Marching by the flank

infomanpa

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Pennsylvania
Just finished Hess' book, Civil War Infantry Tactics. (yes @novushomus I finally took your suggestion.) I liked how the author showed which formations were actually used during the Civil War as opposed to those described in the tactics manuals (Casey, Hardee, Scott).

I was most confused by Hess describing moving by the flank as a 2 man abreast formation as opposed to Casey's manual and others who describe it as 4 men abreast. That amazed me because whenever I see troops marching in Civil War movies, they seem to be marching by ranks of 4. Are they marching by the flank when they go along a road? I couldn't find any reference to this in Hess' book.
 
Just finished Hess' book, Civil War Infantry Tactics. (yes @novushomus I finally took your suggestion.) I liked how the author showed which formations were actually used during the Civil War as opposed to those described in the tactics manuals (Casey, Hardee, Scott).

I was most confused by Hess describing moving by the flank as a 2 man abreast formation as opposed to Casey's manual and others who describe it as 4 men abreast. That amazed me because whenever I see troops marching in Civil War movies, they seem to be marching by ranks of 4. Are they marching by the flank when they go along a road? I couldn't find any reference to this in Hess' book.
Moving by the flank would be moving in battle line which would be staying in 2s to the right or left as opposed to simple right or left face which would double into 4s. Basically shifting your battle line to the right or left.
 
Marching by the flank is when each soldier turn right or left, but the battlaion still stay in line.
Scotts older books dont double up, the same is the case with Chandler, that the Wisconsin regiments in the Iron brigade used early on. Might be the reason for Hess writing that you are still two man "deep" (need to look it up myself, and I might get a better Idea)

This is often called a column of fours.. but that is simply not correct. It is still a line of battle, marching by its flank.
It is suppose to be used only when moving a bit left or right... and on roads.
For all other larger movements the regiment is suppose to use a column of companies or of divisions. (that is two companies wide and 5 deep)

With well trained troops it is much faster to get into line of battle from a column of division, than with a regiment marching by the flank, going into line forward, one company at a time.
But understanding how its done and teaching the men how to do it, is much more complex. So simply putting the men into line and then move forward is much much simpler and easier.

In the end acw units very rarely understood the core concept of the french 1845 drill book. (that Hardee translated)
Had french infantry been attacking at Gettysburg on the 3rd of july 1863, they would most likely have been moving in columns of divisions, and 20% of the infantry, that is the two flank companies from each battalion (if not more) would have been in front in skirmish order. Forcing the union infantry to waste their fire on them, long before the main force got into range.
 
Moving by the flank would be moving in battle line which would be staying in 2s to the right or left as opposed to simple right or left face which would double into 4s. Basically shifting your battle line to the right or left.
Say if you want to move your guys say to right quickly and stay in line of battle in 2s you order move by the right flank. If you ordered right face they would get in 4s march over then have to reform the battle line taking a lot more time.

Forgive my denseness, but how is a "simple right or left face" from a battle line doubling into 4's? The men will still be in 2's. I don't see the difference between the two cases.

Casey in his manual does describe an additional step after the right or left face order is given where every other man moves up to the right of the man in front of him. Now, that becomes 4 abreast. The problem for me is that Casey calls this, "marching by the flank."

So, again, I am still confused.
 
Forgive my denseness, but how is a "simple right or left face" from a battle line doubling into 4's? The men will still be in 2's. I don't see the difference between the two cases.

Casey in his manual does describe an additional step after the right or left face order is given where every other man moves up to the right of the man in front of him. Now, that becomes 4 abreast. The problem for me is that Casey calls this, "marching by the flank."

So, again, I am still confused.

Thank you for asking that because I'm not getting it either.
 
Forgive my denseness, but how is a "simple right or left face" from a battle line doubling into 4's? The men will still be in 2's. I don't see the difference between the two cases.

Casey in his manual does describe an additional step after the right or left face order is given where every other man moves up to the right of the man in front of him. Now, that becomes 4 abreast. The problem for me is that Casey calls this, "marching by the flank."

