A LIVING HISTORY BLOG.

18TH CENTURY LIVING HISTORY IN AUSTRALIA.

Saturday 3 April 2010

The Colonial Militia.

Militia.



"every soldyer Shall be well provided w'th a well fixed gun or fuse, Sword or hatchet, Snapsack, Catouch box,horne charger and flints"New Hampshire Militia Laws, Oct. 7, 1692.


"one good Musket, Fuzee or other Firelock, well fixed, a Cutlass, Bayonet or Tomahawk, a Cartouche Box filled with 12 or more Cartridges of Powder, 12 or more sizeable Bullets and 3 Good Flints." 1757.


"Every listed souldier ... shall be alwayes provided with a well fixt firelock musket, of musket or bastard musket bore, the barrel not less then three foot and a half long, or other good firearms to the satisfaction of the commission officers of the company, a snapsack, a coller with twelve bandeleers or cartouch-box, one pound of good powder, twenty bullets fit for his gun, and twelve flints, a good sword or cutlace, a worm and priming wire fit for his gun." - Mass. Militia Laws, Nov. 22, 1693.


"every soldyer Shall be well provided w'th a well fixed gun or fuse, Sword or hatchet, Snapsack, Catouch box, horne Charger & flints" - New Hampshire Militia Laws, Oct. 7, 1692."


"...That upon an Alarm made at any of the Frontiers, Forts or Garrisons, with the Province, on Advice or Discovery of the Indian Enemy coming upon or Appearing near the same, the said Officers and Snow-shoe Men, or so many of them as can be drawn together as the Circumstances of the Case may require, shall, pursuant to the Orders given them by the Commander in Chief, for the Time being, March out forthwith after the Enemy, well fitted with Arms, Ammunition, Provision, and each of them a Blanket, to Pursue, Encounter, Repell and Destroy the Enemy: and the said Officers & Soldiers so taking to Arms, besides the Wages and Subsistence allowed to the Marching forces in the Service and pay of the Government, shall be Entitled to such other Rewards in Case they obtain any Plunder, Scalp of the Enemy or Captives, as is by Law provided as a Premium or Bounty for those who go forth as Voluntiers, without pay " Order creating Snowshoe Companies, May 24, 1724.



that every person who can bear arms from 16 to 60 years of age be always provided with a convenient proportion of powder and bullet for service for their Mutual Defence, upon a penalty for their neglect . . . . That the quantity of powder and shot . . . be at least one pound of powder and 2 pounds of bullet. And if the Inhabitants . . . shall not be found sufficiently provided with arms, His Royal Highness the Governor is willing to furnish them.


. "Each soldier to provide himself with a good fire arm, a steel or iron ram rod and a spring for same, a worm, a priming wire and brush, a bayonet fitted to his gun, a scabbard and belt thereof, a cutting sword or tomahawk or hatchet, a . . .cartridge box holding fifteen rounds . . . at least, a hundred buckshot, six flints, one pound of powder, forty leaden balls fitted to the gun, a knapsack and blanket, a canteen or wooden bottle to hold one quart " Journal of Arthur Harris of the Bridgewater Coy of Militia.


It is but too well known by the late numerous murders barbarously committed on our borders, that the county…is become the only frontier part of the province left unguarded and exposed to the cruel incursions of the Indian enemy. And the inhabitants of these parts have been obliged to perform very hard military duty for these two years past, in ranging the woods and guarding the frontiers.
—Colonel Thomas Ellison, 1757


"The frontiers were well guarded; one half of the militia did duty at the garrisons and were ready to march at a minute's warning; a scout of forty men kept ranging on the heads of the towns; and the like care was taken by sea, spy-boats being employed in coasting from Cape Neddock to the Great Boar's Head." Dr Belknap, 1712.

The militia "marched out of Capt. Tilton's company under the command of Daniel Weare, for a three days' march, above the frontiers, finding themselves provisions." 1724.


All households to “ provide their own clothes, shot bags, powder horns, and muskets, a blanket and knapsack being supplied by the colony”.


“If he brought a gun he had an extra bounty of two dollars; a powder horn, bullet pouch, blanket, knapsack, wooden bottle or canteen were supplied by the province” (1756).


“I gave orders to them to go home and fetch their arms whether guns, swords, pitchforks, axes or whatsoever might be of use against the enemy and for three days provision in their knapsacks”(early 18th century).


Militia rations: “2 pounds of bread, 2 pounds of beef and jill of rum”.

“…equipped with muskets, cartouche boxes, bayonets or tomahawks and scalping knives” (mid 18th century).

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