Over the past few years there has been a debate within the re-enactment community as to how company guides and file closers (and corporals conducting guard reliefs) should carry their muskets. There seems to be general agreement that these non-commissioned officers act in the same manner as the rank and file whilst at rest, route step and the double quick, but where shoulder, support and right shoulder shift arms are concerned there is a divergence of opinion. One view is that these men should always carry their weapons at the light infantry right shoulder and the other is that they should carry their weapons in the same position as that required of the rank and file. Confusingly, there is evidence to support both views.
The evidence in favour of sergeants (and corporals conducting troops) always carrying their muskets at the right shoulder comes from two heavy infantry manuals, Scott’s of 1829 and Gilham’s of 1861. Despite its age, Scott’s manual was still in common use at the outbreak of the Civil War and, indeed, was still in use with some front-line units as late as the winter of 1863/64. Scott devotes four paragraphs to the subject, as follows:
759. All sergeants, and the color-guard, shall carry their firelocks [muskets] in the position about to be described.
Position of Shouldered Arms.
760. The firelock in the right hand, and against the hollow of the shoulder, the barrel perpendicular, and to the rear, the ramrod to the front, the right arm almost at its full extent, the right hand embracing the cock and guard, the butt flat along the right thigh, and the left hand hanging by the side behind the sword.
775. When the rank and file carry arms, in paying compliments, sergeants, and such of the corporals as shoulder arms as just above, shall, with the inside of the left hand extended, touch the ramrod, at a point opposite to the right shoulder, returning the left hand to its side position, after the compliment is paid.
Manual of the Corporals.
776. When the corporals are in the ranks, they use their arms in the same manner as the other rank and file; but should they be in the rank of file-closers, or conduct a body of men, or a relief of sentinels, or belong to the color-guard, they will carry the firelock in the right hand, as described in the Manual of the Sergeants.
These instructions are corroborated on page 586 of Gilham’s manual, published in 1861, which states:
Sergeants, with swords drawn, will salute by bringing them to a present; with muskets, by bringing the left hand across the body, so as to strike the musket near the right shoulder. Corporals out of the ranks, and privates not sentries, will carry their muskets at a shoulder as sergeants, and salute in like manner.
Photograph (a) provides proof that these instructions were taken seriously. It appears on page 123 of Volume 1 of "The Image of War" and shows an ante-bellum militia regiment drawn up in column of companies in a New York street. The rank and file are at heavy infantry shoulder arms. The company right guides (the only ones discernable) are at light infantry shoulder arms.
(a) Column of companies: rank and file at heavy infantry shoulder arms, guides at light infantry shoulder arms.
Paragraph 759 of Scott seems to imply that guides and file closers remain at the light infantry shoulder arms even if the rank and file go to other positions such as support arms and, again, Gilham can be used for corroboration. His instructions for guard reliefs, on page 613, state:
The relief, with arms at support, in two ranks, will march by a flank, conducted by a corporal on the side of the leading front rank man [ ]. Should an officer approach, the corporal will command carry arms, and resume the support arms when the officer is passed.
If this paragraph is read in conjunction with paragraphs 776 and 775 of Scott, it may be inferred that the conducting corporal is marching at light infantry shoulder arms while his men are marching at support arms.
Evidence that sergeants remain at shoulder arms when the rank and file are at present arms appears in a sketch of the Confederate 1st Maryland by the artist Sheppard and in two wartime photographs, one of a Union unit (reproduced on page 63 of the book accompanying the Ken Burns series) and one of a Confederate company at Charleston S.C. (see (b) below). In both the photos the sergeant in view has remained at shoulder arms and is saluting in accordance with Gilham’s instructions on page 586.
(b) Company at present arms. The 1st sergeant, on the left, is at shoulder arms, saluting.
If there were no other evidence than that quoted above, it would make a reasonable case in favour of sergeants remaining constantly at light infantry shoulder arms while engaged in formal drill. There is, however, a great deal of additional wartime photographic evidence and it all points in the other direction. There are photographs of troops in column of companies at right shoulder shift arms, marching by the flank at right shoulder shift arms, in column of companies at support arms and marching by the flank at support arms and in every case the guides (or conducting N.C.Os.) are carrying their muskets in the same position as the rank and file. An example of each appears below;
(c) Column of companies: Rank and file and guides all at right shoulder shift arms. IW vol. 5 page 312.
(d) Company about to move out by the right flank; 1st Sergeant and rank and
file all at right shoulder shift arms.
(e) Guard relief marching by the flank. corporal of the guard and guard all
at support arms. MPH Vol 1, page 212.
(f) Company of the 9th Mississippi forming part of a column
of companies: rank and file and right and left guides all at support arms.
IW vol. 1, page 358.
Additional pictures of troops and guides marching in column of companies at right shoulder shift appear in: IW vol. 2 page 200, IW vol. 3 pages 90 & 324, MPH vol. 3 page 347 and MPH vol.10 page 163.
The simplest and most likely explanation as to why these troops are not conforming to Scott’s and Gilham’s requirements is that they are not using Scott’s and Gilham’s manuals. About three-quarters of Civil War infantry units used light infantry arms drill as specified by Hardee and Casey (these proportions have been estimated by a review of the photographs of soldiers at shoulder arms and parade rest in MPH and Time Life’s "Echoes of Glory", which reveal 12 photos of men using heavy infantry arms drill and 32 photos of men using light infantry arms drill). Neither Hardee nor Casey make mention of special arms drill for sergeants. They did not require it, which is why we cannot find it.
To sum up: sergeants of re-enactment units using Hardee’s and Casey’s
manuals should adopt the same arms positions as their men (with the possible
exception of present arms). Where Scott and Gilham are concerned, the jury is
still out. The latter manuals certainly imply sergeants should always carry
their muskets at light infantry shoulder arms while engaged in formal drill,
but we have yet to find a wartime photograph that proves they did so. It is
equally fair to say that the ten wartime photographs referred to above are too
narrow a sample to prove that they did not. Indeed, seven of them show troops
at right shoulder shift, an arms position not even allowed for by Scott.
My thanks to Andy Braeunling for locating and drawing my attention to the photo of the troops presenting arms in Charleston and the sketch of the 1st Maryland by Sheppard and for scanning and forwarding most of the pictures used in this article.
Andy has also pointed out that Scott’s manual contains instructions showing sergeants how to go to present arms and support arms, which sits uncomfortably with the idea that they did not use these positions.
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