Although numerous contemporary references in accounts of actions and memoirs to 'skirmishing' exist for the period, there is very limited detail in the various drill manuals as to how it ought to be performed. The practice of sending out 'loose shot' as the Elizabethan's termed it, ie. troops in no formation, was a concept that had been going out of use at the turn of the Seventeenth century, although some early manuals do still refer to it, describing it as being 'disbanded' soldiers or 'a la disbandada'. By 1616 a far more formal method was being developed which the following references illustrate. Firstly, in 'The Exercise of the English in the service of the high and mighty Lords, the Lords the Estates of the United Provinces in the Low Countries' printed as an appendix to John Bingham's 'The Tactiks of Aelian' published 1616: 'In advancing towards an Enemy, when they doe not skirmish loose and disbanded, they must give fire by Rankes after this manner.

Two Rankes must alwaies make ready together, and advance ten paces forward before the body, at which distance, a Sergeant (or when the body is great some other officer) must stand, to whom the Musquettiers are to come up before they present, and, give fire, first the first ranke. And when the first gives fire, the second Ranke keepe their Musquets close to their Rests, and their pannes garded, and assoone, as the first are fallen away, the second presently present, and give fire, and fall after them." (I am indebted to Keith Roberts for this quote and the details of Elizabethan practice).

The English copied the Dutch at this period in just about all military matters and this formal method of skirmishing was no exception. It was copied by the English Privy Council for the manual issued in 1623 for training the reformed English Militia - the 'Exact Militia' and it was continued in the 1638 manual, which while not a copy of the 1623 manual did, in its firing systems, continue the same trend of ideas. In the 1638 government issued Trained Band manual 'Directions for Musters' (quoted page 28 in Stuart Reid, 'Gunpowder Triumphant' 1987) it states:

'Concerning SKIRMISH (for which they are now in fitting distance) there be divers and sundrie Forms, both against HORSE and FOOT: Usually the fight is begun by drawing out some FILES disbanded; or else by 2 RANKS advancing 10 paces before the body, which take ready together: a SERGEANT (or some other Officer) there stands, to whom these 2 first RANKS come up; then PRESENT, and give FIRE, first the first RANK then the second; so fall off into the RERE, into their own FILES. So soon as the two first RANKS advance forwards, the two next RANKS must MAKE READY; then advance forward 10 paces, and do as the former two RANKS; so all successively.'

Finally we see the immediate pre-war stage of development in the classic works of Robert Ward, 'Anima-dversions of Warre' (published 1639) and William Barriffe, 'Militarie Discipline or the Young Artillery-Man' (various editions from 1635 to 1661). They are as one on the subject given Ward's comment at the begining of his section on giving fire, page 259:

'And first to begin with the firing in Front, both advancing and standing. I will follow Master Barrifes directions, who hath excellently well described them, both by discourse and figure.'

Indeed, the two respective sections are identical, Ward, pages 259-261, reproducing Barriffe's pages 79-83 in 'The Young Artillery-Man' in every detail. Taking the later then as our guide; in Barriffe, under the heading 'Of drawing the Files again into a Body, and preparing them for skirmish', having formed the body of pike and musket in classic Dutch formation with a central body of pike flanked by wings of musketeers and stressed that orders be conveyed by drum beat; it states, pages 79-80:

'If the Captain sends out loose files or ranks to skirmish before the front, the Ensigne continues standing at the head of the Pikes, his colours flying.'

Now the first two methods of giving fire, 'Of Firing by forlorne Files' and 'Of Firing by two ranks, ten paces advanced before the Front' pages 80-83, both offer the formal method of seventeenth centry skirmishing an officer was expected to follow, placing individual files and ranks ten to twenty paces before the main body. Now it ought to be stressed that this is not skirmishing as in the manner of the late eighteen th/nineteenth century's but the formal Dutch drill method of engaging the enemy at a distance.

At the foot of page 83 in Barriffe the note to these sections reads:

'These Motions are to be performed .... and foot together, by every one that advanceth ground to give fire, without excersing any directions in time of Skirmish.'

Needless to say, as the reader will note, the various motions described above follow a conceptual line of development from the turn of the seventeenth century to the outbreak of the English Civil War. Now I would humbly. suggest that the loose, open order so often observable on the English Civil War re-enactment field is inspired more by the skirmish tactics of the American Civil War rather than that of the English. Now if there is a contemporary mid-seventeenth centry source for loose, open order skirmishing drill by musketeers and dragoons I would welcome the reference. Failing this may I suggest that the more formal formations are accurate in regards to ECW events being re-enacted.

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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