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80TH (GAGE' S LIGHT INFANTRY): LATE WAR
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alii I\' wi' es and camp followers, simph referred to in
1he records of the day the 'women'. Kirkwood's
rq.\"iment and others usually had an establishment of
-;ix women per company, who performed a myriad of
chon, from cooking and sewing to nursing and
laundering.
Ki1 !..wood's Alemo/1\, intended for a male
audi<'nce and specificall) wriuen fo1 going
on duty 10 North 1\nH'rica, mentions Indian women
sewral times. During his captivity and when adopted
in10 the tribe to replan a fallen warrior, he wa!> not
onlv outfitted and arnwci as an Indian, hut inherited
,\ ,,ife. 'ion and. cornfield. ! Iii> new wif<.' ,ctm'd Yen
glad at my appea-,ulet'.' recalled Ki1 !..wood, 'but
begg-ed she might he excul>ed my bed, a11 'lhe thought
thi!> sacrifice due I<> [her I memory'.
Kirkwood confessed to h(' 'not Lhe least clisplcascd
with nw spouse's bchm iour' and 'coulcl have forever
with he1 company'.
Other o;oldiers, including officers g;ulisoned at
remot<: and took unofficial Indian \\i,es
011 a rq,rular basi!>. to keep them company. Captain
Quinton Kennedy of Cngc's I.ight was one of
the b('M known, his making the pages of Thf' J'vlawaine:
'Kennedy rnanicd an Indian squaw, whoM: uibe has made him a king
... I !(' leameci the language, paint<; and dresses like an lndi;m m1d ...
IIi' wilt- goes ,,;th him and canies her prmisions on her ba< !...
record!> of the 1758 and I 759 Ticonderoga e'pcdiuon1> tell us
1hn1 women were not pcnniued to follow the army on campaign.
they were instructed to report for senicc as nurses al lh(' General
in Albany. Orders on 15 May 175H :-tatecl that all 1
commanding officer<> wtrt 'to give in 1hc women's tlwv intend
'houldeceYe the allowance for ptmi,ion this campaign anci nre to
ncommcnd -The firM that came with the Regt from Emop if they arc
willing to be nur-;e., to tlw Gen. Hosptl when required. Tlw' art: not to
exceed 4 per com pan\.'
Many a young Light Infantryman wounded on the Plains of Abraham
at Quebec in 1759 found themselves 1cndcd by French Augtt'ltine num.
who according to John Knox were 'voung-, handsome and fair . . . \\11en
our poor fellows were ill and ordered to be removed hom thei own
odiou., regimental hmpitals to [the Tlmpital-General] the\ indtcd were
1 en de eel inexpresllibh happy.'
1\n entry from Crown Point in .June 1761 indicate-; that
women over and above those carried on regimental
establishments were to accompanv their husbands, ln11 on the
under'>tanding thcv did not draw rations; l.his implie!> that too mail\
umuh women and their families were at Crm,n Point and 1hing-. were out
of hand. They were ordered 'to go down the. countn' and 'to be ready to
depart on Sarurdav morning their children and baggage. thev
will have Batoes [halleaux] to carry Lhem to Ticantcroga and must
clllbrace the first opportunity or going across Lake George. If an)' of them
presume to remain af'ler this order, or to return to Crown Point. [they)
Hanging. Hanging was usually
t he punishment reserved for
t rait ors, deserters, soldiers who
had murdered their own
comrades or had st olen f rom
civilians. The offender's entire
regi ment was usually paraded
t o witness the execution and
thus be reminded that moat
t ransgressions of t he Articles
of War were punishable by death.
(Dover Pict orial Archives)
41
42
TOP Camp laundress. Woman doing laundry In camp. A
detail of the painting Passing the T7me of Day. (Courtesy
of John Buxton and Paramount Preas)
BOTIOM Indian family. On his capture by the Shawnee
in 1758, Robert Kirkwood was adopted into the tribe to
replace a fallen warrior and, In the process, inherited
the dead man's wife, Infant son and cornfield. A detail
of the painting Leaving. (Courtesy of Robert Griffing
and Paramount Press)
may depend on being dnunmcd out of the regiment.'
These order). olwiouslv did not ha\'e the desired effect,
<Ls manvwonwn and children took to the woods rather
than lea\e their mtn.
