The Young Dragoon: Every Day Life of a SoldierDrayson, Alfred W. (Alfred Wilks)
History
The Young Dragoon: Every Day Life of a Soldier
Drayson, Alfred W. (Alfred Wilks)
Soldiers -- Juvenile fiction
Having explained how those of my young readers, who have no ambition to
become either soldiers or volunteers, may improve their appearance, it
now becomes our duty to put those whose intention is to become
volunteers, or to enter the regular service, "through their facings."
In going through the facings, the left heel never quits the ground, the
body must rather incline forward, and the knees be kept straight. On
the command "to right face,"--1st. Place the hollow of the right foot
smartly against the left heel, keeping the shoulders square to the
front. 2nd. Raise the toes, and turn smartly to the right on both
heels. "To the left face,"--1st. Place the right heel against the
hollow of the left foot, keeping the shoulders square to the front. 2nd.
Raise the toes, and turn to the left on both heels. "To the
right-about face,"--1st. Place the ball of the right toe against the
left heel, keeping the shoulders square to the front. 2nd. Raise the
toes, and turn completely round to the right-about (reversing the
direction of the face) on both heels. 3rd. Bring the right foot smartly
back in a line with the left. "To the left-about face,"--1st. Place
the right heel against the ball of the left toe, and keep the shoulders
square to the front. 2nd. Raise the toes, and turn to the left-about on
both heels. 3rd. Bring up to the right smartly in a line with the left.
The greatest precision is observed in drilling of recruits to these
facings, for if they are not exactly executed, a body of men, after
being properly dressed in line, will lose their dressing, and cause the
line to be crooked on every small movement of facing. It will be seen
that by placing a number of men in line their execution of the
command--"together, right face"--will instantly bring them from the line
into Indian file (one behind the other), or the "right-about face" will
as quickly reverse the front of their line; and supposing the command
"march" to be given while the men are in Indian file, although so close
together as to nearly touch each other's backs with their chests, if
they each step off at the same instant, with the left foot, the sound of
their feet will enable them to keep step and time, and march about in
this form, as directed by the instructor, to the leading file, "right
turn" or "left turn," without confusion. On the command "halt" being
given, the step is finished at the last sound of the word; and at the
command "front" each man faces to his left, as above directed, and they
will then be in line as before.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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