THE EXERCISE OF THE ENGLISH IN the seruice of the high and mighty Lords, the LORDS the ESTATES of the vni∣ted PROVINCES in the Low COVNTRIES.
THE Soldiers are diuided into two kindes, Foote and Horse. The Foote againe are of two kindes; Pikemen and Musketiers.
Pikemen are armed with a head-peece, a Curace and Tases defensiue, and with a Pike of fifteene foote long, and a Rapier offen siue. The Armour is all yron; the Pike of Ashen wood for the Steale, and at the vpper end an yron head of about a handfull long with cheekes about the length of two foote, and at the butt-end a round strong socket of yron ending in a pike, that is blunt, yet sharpe enough to fixe to the ground. The forme thereof is expressed in the gra∣uen figure.
The Musketier hath a head-peece for defence, a Musket, the barrell of the length of 4 foote, the bore of 12 bullets to the pound; a Bandelier, to which are fastned a convenient number of charges for powder (sometimes as many as 15 or 16) a lether bagge for bullets, with a pruning yron; a Rest for the Musket with an yron forke on the vpper end to support it in discharging, and a pike on the nether end to sticke into the ground▪ lastly, a Rapier. The figure of this armour also is here inserted.
These soldiors, both Pike-men, and Musketiers, are diuided into Companies; and euery Company consisteth, halfe of Pikes, halfe Musketiers. The Compa∣nies are some more in number, some lesse. Some reach to 300 men, some 200, some 100, some 90, some 80, some 70. Euery Company hath these officers of the field: A Captaine, a Lieutenant, an Ensigne, 2 Serieants, 3 Corporalls, two Drommes; and for other vses a Clerke, a Surgion, and a Prouost.
Companies are compacted into Regiments; and the Regiments commanded by Coronells. Regiments conteine not alwaies a like number of Companies, some hauing 10, some 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, some 30 Companies and aboue. In euery Regiment are a Coronell, a Lieutenant Coronell, a Serieant Maior, all officers of the field; a Quarter-master, and a Prouost-martiall for other imploy∣ments. It shall not be greatly to the purpose to mention higher officers, then Coronells, my principall intent being no other, then to set downe the armes and exercise of our Nation in the said vnited Provinces. Their armes are spoken of. Their exercise followes.
Page 154FIrst both Pikes and Muskets are ordered into files of 10 deepe. The Muske∣tiers are sometime placed before, sometime in flanke, sometimes in the reare of the pikes.
To exercise the motions, there are two distances to be obserued.
The first is when euery one is distant from his fellow 6 foote square, that is in file and ranke 6.
The second is when euery Souldier is 3 foote distant one from the other aswell in file, as in Ranke.
And because the measure of such distances cannot be taken so iustly by the eye, the distance of 6 foot betwixt the files is measured, when the Souldiers stretching out their armes doe touch one an others hands: and betwixt the Rankes, when the ends of their pikes come well nigh to the heeles of them, that march before. And the measure of 3 foote betwixt the files is, when their elbowes touch one another; betwixt the rankes, when they come to touch the ends of one ano∣thers Rapiers.
For to march in the field, the distance of 3 foote from file to file is kept, and of 6 foote from Ranke to Ranke.
To order themselues in Battaile, as also to goe towards the enemy, the di∣stance of 3 foote in file, and ranke, is obserued; and likewise to conversion or wheeling.
The Musquettiers also going for to shoote by Rankes keep the same distance of 3 foot, but going to skirmish they goe a la Disbandade, which is out of order.
There is yet another sort of distance, which is not vsed, but for to receiue the enemy with a firme stand, and serueth for the pikes onely (for the Musquettiers cannot be so close in files, because they must haue their Armes at liberty) & that is, when euery one is distant from file to file a foote and a halfe, and 3 foote from Ranke to Ranke. And this last distance is thus commanded, Close your selues throughly. But it is not to be taught the Souldiers, for that, when necessitie shall require it, they will close themselues but too much, of their owne accord without command.
To begin therefore to doe the exercises, the Company is set in the first di∣stance, to wit of 6 foote in file, and ranke, and thus is said
You must note, that when they are comman∣ded to be as they were, they must returne thither, from whence they parted; and if they turned to the right hand, they must returne to the left, and so in counter∣march.
The headpiece.
The forepart
The headpiece close.
The backe
ye right gant¦let
The left vam∣brace
The left cuishe
The brest
The backe
ye gard
ye left ••••¦let
The Armour of ye Pikman
The Gorget
The Brest
The Tales
The Hedpiece
The Back
The Pike
Vnderstand that in Closing from the outsides to the middle the Soldier is •stand in his distance of 3 foote in file, and not closer.
Open your Rankes backwards in your double distance to wit at 12 foote, and this for a single Company.
Rankes as you were, sc. at the first.
In opening Rankes or Files, you must keepe them closed vntill the second Ranke or File beginning from the outsides haue taken their distances, and so shall the rest remaine close vntill euery Ranke or File haue taken their distance• in order.
Open your files, to wit to the first distance of 6 foote.
If you will command to close files to the right hand or left hand, the outmost file standeth still, and the rest close to that file.
This must be obserued charging your Pikes with a firme stand to set the right foote behind, and charging the Pikes marching to set the left foote before.
For the Musquet.
THe Postures in his Excellencies Booke are to be obserued; but in exercisin• you must onely vse these three termes of direction.
- Make ready.
- Present.
- Giue fire.
Your Musquettiers must obserue in all their motions to turne to the right hand, and that they carry the mouth of their peeces high, aswell when they are shouldred, as in pruning, and also when they hold their pannes garded, and come vp to giue fire.