So, again, I am still confused.
It can be confusing. When the company is in formation in two ranks facing front in a battle line or when they fall in and form the company and are ordered right or left face you automatically double into 4s (after counting off by 2 the #2s step up to form 4 ranks when facing right the 1s step up if facing left) which would be the normal marching formation then order forward march. To get back into a battle line by 2s you'd have to stop and either left face or in the other direction right into line which can be a little tricky especially under fire. Now imagine you are in a line of battle with the enemy in your front. You see the enemy moving to your right or left possibly trying a flanking movement and you need to counter that quickly. You would order by the right or left flank march and the battle line would simply turn and move to the right or left without doubling and go as far as needed and turn right back front into the battle line. It's much simpler and faster than going into a formal marching formation then having to reform the battle line. I wish I had a virtual chalkboard, I think I could draw it up a lot better than I could explain it. Then you have to through in marching by the oblique and wheels.
 
Forgive my denseness, but how is a "simple right or left face" from a battle line doubling into 4's? The men will still be in 2's. I don't see the difference between the two cases.

Casey in his manual does describe an additional step after the right or left face order is given where every other man moves up to the right of the man in front of him. Now, that becomes 4 abreast. The problem for me is that Casey calls this, "marching by the flank."

So, again, I am still confused.
Thank you for asking that because I'm not getting it either.

This is complicated, so PAY ATTENTION!

Before doing ANYTHING, a unit has to COUNT OFF BY THE NUMBERS: Beginning on the right, the first man in each of the two ranks standing at attention says "ONE"; the next man to the left next says "TWO"; the third man - "ONE" again; the fourth man - "TWO" again; fifth man - "ONE"; sixth - "TWO"; etc., etc., etc., etc., until EVERY man in the unit is now either a "one" or a "two". (And remember the REAR RANK men have also counted off along with the man in front and are therefore the SAME NUMBER as the man in their front.) When the command "right face" is given, the ranks and files turn in the appropriate direction, the "ones" standing in place, and the "twos" STEPPING UP TO THE RIGHT OF THE ONES, making the four-man front for a marching column. If "left face" is given, the same procedure is followed with the vital difference it is now the "twos" that stay in place and the "ones" that step to their LEFT.

If the column now marches off, when it halts, if the unit "fronts" again, when the now-four-man RANK does so, the men who stepped up will have to return to their original place in the line-of-battle. As might be imagined, in the heat of battle with casualties taking men out and others dropping out for various reasons, at some point EVEN IN COMBAT the unit will have to stop and count off again or else be reduced to a quivering mass unable to perform even the most elementary moves in what is in reality an intricate military ballet. This is the main reason the soldiers complained about the seemingly endless drill they endured.
 
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It seems @captaindrew and I were posting simultaneously, and his is maybe a little more elegant than my best efforts at acting the drill sergeant! I will add to his the reason for all this was to SHORTEN the marching column: four men abreast take up roughly half the space of two. WHY this was important: columns of march could easily stretch for MILES - the head of a column might reach the battlefield hours before the tail; often even when no battle was going on the head might arrive at the next campground if on the march before the rearmost elements even got on the road.
 
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I drew this up real quick so you may understand better
20171024_152510.jpg
 
making the four-man front for a marching column.
But Technically it is not a marching column, but a line of battle that is marching by its flank...

A column is when you got each subunit are in line, but one after another.
(column of companies or column of division are the two typical used in Hardee)

This is a illustration I made a few years ago.
It is actually four 50 "men" platoons, in a 200 man company... as done by the danish army, but the idea is the same.
Each subunit is in line, but the unit is in (closed) column.
kolonne.jpg


edit: gramma
 
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But Technically it is not a marching column, but a line of battle that is marching by its flank...
No - once the doubling up has been done, it's now in column of march. True marching by the flank does not double. The difference in semantics is the difference between what a single element - company, battalion, or regiment - is doing (and what I'm describing); versus what larger maneuvering elements - brigades, divisions, corps, armies - do, which still might be thought of as marching by the flank on a grand (and non-tactical but strategic) scale.
 
