APPENDIX F
EVOLUTIONS REQUIRED AT THE INSPECTION OF A REGIMENT
1759
The squadron was drawn up in three ranks at open order, i.e. with a distance equal to half the front of the squadron between ranks.
Each squadron was told off into half-ranks, one-third of ranks, and fours.
Officers take your posts of exercise.—The officers rode out from their posts till eight or ten paces in rear of the C.O., then turned about and faced their squadrons.
Half-ranks to the right; double your files.—The left half-ranks of each squadron reined back to the half-distance between ranks, and passaged to the right until the right half-ranks were covered.
Half-ranks that doubled; as you were.—The left half-ranks passaged to the left and rode back to their original places.
(The same manœuvre then executed to the left.)
Rear ranks to the right; double your front.—The rear ranks wheeled into column of half-ranks, then wheeled (as a column) to the left and came up, the leading half-rank on the right flank of the front, and the rear half-rank on the right flank of the centre rank.
Rear ranks that doubled; as you were.—The columns of half-ranks wheeled to the right, and countermarched to their original places.
(The same manœuvre then repeated to the left.)
By two divisions to right and left about, outward, march.—Each rank of each squadron divided in the centre, and wheeled, the right half-ranks to right about, and the left half-ranks to left about; whereby each squadron was formed into two divisions, with an interval between them, facing to the rear.
Wheel to the right and left about to your proper front.—The original formation resumed.
Centre rear ranks move up to your order.—“Order” allowed a distance equal to one-third of the squadron’s frontage between ranks.
By three divisions wheel to the right.—We should now give the word “Divisions, right wheel.”
To the right.
To the right about.
(Same manœuvre repeated to the left.)
Centre and rear ranks move forward to your close order.—Close order reduced the distance between ranks to the space required for four men to wheel abreast.
By fours wheel to the right about.
By fours wheel to the left about.
Officers take post in front of your squadrons.
Squadrons wheel to the right; march.
To the right.
To the right about.
The same then was repeated to the left; and the evolutions came to an end, the trumpets blowing a march till the inspecting officer was out of sight.
THE END
Printed by R. & R. Clark, Limited, Edinburgh
FOOTNOTES:
[1] In those days written Tap-to, meaning that no more liquor was to be drawn.
[2] There were curious ideas afloat in those days about soldiers’ heads. Colonel Dalrymple of the King’s Own Dragoons suggests (1761) that the men’s hair should be cut close, but that they should be provided with Spanish lamb’s-wool wigs for cold and rainy weather.
[3] They were said, when thus docked, to have “hunter’s tails”; hence, perhaps, the popular identification of the Light Dragoon officer with the sportsman.
[4] Denotes one of the six original trumpet-calls.
[5] The calls were first authorised by regulation (so far as is known) in 1799.
[6] These are fragments of some of the inspection reports:—1770, “A very good regiment.” 1771, “A very fine regiment, and appears perfectly fit for service. Must have had great care taken of it.” 1772, “In every respect a fine regiment and fit for service.” 1773, “This regiment is an extreme pretty one and in good order.” 1774, “This regiment is in great order and fit for service.”
[7] This Colonel Washington must not be confounded with his namesake the famous George.
[8] Froude, English in Ireland, iii. 105, 106.
[9] This officer was not of the Seventeenth.
[10] This year 1802 also witnessed the introduction of the chevron on the sleeves of non-commissioned officers.
[11] This animal proved to be Cheettoo’s death. His hoofs were so extraordinarily large that his tracks were always recognisable, and hence exposed his rider to the certainty of continued pursuit. Cheettoo having been driven thus into the jungle was finally killed by a tiger.
[12] It is perhaps worth noting that the poleaxe was a favourite weapon with Royalist cavalry officers in the civil war.
[13] Now A.D.C. to the Governor of Bombay.
[14] The first hint of a short service system was given by a Frenchman, and presented, by translation, to England in 1590.
[15] Besides a halfpenny per day per horse of his troop.
[16] Articles marked [16] were found at the Dragoon’s expense out of his arrears and grass money. Also the following articles (besides the clothing specified in Appendix E): Goatskin holster top at 1s. 6d.; Horse picker and turnscrew, 2d.; Pair of saddle bags.
[17] All articles marked [17] supplied, according to King’s regulation and custom, out of the Light Dragoon’s arrears and grass money.
[18] White Jacket added to the kit by the special request of the men themselves at the close of the Seven Years’ War.
Transcriber’s Notes:
1. Obvious printers’, punctuation and spelling errors have been
corrected silently.
2. Where appropriate, the original spelling has been retained.
3. Some hyphenated and non-hyphenated versions of the same words have been
retained as in the original.