Pete Meloni, Explaining Civil War Tactics
How did companies combine
to form a battalion instead of a disorderly mess?
Let's say that orders have
just come down to leave winter quarters. (Civil War armies were
unable to fight during the winter months because of the unpredictability
of the weather.) A company has formed up on its company street,
and an officer appears and gives the brigade commanders orders
that they are to be the second company in the line of march.
With the brigade being formed, the second company marching in
is not in the correct direction to fall into the brigade. The
maneuver “Counter March by file Left”
was used by commanders in order to reverse their direction.
From Hardee's Tactics (1855):
The captain commands and the
1st Sgt echoes;
Company, Counter march by file left;
March
At the command; Counter
March by files to the left; March, first man in the left
file pivots on his left foot, takes 1 step, pivots again and
marks time until his file mate catches up. The rest of the company
does the same, until the command is given; forward march.
The Captain commands, the First
Sergeant echoes; Company Halt
The Captain commands; Company Front
Each soldier executes a “Left Face” to face the
Captain.
Once the company is in this
position, the Captain commands
1. Company backward
2. Guide Left
The sergeants step three paces to the rear to mark where the
rear rank should end.
At the command “March,”
the company steps three paces to the rear, aligning themselves
with the 1st and 2nd Sergeants.
At the command “halt,”
the 1st and 2nd Sergeants step back into their places in line.
The battalion is now formed up and ready to accept its marching
orders.
