Filing

are movements to the front, rear, or flank by files. These movements must be executed with great quickne . The files must go off at a smart gallop, and continue so till all are in file, the rear rank men dre ing well to their front rank; the front rank covering well, and keeping close to the croup. If the filings are to be made from a flank to the front or rear, the whole must keep pa aging up to the ground from whence the first file went, before they go off; if to a flank, the horses must be turned as soon as there is room. If the filings are from a flank to march along the front or rear, past the other flank, every file must come off from its own ground as the next gets into file. General and nece ary Filings , are from either, or both flanks of the squadron to front, flank or rear; filing from the centre of the squadron to the front, or to the flank. Filing single men by ranks, or by front or rear rank men alternately from either flank of the squadron. In the filings of the squadron, the serre-files take their places in the rear of the files unle the ground will allow them to remain on the flanks of the rear rank; but their general and proper position is in the rear of the files. In cavalry filing , the greatest attention must be paid to keep the squadron as compact together as the nature of the movement will permit. It is a situation in which horses move free, and without confinement, but in which the parts of a squadron are apt to lengthen out, and take up much more ground than what they stand upon in line, and is therefore to be adopted only from nece ity, in broken or embarra ed ground. When the word file , has been given, and the heads of the horses have been turned ready to move off without lo of distance, the leaders of files must go off short and quick in their ordered direction. They are followed close by each man as it comes to his turn, so as to leave no unnece ary interval from one to another, and instantly to put off the ground. After being once in file, a distance of a yard from head to tail may be taken so as to trot or gallop the easier if required. Every alteration of pace ought to be made as much as po ible by the whole file at once: if this is not observed, a crowding and stop in the rear will always attend such alteration.