The principal object, the base of all this instruction, is loading and pointing; too much care and attention cannot be devoted to obtain exactitude in all the movements. There is a tendency to devote too much time to such exercises as shifting carriages from side to side. There is always sufficient time for these manœuvres. The most important are the management of the rammer and sponge in loading and the handspikes in pointing.
232. At the time of reception on board, the crew may be considered as made up of three classes: 1st, The Captains, Loaders, and Spongers of guns, who may be considered as competently instructed in the manual; 2d, another part, who have had some instruction and are competent to fill the secondary duties; 3d, The remainder, who are entirely ignorant.
The directions in the manual are more particularly devoted to the instruction of a crew completely formed, omitting all the minor details of position and exactness in the performance of the motions under the different commands, which are to be supplied by the Instructor. These details would break the connection of the several commands, and increase the bulk of the work. The precepts of the manual are not for self-instruction of the ignorant, but to produce a uniform system of commands in the Instructors. The important point, is to instruct the last two classes by gun's crews, and then by divisions. This is accomplished by drilling the guns' crews separately, until each man has acquired some facility in his particular duties, and then selecting the most deficient for special instruction, combining them as a gun's crew, in order not to uselessly fatigue those who are already expert or readily acquire the drill. Whenever a new order is to be executed, it should be first thoroughly and minutely explained; and as soon as all have heard and appear to understand, execute it. If not correctly performed, repeat the explanation.
233. When the individuals of each gun's crew have become well acquainted with, and expert in the performance of their several special duties, they are to be successively transferred, temporarily, to the performance of the duties of some other station, until each man shall have become acquainted with the special duties of every station at the gun.
In exercising each man of a gun's crew in the duties of all the other men of that crew besides his own, it is to be done thus:
The system supposes that, beginning with the 2d Captain to take the place of the 1st Captain, the men are to be called to perform the duties of the latter in a regular succession agreeably to the way they are placed at the gun; i.e., after the 2d Captain, the 2d Train-tackleman is to do the duties of Gun Captain; and so on all round the gun. Each man is to fleet his position one remove or place, in a direction "with the sun," so that instead of the interchange of duties being confined to two individuals only, it is to extend to the whole gun's crew. Thus, for instance, when the 2d Captain is called upon to do the duties of 1st Captain, the latter, by moving one place "with the sun," becomes the 1st Train-tackleman, the 1st Train-tackleman the 1st Port-tackleman, and so on all around the gun throughout the whole crew, the person at the muzzle of the gun on its left side crossing over and taking the place of the one at the muzzle on the right side. Next in order, the 2d Train-tackle. is required to take the place of the 1st Captain, then the 2d Captain becomes 1st Train-tackle., the 1st Captain the 1st Port-tackleman, the 2d Port-tackleman the 2d Captain, and so on throughout.
If it should be desired to take, at first, a man from the middle of the crew of the gun, or even still further towards the muzzle, to do the duties of 1st Captain, then it must be done under the supposition that all the men preceding him in the order above mentioned have already been exercised in those duties, and the men are then to take their stands accordingly.
After the guns' crews have been well trained by giving the words of command, it will be expedient to exercise them without giving the several detailed commands, by directing them to "load and fire!" At this command the different individuals should, each in proper order of time, silently perform his prescribed duties of sponging, loading, running out, training, and pointing, the Captain of the gun regulating the elevation and depression, by raising or lowering his hand, and by holding it horizontally and steady when the gun is "well;" and in pointing, by moving his hand to "right" or "left" as the gun requires to be trained, and by bringing it down to his side when it is "well." Before firing, he is to throw his hand well up as a signal for the men to "drop tackles," and is to give the word "fire" when he pulls the lock-string.
When casualties occur at the guns, the Captain of the gun will order "close up," and then equalize the crew on each side. If the Powderman is disabled the highest number takes his place.
234. Whenever the crew of a gun becomes so greatly reduced in action that men enough are not left to work the piece, it may be fired while partially run in. In such case, however, the breeching should be frapped forward of the carriage, the ends crossed under the muzzle or otherwise arranged so as to keep the muzzle outside of the port; the side-tackles left loose; the chocking-quoins placed square up against the outer part of the front trucks; the train-tackle hauled taut, the end of the fall passed through the train-bolt and well secured, and wet swabs placed up against the forward part of the rear trucks and sprinkled with sand or ashes. After three or four rounds the train-tackle should be re-secured; the chocking-quoins will require re-placing after each fire. The greatest possible care should be taken to guard against accident from fire, and minimum charges of powder used.