4. From the remainder of the company the parties will be told off for provisions, wood, water, fire, guards and pickets, and for the pitching of the officers’ orderly-room, store-room, guard-tents, &c.
To each tent, as far as possible, a non-commissioned officer will be told off.
5. It is known that the soldiers’ tent, with its cords, occupies a space of nearly 6 yards—that is, between 7 and 8 paces from pole to pole.
6. The pole-men, being stationed at the spots indicated by the pickets, the pole is lowered, and the cap of the tent fixed on, and all things prepared for the raising of the tent. On the signal, or word of command, the whole of the poles are raised together, the skirt of the tent being lifted over the poleman’s head.
7. It will be remembered, that, to insure stability, four of the cords which divide the circumference accurately into quarters, must be first made fast before any of the others.
8. Each cord must be stretched on the true prolongation of the tent seam.
9. The slides must be made fast at an equal distance from the tent and the ground peg, so as to permit shifting, as expansion or contraction of the cord ensues on atmospheric changes.
10. The non-commissioned officer sees that the door is properly placed, and attends especially to the fastenings of the first four pegs, with a view to the general uprightness of the pole and security of the tent, under the general superintendence of the company’s officers; one being stationed at the flank, the more easily to detect and correct errors.
11. In order to strike the tents, all the pegs are drawn except the four first driven, and four men place themselves at these in readiness for the signal; they draw these pegs, and hold down the tent till the signal be given.
12. On the signal, the pole-men lower the poles to the rear, and come out by the door, bringing the poles with them.