Right out of Silas Casey's Book.

[Anonymous]

Here's one I would like to share with everybody. As many of you know I like to look at old CW pictures. Here's one showing of some cavalry officers standing in front of a hitching post waiting till their winter quarters are finished. The duty of the day is digging trench around the nearby "stocaded" tents of the officers. When I looked at this picture I noticed the enlisted man in the background holding his weapon with his hand across his chest. I thought this was pretty weird till I found this same position in Silas Casey's "Infantry Tactics" of 1862 (see insert). The position is part of the manual of arms and is "Support Arms!" Since I am not a reenactor I had never heard of this position. Note the man to his left is standing at attention with a shovel.
<p><img border="1" src="http://www.pochefamily.org/weather/relic%20images/SupportArmsSM.jpg"></p>
HH
Dave Poche