- Joined
- Feb 23, 2013
- Location
- East Texas
One aspect to consider regarding deployment is the order of march as the parent unit approaches the battlefield. If going from route march straight into action they would no doubt deploy into line-of-battle beginning with the lead unit then swing into line on the right or left according to the wish of their brigade commander. ("By companies into line on the ___, march!) Where it becomes sticky is that marching brigades did NOT always form the same order in a marching column. Considering there are usually three-five regiments in a brigade, none wanted to march at the rear of the column where they would "eat the dust" of those ahead of them! The usual answer was for them to rotate on a daily basis, each morning the lead of the previous day dropping to the second position and so forth, the lead being taken by the previous rearmost regiment. This would be repeated daily, so you can imagine that one day the rearmost would be the last to deploy, therefore winding up on the extreme flank; whereas the following day they would be first and on the exact opposite flank.
Edit: I should also add that the brigades within a division and even the divisions within a corps might also rotate from front to rear for the same reason.
Edit: I should also add that the brigades within a division and even the divisions within a corps might also rotate from front to rear for the same reason.
Last edited: