A military
column is a formation of soldiers marching together in one or more
files in which the file is significantly longer than the width of
ranks in the formation. The column formation allowed the unit rapid movement, a very effective charge (due to weight of numbers) or it could quickly form square to resist cavalry attacks, but by its nature only a fraction of its muskets would be able to open fire. The previously prevalent formation, the
line, offered a substantially larger musket frontage allowing for greater shooting capability but required extensive training to allow the unit to move over ground as one while retaining the line.