General Rules and Division of the School of the Soldier as taken from Hardee's School of the Soldier and Cooke's manual.
Created for the specialized needs of the Strategically Dismounted Cavalryman
This School of the Soldier was assembled for the reenactor, strategically dismounted cavalryman. Its content is derived from a part of Col. Parson’s (12 Texas Cavalry) memoirs where he wrote of having to “take away the regiment’s horses and “fight as infantry”. He further details that because his men had been drilled in the way of the horse, that he had to find a way to maintain that rather than re-teach all they had learned. So in this vein, he sat down and in a weeks time took the proper elements of Cooks Cavalry Manual and Hardee’s School of the Soldier. I have never found a copy of this manual, so I sat down and recreated his process. Low and behold, it took about a week of evening editing to complete the work that follows.
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The object of this School is being the individual and progressive instruction of recruits. The instructor will never require a movement to be executed until he has given an exact explanation of it and then executes, himself, the movement that he commands, so as to join example to precept. He accustoms the recruit to take, by himself, the position that is explained, teaches him to rectify it only when required by his want of knowledge, and sees that all the movements are performed without precipitation.
Each movement should be understood before passing to another. After they have been properly executed in the order laid down in each lesson, the instructor no longer confines himself to that order; on the contrary, he should change it that he may judge of the intelligence of the men.
The instructor allows the men to rest at the end of each part of the lessons, and oftener, if he thinks proper, especially at the commencement; for this purpose he commands REST.
At the command REST, the soldier is no longer required to preserve immobility, or to remain in his place. If the instructor wishes merely to relieve the attention of the recruit, he commands, "in place-REST"; the soldier is then not required to preserve his immobility, but he always keeps one of his feet in its place.
When the instructor wishes to commence the instruction, he commands ATTENTION; at this command the soldier takes his position, remains motionless, and fixes his attention.
The School of the Soldier will be divided into three parts. The first, comprehending what ought to be taught to recruits without arms. The second is the manual of arms, and the loadings and firings. The third, the principles of alignment, the march by the front, the different steps, the march by the flank, the principles of wheeling and those of change of direction; also, long marches in quick time, double quick time and the run.
Each part will be divided into lessons, as follows:
PART FIRST
Lesson 1.Position of the soldier without arms - Eyes right, left and front.
Lesson 2.Counting.
Lesson 2.Facings.
Lesson 3.Principles of the direct step in common and quick time.
Lesson 4.Principles of the direct step in double quick time and the run.
PART SECOND
Lesson 1.Principles of shouldered arms.
Lesson 2.Manual of arms.
Lesson 3.To load and fire in nine times and at will.
Lesson 4.Firings, direct, oblique, by file and by rank.
Lesson 5.To fire and load, kneeling and lying.
Lesson 6.The principles of the revolver.
PART THIRD
Lesson 1.Union of eight or twelve men for instruction in the principles of alignment.
Lesson 2.The direct march, the oblique march, and the different steps.
Lesson 3. The march by the flank.
Lesson 4.Principles of wheeling and change of direction.
Lesson 5.Long marches in quick time, double quick time, and the run, with arms.
Part First
This will be taught, if practicable, to four recruits at a time. The recruits will be placed in a single rank, at one pace from each other. In this part, the soldiers or new recruits will be without arms.
Lesson I Position of the soldier.
· Heels on the same line, as near each other as the conformation of the mail will permit;
· The feet turned out equally, and forming with each other something less than a right angle;
· The knees straight without stiffness
· The body erect on the hips, inclining a little forward;
· The shoulders square and falling equally;
· The arms hanging naturally;
· The elbows near the body;
· The palm of the hand turned a little to the front, the little finger behind the seem of the, pantaloons;
· The head erect and square to the front, without constraint;
· The chin near the stock, without covering it;
· The eyes fixed straight to the front, and striking the ground about the distance of fifteen paces.
Remarks on the Position of the Soldier
Heels on the same line
Because, if one were in the rear of the other, the shoulder on that side would be thrown back, or the position of the soldier would be constrained.
Heels more or less closed
Because, men who are knock-kneed, or who have legs with large calves, cannot, without constraint, make their heels touch while standing.
The feet equally turned out, and not forming too large an angle,
Because, if one foot were turned out more than the other, a shoulder would be deranged, and if both feet be too much turned out, it would not be practicable to incline the upper part of the body forward without rendering the whole position unsteady.
Knees extended without stiffness;
Because if stiffened, constraint and fatigue would be unavoidable.
