The compleat body of the art military in three books : I. The postures of the pike and musket ..., II. Twelve exercises ..., III. The drawing up and exercising of regiments after the manner of private companies ... : also, the duties of all souldiers and officers ... / by Richard Elton ... ; to which is added a supplement comprehending these particulars, I. the duties and qualifications of all officers belonging to an army .., formerly written by Capt. Tho. Rudd ...

CHAP. XXV. The ordering of a private Company unto a Funeral-occasion.

WHen any Commander or Souldier of worth shall be deceased, a private Captain that would shew respect and honour by marching along with his Company attending the Corps to the place of burial, must order his Souldiers af∣ter this manner.

They being summon'd by beat of the Drum, to meet at their usual place of Rendezvous, they may be drawn up according to the usual manner, having a Van-guard, Battail and Reer-guard: being thus ordered, and each of the Soul∣diers having either in his Hat a black Feather or Ribbin; the Captain may draw them off, and order them to their Long-march; moving them away in an order∣ly manner unto the place of him that is deceased, and there make Alt. After which he may command the Muskettiers in the Van to open to the right and left outward to such convenient distance as the Pikes may move up between them, and take possession of their first ground; and those Muskettiers may face about, and move down cleer of the Pikes, and after close their Files inward to Order, and face to their Leader.

Now being in two Divisions, let them so continue with their Arms ordered,

until such time as they shall perceive the Corps to be brought forth into the Street; then the Captain may face them all about, and move them some three Pikes length before the Corps; after which he may command his Muskettiers to perform their Funeral-Posture, which is to have their Muskets under their left Arm, with the But-end upward, their Rests likewise on that side trailing. After which the Pikes are to face again to their first Front, and to lay the narrow end of their Pikes down upon the ground; after facing about to the left, and bring∣ing up the But-end of their Pikes on their right side, conforming themselves with the Muskettiers in their Funeral-Postures. In the next place, the Ensign strips his Colours off from the Staff, and ties them about his right Wast; putting a black Ribbon towards the very end of his Staff, he after faceth to the Body of Pikes, standing in the Reer of them, and trailing his Staff in the same Posture. Next followeth the Captain, having in his hand a Half-pike or Leading-staff, conform∣ing himself likewise to his Funeral-Posture. Thus being all ready to march, and rightly faced toward that place where the Corps are to be interred, are after this manner following to lead and to bring up.

The first Division of Muskettiers, which was the Reer-guard, is led by the Lieu∣tenant; the next Division of Muskettiers, that was formerly the Van-guard, is led by the second Serjeant; the Body of Pikes, is led by the eldest Serjeant, he trailing a Half-pike upon the head of them; the Ensign bringing it up, and the Captain twelve foot short of him bringing up the Reer of the whole Company. And after him the Ministers marching just before the Coffin; & in the Reer, & next unto it, the neerest kindred, and after them those that are invited to the Funeral.

Having thus stated the manner and order of the Military Part, with all others belonging thereunto, for any ordinary Funeral-occasion; I shall in the next place proceed to shew their Order upon the March, and how each Arms ought to be disposed before the Corps enter into the Church, with the rest of the Train.

All persons being ordered as before expressed, the Drums being covered with Black-bays, and placed betwixt the second and third Ranks in each Division; and all being ready to move, the Drums may begin to beat their Funeral-March, and the Lieutenant leading them away, with the But-end of his Pattison upward and comported; the rest following, and marching in a leasurable and slow way along together, until they come within a hundred foot of the Church-door, or place where the Corps are to be interred, there making Alt. After which, let the Muskettiers in their Ranks File to the right and left, not advancing ground; and face in opposition, making a Guard for the rest to pass through, and resting their Muskets, or putting the But-end thereof to the ground, with the Barrel towards them (which is a conformity to the Pikes being ordered.) In the mean time, let the Pikes advance their Arms, and immediately after move forward betwixt the Guard of Muskettiers, and let their Ranks afterward file to the right and left, making also a Guard, their Pikes being ordered, and they as the rest, facing in opposition. Then let the Captain, who brings up the Reer of all his whole Bo∣dy, move forward with the rest to the Church-door; then falling off in respect of ordering his Company, the rest of the Train Marching into the Church.

After which the Captain may cause them all to face to the Church, or to their Leader; he standing then before the Church-door, commanding them to Rank again as they were. After every Leader may draw off his File, and set their Arms apart in each File by themselves, and go in to hear part of the Sermon, if there should be any such order before-hand from their Captain, placing Sentinels to look to their Arms. And when Sermon is almost done, they ought to go forth of the Church, and draw forth the Files by some little warning of Drums, to be in readiness to answer such directions as they shall receive from their Captain; who may, if he have conveniency of room, draw all his Muskettiers into a Ring, and the Pikes in like manner on the outside of them; and as soon as the Souldiers have notice (being all ready and presented) that the Body is laid down in the grave, they may upon warning of the Drum, give one volley of shot all together, and after make ready again, performing the same twice over more. After which, the Ensign may put his Colours upon his Staff, and furl them up; then the Pikes may be drawn up again into one Body, and the Muskettiers into another; and

falling in the Reer of the Pikes, they may troop away. And a little before the place of lodging the Colours, they may make Alt, and the Muskettiers may sleeve up by the outside of the Pikes from the Reer, filing to the right and left, making a Guard for the Colours and Pikes to march through them; and being cleer, and the Colours lodged, they may face about again to the right, and give another volley of shot: but if there should be such a streight of ground, that the Mus∣kettiers cannot be drawn into a Ring; then they must be otherwise disposed of, by making them into two Ranks, the one on the one side of the Street, and the other on the other side, facing them either in opposition, or in an oblique man∣ner: if in opposition, they must present very low, and give fire three times all to∣gether as before, with one volley after another; if oblique, the one Rank is to be faced towards the upper end of the Street, and the other towards the lower end, and so may fire with less danger to each other; the Pikes to be filed away to the right and left, behind the Muskettiers before they were thus faced. And again, where they have not length of ground to contrive the Muskettiers into two single Ranks, they may fire all together as they stand at Order, mounting up the Muz∣zles of their Muskets into the Air, without offending each other. Therefore ac∣cording to the conveniency of the ground, it must be the discretion of every Com∣mander to order his men accordingly to perform his three volleys of shot in the most gracefullest way; which being ended, they may all return to their Quarters. And thus much may suffice for satisfaction to any Commander in ordering his single Company to any Funeral-occasion, marching along of it self.