The "High Ready"?

[D.H. Hill]

Is there any precedent for this in the books, or is it a reenactorism? I haven't been able to find anything about it in the manuals and I cannot fathom why they'd bother with an alternative to the ordinary ready. I suspect it is a modern safety thing but would like to know for sure.
D.H.

 

[Stainless Steel Mucket]

Could you explain some who, what, where, why and how about this? Has the sound of another well meaning reenactorism.

 

[captaindrew]

I've never heard an order of high ready

 

[JOHN42768]

Possible, High Alert , Immediate Danger or Condition Red

 

[Chattahooch33]

Never heard of it.

 

[Malingerer]

Yes, it comes from Gilham's Militia manual and used to be popular with Virginia reenactors because, putatively, it was used by Virginia regiments throughout the war. That seems pretty unlikely as the CSA adopted the revised Hardee book for all confederate forces. In any case, in Gilham's the "high ready" was for first firings only - when you come to the ready position, you bring the lock up before your face and over to the right or maybe the left??? (iircc). If you want to check it out for yourself go to the Drill Network http://www.drillnet.net/ and look for Gilham's. Hope this helps.

 

[Stainless Steel Mucket]

That would be Ready from the position of shoulder arms. In all the CW manuals, the first firing is at shoulder. In Gilham and Baxter, the weapon is presented and cocked as part of the Ready. See para. 117 of Gilham. For subsequent firings, the weapon remains in the prime position after loading and is, by definition, the Ready. See para. 116 of Gilham.

I could see how one could be called the high ready and the other the low ready. Theyre not period terms.

As a rule, reenactors don't differentiate between first and subsequent firings. The reason is that they have been taught to "come to the shoulder when ready" after loading even though the manuals all say to remain in the prime position after loading for the subsequent firings at that location. Should the troops march to a new location, they presumably go to shoulder arms and are halted. Being at shoulder, they would now execute the Ready per the appropriate manual. For Gilham, it would be presented and cocked. For Hardee and Casey, it would be readied and cocked.

Is the original question being asked because of the manuals being used for the upcoming On To Richmond?

 

[captaindrew]

In Hardee's the proper way is to load and come back to ready unless ordered to cease fire then load and come to the shoulder. I've fallen in with some that want you to load and come to the shoulder. Some keep us at the ready even when on the move. And to specify cocking your weapon should be at half cock(safe) after prime and ready, never full cock until ordered to aim.

 

[Stainless Steel Mucket]

Looks like Silas rolled out another booklet. This one is on Gilham and includes the two Readys. Link : http://www.authentic-campaigner.com...ilhams-for-non-Gilhamites&p=263303#post263303

- S.S. Mucket

 

[D.H. Hill]

Thank you, gentlemen.

Well, it was entirely my fault. I learned Hardee's first, so when I started learning Gilham's I made the incorrect assumption that the final position of the ready was the same. Somehow it escaped my notice in subsequent readings and I assumed the drawing was showing an intermediate step.

 

[captaindrew]

I've never had to study Gilham's. Luckily every outfit I've fallen in with used Hardee's. One book that took several times over to comprehend was enough. Is there a big difference in the two? I know some of the manual of arms is a little different including apparently two ready positions.

 

[Malingerer]

I think if you are doing a Confederate unit in '61 0r 62' then you have a reasonable argument for using Gilham's but anything after that seems pretty specious to me.