To Face, means no more but to turn the body from its original position, either to the right or to the left, as occasion may require. But in order to have a clear idea of this operation, and to comprehend the better how it is to be performed, I shall suppose a man, standing in proper order, to be placed continually within a circle; and the centre of that circle to be the heel or point upon which he faces, turns, or revolves. Again, I shall suppose this circle, or whole revolution, to be divided into four equal parts; each part making a quadrant, or a fourth part of a circle; and that two of those quadrants make a semicircle, or the half of the whole circle.

Now when a man is ordered to face, or to turn to the right or to the left, this word of command means no more, but that he should perform only the revolution of a quadrant from the place where he last stood; but when he is ordered to face to the right, or to the left about, the addition of the world about, signifies that he is then to perform the revolution of a semicircle, as will be exemplified, in the following words of command

Direction

At which he is, with a spring, to fall back briskly with his right foot making his left heel the centre point upon which his body is to turn, and to come so far to the right as to describe a quadrant, or to make a full face to the place where his right hand had been, before he faced. In this operation, he is to preserve entire the true attitude of his body. His arms are to have no swing with them; his body is to be kept upright; his heels at their proper distance; his toes to be well turned out; and the whole is to be formed with such immediate exactness and dexterity, as to have no seeming amendment on coming to his new station.

Direction

This operation is performed in the same manner, and with the same address and attention as the last, which both together will constitute the revolution of a semicircle, and will then cause a full face to the rear, his back being now to the front.