Officers of the INDEPENDENT GUARD,

Captain Bob Minton of the Third Arkansas asked me a question on drill last week that I thought might interest all, the officers.

He wondered about automatically going to right shoulder shift when at double quick time during company into line and back to shoulder arms when arriving on the line. Here are the sections that tell us we are correct in this interpretation.

Since the right shoulder shift is taught in a stationary position in the school ,of the soldier and movements often say something to the effect... following the principles laid out earlier, etc.

In this case, the instructions we want are sort of hidden.

...the SUBHEADING in which it is under is "To March Backwards" (Hardee's, "School of the Soldier," Paras. 349-350) we can refer to the exact words there in brief:

349. in marching at double quick time, the men will always carry their piece on the right shoulder, or at a trail. This rule is general. 350...[if the command to trail arms is not given]... the men will shift their pieces to the right shoulder at the command double quick, In either case, at the command halt, the men will bring their pieces to the position of shoulder arms. This rule is general.

Now, in Company into line, there is no command to "double quick" as it is implied in the movement... the men are to double quick...

Thus, see paras. 349-350 above.

We are right. The men should come to the shoulder (it would even make sense for them to come to the arms position that they were originally at before being ordered to come into line).

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