Order:. a da' latt't tool-.. on a nwre strident tone
and placed the onus on their 'The women
who ha\e alhtonclcd thi' morning and ha\'e not
obeyed the order of muM depart tomotTow
morning at "iun d-..ing with their baggage, their
hw.band-.. to bt <Hquainted tlltlt if the\' disobn. that
their names will lw put in or diM harhring them
forc\'cr from the 1 eginwn t.' There was no further
mention of the imident in following entries.
indicating that complianct wail &wilt from the more
rcbelliou.'> women.
Other car np follower.'> intluded and
smlcrs, both pcclclling wares but of differing sorts.
Thc fonncr were l'ouncl in tlw many towns and cities
of North Arnerictt, whe rever armies and f1eets
gathered; ... omt l'ollowcd the regimerlls as they
moved from to garrison. One prmincial
soldier at the Lake Cemgt camp in October 1758
recorded with some in hi.., 'this
alternoon their was a Lolhter Corporal married to a
Road Island whore'.
\\'omen '>tlller<>, on the other hand, were
enterpri-..ing <>olditr-..' WIH''> who aned a<;
mone\-changn.., or \old '>m.tll luxur' item!) not
pro,ided b\' the anm :.uch a'> 'rolkd tobacco, tobacco
leaf. :.null, hard !'>oap, lump
!'>nwking Outt h pipes. Llu eads. needles, pim,
tapes, flannel!'>, coar!-.e woolen cloths. nail!'>.
locks, ha'lp!., garden and stalionm-v supplies.'
Fiercely independent and aggressi\'e, they sometimes
incurred the wrath of' commanders by selling too
much liquor or llouting camp discipline. The 42nd
Highlanders' order!. for 17 May 1759 in Albany stated
that 'all the petit Sutlers lent..s in the rear or any other
whereabout the Regt' were lO be 'struck immediately
and if any woman what.'>ocwr pntcnds to pitch tent
about after this, near the regt, the Qr. Mr. is to order
it lobe stnrck and burnt direnlv'.
Songs a nd Musi c
For some ofl-dut\ Light lnfanu;mcn, singing and
music offered a pleasurable wa' LO pas.'> the time in an
isolated outpost or whii<' carousing in a ta\'CI11. Songs
that ha\'e sur.i,cd to this dm are a mixture of ribald
ddnking songs \\ith chormes, patriotic marching tunes
like 'The British Grenadier<.' and The Grenadiers'
March', or melancholy ballads such as 'The Highland
Man Kist his or 'For the Sake of Gold she left
me. A Light lnfanuvman in I lowe's 55th Foot,John
Bremner, preserved his favmuite fiddle tunes in his
joumal, a sampling of which include: 'The Lady's
Rreastknot'; 'Lochiel's Reel', n1e Malunan Comes
on ;>.1onday'; 'The Flowerl> of Edinbmgh'; and
'\\'ekome, \\'elcomc, Brother Debtor'. ' Hot Stuff,
written b\ a of the 47th at the 'iiegc of
Quchcr to the tunc of 'Lilies of France', wa'> a
campfire aflcr 1759. The third verse boasts
that tlw 'Chosen Men' of the Seven Years' W<1r were
a force not to be trifkcl with:
\\'ith powdo- in hi.., petiwig, and in his
llO'>C
will run down our descent
to oppose
And the Indians wi ll come but tht Light
Infa11try
Will compel them to betake to .t tilT.
The lruh. and particular\\ the
ll ighlandcr brought \\ilh them a rich oral tradition
of music, songs, r<'ritations, proverbs, tiddles and
itllHHTtlt games. William McMurdo was an
accomplished pipet and poet who snvc:d in
Kitl..wood's the l\lontgomerie
\ l lighlanders hn<t'ltld a
Corporal lain Camplwll "ho i:, atuibuttd with the
wmpm.ition 'At the Siege of Quebec', a popular
Gaelic 1>ong which lwrame a favouri te in the
llighlnnds after the war.
instn1mcnts available to the soldiers
\H'I t' iiies, flutes, tin '' hiMies and while
llighland regiments had bagpipes to mal..t> their
m'n mmic, the pipers of the Black
\\'atch being the 1 cnow1ted l\klntyrcs, htt cditary
to Clan Menzks. The last Robert
Kirkwood heard before being captured by Indians
was the skirl of the pipes and the beating of dmms
trving to rally the 77th lighting for
tlwi1 outside lon Duquesne.
