It looked so easy to command a company when some one else was doing it; it was hard when he tried it himself.
All the imps of confusion held high revel in his mind when he attempted to give the orders which he had conned until he supposed he had them "dead-letter perfect." he felt his usually-unfailing assurance shrivel up under the gaze of hundreds of mercilessly critical eyes.

He managed to stammer out: "ATTENTION, COMPANY! FORWARD, FILE RIGHT, MARCH!" But as the company began to execute the order, it seemed to be going just the opposite to what he had commanded, and he called out excitedly: "Not that way! Not that way! I said 'file right,' and you're going left." "We are filing right," answered some in the company.

"You're turned around; that's what's the matter with you." So it was.

He had forgotten that when standing facing the men, he must give them orders in reverse from what the movement appeared to him.

This increased his confusion, until all his drill knowledge seemed gone from him.