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Regimental Organization?

A regiment was approx 1000 men at full strength made up in companies listed as A company, B company, etc. When the regiment went into battle formation did they line up A company on the right followed by B company, etc.? Also, was the right based on being in front and facing the regiment? Would they set up camp this way as well? Would they march this way? This would put A company in the front and J company in the back.

Re: Regimental Organization?


Generally, Ken, "A" and "B" companies were the flank companies (i.e. on the opposite ends)and the remaining companies were supposed to alternate left/right between them -- in practice, this seems to have been a more theoretical deployment than an actual one.



The "right" would be to your right if you were a soldier in the ranks of the regiment, facing the same way as the regiment was.



In camp, each company had a different parallel "street" of tents, with a line of tents for headquarters, hospital, guardhouse, and staff officers perpendicular to the company streets.



On the march, the order of companies was rotated, so that different people got to "eat dust" on different days.



By the way, there was no "company J". They skipped J, and the last company was "K".

Brian


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Replying to:

A regiment was approx 1000 men at full strength made up in companies listed as A company, B company, etc. When the regiment went into battle formation did they line up A company on the right followed by B company, etc.? Also, was the right based on being in front and facing the regiment? Would they set up camp this way as well? Would they march this way? This would put A company in the front and J company in the back.