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Reference IV
Medich Battalion Color Guard
Advance the Colors
Remarks on the advance in line of battle.
616. If, in the exercises of detail, or courses of elementary instruction, the officers, sergeants, cor­porals, and men, have
not been well confirmed in the principles of the position under arms, as well as in the length and cadence of the step,
the march of the battalion in line will be floating, unsteady, and disunited.
617. If the color-bearer, instead of marching perpendicularly forward, pursue an oblique direction, the battalion will
slant; crowdings in one wing and openings in the other, will follow, and these defects in the march, becoming more
and more embarrassing in proportion to the deviation from the perpendicular, will commence near the centre.
618. It is then of the greatest importance that the color-bearer should direct himself perpendicularly forward, and that
the basis of alignment should always be perpendicular to the line pursued by him.
619. If openings be formed, if the files crowd each other, if, in short, disorder ensue, the reme­dy ought to be applied
as promptly as possible, but calmly, with few words, and as little noise as practicable.
62O.  The object of the general guides, in the march in line of battle is, to indicate to the companies near the flanks
the step of the centre of the battalion, and to afford more facility in establishing the wings on the direction of the centre
if they should be too much in the rear; hence the necessity that these guides should maintain the same step, and march
abreast, or very nearly so, with the color-rank, which it will be easy for them to do by casting from time to time an
eye on that rank.
621. If the battalion happen to lose the step, the colonel will recall its attention by the com­mand, to
the-STEP;captains and their companies will immediately cast an eye on the color-rank, or one of the general guides,
and promptly conform themselves to the step.622. Finally, it is of the utmost importance to the attainment of
regularity in the march in line of battle, to habituate the battalion to execute with as much order as promptness the
movements prescribed No. 607 and following, for rectifying the direction; it is not less essential that com­manders of
battalions should exercise themselves, with the greatest care, in forming their own coup d'oeil, in order to be able to
judge with precision the direction to be given to their battalions.
Oblique march in line of battle.
623. The battalion marching in line of battle, when the colonel shall wish to cause it to oblique, he will command:
1.Right (or left) oblique. 2. MARCH (or double quick-MARCH).624. At the first command, the major will place
himself in front of, and faced to the color-bearer. 625. At the command march, the whole battalion will take the
oblique step.  The companies and captains will strictly observe the principles established in the school of the company.
626. The major in front of the color-bearer ought to maintain the latter in a line with the centre corporal, so that the
color-bearer may ob­lique neither more nor less than that corporal.  He will carefully observe also that they follow
paral­lel directions and preserve the same length of step.
627. The lieutenant colonel will take care that the captains and the three corporals in the centre keep exactly on a line
and follow parallel direc­tions.628. The colonel will see that the battalion pre­serves its parallelism; he will exert
himself to prevent the files from opening or crowding.  If be perceive the latter fault, he will cause the files on the flank,
to which the battalion obliques, to open out.629. The colonel, wishing the direct march to be resumed, will command:
1. Forward.  2. MARCH.