I can only explain it to the company level. I have a good handle on Hardee's to the school of the company and a little bit of the battalion, after that my pea brain gets scrambled. I only get to a couple events a year where battalion drill comes into play, most events are small company level actions. Hopefully explaining it by company at least gives you the basic idea of the different movements.
 
No - once the doubling up has been done, it's now in column of march. True marching by the flank does not double. The difference in semantics is the difference between what a single element - company, battalion, or regiment - is doing (and what I'm describing); versus what larger maneuvering elements - brigades, divisions, corps, armies - do, which still might be thought of as marching by the flank on a grand (and non-tactical but strategic) scale.
"column of march" is not a term found in Hardee.

---
Hardee - SoC - Lesson III.

The march by the flank.
351. The rank being at a halt, and correctly aligned, the instructor will command :
1. Squad, right—FACE. 2. Forward. 3. MARCH.

352. At the last part of the first command, the rank will face to the right ; the even numbered men, after facing to the right, will step quickly to the right side of the odd numbered men, the latter standing fast, so that when the movement is executed, the men will be formed into files of two men abreast.
Clearly they are doubling.
True out school of the company the term "Company marching by the flank" is used... for when the soldiers are doing this.


SoB
16. The school of the battalion will be divided into five parts.
17. The first will comprehend opening and closing ranks, and the execution of the different fires
18. The second, the different modes of passing from the order in battle, to the order in column.
19. The third, the march in column, and the other movements incident thereto.
20. The fourth, the different modes of passing from the order in column to the order in battle.
21. The fifth will comprehend the march in line of battle, in advance and in retreat; the passage of defiles in retreat; the march by the flank; the formation by file into line of battle; the change of front; the column doubled on the centre; dispositions against cavalry; the rally, and rules for manoeuvring by the rear rank.

When looking in part 2 and 3 it is clear that when the battalion change from line of battle, to a column, the individual companies end in line. (unless the battalion need to pas true an opening so small that it need to do it by platoon.. then the platoon is still in line)

208. The battalion marching by the flank, will be formed into column, by section, by platoon, or by company, as soon as the breadth of the way may permit; the several movements which these formations include will be executed by the commands of the captains, as their companies successively clear the defile, observing the following rules.
This sentence makes no sense if marching by the flank was a type of column.
 
Technically speaking any movement to the right or left is moving by the flank whether it be by 1s, 2s, 4s, column, battalion, and so on. My earlier posts and James N. posts were trying to simplify the difference between moving in 2s and 4s as much as possible so everyone would understand. OK so technically going by the book (Hardee's) @thomas aagaard is correct, in school of the company moving by the right or left flank is, right or left face,then doubling from 2 to 4 ranks, then forward march like in the second picture in the diagram I drew. It then goes on to give the commanding officer the discretion to stay in 2 ranks or if in a single line stay in one rank if he wants to stay in battle line like the first picture I drew. The proper command would then be, in two ranks, (or one) right or left face, forward march. Now if you really want to scramble your brain study some of the battalion, brigade moves by the flank where you are wheeling companies into line and moving from columns to 4s to 2s back to 4s and back into line, then throw in moving around obstructions, it will make your head spin.
 
Hardee/Casey call it "marching by the flank" because the formation is still a line of battle that is just marching by the left or right flank.

But Casey calls "marching by the flank" a formation with 4 abreast. To me, that is no longer a line of battle. It's a doubled-up line of battle.
 
It can be confusing. When the company is in formation in two ranks facing front in a battle line or when they fall in and form the company and are ordered right or left face you automatically double into 4s (after counting off by 2 the #2s step up to form 4 ranks when facing right the 1s step up if facing left) which would be the normal marching formation then order forward march.

Thanks for the clear description AND diagram.

This is complicated, so PAY ATTENTION!
Yes, SIR! Understood, SIR! Thank you, SIR!

It seems @captaindrew and I were posting simultaneously, and his is maybe a little more elegant than my best efforts at acting the drill sergeant!

Much appreciated, James. Your explanation was very clear and helpful to me.

But Technically it is not a marching column, but a line of battle that is marching by its flank...

That's what I understood, also. Hess makes very clear that moving by the flank is not a marching column.
 
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