In advancing towards an Enemy, when they doe not skirmish loose and dis∣banded,* they must giue fire by Rankes after this manner.
Two Rankes must alwaies make ready together, and aduance ten paces for∣ward before the body, at which distance, a Sergeant (or when the body is great some other officer) must stand, to whom the Musquettiers are to come vp before* they present, and giue fire, first the firstranke. And whilest the first giues fire, the second Ranke keepe their Musquets close to their Rests, and their pannes gar∣ded, and assoone, as the first are fallen away, the second presently present, and giue fire, and fall after them.
Now assoone as the first two Rankes doe moue from their places in the front: The two Rankes next them must vnshoulder their Musquets, and make ready, so as they may aduance forward ten paces as before assoone as euer the two first rankes are fallen away; and are to doe in all points as the former. And all the other Rankes through the whole diuision must doe the same by twoes, one after another.
A manner there is to giue fire retyring from an Enemy, which is performed after this sor•t.
As the Troope marcheth the hindermost ranke of all keeping still with the Troope is to make ready, and being ready, the souldiers in that ranke turne alto∣gether* to the right hand and giue fire, marching presently away a good round pace to the front, and there place themselues in ranke together iust before the front: As soone as the first ranke turne to giue fire, the ranke next makes ready, and doth as the former, and so the rest.
We giue fire by the flanks thus. The vppermost file next the Enemy must be* commanded to make ready, keeping still along with the body, till such time, as they be ready, and then they turne to the right, or left hand (according to the sight of their enemies either vpon the right, or left flanke) and giue fire altoge∣ther. When they haue discharged they stirre not, but keepe their ground, and charge their Peeces againe in the same place, they stand. Now as soone as the foresaid file doth turne to giue fire, the vttermost next it makes ready alwaies keeping along with the Troope till the Bringer-vp be past a little beyond the Leader of that file, that gaue fire last; and then the whole file must turne, and giue fire, and doe in all points as the first did, and so the rest one after the other. A Sergeant, or if the Troope be great some other better qualified Officer must stand at the head of the first file, and assoone as the second file hath giuen fire, and hath charged, he is to lead forward the first file vp to the second file, and so to the rest one after another, till he hath gathered vp againe the whole wing, and then he is to ioyne them againe in equall front with the pikes.
Last of all the Troope or whole wing of Musquettiers makes ready altogether,* and the first ranke without advancing giues fire in the place they stand in, and speedily, as may be, yet orderly falls away, all the rankes doing the same successiue∣ly* one after another.
Thus much of the armes and exercise of the foote. The horse ensue.
The order and discipline holden in Horse-troopes, or in the Cavalry.
THE Caualry hath for his Cheife the Generall, the Lieutenant Generall, and the Comissary generall.
To the Cavalry there is a Quarter-master generall, and a Prouost generall be∣longing; the Iustice resorteth to the Councell generall of warre of the Army.
The Cavalry is of two sorts. Har quebusiers, and Curassiers.
The first haue for defensiue armes, the Curace pistoll proofe, and a light head∣peece. For offensiue the Carbine of 3 foote, 3 inches length, and the bore of 20 bullets in the pound, and Pistolls like vnto the Curassiers.
The Curassiers haue for defensiue Armes a compleat armour, the Curace pistoll proofe. For offen siue two pistolls hauing the barrell of 26 inches in length, and the bore of 36 bullets in the pound. See the figure of Armes.
For the order in Regiments the 40 Companies entertained by the States doe make eleuen Regiments.
The Regiment of the Generall hath alwaies the Vantgard, the others alter∣natiuely Page 158 and by turnes, and he that hath it this day, the next day after hath the Reare, the rest following in the same sort.
Those which command the Regiments are called Coronells. The Regiments are compounded of 3, or 4 Companies (of 3 at the least) and the Coronells Company marcheth alwaies on the left wing of the Regiment.
The Captaines receiue orders from their Coronells, as these from the Com∣missary Generall.
All the Companies are diuided in 3 equall parts, which are called Squadrons, and distributed to the three chiefe officers; Captaine, Cornett, and Lieutenant, hauing each of them adioyned an old Souldier, which they doe know to bee of more desert, called a Corporall.
Marching in the field, euery Officer marcheth at the head of his Squadron, the Lieutenant excepted, which marcheth behind with the Quartermaster; and the third Corporall at the head of the Lieutenants Squadron.
The Companies are diuided by files, and rankes, the file 5 deepe, and no more, how strong soeuer the Company be.
They obserue that in marching in battaile they must be close together, and to doe the Motions there must be 6 foote distance from one Horseman to another.
The Companies being in battaile, there must be 25 paces distance left between euery Company, and 50 betwixt euery Regiment at the least.
The exercise of Armes for the Cavalry.
To open the Squadron you must first open the rankes and after the files.
To close the Squadron, you must first close the files, and after the rankes.
There be two sorts of distances betwixt the files; the one close, and the other open.
In the Close there must be no distance or intervalls betwixt the files, to the open there must be 6 foote betwixt euery file.
Likewise there must be two sorts of distances betwixt the rankes; the Close, which must be without intervall or streete; and the Open, which must be six foote distance.
In a march it must be vnderstood, that the rankes must neuer be more opened, then the open distance of 6 foote.
And to the end that the Troope may march in good order, and obserue well their distance betwixt the rankes, without that the last may be forced to runne or goe to fast, there must be heed taken, that so soone, as the first rankes begin to march, all the Troope, and the Reare also at one time march.
