Why is there no manual included when the extras say "game manuals"? The only manuals are the multiplayer and editor. Perhaps you should state that before people buy the game thinking they're getting an actual manual too. Not everyone is a RTS expert. I was interested in the game because of the theme but I'm lost as far as controls go.

Yeah, I can probably do a search online and find some of the controls but saying the manual is included when it's not is false advertisement.

Yeah, there's a few concepts that aren't mentioned pretty much anywhere, and I'm having a hell of a time trying to figure them out.

For example, how do formations work exactly? I can create them with officers, but I have no idea how/if I can add more/different units to it, or why it only accepts certain numbers of units. A lot of controls are vague in the game itself.

Yeah, that's one of the worst point of the game: it was quite poorly presented, given that there was never a manual for it (I don't remember getting one even when I got the CD-versions quite a while back). And unfortunately, the game is complex enough that it'd need one.

As for the specific question of formations, you can make homogeneous formations if you have an officer, a drummer and a standard bearer of the century the units are from. You cannot mix units in a formation (as far as I know). Also, you can change the number of units in it (there are buttons for that), but I have yet to figure out how exactly.

yes, there is a manual on the American conquest disk a total of 41 pages. for
some reason gog didn't include it.
CONTROLS
Left Mouse Button open menus, select icons, initiate action
U Key display information on selected unit
I Key game statistics and current information
M Key mini-map modes
Q Key display impassable areas
O Key toggle semi-transparency mode on/off
Ctrl + Z Keys select all units of a particular type on the map
Ctrl + A Keys select all units
Ctrl + B Keys select all buildings
Ctrl + S Keys select all ships

Also, if the game reverts to "fast mode" you can simply press Ctrl+D. That's the shortcut for changing speed mode.
found these hope they help. still looking, so far no manual download