The leader must take care to time his word Dress the instant before the wheel is completed, otherwise an over wheel or reining back will be the consequence. The whole dress by the centre.
The squadron breaks into column of any of the divisions in which it is told off, by each of those divisions wheeling up the quarter circle. If the body is in motion (as in column) the wheels of the divisions all begin at the word Wheel! If halted, they are begun at the word March!
In all division wheelings, the whole look to the wheeling hand. In all wheelings, the rear rank must rein back at the standing flank, and incline towards the wheeling hand, in order to cover.
At the word mark time! halt! given when the wheel is completed, the whole turn eyes and dress to the standing flank, and remain so till a new direction is given.
Wheelings of the squadron, or its parts, from the halt, are made on the flanks, except those of ranks by threes, which are made on the middle man of each.
Wheel of divisions into squadron. When the squadron is to be formed by the wheeling up of its divisions, there must not be any intervals, and the rear ranks must rein back, and incline so as not to interrupt the front ranks coming up together.
In division wheelings, the whole keep closed lightly towards the hand they wheel to, and must avoid pressing the pivot man off his ground. The outward man looks to his rank, he of course regulates the pace at which the wheel is made; he must not press in on his rank, nor turn his horse’s head towards the standing flank; all the horse’s heads must be kept rather outwards (for to attempt to bend them inwards, would certainly occasion a crowding on the standing flank) and the croupes lightly closed inwards with the leg. The pivot man of the wheel turns his horse on his fore-feet, keeps his ground, and comes gradually round with his rank.
Wheels of divisions made on a halted, or on a moveable Pivot. Wheels of divisions of the squadron or line are made on a HALTED, or on a MOVEABLE pivot. When on a halted pivot, they are made from line into column, or from column into line; and also generally by the column of manœuvre or march, when moving on a considerable front, and when the wheel by which its direction is to be changed, approaches to, or exceeds the quarter circle. When on a moveable pivot, they are generally used and ordered when the front of the column is small, and its path winding and changeable.
Whenever the wheel, made on a halted pivot, is less than the quarter circle, the pause after the wheel will be considerable; should the wheel be greater than the quarter circle, it must be accelerated, otherwise more than one division will be arrived, and arrested at the wheeling point.
Wheel on a moveable pivot. When wheels or changes of direction of bodies in column, are made on a MOVEABLE PIVOT, both flanks are kept in motion; the pivot one always describing part of a circle, and the reverse flank, and intermediate men of the division, by a compound of inclining and wheeling, conforming to the pivot movement.