What did the average foot soldier think about lining up in columns and getting shot at during the battles of the 18th & 19th century?

by Yarder89
DanKensington

About how fast he could reload his musket. More can always be said on the matter, though it's difficult to tell exactly what the average infantryman thinks; very few of their voices survive, as you'll see. Still, we have some insight.

I first commend to your attention the appropriate section of the FAQ, specifically the headers 'Why did European armies use Linear Tactics?' and 'Mechanics of Linear Tactics'.

As you move from the 1700s to the 1800s, the style changes, and for that, I recommend several posts by u/dandan_noodles to illuminate that, in particular these; for further insight on warfare during the Napoleonic end of the period, I highly commend their flair profile.