SCHOOL OF THE SOLDIER

[BEAST]

A few years ago, I was collecting early US Infantry manuals. I thought some of you would like to see one of my earliest.

 

This is an 1817 Infantry manual issued by the War Department. Notice that this copy was printed for the State of New Hampshire

 

 

 

An example of the instructions for the manual of arms:

 

 

Please feel free to post examples of your pre-WWI manuals.

[BEAST]

This one is pre-American Revolution, but I thought I would include it here also.

 

This is a 1773 dated Infantry manual printed in London. Although not a true US manual, this manual was sold in the colonies and available for use by colonial militias. An example published by a Philadelphia printer is also in existence. I have not been successful in tracking down the name of the sergeant.

 

This one is a bit unusual in that it is written by an anonymous author. However it is a believed to have been written by an English Officer by the name of Lambert.

 

 

 

[Brian Keith]

I don't have anything that old, those are really neat.

BKW

[Lee Ragan]

Us War Between the States reenactors still learn the "School of the Soldier" (for infantrymen). Ours are later versions such as Hardee's Tactics, but still geared toward fighting with muzzle loading muskets and shoulder-to-shoulder formations. Interesting stuff, but much is hard to interpret because instructions were written differently and with fewer illustrations than what you'd expect to see today.

That's one neat piece of history you have there!