ON CAMPAIGN
'Scourg'd and tortur'd the entire day'
bt.n Light Infantrnnan had w conrcnd \\ith the
weathet. ,,;ldlife and terrain of 1 orth .\metica
while on campaign before he could even think of
dolling with the enemy, t>ach prmiding their own
particular dangers for the unprepared or unwary
soldier.
BELOW TOP Sutlers. A detail from Richard Short's 1759
engraving 'A General View of Quebec' depicting a female
sutl er In a tricorn hat talking to soldiers on guard duty. Sutlers
were Independent merchants or pedlars who followed the
army whilst on campaign. Many enterprising soldiers' wives
acted as money-changers or sold small luxury items not
issued by the army. (National Archives of Canada, NAC C-335)
BELOW BOTTOM Highland fiddler. A detail of the painting
Long Way from Home. The Irish, Welsh and particularly the
Scottish Highlander, brought with them a rich oral tradition
of mustc, songs, recitations, proverbs, riddles and Innocent
games. (Courtesy of Robert Griffing and Paramount Press)
43
44
Weathe r
lt1 winter. Light serving on stntry duty, wooci-<"uUing
or comov duty guicklv discmereci that th('ir i-;Mte clothing was ill
to withstand the tigout the '\mth ,\m('t ican < limate.
<mny in 1759 found in din Mrait.., when the\
occupied a citY in mim with 'e'' little metlwad cme to protect them
the clement<>. Almo't all \llc<umlwd to lro\thlle whik others
died of 'ague and pneumonia.
On Ch1io;tmas Day 17!19, Ceneral \lurrav remrciect the return of a
Light lnfamry detachment It om IMtml. whi< h 'to a man, had been
fmst-bit'. The next year at Cnmn Point on LaJ..e Champlain, the
commander of the 27th lnni!-.I..illing Regiment ncorclt-d it 'was
moHMrousl) cold', while Amhetstnoted that a 166-mau detachment on
the march from that ganison to Fmt Ticonckrog-a had ..,uffer'ct in an
extraordinary manner from the intcnscncs1-o of the cold' and how the
regimental surgeon, George Eagle, 'oblig'd to cut oil above 100
The other extreme was the d('bi litating heat ol tltc tropics, and many
a Light serving in .\1artiniquc and Cuba in 1762 preferred
nig-ht operations to avoid the !-.Wdtcring IH'at of tlw cane fields and
jungles . .\1cn in the 'American Arnw' seemed to haw fared slightlv beuer
than the newly arrived battalions lrom Europe \vho were dressed for
fighting a conventional war. Commanding olliccrs of these European
units had to be imtructcd 'to otCkt tlw Lining ... 1 iped out oJ the
I\ len\ Cloaths, the Lapeb to be ta!..en oil and cut Short'. Heat
exhaustion, sunstroke and delwdration \H'a!..ened the men to such a state
that yello\\ fenr. malat;a and d\ '-l'tllen became 1 am pant and mortalitY
rate!) from of men !..tiled in .tction b' to one.
Wildlife
It wa' not only the climate that ''a' demanding-. 'unwrous in'>ects and
,,;Jdlife had to be contended ,,;rh, ""one light Infanrrv officer scning
at the siege of 1762 in a kllt'l' home: '\\'e grew
fiuniliar with the Scorpion!>, Toad-,, Santipcdc..,, & Tar;mtulas or rather
Spiders as large as my Tiand.' In the :\lorth Amniran woods, black tlies,
deer leeches and other parasite!> made lilc miserable for the
:-oldicr, mosquitoes being the most despised . .Johtt Knox wrote:
The tormenting musketa ... carries its sting in head and not in
its tail as bees, wasps and other insects do; thev arc
inexpressibly teasing that I known many people thrown into
fevers by their virulence, and a head, face and neck so
swelled and inflamed as not to haYc a feature dbtinguishable; for
this cause we always wore long limn with crept or green
gatlle nets sewed to our hats, which hung down before and
behind. with a ntnning string at the bottom to gather it round the
neck occasionally.
