School of the Company

With the upcoming drill day, a little PRE-review of Casey's 1862 Infantry Tactics - School of the Company might be in order. There is an excellent web site for this and I will be covering some of the items periodically via the 5th's News Page and in the email.



1. INSTRUCTION by company will always precede that by battalion, and the object being to prepare the soldiers for the higher school, the exercises of detail by company will be strictly adhered to, as well in respect to principles, as the order of progression herein prescribed.

2. There will be attached to a company undergoing elementary instruction, a captain, a covering sergeant, and a certain number of file closers, the whole posted in the manner indicated, Title First, and, according to the same Title, the officer charged with the exercise of such company will herein be denominated the instructor.

3. The School of the Company will be divided into six lessons.

4. The company will always be formed in two ranks. The men will take their places in ranks as prescribed in No. 15 Title I. (see Casey's), and without any preliminary formation. The instructor will then cause the files to be numbered, and for this purpose will command:

In each rank- Count Twos.

5. At this command, the men count in each rank, from right to left, pronouncing in a loud and distinct voice, in the same tone, without hurry and without turning the head, one, two, according to the place which each one occupies. He will also cause the company to be divided into platoons and sections, taking care that the first platoon is always composed of an even number of files.

6. The instructor will be as clear and concise as possible in his explanations; he will cause faults of detail to be rectified by the captain, to whom he will indicate them, if the captain should not himself have observed them; and the instructor will not otherwise interfere, unless the captain should not well comprehend, or should badly execute his intentions.

7. Composure, or presence of mind, in him who commands, and in those who obey, being the first means of order in a body of troops, the instructor will labor to habituate the company to this essential quality, and will himself give the example.

Click here for Lesson I