I am of opinion, if circumstances require a line of infantry to resort
to a square, that two-deep is too light a formation to resist the
shock of cavalry. However useless the third rank may appear for the
purpose of file-firing, it is, notwithstanding necessary, in order to
replace the men who fall in the ranks in front; otherwise you would
be obliged to close in the files, and by this means leave intervals
between the companies, which the cavalry would not fail to penetrate.
It appears to me, also, that when infantry is formed in two ranks, the
columns will be found to open out in marching to a flank. If it should
be considered advantageous behind entrenchments to keep the infantry
in two ranks, the third rank should be placed in reserve, and brought
forward to relieve the front rank when fatigued, or when the fire is
observed to slacken. I am induced to make these remarks, because I have
seen an excellent pamphlet which proposes the two-deep formation for
infantry as the best. The author supports his opinion by a variety of
plausible reasons, but not sufficient, as it appears to me, to answer
all the objections that may be offered to this practice.