The body erect on the hips;
Because it gives equilibrium to the position. The instructor will observe that many recruits have the bad habit of dropping a shoulder, of drawing in a side, or of advancing a hip, particularly the right, when under arms. These are defects he will labor to correct.
The upper part of the body inclining forward ;
Because, commonly, recruits are disposed to do the reverse, to project the belly and to throw back the shoulders, when they wish to hold themselves erect, from which result great inconveniences in marching. The habit of inclining forward the upper part of the body is so important to contract, that the instructor must enforce it at the beginning, particularly with recruits who have naturally the opposite habit.
Shoulders square;
Because if the shoulders be advanced beyond the line of the breast, and the, back arched (the defect called round -shouldered, not uncommon with recruits,) the man cannot align himself, nor use his piece with address. It is important, then, to correct this defect, and necessary to that end that the coat should set easy about the shoulders and arm pits - but in correcting this defect, the instructor should take care that the shoulders be not thrown too much to the rear, which would cause the belly to project, and the small of the back to be, curved.
The arms hanging naturally, elbows near the body, the palm of the hand a little turned to the front, the little finger behind the seam of the pantaloons;
Because these positions are equally important to the shoulder arms, and to prevent the man from occupying more space in a rank than is necessary to their free use of the piece; they have, moreover, the advantage of keeping in the shoulders.
The face straight to the front, and without constraint;
Because, if there be stiffness in the latter position, it would communicate itself to the whole of the upper part of the body, embarrass its movements and give pain and fatigue.
Eyes direct to the front;
Because, this is the surest means of maintaining the shoulders in line- an essential object, to be insisted on and attained.
The instructor having given the position of the soldier without arms will now teach him the turning of the head and eyes. He will command:
1. Eyes RIGHT
2. FRONT.
1. At the word right, the recruit will turn the head gently, so as to bring the inner corner of the left eye in it line with the buttons of the coat, the eyes fixed on the line of the eyes of the men in, or supposed to be in, the same rank.
2. At the second command the head will resume the direct or habitual position.
3. The movement of Eyes LEFT will be executed by inverse means.
4. The instructor will take particular care that the movement of the head does not derange the squareness of the shoulders, which will happen if the movement of the former be too sudden.
When the instructor shall wish the recruit to pass from the State of attention to that of ease, he will command:
REST.
TO cause a resumption of the habitual position, the instructor will command:
1. SQUAD
2. Attention
At the first word, the recruit will fix his attention; at the second, he will resume the prescribed position with steadiness.
Lesson II Counting
Each time a Squad or Company is called to form up, there will be a count. This count will give the recruit his position in rank and file, and later, on the Line. As Cavalry, the count is done in Fours. The instructor will command the Squads Attention, and further command:
1. Count by Fours
2. COUNT
At the first word, the Squad will perform Eyes Right, with the exception to the recruit furthest to the right, who will maintain his attention fixed to the Front.
At the second word, the recruit furthest to the right will loudly, and with a crisp voice say "One", to which the next recruit will respond "Two" as he returns and his fixes attention to the Front, the next, "Three" and the last "Four". When combined with other Squads, this process will continue down the line until all have been counted. The counting, when constrained by numbers, can also be done in the same manner, by “Twos”
Lesson III Facings
Facings to the right or left will be executed in two times. The instructor will command:
Squad.
1. By File
2. Right (or left) FACE.
At the second command, raise the right foot slightly, turn on the left heel raising the toes a little, and then replace the right heel by the side of the left, and on the same line.
When the words "By File" are omitted (General Rule), the Squad will at the second command wheel to the right by fours, the number 1 position being the guide. Note: "By Twos" may also be used. This will be further developed in Part Third of The Lessons.
The full face to the rear (or front) will be executed in two times. The instructor will command:
Squad.
1. About
2. FACE.
1. (First time.) At the word about, the recruit will turn on left heel, bring the left toe to the front rear, the hollow opposite to, and full heel, the feet Square to each Other.
2. (Second time.) At the word face, the recruit will turn on both heels, raise the toes a little, extend the hams, face to-the rear, bringing, at the same time, the right heel by the side of the left.
3. The instructor will take care that these motions do not derange the position of the body.
Author’s Note on the Common Step.
Common Time can still be seen in the modern military, usually in funeral processions. It is very slow and was the prevalent marching beat during the Revolutionary War. In the 1700s, the infrastructure of roads was not as well developed as during the 1860s and armies were moved across rough terrain. A slower beat was needed to be able to take each step as sure footed as possible. During the Civil War, it was less used as roads accommodated the use of quick time. In today’s reenacting, almost all marching is done at the quick step.
