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Post by Drunk Pasty on Nov 13, 2012 15:13:56 GMT -5
" Dammit!" Dewi cursed. " Damn them and damn the whole bloody world!"
He spurred his horse one again, reaching the other side of his regiment.
" Reload!" He ordered. " Hold your fire!" If they wanted to ply volley, so would he.
Dog-heads clicked, the guns with small barrels otherwise known as carbines were reloaded. " Present!" His rough throat coated in gunpowder coughed the order. Dewi grabbed the reins in one hand, pulling his pistol from his belt with the other.
He raised his pistol and fired it moments after the order came.
"Fire!"
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Post by Bog on Nov 17, 2012 8:55:35 GMT -5
There had been silence after the accidental volley, but it had not lasted. From out of the darkness came a shouted order and immediately the night was alive with fire and lead. Somebody near Leighton swore colourfully as the bright muzzles flashes erupted in the middle distance. Some of the balls found their marks in both of the 54th's squares, felling men and creating gaps in the ranks that were instantly filled.
"Hold fast!" Leighton called. His cry was taken up with more volume by his two sergeants and he heard it being echoed around the much larger square the rest of the regiment was in. They could not direct any kind of accurate fire upon an enemy they could not see, but neither could they stand and take harassing volleys without returning them.
Or that was his belief. It was not one the colonel seemed to share. Drums were rattling from within the regiment's square and when he looked across, Leighton could just see the dim outlines of men in motion. The big square was breaking, three of its sides swinging outward to form a line. What the devil was the colonel doing?
A soldier came running toward his own square, breathlessly calling out, "Message, sir!" He nearly impaled himself on the out-facing bayonets when he tried to stop and a gap needed to be hastily made for him in the two ranks to avoid this. "Colonel sends his compliments, sir, an' says to form line, four deep. On his right flank, sir. Double quick!"
Well. That made a bit more sense, but Leighton still thought it was madness. "Thank you. Fall in with my lads. Company! Form line, four ranks! Quickly now!"
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Post by Drunk Pasty on Nov 18, 2012 4:27:22 GMT -5
Dewi grinned slightly, the Frogs were retreating, all he had to deal with was
a few squa- wait. He turned his head, his volley had been like a lantern, it revealed that one of the square was moving into a line? By god.
"Reload!" Dewi shouted gleefully " Lads, you are going hoe with someones stovepipe!" The men grinned, Dewi waited until their carbines had been holstered, then he called the order to draw swords. Dewi drew his sword, so did the others.
" CHARGE! GO ROUND THE SQUARE!"
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Post by Bog on Nov 23, 2012 10:57:52 GMT -5
With the men in four ranks, the regiment's line was not overly long. Seven hundred men could only cover so much ground when drawn up in such a formation. But perhaps that was the intent? Leighton had no way of knowing. He could only position his company on the regiment's right flank as directed and hope the colonel was not out of his mind. There was an almost certain chance that many good men were very shortly to find their heads and shoulders made into targets for those wicked cavalry sabres.
"Regiment will prime and load!" The order was being passed along from company to company by the sergeants, a rolling shout that reached the Light Company and caused a fleeting grin to come to Leighton's face. At least they were going to make a fight of it. Especially since the enemy cavalry were moving fast to sweep around the flank, the rumble of many hooves giving them away. He, and the rest of his company, had heard the shouted order to charge and knew that a slaughter was imminent.
He gripped his sword and wished he had his pistol. Should he order his company back into square? No. That was impossible. He could not act on his own initiative now that he was back with the regiment. All he could do was hope the colonel had a plan to counter this threat.
"Third and fourth ranks! About. Turn!" The command came down the line in a ringing bellow. "First and fourth ranks, kneel! All ranks! Make. Ready!"
Well, thought Leighton, as his sergeants made the orders known to the Light Company. Maybe there was hope after all. It was now a line formed in an approximation of a square. Not a tactic he would have thought of, certainly!
"All ranks! All ranks! Fire!"
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