The first great change wrought by the experience of the Seven Years’ War on the English Light Dragoon drill was the final abolition of the formation in three ranks. Henceforward we shall never find the Seventeenth ranked more than two deep. Further, we find a general tendency to less stiffness and greater flexibility of movement, and to greater rapidity of manœuvre. The very evolutions sacrifice some of their prettiness and precision in order to gain swifter change of formation. Thus, when the left half rank is doubled in rear of the right, the right, instead of standing fast, advances and inclines to the left, while the latter reins back and passages to the right, thus accomplishing the desired result in half the time. Field manœuvres are carried out chiefly by means of small flexible columns, differing from the present in one principal feature only, viz. that the rear rank in 1763 does not inseparably follow the front rank, but that each rank wheels from line into column of half-ranks or quarter-ranks independently. Moreover, we find one great principle pervading all field movements: that Light Dragoons, for the dignity of their name, must move with uncommon rapidity and smartness. The very word “smart,” as applied to the action of a soldier, appears, so far as I know, for the first time in a drill-book made for Light Dragoons at this period. In illustration, let us briefly describe a parade attack movement, which is particularly characteristic.
The regiment having been formed by previous manœuvres in echelon of wings (three troops to a wing) from the left, the word is given, “Advance and gain the flank of the enemy.”
First Trumpet.—The right files (of troops?) of each wing gallop to the front, and form rank entire; unswivel their carbines, and keep up a rapid irregular fire from the saddle.
Under cover of this fire the echelon advances.
Second Trumpet.—The right wing forms the “half-wedge” (single echelon), passes the left or leading wing at an increased pace, and gains the flank of the imaginary enemy by the “head to haunch” (an extremely oblique form of incline), and forms line on the flank.
Third Trumpet—“Charge.”—The skirmishers gallop back through the intervals to the rear of their own troops, and remain there till the charge is over.
French Horns—“Retreat.”—The skirmishers gallop forward once more, and keep up their fire till the line is reformed.
The whole scheme of this attack is perhaps a shade theatrical, and, indeed, may possibly have been designed to astonish the weak mind of some gouty old infantry general; but a regiment that could execute it smartly could hardly have been in a very inefficient state.
1765.