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Cooper's Volunteer's Manual 

SITE NAVIGATION


A

CONCISE SYSTEM OF INSTRUCTIONS AND

REGULATIONS

FOR

THE MILITIA AND VOLUNTEERS

OF THE UNITED STATES,

COMPREHENDING

THE EXERCISES AND MOVEMENTS OF

The Infantry, Light Infantry, and Riflemen;

Cavalry and Artillery:

TOGETHER WITH

The manner of doing duty in Garrison and Camp, and the

forms of

PARADES, REVIEWS, and INSPECTIONS,

As established by authority for the government of the Regular Army.

_____________________________

PREPARED AND ARRANGED BY

BREVET CAPTAIN S. COOPER,

Aid de Camp and Assistant Adjutant General,

_____________________________

UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF

MAJOR GENERAL ALEXANDER MACOMB,

Commanding the Army of the United States.

________________________

PHILADELPHIA:

ROBERT P. DESILVER, No, 255 MARKET STREET.

_______________

1836

 

General Samuel  Cooper, CSA.

Samuel Cooper, the highest ranking general in the Confederate army, never held a field command.  He was most noted as the adjutant-general of the CS Army, a post he had held with distinction in the pre-war Us Army.

In his younger years, in 1836, Cooper served as aide-de-camp for Alexander Macomb, Commander of the U.S. Army.  Macomb was assigned the task of compiling a volunteer and militia handbook, to simplify the manuals then in use, and render the information understandable to the volunteer officer.  Macomb set his young aide to work on this task

The result is posted here.  It is an invaluable tool for the reenactor who wishes to understand pre-war tactics. The work is now complete.  I particularly recommend the Regulations section, as a clear rendition of the essentials, particularly in posting guards and sentinels.

This transcription could not have been made by your webmaster without the generous loan of an original copy from the collection of Alden Whyte.  Thank you, Alden!

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PART I.  INFANTRY

PART II. CAVALRY

PART III. ARTILLERY

PART IV. REGULATIONS

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