Moving 17th Century Soldiers
 

Countermarching

Losing ground (a.k.a., Lacedemonian)

Command:
"Files to the left, countermarch, every man turning after his leader on the ground he stands!"

Colonel Barriffe offers also a slightly truncated version of this command:
"Files to the left, countermarch, every man turning on the ground he stands!"

Files to the left (or right) hand countermarch with every soldier turning after the soldier immediately in front on the ground he stands  - no step is made forward.  The File Leader finally stands at a minimum his file's length behind where his Bringer-Up had been.

This countermarch with more than one file

Sergeant Subtelus says:

With this or any countermarch, the files may maintain their march farther than the immediate ground; indeed, they shall go as far as their commander so chooses.