Knapsack drill
to-day,—something new to me, though I am told it is to take place every Sunday
morning when in camp. As we were not here yesterday, it was put off until
to-day. We marched out to the drill ground with our knapsacks on, expecting to
practice as usual, except that we were loaded that much heavier. As all our
belongings were in our knapsacks, they were quite heavy. We formed in column by
companies and were told to "unsling knapsacks." We all had to be
coached, but we finally stood at attention with our knapsacks lying on the
ground wide open before us. Then the colonel, the major and the captain of the
company being inspected, marched along and with the tip of their swords poked
over the contents, regardless of how precious they might be to us. And such a
sight as they saw! Besides our extra underclothing, some clean and some
unclean, there were Bibles, whiskey bottles, novels, packs of cards, love
letters and photographs, revolvers and dirk knives, pen and ink, paper and
envelopes and postage stamps, and an endless variety of odds and ends we had
picked up in our travels.
As soon as the
inspection was over with Company A, they were marched back to camp and so all
along the line until Company B, the last of all, was reached. When we got back
to camp some of the companies had been there long enough to get asleep. Nothing
more was required of us, and we put in the time as we chose, provided always
that we observed the camp regulations.
I may never have so
good a chance, so I will try and explain some of the things we have learned to
do and how we do it. Begin with roll-call. The orderly sergeant, Lew Holmes,
has our names in a book, arranged in alphabetical order in one place, and in
the order in which we march in another. If it is simply to see if we are all
here, he sings out "Fall in for roll-call" and we get in line, with
no regard to our proper places, and answer to our names as called from the
alphabetical list. If for drill, "Fall in for drill!" and then we take
our places with the tallest man at the right, and so on, till the last and
shortest man is in place on the left. We are then in a single line, by company
front. The orderly then points at the first man and says "One," which
the man repeats. He then points to the second man and says "Two,"
which is also repeated. So it goes down the line, the one, two, being repeated,
and each man being careful to remember whether he is odd or even. When that is
done, and it is very quickly done, the orderly commands, "Right
face!" The odd-numbered men simply swing on the left heel one quarter of
the way around and stand fast. The even-numbered men do the same, and in
addition step obliquely to the right of the odd-numbered man, bringing us in a
double line and one step apart, which distance we must carefully keep, so that
when the order "Front!" is given, we can, by reversing the movement
of "Right face!" come to our places without crowding. When coming to
a front, the line is not apt to be straight and the order "Right dress!"
is given, when the man on the right stands fast and the one next to him puts
himself squarely by his side. The next moves back or forth until he can just
see the buttons on the coat of the second man to his right,—that is, with his
head erect, he must look past one man and just see the buttons on the coat of
the second man from him. That makes the line as straight as you can draw a
string. "Left face!" is the same thing reversed. In marching, one has
only to keep step with the one next in front of him. If this is done, the blame
for irregular time all comes upon the file leaders, which are the two in front;
they must keep step together. If Company B is going out to drill by itself it
is now ready. If, however, the entire regiment is to drill together, as it has
a few times, Company A marches out first, and as the rear passes where Company
F is standing the latter falls in, close behind; and so each company, until
Company B, which is the left of the line, and the last to go, falls in and
fills up the line, Why the companies are arranged in the line as they are is a
mystery I have so far failed to find out. From right to left they come in the
following order: A, F, D, I, C, H, E, K, G and B. A is said to have the post of
honor, because in marching by the right flank it is ahead, and meets danger
first if there be any. Company B has the next most honorable position, because
in marching by the left flank it is in the lead. There is a great advantage in
being in the lead. On a march the files will open, more or less, and when a
halt is ordered the company in the lead stops short. The other companies keep
closing up the files, and by the time the ranks are closed
"Attention!" may sound, and another start be made. The first company
has had quite a breathing spell, while the last has had very little, if any. If
I were to enlist again, I would try hard to get in Company A, for all the
marching we have so far done has been by the right flank, Company A at the head
and Company B bringing up the rear. When we reach the field we are generally
broken up into companies, each company drilling in marching by the front,
wheeling to the right and left, and finally coming together again before
marching back to camp.
SOURCE:
Lawrence Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, p. 34-6
