Taking Hexham, Ward and Barriffe as our three examples of pre-Civil War manuals, while they have a wide variety of formations to be adopted to deliver fire including the ones outlined above, having given fire in each formation, there are only three ways of bringing-up the next loaded rank; by wheeling off to the rear, by introduction and by extraduction. The question to ask in respect of the various formations offered and the methods of bringing-up new ranks is, which, if any, were actualy practiced on the field of battle in the ECW?

First taking Henry Hexham's 'The Principles of the Art Militairie' published 1637; one sees on pages 49-51, unsurprisingly, the classic Dutch method of forming a musket block, it being some ten ranks deep. The two wings of musket being formed either side of the pike block, Hexham illustrates the one basic mode to give fire, the front rank gives fire and then wheels to the rear to make ready whilst the second rank gives fire in turn and so on.

Next, we might take Ward and Barriffe together given Ward's comment at the begining of his section on giving fire quoted above. Following the first two methods, 'Of Firing by forlorne Files' and 'Of Firing by two ranks, ten paces advanced before the Front' given above in the section on skirmishing, the next method of delivering fire recounted in Ward and Barriffe may be termed the classic method, namely 'Of Firing by two ranks... even with the Front', starting page 80 in Barriffe and 261 in Ward. Here the musket blocks are drawn up either side of the pike block. The front rank gives fire and wheels to the rear followed immediately by the second rank the remainder of the block then steps forward to file the vacant space. The new two front ranks give fire and wheel to the rear and so on. As described at the foot of page 83 in Barriffe:

'Now the pikes being advanced, and the ranks closed forward to their due distance of order, the musquettiers are to present, even with the front, every rank successively moving for-wards, until they come to be even in rank with the first rank of Pikes, there to give fire, and to wheel-off to the right and left, trooping file-wise, down close to their own divisions: and taking their places in the Reere .... The first rank of musquettiers having fired and wheeled away, the next ranks are to move forwards at three motions into their places, and there to give fire after the same manner, wheeling away again, and placing themselves according to former directions, every RANKE still making good their leaders ground. In this sort the battell may be continued, until they have fired once, twice, or oftner over:'

Now this is as described in Hexham with little variation. After this comes a number of variations on the different types of formations in which fire can be delivered (but this article is not primaraley on formations).

Then we have 'Of giving fire, advancing, by way of Introduction...' , pages 8788 in Barriffe and 263 in Ward. Now this method of delivering fire requires the musket blocks to be deployed in open order so as to permit the ranks to pass down to the rear. Now this is true also for extroduction and Barriffe's comment on the method is most revealing on page 87:

'I will not dispute how usefull it is; but sure I am, it is over-ballanced with danger. As for such whom I have seen to practise it, they have rather used it for variety, in a welexperienced Company, than for any known excellency it hath in it self But if these lines happen to be over-lookt by any, that preserves a better opinion of this Firing by Introduction than I doe, I shall be willing to leave them to their own liking;'.

Ward also expresses reservations on P. 263: 'By Introduction .... this forme of giving fire, by way of Introduction, it being a kinde of advancing against the Enemie and of gayning ground, although not used (in these our Moderne warres) but in way of exercise.'

There seems little question as to Barriffe and Ward's feeling as to the practical method of giving fire by an average musket block, it is the classic Dutch method as represented by Hexham of the front rank giving fire and wheeling to the rear while those behind step up to give fire in their turn. Hexham and Ward both form their musket blocks in the traditional ten deep blocks of the Dutch school while Barriffe forms his blocks at eight deep thereby demonstrating that Swedish practice had as yet to make itself felt. Barriffe does though make reference at the very end of The Young Artilleryman in Chapter CXX, pages 171-173 to the Swedish practice of 'squadrons' and 'Brigades' so that officers 'may exercise their bodies with more variety'. Barriffe then quotes from Colonel Robert Munro's book 'Monro his Expeditions and Observations'. Classic if outdated Swedish Brigades are nicely illustrated on these three pages. Hence to conclude this part one may quote Ward as the last significant pre-war writer as to the two key methods, for having on page 262 placed the musket in two wings flanking the pike in a ten deep formation:

'There are two principle ways of giving fire belonging to this forme, namely first the Muskeeters may give fire in the Front, and so wheele off by division, or if the Commander pleaseth, they may wheel all off to the right, placing themselves in the Reere of their owne division and Files of shot just before the Front of the Pikes. The next Rankes are immediatly to move forwards into their Leaders ground, and are likewise to give fire and wheel off placing themselves after the maner of the former, the rest of the ranks of Musketeers performing the like, until they have all given fire'...

Ward, having given his reservations about introduction quoted above, goes on, on page 263 to:

'By Introduction .... It is to be performed two ways. The first, when the motion is begun by the second Ranke from the Front. The other when it is begun by the bringers up; wherefore observe before the firing begin, you must open your Files of Musketeers, to their open order, so that the shot may passe between the intervalls of each File to give in the Front.'

The conclusion then to the pre-war drill's as to the favoured method of a stationary musket block giving fire is the classic Dutch one of the two front ranks giving fire and wheeling to the rear. For gaining ground or giving ground, various forms of introduction and extroduction respectively are suggested, although Barriffe stresses the need of well drilled troops for these and Ward suggests it is only for exercise. The reason, I would suggest, that introduction and extroduction were not favoured was, apart from being a sixteenth century method used by the massed ranks of the Spanish tercio's, was that it required the musket block to deploy to open order which easily led to a loss of cohesion and order in all but the best drilled troops in the stress of action.

Essentially, introduction was one of several experimental firing systems in use at the close of the Sixteenth century which remained a popular style in manuals of the early Seventeenth but there is no evidence that it was ever used in action during the ECW. Whereas, each rank wheeling in turn to the rear maintained a close order, hence greater cohesion in poorer drilled troops (often the norm in ECW societies as well as the period) and an ability to manoeuver more rapidly without loosing vital cohesion.

More Give Fire: ECW Formations and Tactics

Introduction
Skirmishing
Pre-War
Wartime
Post-War
Contemporary Battlefield Accounts
Conclusion
Biographical Notes
Troops Disposition Diagrams (slow: 143K)

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