[Search for users]
[Overall Top Noters]
[List of all Conferences]
[Download this site]
| Title: | The American Civil War |
| Notice: | Please read all replies 1.* before writing here. |
| Moderator: | SMURF::BINDER |
|
| Created: | Mon Jul 15 1991 |
| Last Modified: | Tue Apr 08 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 141 |
| Total number of notes: | 2129 |
41.0. "Hardee's Rifle and Light Infantry Tactics" by ELMAGO::WRODGERS (I'm the NRA - Sic Semper Tyrannis) Fri Sep 06 1991 14:47
This topic is for discussion of Gen. William J. Hardee's "Rifle and
Light Infantry Tactics." Discussions of any other similar manuals
could also find a home here.
To introduce the topic, I'll describe the work in general terms.
Hardee's Tactics, as it was universally known, was not a book on how
to fight battles. It did not talk about how or when to use flanking
movements, or when to attack or defend, or how to get your enemy in
a certain position. It was a drill manual. The nearest thing I know
in modern usage is the Navy's LPM - Landing Party Manual. I'm sure
the Army has something similar, but don't know what it is called.
Hardee's was a manual on how to march and maneuver - how to get from
one formation to another and how to move formations of men around
on a battlefield.
The work is divided into three parts: school of the soldier (SOS),
school of the company (SOC), and school of the battalion (SOB - Shut
up, Reilley!)
School of the soldier covers the introduction of a recruit to the Army.
It goes from the "Position of the Soldier," (the position of attention)
through facing left and right, marching in step, wheeling and turning in
formation with other recruits, the manual of arms, and loading and firing
a weapon.
School of the company takes a squad of recruits and incorporates them into
a company of infantry. It covers such things as turning and wheeling in
two ranks, loading and firing in two ranks, breaking the company into
platoons and gettting it back into a single company line again, going from
column of fours into line of battle on any side, and getting back into
column of fours again.
School of the battalion incorporates the individual companies into a bat-
talion of several companies. It covers everything from opening and closing
ranks to forming squares and moving them around on the battlefield.
There is also a school of skirmishers in Vol. I, right after school of
company.
In my opinion, Hardee was a genius. He might have been annaly retentive,
but he was a genius. The number of details and factors that he kept org-
anized in his manual is absolutely staggering. There is no safer or
better way to move large masses of men than by Hardee's. This is not
to say his lessons are always easy to understand or execute, but they
always make sense. Sometimes they don't make sense until later, like
when he says in SOS that when wheeling from the march (as opposed to
from the halt) the pivot man must describe a short arc, clearing the
pivot point, and that the entire company must keep the touch of their
elbows to the outside. Wheeling from a halt is different, and it took
me a long time to see why there was a difference. In SOB, though, it
became obvious. Hardee kept this unbelievably complex work integrated
and coordinated. It just amazes me.
Hardee's was used by both sides, and I believe was the most important
tactics manual of the war. Hardee, himself served in the Army of
Tennessee and won the nickname, "Old Reliable." I think he was one of
the more underrated generals of the war.
At least a passing familiarity with Hardee's is necessary to under-
stand what was happening in some battles. In a few cases, such as
Chamberlain's extension of his ranks on Little Round Top, one needs
a pretty thorough understanding. (I had no idea what a nervy thing
Chamberlain had done until I tried that movement on a flat, open
parade ground, and I didn't even have a herd of berserk Texians and
Alabammians trying to do me irreparable harm!)
Other manuals that were used in the war included: William Gillham's
Manual for the Instruction of the Volunteers and Militia, Casey's
Tactics for Heavy Infantry, Scott's Infantry Tactics, Cook's Cavlary
Tactics, and an artillery manual I can't put a name to for the life
of me. (Gillham's included sections on cavalry and artillery, as well
as infantry.)
Wess
| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 41.1 | Light (Infantry) Reading... | NEMAIL::RASKOB | Mike Raskob at OFO | Fri Sep 06 1991 17:49 | 13 |
| Hardee's is fun (for those of us who _like_ that kind of thing) to
read. It's also fun to compare with von Steuben's Revolutionary War
manual, and see what had changed.
The Army had (probably still does) a Field Manual on Drill &
Ceremonies, FM 22-5 I believe, which covers marching and the manual of
arms, as well as parades, funerals, etc. The problem today is that
marching and the manual of arms have _no_ relation to combat, while at
the time of the ACW you could not move or fight effectively without
knowing them. There are Army manuals on tactics and manuever for
squads, platoons, companies, etc.
MikeR
|
| 41.2 | Old Reliable | MACNAS::TJOYCE | | Wed Nov 20 1991 10:48 | 15 |
|
I agree with Wes on Old Reliable - he was definitely worth a shot
at army commander - unfortunately he turned the post down once, and
wasn't offered it when he would have accepted (at Atlanta when
Hood got the job).
A point about his manual is that I think it is based on a French
army manual, and Hardee got the job of writing the book because
of his knowledge of that language. Up until 1870 the French
were recognised as leaders in all things military.
