Militia Discipline.; The Words of Command, and Directions for Exercising the Musket, Bayonet, & Carthridge: with observations on the several Beats of the Drum, of Ranks and Files, of their several Distances. Directions for compleating a Battalion, or Company, before an Officer begins to Exercise. the Evolutions. Of Firing. Demonstrating every Posture, and Motion of the Body, Hand, and Foot, with the Number of Motions, in performing the several commands; which have been perused and approv'd of by several Great Commanders, and Adjutants; who agree, 'tis the compeatest Method of Discipline the said Militia. For the Instruction of Young Soldiers. To Which is added, Some further Directions for the Exercise of a Company or Battalion drawn up three, or six deep. As also, an Abstract of the Militia Law in this Province.

East Winthrop, Maine: Museum Research Associates, 1975. Bicentennial Edition, presumed first printing. Wraps. Format is approximately 4 inches by 6.25 inches. [8], 78 pages, plus covers. Cover has some soiling/staining. this was originally published in Boston in 1733. In the Foreword to the Bicentennial Edition it states: This book, believed to be the first militia manual printed in America, may well have been carried by Colonel George Washington of the Virginia Militia during his service in the French and Indian War, or used to train the Minutemen who stood at Lexington and Concord, and again at Bunker Hill, to oppose the armed might of the world's greatest military power. The concept of individual citizens' responsibility for public safety and order, as set forth here, was a fundamental principle among those who were to become the founding fathers of this Nation. And the words of command that live on in these pages are those that echoed two centuries ago, along with the reverberations of "he short heard 'round the world". To those who helped forge the proud heritage of America's militia, and to those who honor and preserve the traditions of the "Citizen Soldier" today, this book is respectfully dedicated. The militia of the United States, as defined by the U.S. Congress, has changed over time. During colonial America, all able-bodied men of a certain age range were members of the militia, depending on the respective state's rule. Individual towns formed local independent militias for their own defense. The year before the US Constitution was ratified, The Federalist Papers detailed the founders' paramount vision of the militia in 1787. The new Constitution empowered Congress to "organize, arm, and discipline" this national military force, leaving significant control in the hands of each state government. Condition: Very good.

Keywords: Military Manuals, Militia, Military Training, Military Exercises, Military Drill, Bayonet, Firearms, Military Evolutions, Military Discipline

[Book #82080]

Price: $50.00