EVOLUTIONS OF INFANTRY. 50 /

battalion in line. The wheel and ecliellon march of battalions is one of the methodsprescribed in the 1 Ordonnance’ for changing the front of extensive lines.

6. Supposing the battalion to consist of 800 men, if composed of eight divisions,the front of a- division would occupy 35 paces, which, in order that the depth maynot exceed the front of the column, requires that a division and its interval shall notoccupy more than five paces. If organized in ten companies, the front of a divisionwould occupy 28 paces, which, preserving this ratio between the front and depth ofthe column, would only allow three paces for a division and its interval.

7. The Roman legion has been often cited and studied as a model for the organiza-tion of large military bodies; it must not, however, he supposed that in the formationof the line of battle, each legion was always arrayed as a distinct corps, and that partscomposing it were invariably kept together and disposed in the same order.

On the contrary, we find that the cohorts of different legions, like the battalionsof different divisions, were sometimes detached, and arranged not according to anysystem of tactical organization, but in the way which was most suitable to existingcircumstances. E. G.—Caesar, in his ‘ Commentaries on the Civil War,’ informs usthat on one occasion, when manmuvring against Afranius, he drew up his army inthree lines; that his first line consisted of 20 cohorts, four from each of his fivelegions; that his other two lines each consisted of 18 cohorts, viz. 3 auxiliary and3 from each legion, or 15 legionary cohorts.

“ Csesaris (acies) triplex: sed primam aciem quaternae cohortes ex quinque legio-nibus tenebant, has subsidiariae ternae, et rursus aliae totidem, sum cujusque legionissubsequebantur.”— Com. de Bel. Civ. lib. i. lxxxiii.

8. The method of changing the direction of a mass of columns practised by thegarrison of Dublin in 1844 was similar to the first of the two annexed French methods of performing this manoeuvre.

THE MARCH OF INFANTRY CONSIDERED AS A BRANCH OFSPECIAL TACTICS.

“ Tout le secret de la Tactique est dans les jambes.”— Les Riveries du Mare'chalSaxe.

Not only when viewed in relation to the science of General Tactics, hut also whenconsidered as a branch of Special Tactics, the subject of marching presents itselfunder two different aspects; and in treating of the details connected with themarching of troops, as well as when treating generally of the movement of masses,it is necessary to keep in view the distinction which exists between marches of routeand marches of manmuvre.

The objects of these two species of marches are 'essentially different; and in orderto perceive distinctly, and to appreciate justly, the principles by which each speciesought to be regulated, a definite idea must be formed of the nature of these objects.

I. ROUTE-MARCHING.

To traverse the greatest possible space in the least possible time, and with theleast possible fatigue to the troops, may be defined to be the object of route-marching.

2 K

VOL. I.