FINIS The Table of the Chapters THE Major's Duty Chap. 1. Page 3 The Manner and the Terms of a Battalion Chap. 2. Page 15 The general Exercise of the Foot Chap. 3. Page 44 The Exercise of the Musquet Chap. 4. Page 51 The Exercise of the Pike explained by motions Chap. 5. Page 77 The Exercise of the Foot Chap. 6. Page 121 The Exercise of the Musquet Chap. 7. Page 123 The Exercise of the Pike Chap. 8. Page 127 The Exercise of the whole Battalion Chap. 9. Page 135 The manner how to interchange ground Chap. 10. Page 157 Of the manner of Wheelings Chap. 11. Page 159 The Exercise by quarter Files Chap. 12. Page 161 The manner how to behave your selves in all sorts of Defiles Chap. 13. Page 177 Of the manner of Firings Chap. 14. Page 179 FINIS