File

marching on foot, all recruits must be taught first to face, and then to cover each other exactly in file, so that the head of the man immediately in front may conceal the heads of all the others behind him. The principal points to be attended to are, that the men move in equal time an equal pace of 2 feet, that the front rank men cover exactly, and that the rear rank men keep closed and dre ed to the front rank. File marching may be practised to the front, to the rear, and to either flank; in all which cases the men must be taught to cover well. When recruits are at drill, on the word march , the whole are to step off with the left foot together, gaining at the very first step 24 inches, and so continuing each step, without increasing the distance betwixt each recruit, every man placing his advanced foot on the ground, before the spot from whence his preceding man had taken up his. See Amer. Mil. Lib. Marching in open order to the front , is when any body of men advances by ranks at open order, and dre to some given object without touching one another. The flank man of the flank the soldiers dre to, must be a non-commi ioned officer, and he must take especial care not to incline to one hand or the other. His head must be kept quite straight to the front, his body must be erect, and he must advance without deviating in the most trifling manner to the right or left. In order to execute this e ential part of the drill with any degree of accuracy, two persons should be present, one in the front, and the other on the flank, to observe the dre ing. Young officers should be exercised themselves in the presence of a superior officer; for upon them thereafter will greatly depend the movement of the battalion in line or column. Marching to the front in close order , is when any number of men advance by ranks at close order, and dre to some given objects each man lightly touching his next man, without crowding or pre ing. The march in front by closed files is much easier than that at open files, because every man feels his next man, which ever way the rank dre es, and into whatever direction the line or column moves. To FILE , is to advance to, or move from any given point by files; as to file to the front, to file to the rear, to file from the right or left flank, or to file from any given company. In some of which cases, the leading files must disengage themselves according to the directions given. | To File off, | | - | | To defile, | to wheel off from marching in a spacious front, and march in length by files. When a regiment is marching in full front, or by divisions or platoons, and comes to a defile or narrow pa , it may file off to the right or left, as the ground requires, .