order: FORM FOR SHELTER TENTS.

The first sergeant and right guide fall in on the right of the company.
The blank files in the squads have to be filled by men from the file
closers, and the remaining guides and file closers form on the left
flank or at such places as may be designated by the company commander.
The company commander next gives the order: 1. Take interval, 2. To the
left, 3. MARCH, 4. Company, 5. HALT.

At the second command (to the left) the rear rank men march backward
four steps of fifteen inches each and then halt.

At the command MARCH, all face to the left and the leading man of each
rank steps off. The remaining men step off in succession, each following
the preceding man at four paces. The rear rank men march abreast of
their file leaders.

The company commander gives the command HALT when all have gained their
intervals. At this command all halt and face to the front, dressing to
the right. The more quickly you dress and establish the line of tents,
the more quickly you will be relieved of those heavy packs. This is the
time to brace up and give the company commander your support by giving
him your attention. If you cover in file accurately as you take interval
you will often be accurately aligned upon halting.

The next command is: PITCH TENTS. At this command each man steps off
obliquely to the right with the right foot (about thirty inches) and
lays his rifle on the ground, butt to the rear and near the toe of the
right foot, muzzle to the front, barrel to the left. He then steps back
to his original position. During this process of "grounding" the rifle,
the front rank man must keep his left foot strictly in its position.
Each front rank man then draws his bayonet from the scabbard and sticks
it in the ground by the outside of his right heel. Now in order to
insure the bayonet being properly aligned, thus producing a straight
line of tents, the company officers (first and second lieutenants),
sometimes are required to align the line of bayonets while the men are
unslinging and opening their equipment. The equipment is then unslung
and laid on the ground. The packs are opened and the shelter half and
pins removed therefrom. Each man spreads his shelter half, small
triangle to the rear, on the ground that the tent is to occupy, the
rear-rank man's shelter half being on the right. Then the front-and
rear-rank men button the halves together, the rear-rank man's half on
top. The guy loops at