Toby
|
| 41.3 | Hardee and the French | ELMAGO::WRODGERS | I'm the NRA - Sic Semper Tyrannis | Fri Nov 22 1991 14:33 | 9 |
| Hardee's manual was based on a French one. I haven't read the latter,
but a friend said Hardee streamlined the original enormously. As
hard as Hardee is to read in places, from what I've heard his book
is a vast improvement over the French manual.
I think it would be fascinating to compare the two books in a field
exercise.
Wess
|
| 41.4 | ROLL CALL FORMATION | ELMAGO::WRODGERS | I'm the NRA - Sic Semper Tyrannis | Wed Dec 11 1991 14:43 | 69 |
| When a company was formed for roll call they went through a process
called "sizing." I'll explain exactly how it was done if anyone is
interested. Sizing involved getting the men into two ranks according
to height. The tallest man in the company was at the right end of the
REAR rank. (Companies are *ALWAYS* formed in two ranks.) The second
tallest man was IN FRONT OF him.
front
eighth tallest ---> 8 6 4 2 <--- second tallest man
seventh tallest -- > 7 5 3 1 <-------tallest
Sizing was critical because the men in the rear rank had to reach over
the shoulders of their file leaders' shoulder to shoot. It is awkward
as heck to try to aim an infantry rifle over the shoulder of a taller
man.
After the company is sized, the corporals are inserted. The tallest
corporal goes in at the right end of the 1st platoon - at the right end
of the company. The man he displaces (#2 in the illustration above)
steps to the rear rank, and the rear rank moves one space to the left.
The second tallest corporal goes at the left of the 1st platoon. The
third tallest at the right of the 2nd platoon, and the shortest
corporal goes at the left of the 2nd platoon. Corporals always go in
the front rank. The result look like this:
lower case "c" = corporal
upper case "C" = Captain
upper case "F" = First Sergeant
[company front]
c x x x x x x x x x x x x x c c x x x x x x x x x x x x c C
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x F
|____________________________||__________________________|
| |
| |
second platoon first platoon
The interval between men is ZERO. That is, when the company is dressed
to the right (justified right, for you computer types), every man
touches his elbow to the elbow of the man on his right. They do not
lift their arms or put their hands on their hips as in the modern
command, "At close interval, dress right, dress." The interval between
the front and rear ranks is 13 inches from the breast of the rear rank
to the backs (or knapsacks) of the front rank.
The corporals are not numbered as are the sergeants and lieutenants.
They are simply placed by height. The junior sergeants and all of the
lieutenants fall into the file closer's rank, which is two paces behind
the rear rank. I'll place the file closers tomorrow, or when I have a
bit more time.
This formation is a line of battle. The company is always formed in
this manner, so that it might be ready to fight on an instant's notice.
No matter which way the company turns in maneuvering, whenever the
Captain is at the right end of the front rank, the company is said to
be facing its front.
Wess
|
| 41.5 | Organization of file closers | ELMAGO::WRODGERS | I'm the NRA - Sic Semper Tyrannis | Fri Feb 07 1992 14:32 | 74 |
| It's been a while since I had time to do any noting.
The file closers were the sergeants and lieutenants. Their job was to
keep the formation closed up and dressed. They were posted two paces
behind the rear rank, as follows:
company front
division between platoons
|
V
cc
rear rank --> XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXF
s l ss l s
^ ^ ^^ ^ ^
| | || | |
2nd sgt 1st Lt 3rd sgt 4th sgt 2nd Lt 5th sgt.
When the company wsa given the order to prepare to fire, the Captain
would step to the rear-center of the company, two paces behind the file
closers. From that position he could watch the batallion commander and
relay orders to the lieutenants. The First Sergeant would drop
straight back from his space in the line and stand in the file closer's
rank.
The arrangement of the file closers is important. When the company is
broken into two platoons, the Captain always goes with the 1st platoon.
The 1st Lt., being the more experienced Lt., has the 2nd platoon to
himself, while the less-experienced 2nd Lt. has the Captain's
assistance. The sergeants, too, are organized by seniority and
supposed ability to handle the responsibilities of running the
platoons. The 1st Sgt. is the right guide of the company and of the
1st platoon. He is near the Captain so that orders might be passed
more easily. The 2nd Sgt. is the left guide of the company and of the
2nd platoon. The flanks of the company are the two most critical
points, and Hardee put the senior NCO's there. The flanks of the
platoons are the next most critical points, and the next two senior
NCOs are there - the less-experienced 5th Sgt. in the platoon with the
1st Sgt.
A company broken into platoons would look like this:
company front
X c X C
X X s X X
X X X X
X X X X
X X l l X X C
X X X X
X X X X
X X X X
s X c s X c
S F
2nd plt. w/ 2nd Sgt. as guide, 1st plt. w/ 1st Sgt. as guide,
3rd Sgt. in FC rank, 1st Lt 4th & 5th Sgts & 2nd Lt.in FC
in the lead. and Capt. leading the company.
Note that this company is marching with the guide to the right. What
does the guide to the right mean? Well, that will have to wait for
next time, as Mr. Olson does not pay me to explain this marvelous
subject to my coworkers.
Is there no justice???
Wess
|