Can anyone advise me on the origins of the tactic of "street firing" in terms of manuals or other instructional documents (ie when and where was it first written down)? I did have a note of this about 25 years ago, but have since lost the reference to it. In essence, it involved a body of troops forming up across a street or similar thoroughfare, and each sub-unit firing, then filing away to either flank and re-forming in the rear to re-load, allowing the next sub-unit to fire (and so on). It could be done either whilst advancing, retiring, or occupying the same ground.

I suspect it is perhaps more 18th Century than Napoleonic, but would be interested in directions to any Napoleonic versions. I first came across it when researching my Osprey book on the Boston campaign at the start of the AWI, where three light companies at the North Bridge in Concord attempted to use it whilst retiring in front of a large body of militia - one captain had heard of it and had sort of practised it once or twice with his men, one had heard of it but nothing more, and the third had never heard of it (it didn't end well....).

Any help gratefully received.