Historical Record of the First, or Royal Regiment of Foot: Containing an Account of the Origin of the Regiment in the Reign of King James VI. of Scotland, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1846 — John Shaqi
Historical Record of the First, or Royal Regiment of Foot: Containing an Account of the Origin of the Regiment in the Reign of King James VI. of Scotland, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1846Cannon, Richard
History
Historical Record of the First, or Royal Regiment of Foot: Containing an Account of the Origin of the Regiment in the Reign of King James VI. of Scotland, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1846
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army -- History; Great Britain. Army. Regiment of Foot, 1st (Royal Scots)
In the early part of the seventeenth century Gustavus Adolphus, King
of Sweden, reduced the strength of regiments to 1000 men; he caused
the gunpowder, which had heretofore been carried in flasks, or in
small wooden bandoleers, each containing a charge, to be made up into
cartridges, and carried in pouches; and he formed each regiment into
two wings of musketeers, and a centre division of pikemen. He also
adopted the practice of forming four regiments into a brigade; and the
number of colours was afterwards reduced to three in each regiment.
He formed his columns so compactly that his infantry could resist the
charge of the celebrated Polish horsemen and Austrian cuirassiers; and
his armies became the admiration of other nations His mode of formation
was copied by the English, French, and other European states; but, so
great was the prejudice in favour of ancient customs, that all his
improvements were not adopted until near a century afterwards.
In 1664 King Charles II. raised a corps for sea-service, styled the
Admiral's regiment. In 1678 each company of 100 men usually consisted
of 30 pikemen, 60 musketeers, and 10 men armed with light firelocks. In
this year the king added a company of men armed with hand-grenades to
each of the old British regiments, which was designated the "grenadier
company." Daggers were so contrived as to fit in the muzzles of the
muskets, and bayonets similar to those at present in use were adopted
about twenty years afterwards.
An Ordnance regiment was raised in 1635, by order of King James II., to
guard the artillery, and was designated the Royal Fusiliers (now 7th
Foot). This corps, and the companies of grenadiers, did not carry pikes.
King William III. incorporated the Admiral's regiment in the Second
Foot Guards, and raised two Marine regiments for sea-service. During
the war in this reign, each company of infantry (excepting the
fusiliers and grenadiers) consisted of 14 pikemen and 46 musketeers;
the captains carried pikes; lieutenants, partisans; ensigns,
half-pikes; and serjeants, halberds. After the peace in 1697 the Marine
regiments were disbanded, but were again formed on the breaking out of
the war in 1702.[2]
During the reign of Queen Anne the pikes were laid aside, and every
infantry soldier was armed with a musket, bayonet, and sword; the
grenadiers ceased, about the same period, to carry hand-grenades; and
the regiments were directed to lay aside their third colour: the corps
of Royal Artillery was first added to the army in this reign.
About the year 1745, the men of the battalion companies of infantry
ceased to carry swords; during the reign of George II. light companies
were added to infantry regiments; and in 1764 a Board of General
Officers recommended that the grenadiers should lay aside their swords,
as that weapon had never been used during the seven years' war. Since
that period the arms of the infantry soldier have been limited to the
musket and bayonet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account