ARTICLE II.

To Fire by Company.

48. The instructor, wishing to cause the fire by company to be executed, will command:

1. Fire by company. 2. Commence firing.

49. At the first command, the captain will promptly place himself opposite the centre of his company, and four paces in rear of the line of file closers: the covering sergeant will retire to that line, and place himself opposite to his interval. This rule is general, for both the captain and covering sergeant, in all the different firings.

50. At the second command, the captain will add..

1. Company; 2. READY; 3.AIM; 4.FIRE; 5. LOAD.

51. At the command load, the men will load their pieces, and then take the position of ready, as prescribed in the School of the Soldier.

52. The captain will immediately recommence the firing, by the commands:

1. Company. 2. Aim. 3. FIRE. 4. LOAD.

53. The firing will be thus continued until the signal to cease firing is sounded.

54, The captain will sometimes cause aim to be taken to the right and left, simply observing to pronounce right (or left) oblique, before the command aim.

ARTICLE III.

The Fire by File.

55. The instructor wishing to cause the fire by file to be executed, will command:

1. Fire by file. 2. Company. 3. READY. 4. Commence firing.

56. The third and fourth commands will be executed as prescribed in the S. S., No. 284 and following.

57. The fire will be commenced by the right file of the company; the next file will take aim at the instant the first brings down pieces to reload, and so on to the left; but this progression will only be observed in the first discharge, after which each man will reload and fire without regulating himself by others, conforming himself to what is prescribed in the S. S., No. 289.

ARTICLE IV.

The Fire by Rank.

58. The instructor wishing the fire by rank to be executed, will command:

1. Fire by rank. 2. Company. 3. READY.

4. Rear rank-AIM. 5. FIRE. 6. LOAD.

59. The fifth and sixth commands will be executed as is prescribed in the S. S., No. 294 and following. 60. When the instructor sees one or two pieces in the rear rank at a ready, he will command:

1. Front rank. 2. Aim. 3. FIRE. 4. LOAD.

61. The firing will be continued thus by alternate ranks, until the signal is given to cease firing. 62, The instructor will sometimes cause aim to be-taken to the right and left, conforming to what is prescribed No. 54. 63. The instructor will cause the firing to cease, whether by company, by file, or by rank, by sounding the signal to cease firing, and at the instant this sound commences, the men will cease to fire, conforming to what is prescribed in the S. S., No. 291. 64. The signal to cease firing will be always followed by a bugle note or tap; at which sound, the captain and covering sergeant will promptly resume their places in line, and will rectify, if necessary, the alignment of the ranks. 65, In this school, except when powder is used, the signal to cease firing will be indicated by the command, cease firing, which will be pronounced by the instructor when he wishes the semblance of firing to cease. 66. The command posts will be likewise substituted, under similar circumstances, for the bugle note or tap employed as the signal for the return of the captain and covering sergeant to their places in line, which command will be given when the instructor sees the men have brought their pieces to a shoulder. 67. The fire by file being that which is most frequently used against an enemy, it is highly important that it be rendered perfectly familiar to the troops. The instructor will, therefore, give it almost exclusive preference, and labor to cause the men to aim with care, and always, if possible, at some particular object. As it is of the utmost importance that the men should aim with precision in battle, this principle will be rigidly enforced in the exercises for purposes of instruction.

Key Points:

-Note that after the company has fired once each man will assume the position of Ready.   Normally we go back to shoulder arms -Also the correct command for Firing By Files: is Fire By File...No Direction is given such as Fire By File From the Right

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