Hide at the back ?!
The Colonel was expected to set an example and lead from the front. He'd be on foot and this was the best place for him to see what was going on and to direct his batallion.
There's a very interesting British Army manual from 1745 online here which describes drawing up the battalion before battle (and platoon fire, use of squares etc)
When going into action against the enemy, the other officers and NCO's were posted at intervals between the firing platoons and also behind them,suppose our battalion to consist of 800 or 1,000 men. Let us suppose our battalion drawn up with the army on the field of battle, three deep, their bayonets fixed on their muzzles, the grenadiers divided on the flanks, the officers ranged in the front; and the Colonel or, in his absence, the Lieutenant-Colonel (who, I suppose, fights the battalion) on foot, with his sword drawn in his hand, about eight or ten paces in the front, opposite the centre, with an expert Drum by him. He should appear with a cheerful countenance, never in a hurry, or by any means ruffled, and to deliver his orders with great calmness and presence of mind.to control the men and deter anyone wanting to "hide at the back" or run awayso that no soldier can possibly misbehave, but there will be an eye presently upon him
Of course, being at the front the Colonel is in some danger. Here comes the tricky bit ...The lieutenant-colonel, or, in his absence, the eldest Captain, posts himself eight or ten paces from the rear rank opposite the centre, the rest of the officers posting themselves four paces from the rear rank, extending to the right and left to cover the battalion, where they will be of as great use as those in the front, in seeing that the soldiers keep up in their ranks and do their duty.
That's where the "cheerful countenance, unruffled, great calmness" etc comes in handyAs the commanding officer will be exposed to the fire of his own men, as well as that of the enemy, he is to take special care that he keep opposite the two centre platoons while the other parts of the battalion keep firing; and he must also take as great care, that when it comes to the turn of the centre platoons to fire, that both he and the drum step aside, and return as soon as they have done, otherwise they must fall by their own fire.![]()
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