Knox added 'no-see-urns' to the list of tormcntor'>, 'a diminutive kind
of black fly which also most imolcrabl" ... scarce perceptible to
the naked and one would thin!.. it wa-. a pupil to the mus!..eta. gi\ing
us little quarter whene\'er he comes.'
men <'nrountered snakes with Robert Kirkwood even
1 ecoJ<Iing an alleged 'bit ( probablv an cmbelli'lhmcnt) to Snake Island
on l.akt Superior: so full of Snakes of all that \UU mav
hear the hiss a quartet of a mile from the i-.Jand'. On landing ' one of
tltc lndiam came to till' with a large rattle .-.nake on the point of a spear,
he cut otlthc head. and hming ript it open, presented nw with the
h<'art and made me )>wa ll ow it yet alive, l<'lling me that it was a charm
against all snakes, and that none uf them would ever attempt to do me
the injurv'. Kirk\wod noted '>Cepticalh that 'whether thi' wru. a
1 eal <It at m or nut, I uutnot tell', but the backwood-; soldier ,\\'ered that
' I IH'\t'l bit by am )>nake after'. H igltlancler .John Camplwll wasn't
awed by snakes and wrote ro his brother: 'I have killed t.tttle snakes
about lour feet long and as thick as the small of one's leg ... '.Vhcn
toudwd they make a great noise with tlt<.'ir rattles. Their bite not so
bad as called, for it can be easily cured with oil or saiL'
Camps were also prone to vermin 'lurh as rats ancl mice it garbage
and refuse was not pt operl) buried and 1 ecords uf the timt <II t full of
clinnive-. reminding commanders to enforce camp cleanlitH'S)o strictly.
When on garrison in Annapolis Royal in Nova
Scotia. Knox reported: 'it is inconnivablc
what quantities of mire we have on this
g-round. insomuch that one can scarn walk a
few paces without seeing ur treading on
them. Orders from Quebec 1759 explicith
warned all wldien. issmd with snm,-.IH><''> to
hang rhem up after use or they would be
eaten by ' Rott,.<; and IIH' acc'.
Te rrai n
k ttain could also he unforgiving.
itating a Light lnf,utll\ soldier to Wt'ar
leggings to protect his legs from i\y,
poison sumac and brambles when moving
througb the woods. N11rnerous men drowned
traversing thin ice in spring 01 met an
LEFT Winter wood-gathering
party, Quebec, 1760. Collecting
fuel on sleighs was a mundane
but dangerous task for troops
of any fort or camp In the North
American winter and Light
Infantry was frequently tasked to
provide daily protection parties.
The woodcutters and their
guardians were paid five shillings
per cord and usually returned
frostbitten for their troubles.
(Private Collection)
BELOW British encampment at
Crown Point. This view shows tent
lines and more permanent huts
erected to house Major General
Jeffery Amherst's victorious army
at Crown Point for the winter
of 1759-60. A contemporary
watercolour by Ueutenant
Thomas Davies, Royal Artillery.
(National Archives of Canada, NAC
C-13314)
45
4 6
'We lost a hundred men on
our passage'. A contemporary
watercolour by Lieutenant
Thomas Davies, Royal Artillery,
c.1760, depleting Amherst'a
army shooting the Long Sault
rapids on the way to Montreal.
(National Archlvea of Canada,
NAC C-577)
accidental death doi ng duty on the hoat service required to
ferry up and down the lakes and
Robert Kirkwood in his A1mw111 noll')> several of the perils
faced on North Amer;can waterwa,s. Sudden thundenaonns on any of
the C.reat Lakes meant certain death f(u men in or
batteau\.. Kirkwood "arned that on Lak1. b ie , ou meet with a long
range of highlands, which Yt'I"\ in fm if a storm
o;houlrl a lise, your boats \\ill ine' itahh he to pi ,md l'\'CIY soul
lost'. '[,,o years after Kirkwood\ sunt's!>ful of thb a
-.udden ' 0\ember storm deYa.'>t<Hcd a British fleet of baueaux can-ying
600 troops and much-needed supphcs from Niagara to Detroit. of
thc were shattered liJ..e matchwood, 70 men dnl\\ ned and \ "dSt
of ammunition and prmillion., wtn Equally dangerous
was the practice of shooting rapid.'> in:-.tead of portaging, the latter a long
,md laborious process of unloading bmw, and carrying them and their
cargoes manually overland until a quiet('!' !'!!retch of water could be
reached.
