Headquarters Hagood's Brigade.
1 December, 1863.
Circular.
I. A course of instruction in drill will be instituted by the several commandants
of regiments of the brigade as follows: The six (6) lessons in
the battalion drill (Hardee's 2 Vol.) will be gone through with on successive
days; and then three successive days will be devoted to the skirmish drill
including the deployment of the battalion.[2]
These duties will be had in
the afternoon, and in the forenoon of the same day, each regimental commander
will have caused his officers to recite on the lessons of the day—
blackboards or some substitute being used.
II. Special attention will be given in this course to the guides, and
commandants of the regiments are required to reduce to the ranks any noncommissioned
officer, who, after reasonable instruction, fails to become
master of his duty. The "advance in line" must be practised until the
troops are perfect in its execution and its principles thoroughly understood.
The troops must also be accustomed to manœuver as well by the rear rank
as by the front, by inversion as by direction.
The "formation against cavalry," the "instructions for skirmishers," the
"advance in line" and the "march in column" are of chief importance in
the drill; and their relative importance is in the inverse order in which
they are here enumerated. The points to be looked to in the march of a
column, whatever the breadth of its front, are (1) that the depth of the
column never exceeds the width the troops are to occupy in line of battle.
(2) That meeting an obstacle in the march, the men do not improperly
break into files to pass it. (3) That no man, upon any pretense whatever,
falls out of the ranks without the permission first obtained of his captain.
The first two rules are to prevent fatigue to the men in closing up from
time to time, and to prevent delay in the march of an army. A single
battalion may lose but ten minutes on a march in thus improperly breaking
into file, that will delay a brigade near an hour, and a division five hours,
in which time a battle may be lost or won. The third rule is to prevent
the evil of straggling, and all these rules will be enforced in this brigade
on all marches, however distant from the enemy—whether going to or returning
from duty, or upon any other occasion. Discipline is the result of
habit, and careless habits in this particular must not be formed, or, if
formed, must be broken. Officers must use such means, amounting to severity
if necessary, as will enforce these rules, and they alone will be held
responsible for any departure from them.
III. Commanding officers will notify these headquarters of the hours
in the afternoon each may select for the drills ordered to the end that the
brigadier-general may when practical be present.
By command Brigadier-General Hagood.
W. E. Stoney, A. A. A. G.
