Civil War Cavalry Reenacting: Conducting Clean Wheels According To Poinsett's

[@wevikings1790]

This is a really good though out video! Thanks for putting in you guys actually drilling in this, I definitely learned a thing or two. Nice work as usual! Will be for sure showing my guys this video thanks.

[@brianfuller5868]

Your videos are very detailed and informative. This was very good.

[@Beaguins]

This was like watching a coach break down a practice video.

[@stephenbennett7235]

Another very useful piece - hope you don't mind my sharing it on our British Hussars facebook page :-)

[@11thovc]

Feel free to post it wherever! Thanks for watching.

[@Beaguins]

I'm in something of a debate with people about how cavalry would do a 180 degree turn while under fire. If it was necessary to rapidly face behind you (like an about-face with infantry) would each trooper spin his horses around, or would each platoon wheel around? I doubt the whole squadron would make one big wheel (officers would keep their positions, but it would take too long). Does Poinsett's manual address this?

[@11thovc]

Beaguins, Great question! The first way to tackle this problem........Is to NEVER be put in a position where you have to protect your front and rear. Should this situation happen, it demonstrates poor leadership and situational awareness. In the few accounts I can remember reading that would be similar to this, the command was destroyed/captured/etc. However, to address your question from a textbook/manual perspective, the two rank system of Poinsett's generally did not allow for horses to conduct an about-face. That maneuver on horseback is much more challenging than on foot. The horse, being longer than it is wide, requires room in a formation to turn. Therefore, each individual horse (while in formation), cannot simply do an about face. At the very best, you could do something along the lines of "By 4's, left wheel, march". Then call "Forward" when they are facing to the rear. While this maneuver is not intended by poinsett's, it would allow them to conduct an "about face" in the smallest element possible. But this would place the rear rank in the front, the front rank in the rear, and the numbers in a sort of reverse order. AGAIN I MUST SAY THIS IS AGAINST THE INTENT OF POINSETT'S. If you get down to it, and get creative, there would actually be a few different ways you could accomplish this maneuver using existing orders (as long as your men didn't try to overthink what your intent was). While I am still a student of the manual, I believe the individual platoons (as you mentioned) would simply do a wheel to face to the rear. That seems like it would be the cleanest while still keeping some sort of formation and keeping the officers in their positions.

[@Beaguins]

@@11thovc Thanks for the detailed reply! I wasn't assuming that the cavalry were being fired upon from two sides. I can imagine a situation where cavalry are approaching a battle in line (not yet engaged), and are suddenly fired upon from behind.

[@phillipdefelice474]

Dire is the horseman's wheel.

[@veronicaarcos5652]

En castellano hablado 😡😈🇨🇱