On its atJproach to Momreal in 17()() Amherst's arm> :o.hot the rapids
ncar Montreal, the result being 'we losr a hunnr('d men on our passage'.
Kirkwood added that their deaths 'were by their not being
careful to keep their boats in the right channel, which can only be
distinguished by the smoothness of the surface and it always fatal to
anvone who deviates from this rule'. A f(.llow llighlander who braved the
rapids with Kirkwood that nuctul cia> sadl) recalled, 'fellow creatures
floating on the \vTecks and you p<Lssing them not !wing able to assist'.
Scalping a nd Torture
The few journals and memoirs of pdnue that today are
replete with tales of cal ping and torture, <l hmr or that weighed hca,ily on
all minds. Roben Kirkwood saw friend-. and tortured
before hi<> eves, an experience that no doubt brutalised the voung Scot
and steded him for f1.rture combat in the Amer ira.-.. After being taken
prisoner b) the Shawnee at Fon Duquc.,m in 1758. he \\WI 'scourg'd, and
tortur'd the entire dar' ,,rith nine othe
flten Kirkwood sadly 1 ecalled, 'to my unspeakable
gri ef and terror I saw five oflhe nine bu111ed in the
most cruel manner'. The prisoners were tied to
post., in the centre of heaped pine then
their raptors stuck '>h<u pened pine root'> 'into the
fle'lh\ paw; of the unhappY \ictims, [which] thC}
M:'t ... on fire \\hich comumc[d] t.hem in a slow
ancilingering manner'.
Many soldiers prekrrcd killing themselves
before to such a death. Private Allan
Macphcrson of the 77th Foot, also at the same
baule as Kirkw9od, tried to kill him'lelf before
captut e but W<l!> and taken prboner.
:\1acphcrson, like Kirkwood, witnessed ft iends in
excruciating agony anci decided to take action.
I le nt ade signs to the Indians that he wished to
communicate and an interpreter was found. The
ll ighlander told them that before he ciicd, he
wi-,hcd to show them .t \CrY powerful medicine
that. if applied to the 'kin, would cause it to
the blow of a tomahawk. lie persuaded
them w let him go into the woods undtt guard
where he coll ected the requisite herbs and plants to make the potion for
a dcmonstrat.ion.
On his return, boiled herbs, mack a past<. , then
rubhed it all onr hi.., neck. Laving hi-; neck acrm<., a log. the
ll ighlander dared tlwit watTiot to take up hi' hatchet.
boa'-oling that the potion would pre\entthe least hun. Da,id Stewart of
Carth, who heard this anecdote from o ne of his old who had
snvcd with Montgomery\ llighlanders recorded that '/\n Indian,
levelling a blow with all his might, cut with such force that the head
flew off to the di<;tance of vard .... T he Indians \H't c fixed in
amMement at their mm credulit\, and the \\ith which the
p1 had escap<d the lingering death prepared lot him, but
imteacl ot being enragcci at the escape of their ,;ctitn thn wt:'re so
pleased with his inglnuity that t hey tt'frained from inflicting further
cruel ties on the rcmu in i ug prisoners.'
i\ Light Infantryman, in addition to adoptin).{ tlw 'Indian howl' <l'i his
0\\ II, took up the ptactice or scalping an\ Indians he l..illcd. \\'olfe
<;anct.ioned tile scalping of Indians or canadiam as Indians' at
Quebec in 1759 a<; irregular warfare flared on the pet;phetics of his
encampments on a dail) b<L\is, and a bounty of 5 was ollercd lor C\'et)'
Indian seal p brought in. J n one skir111ish on August 1759, a 1111111 bcr of
Cauadians painted and dressed as Indians were t.1.ken pri'ioncr and
acc01 ding to a Highland ollicer were 'butchered in a most inhuman and
Cnt<'l manner'. To ont Light lnfanu1 man present, hm\t'\ et, ll sweet
justiC<' after seeing -;o mam ft;end'> cut down in tl1e nasn lillie wm 'of
sl..itmishing, cruclt) and devastat.ion' around Quebec. Private Richard
llumphrcys noted laconically in his journal how he and his Light Infantry
'kill'd and Sculp'd the whole party, Returning about three
O'clock in the aftet noon to Camp v.1th their Sculps'.
