Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-05-19

Editor Morning Nsscs; Some two weeks ago
Captain J. F. Burke, Of the Gate City
Guard, addressed me communication as
the Southern correspondent Of the army and
navy publications at the North, and re-
Quested me to secure an official decision Of
the questions presented.
AS the Army and May Journal, Of New
York, is by common consent considered the
highest authority in such matters, for
warded the correspondence to that paper,
with the following result.
Captain Burke asks these questions:
1st Can the command fright Cor left)
dress" be given when the company is at 8
"right shoulder arms2n
%. Is It necessary for the company to be
brought TO "carry arms" before the com Z
mand fright (or Lefty dress" can be giveng
The drin to be according to Upton's Re-
vised Tactics.
He answers the questions as follows: LIST.
Yes I'd. No and continues: These answers
are based on the following reasons;
LIST. The tactics do not require the COM
pany to be brought to "carry" before the
command to ''dress' can be given.
I'd. A company being in column of files at
fright shoulder and being exercised in
left face" to company front. The Zine"
would no doubt be little irregular, and 1t
would be supertluous to require the 1nstruc-
tor to bring them to a ''carry" before he
could "dress" his company.
3D. II a company after stacking arms"
should require to be dressed 1t would be
absurd to make them break the ''stacks'
and come to q 'carry'' in order to ''dress. :"
4th. In marching st Fright shoulder"
company front, and the command be given,
''left Wheel" the men are required to look
and dress to the right. They are not brought
to ''carry" in order to wheel round a
corner.
5th. Being at ''haltn and company front,
at the fright shoulder" in order to gain a
few feet to the rear, the command "right
Cor left backward dress" can be given
without first commanding "csrry ARM" "
Ny opinion is that the command "right Tor
left) dress' may be given while the men are
at a carry" "right shoulder" Support, !"
"trail," "reverse,n "secure," or farms
port,' and it is easier to 'tdress" while at a
fright shoulder than at "carry," because
10 the latterfpositioa the upper part of the
barrel obstructs the view.
la reply 90 these arguments we would
say, 1st, that although the tactics do not
specially direct that the pieces must be at
the carry preparatory to the dress, we con-
LCuu bDdb 90 4aCLlCc3 al
alignment cannot be perfectly completed
unless the pieces are at the carry. Custom
makes law, and one of the prevailing GUS
toms of the service is that ahgnments
under arms are always made from the
carry. Tactics are founded on reason, and
IL we follow them through we find many
places where the question of the position of
the piece during the dress Is satisfactorily
settled. For instance, paragraph lis, "when-
ever the command halt is given the men
bring their pieces to a carry upon executing
lhe command ~ why should this be so un-
less for the proper rectiication Of the align
ment2 Why not dress with the pieces in the
same position as when marching2 Again, dur
ing battalion drill, regiment being plOyed
into close column on first division, right In
front. Under paragraph 1877, during bat
talon drill, the arms are habitually carried
at the right shoulder, consequently on the
completion of the ployment and before exc
cutting new movement the instructor would
so order the pieces. Now the command on
first division deploy column is given, pieces
at the riqIt shoulder. The first division is
ordered TO stand fast and at the command
march, the chief hastens to the left
of the front rank and orders the
dress. The other divisions are dressed sue
cessively, each being brought to support
after The ''front" Of the preceding division.
Now here is the common sense of the
tactics. The bringing of the piece to the
support at the close Of the movement is GER
tainIy TO relieve the men from the tfresome
carry, as well as to indicate to the COM
manGant the completion of the movement
And ii the first division Is at a right
shoulder, there would be no particular
need of ordering support, for the men
would be under no strain. Besides If
the pieces are either at right shoulder or
sunTOrt we consider that without leaning
forward 1t will be almost impossible to see
the coat buttons of the second man to the
right or left, par. SO, I'd. The facings
are taught to a squad without arms, and the
occasion mentioned in the question is only
an imaginary one, for If an instructor
was exercising ia the .tacings common
sense would at once show him that the
pieces should be at the carry. Sd. To dress
after stacking arms Is covered by par. 80
1t is not necessary to have the pieces in
order to execute an alignment. 4th. In
wheeling the dress is kept up by touch of
elbow toward the pivot flank, the men
merely seeing the eyes Of the men to their
right or left. The principles of par. 80 are
not required at wheel. 55h. Such a COM
mand may of course be given, but we claim
that it would be an error; the pieces should
first be brought to the carry.
AS the military of Savannah is unexcelled
in numbers or drill by that of any sister
city, and the above, although rather
lengthy, is matter of much importance,
causing frequent discussions, / send it to
you for publication in the MORNING NEWS,
where 1t will also reach the eve of the Vol
unteers in fifty other cities, and settle for
them all hitherto perplexiDg point in
military tactics.
SIDNEY HERBERT.
Atlanta, Mdu II, 1881.