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
In marching, the soldier must maintain, as much as possible, the
position of the body as before directed. He must be well balanced on
his limbs; his arms and hands must be kept steady by his sides; and he
must not be allowed to stoop forward, still less to lean back. His body
must be kept square to the front, and thrown rather more forward in
marching than when standing still, so that it may accompany the movement
of the leg and thigh, which movement must Spring from the haunch; the
ham must be stretched, but without stiffening the knee; the toes a
little pointed outwards, and kept near the ground, so that the
boot-soles may not be visible to a person in front. The head should be
kept well up, without stiffening the neck, and straight to the front,
and the eyes not suffered on any account to be cast down; the foot,
without being drawn back, must be placed flat on the ground. The length
of each pace, from heel to heel, is thirty inches; and the recruit is
taught to take seventy-five of these steps in a minute, without
tottering and in perfect steadfastness. This is the ordinary step,
being the pace on all occasions whatever for both infantry and cavalry,
unless greater celerity be particularly ordered, which is called the
"quick step," and the "double," or run. Each individual recruit is very
carefully trained and thoroughly instructed in this part of his duty, as
it is considered to form the basis of the proper deportment of the
soldier.
In the regular army, where men are enlisted from all grades of society,
it requires the most unremitting perseverance and accurate knowledge of
the part each instructor has to teach, as also a clear and concise
manner of conveying his instructions, allied to a firmness that will
command from all classes of men a perfect attention to the directions he
is giving them. He must allow for the weak capacity of the recruits,
and exercise patience and good-temper, without rigour, where endeavour
and good-will are evidently not wanting. Quickness in military drill is
not at first required, because it is the result of much practice; but if
officers and instructors are not critically exact in their commands, and
in observing the execution of what is required from others, slovenliness
must take place, labour will be ineffectual, and the end proposed will
never be attained. The recruit must be carried through his drill
progressively; he should comprehend one thing perfectly before he is
required to learn another.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account