'Scourg'd and tortur'd the entire
day'. Light Infantryman Robert
Kirkwood witnessed wi th horror
the torture of nine British
prisoners taken at Fort Duquesne
In 1758, ' then to my unspeakable
grief and terror I saw five of the
nine burned in the most cruet
manner'. This contemporary
painting graphically depicts a
captured soldier, his face painted
black and body showing poker
bums, being burned at the stake.
(Courtesy of the Seneca County
Museum, Tiffin, Ohio)
47
4 8
Quebec conquered - dally routine.
A contemporary print by Richard
Short of Brit ish Infantry paradi ng
on t he Place d'Armes In the
captured city of Quebec, c.1759.
Note the bombed-out houses
and buildings In which British
troops were quartered during
the harsh winter of and
subsequently were loot ed as a
result. (Nat ional Archives of
Canada, NAC c-361)
,-
Looting
Light had to tra\'el light, so weighing themselvt>s down with
loot was not sable if they were to :;urvive in tht f(>rests. On one
duriug the siege or Quebec in 17:J9, tlw men :-.erving iu Major Da\l ing's
I .ight lnfanll)' corps re1:.orted to looting Canf'tdian homes whilst in hot
pursuit or pJisoners. '1\one tak('ll,' one Light
recorded in his journal, but 'the partys brought in several sheep, hogs,
fowl'>, etc., \dlh a great quantitY of furniture and
apparel, at which conduCL Da\ling '><Tm'd gt eatly oflended!' The
animah \\ere considered \'alicl spoils of war but a\lloot of a personal nature
\\'aS ordered to be deposited inside the 'illagt cltmch.
One soldier after the battle of the Pl,1in:. of ,\braham unaba<>hedlv
,1dmiL'> he 'tt-a,ers'd the battldkkl' in ... carch of loot aml ((mnd more thaJt
he coumed The field wa:. .u-e\\11 \\ith blctding catT<L\.'iC,, and covered
with unemployed anns, a neat l:>ihct-mounttd han gat I small -;word)
lastened to the side of an apparcnrh headks.-, trunk ... attJ-acted 111\'
attention.' he \\TOle. '\'\'hen the bodv 1111 ned o\'l'r to unbuckle the belt,
Ill\ \\"c1S indeed g-reat; his head lay undenteath hill brea<;t, one
suoke upon tl1e back of his neck having n1t thro' the whole, except a small
part of the skin of the throat by which it rcmaimd connected to the body.'
Normally soldiers were quickly punishc:cl 1'01 looting or stealing from
the ri\'ilian populace as in the of Corporal Knipe of the
1Hth Foot who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and reduced to private for
ripping a pair of silver earrings from a Spanish woman's on the 1762
Havana expedition. And while were prohibited during the
Cmibbean expeditions from plundet ing, the 'iame apparently did not
apply to camp followers and army wives. J ohn Grant remembered
dearing houses on Lhe out'ikirt<, of ll av;ma onlv to return time
lau.r and find the houses ransacked. Out.,icl<' he found 'Soldiers wi,es
and camp followers' capering about itt theit plundered finery, being
'eqwpped most amuzingly [sic] in their bonowed plumes'.
Medical Services
fhe Light tnrantl')' soldier, if wounded in sN-picce battles such as
Ticonderoga, 1758, the Loubbourg landings. 175H, or the Plains of
Abraham, 1759, at Quebec, could rcasonabh expect some form of
...
rudinwntan care hom the primlOv<' medical that the 18th
cetttury Ht itish Anm had in place. More often than not, hcmt'\'t'r, the
detached nature of senicc in which patrolling, skirmishing or
raiding meant travelling fast and light, any WO\ItHkd Light
Inhlllll'\'lllan had to bt left behind. first scouting patrol was
an eYe-opener for him in this regard ,\:-.a !tiend was badh wounded
'whom we were uncltr the necesc;itv of kming behind. w tth such
quantitv of prmbiom a' could be connnientlv .spated'. I k added
"ist fu ll y: 'We nc,er heard anything of him ailcr.'
