Company Structure?

[T.Conroy]

A company is meant to consist of 100 men, yes I realise this was not always the case. After doing some research and looking at previous posts a company looks as follows:

100 men = 2 platoons = 4 sections = 8 squads

A company has the following officers (commissioned and non-coms):

Captain (1), 1st. Lieut. (1), 2nd. Lieut. (1)

1st Sgt. (1), Sgts. (4) and Corporals (8).

Plus 2 musicians.

Source: http://www.angelfire.com/wv/wasec5/formations.html

A company rank breakdown being (According to: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mnwabcw/31.htm)

Private commanded no one
Corporal commanded five privates
Sergeant commanded five privates, and the Corporal and five privates which were the other half of his squad
Second Lt. commanded four squads
Lieutenant commanded four squads
Captain commanded two squads directly, and the other eight squads through his lieutenants

According to the above therefore, a squad consist of 6 men in total, 5 privates and one cpl. A section, 13 men (2 Squads + Sergeant), a platoon consists of 27 men (2 Sections + a lieutenant). A company therefore should consist of 59 men (including a captain, first sergeant, quartermaster sergeant and 2 musicians)?

This can't be right. What have I missed? Is this incorrect?

[Jamez]

Where do you get that a squad has to be formed of 6 men in total?

[Patrick Kurtz]

I don't believe your information is accurate, if you want to be spot on accurate, just look at organization in Hardee's drill Manual. That is what they followed, should be perfect.

[T.Conroy]

Well there are 8 Squads and 8 Corporals. It's stated that a Corporal commands 5 privates.

[A. P. Hill]

Post of Company Officers, Sergeants and Corporals.

12. The company officers and sergeants are nine in number, and will be posted in the following manner:

13. The captain on the right of the company touching with the left elbow.

14. The first sergeant in the rear rank, touching 'with the left elbow and covering the captain. In the manœuvres he will be denominated covering sergeant, or right guide of the company.

15. The remaining officers and sergeants will be posted as file closers, and two paces behind the rear rank.

16. The first lieutenant, opposite the center of the fourth section.

17. The second lieutenant, opposite the center of the first platoon.

18. The third lieutenant, opposite the center of the second platoon.

19. The second sergeant, opposite the, second file from the left of the company. In the manœuvres he will be designated left guide of the company.

20. The third sergeant, opposite the second file from the right of the second platoon.

21. The fourth sergeant, opposite the second file from the left of the first platoon.

22. The fifth sergeant, opposite the second file from the right of the first platoon.

23. In the left or tenth company of the battalion, the second sergeant will be posted in the front rank and on the left of the battalion.

24. The corporals will be posted in the front rank, as prescribed No. 8.

25. Absent officers and sergeants will be replaced - officers by sergeants, and sergeants by corporals. The colonel may detach a first lieutenant from one company to command another, of which both the captain and first lieutenant are absent; but this authority will give no right to a lieutenant to demand to be 4o detached.

[T.Conroy]

Hardees drill manual,whilst undoubtedly accurate is difficult when attempting to decipher the exact size and makeup of a Company.

What you have posted still does not ultimately breakdown the number of privates into squads.

[A. P. Hill]

http://www.public.asu.edu/~roblewis/ACW/SOS/school%20of%20the%20soldier%20title%201.htm#compan yposts

[T.Conroy]

So 1 Captain, 3 Lieutenants, 5 Sergeants, 8 Corporals.

2 Platoons - 4 Sections - 8 Squads?

Broken down into how many men in each?

[thomas aagaard]

Hardees drill manual,whilst undoubtedly accurate is difficult when attempting to decipher the exact size and makeup of a Company.
What you have posted still does not ultimately breakdown the number of privates into squads.

Stick to periode sources, like the drill books and regulations... then you will not gen confused by error filled webpages.
(A.P.Hill linked to Hardee's 1855 manual)

And you need to stop thinking this is the modern military.


In short you simply can't split up a company like you are trying to do.

Krautz "the company clerk" give us the structure:
The following are the organizations as allowed by existing laws (see Gen. Orders No 126, 1862, and Act March 3, 1863, sec. 37) :—
Company of Infantry.
1 Captain,
1 First Lieutenant,
1 Second Lieutenant,
1 First Sergeant,
4 Sergeants,
8 Corporals,
2 Musicians,
1 "Wagoner,
( 64 Privates—minimum. \ 82 Privates—maximum.)

------------------------------

The administrative unit is the company.

Every time you fall in The company is split into two platoons.
So some of the guys of middle height will be in the 1st platoon one day, and the 2nd the next day, depending on who is sick or on other duty.
And the 1st platoon is allways the bigger of the two and of an even number of files.
So if a company got 37 rank and file: the 1st platoon would have 20 men and the 2nd 17 men. Since the 1st platoon must be bigger and must be an even number of files.


The platoon is only used if you need to maneuver by platoon. So pretty rare.
The sections are mentioned in the introduction in drillbooks but are only used for anything when in skirmish order. And here they also use "fours".
(there is no "Do this or that by section or by squad")

Squads are something you use during drill of school of the soldier and not something you define and use in combat.

And all of it is something you organise every time the company fall in. You simply can't compare it to the modern infantry squad.


Part of the time it is the COL that is giving the orders and some times the Captain need to give some. Only when marching in column of platoons do the LT give any orders.

When in combat the only people commanding anyone is the captain and the LT. And the Lt only if you change into column of platoons.
The corporals are part of the line, In both ranks on the corners of the platoons...

The 1st SG is the covering sergeant, the 2nd sergent is company left guide, the rest are part of the file closers... and not commanding anyone.


So in combat you actually only need two officers (and one of the only rarely) and two sergeants. The rest are just extra men to help keep the men in line.
The reason for the corporals and extra sergeants and officers have more to do with none combat duty and especially when on guard, where the NCOs are the one who do much of the work.

--

[Patrick Kurtz]

Yeah, company sizes varies so much, and in relation to that their specific roles.

[T.Conroy]

Ah I see. Thanks a lot for that write up mate.

:D

[X_Morgan_X]

Cant wait too play this game