Lesson IV Principles of the common step
The length of the step, or pace in common time, will be twenty-eight inches, reckoning from heel to heel, and, in swiftness, at the rate of ninety in a minute.
The Instructor, seeing the recruit confirmed in his position, will explain to him the principle and mechanism of this step-placing himself six or seven paces from and facing to the recruit. He will himself execute slowly for the way of illustration, and then command:
Squad
1. forward.
2. MARCH (Quick Time)
At the first command, the recruit will throw the weight of the body on the right leg, without bending the left knee.
At the second command, he will smartly, but without a jerk, carry straight forward the left foot twenty-eight inches from the right, the sole near the ground, the ham extended, the toe a little depressed, and, as also the knee slightly turned out.- He will, at the same time, throw the weight of the body forward, and plant flat the left foot, without shock, precisely at the distance where it finds itself from the right. When the weight of the body is brought forward, the whole of which will now rest on the advanced foot. The recruit will next, in like manner, advance the right foot and plant it as above; the heel twenty-eight inches from the heel of the left foot. Thus he will continue to march without crossing the legs, or striking the one against the other, without turning the shoulders and preserving always the face directly to the front.
When the instructor shall wish to arrest the march, he will command:
1. Squad.
2. HALT
At the command Halt, which will be given at the instant when either foot is coming to the ground, the foot in the rear will be brought up, and planted by the side of the other, without shock.
The instructor will indicate, from time to time, to the recruit the cadence of the step, by giving the command one at the instant of raising a foot, and two at the instant it ought to be planted, observing the cadence of ninety steps in a minute. This method will contribute greatly to impress upon the mind the two, notions into which the Step is naturally divided.
Common time will be employed in the first and second parts of the School of the Soldier. As soon as the recruit has acquired steadiness, has become established in the principles, of shouldered arms and the mechanism, length and swiftness of the step in common time, will he be practiced in the quick time, double quick time, and the run.
The principles of the step in quick time are the same as for common time, but its swiftness is at the rate of one hundred and ten steps per minute.
Lesson V Principles of the quick step, double quick, and the run
The length of the quick step is thirty-three inches, and its swiftness at the rate of one hundred and sixty-five steps per minute.
The instructor wishing to teach the recruits the principles and mechanism of the double quick step, will command:
1. Squad, forward at the quick step.
2. MARCH.
At the first command, the recruit will raise his hands to a level with his hips, the hands closed, the nails toward the body, the elbows to the rear.
At the second command, he will raise to the front his left leg bent, in order to give to the knee the greatest elevation. The part of the leg between the knee and the instep vertical, and the toe depressed. He will then replace his foot in its former position with the right leg he will then execute what has just been prescribed for the left, and the alternate movement of the legs will be continued until the command:
1. Squad. HALT.
At the second command, the recruit will bring the foot which is raised by the side of the other, and dropping at the same time his hands by his side, will resume the position of the soldier without arms.
The instructor placing himself seven or eight paces from, and facing the recruit, will indicate the cadence by the commands, one and two. These will be given alternately at the instant each foot should be brought to the ground, which is the same as in common time, but its rapidity will be gradually augmented.
The recruit being sufficiently established in the principles of this step, the instructor will command.
1. Squad
2. Forward at the double quick.
3. MARCH.
At the first command, the recruit will throw the weight of his body on the right leg.
At the second command, he will raise his hands to a level with his hips, the hands closed, the nails toward the body, the elbows to the rear.
At the third command he will carry forward the left foot, the leg slightly bent., the knee somewhat raised -will plant his left foot, the toe first, thirty-three inches from the right, and with the right foot will then execute what has just been prescribed for the left. This alternate movement of the leg will take place by 1 throwing the weight of the body on the foot that is planted, and by allowing a natural, oscillatory motion to the arms.
1.The double-quick step may be executed with different degrees of swiftness. Under urgent circumstances the, cadence of this step may be increased to one hundred and eighty per minute. At this rate a distance of four thousand yards would be passed over in about twenty-five minutes.
2.The recruits will be exercised also in running.
3.The principles are the same as for, the double quick step,, the only difference consisting in a greater degree of swiftness.
4.It is recommended in marching at the double quick time, or the run, that the men should breathe as much as possible through the nose, keeping the mouth closed. Experience has proved that, by conforming to this principle, a man can pass over a much longer distance and with less fatigue.
1st TX Volunteer Cavalry, 19th Corps heading to Battle