Existing comment:
The Line of Battle: Relying on Rank and File:
Citizen-soldiers spent much of their time in camp practicing how to maneuver while arranged in lines and columns, technically known as ranks and files. These linear formations were the basis of the stylized military tactics inherited from the wars of the Napoleonic Era in Europe.
In theory, soldiers organized in double lines could aim and fire a steady series of volleys at their opponents. Even while advancing, one line could pelt the enemy with a hail of lead while the other line reloaded. These linear formations were practical when using weapons which were slow to reload and inaccurate, and when troops were disciplined. But linear tactics often broke down in the heat of battle due to panic, confusion, poor communication, and obscuring clouds of smoke.
The traditional line of battle was a horizontal array best suited to formalized warfare on the relatively open terrain of Europe. In America, however, combat more often occurred on irregular terrain covered with brush and woods. As a result, Civil War soldiers learned to march in dense columns, to deploy rapidly into line of battle once combat was joined, and when circumstances dictated, to improvise movements under fire. The key to such tactics was discipline and drill. After endless practice and years of experience in the field, citizen-soldiers eventually mastered these complex maneuvers. |