Medical .service!\ were organisecl along regimental line!\, each
regiment having its own with a ho1>pital sergeant and orderlies
belonging to the regiment. Field hospitals of' a kind. with tal oflicers
atta< heel to then.l, \H'n' t''tabli..,hed in time of war to tal-c mn the sick
and wounded 0\ etllo\\ f tom the regimental ho.,pitals c;uch "' t ht ( ;cneral
llospital established at \lbanv earh on in the Seven Yean-: \\,u or dw
taking o\er of FrC"nch ho:-.pitals as wa.\ dotH' m Qucbcr in 17:1!1. Barracks
in . ew York. Eliz<tbethtown and Ambo\ were converted into hospital!> in
an att<mpt to treat the huge numbers of f('\l'r-ridden met I ('otlling back
It om the Caribbean opt't<ltions. A 'lick a ncl "ounded Light In fan tn man's
recuperation would haH' been left to the t.<ll e of the inhabnant.' of the
colom in which an anm wa-; campaig11ing. Nl kwood spent ttme "ith a
fanuh in Connecticut nntpet<Hing after the St Francis Raid ol 17!'>9.
\\'Ottnd' during the Se\'Cn Ytar\ War wet e Mulled with
ba1tdages moistened wi th wine or brandy. and if inkclion and
threate11ed. antiseptico; ... uch a.'> lincture of mvrrh, hot tuqxntirw. of
Peru 01 camphor \\('1 (' applied. r lephining a' .I muline
procedun in head injuric' maintaitwd <L' ntuteJi..,.uion of blood
\'C'>'>el'> aftet- amputation. though the ttTklt...., 'lopping oft arm'> and b\
the doten', as Frederick the Creal tet nted it. W<L'> acli,eh eli,< out aged. A
Btitio;ft t\rmy surgeon gives a st<lndard account of what kind ol wounds
could be expected in an IHth centurv hattlt' as well as their trcatmC'nt:
impossible to d<,nihe the \"aJiet\' of \\ounds from cannon
'>hot, antl'>, "'ot d., and ba\Ollt'h. \h first intcution in
cins-;ing wounds"'"' to '>top blet'ding. \\hit h I did b\ the
\t'\i>Cb, dry hanclage etc. II a\ ing no assistant, l ,t,oidecl
arnpulalions a:, IIIli< It as possible, th<' ucressiry obliged IIH' in
cases ... Tht 11 igh t passed am ido;t the groan!. ol tit l' dvi ng
anci thC' of those who S\11\i\'C'd them ... Slight wounds
\\t'll' dre:-sed \dth lttlsalm Traum.tllr ... Conttt\ion' from
cannon-balls '>eldom rerover. ..... oon .,pread up\\<11 <f, and
dm\llwards commonlv ,\lt('ncled ,,;th large emphvsema OH't the
whole body .. . Drought ( d<-"lndrat ion) i'> the untwrsal
complaint from all tiH vVounded and stu gcon.s would do bclll't in
filling their lll<'dicirw chests with propC'r li(]uors for this
thau stuffing them '' ith apothecarie..,
geant Jame<; Thotn(Nll1 of llighlanders had a clme call
with a cannonball bctwttn thighs at the 175H landings at
Caharu' Bay, and 'alrhough this shot did not touch me, thl' thighs and
calvt"s ol my legs wert' allected and bccamt' as black my hal, and for
SOlll(' wceks I su11'ered a gteat deal'. Af'tt.'l the Battle or tltt. or
49
Abraham in 1759, in carrying wounded oil the
baull'lield 'whtt e casual! its Ia\ ou the field as thick as a OocJ.. ol sheep
and just as thn bact fallen'. Ik noted that the French had the
mmt and coutmeuHd ''ith sonw pit\, 'it was horrible to see the effect ol
blood and on thcit \\hite coats'.
fhc -;kill and mnn shm, n h' the . \ugustine nursing "i"e.-., ol
Quebec .tltet the U.tttle of th<-' Plains or Abraham in 1759 ha'> all each
been remarked upou. Fout d;ns after the epic baule and \dth the
capitulation of the ell\, .111 Briti'>h wounrlerl from the outhing camp'> or
''ith their rcginwnt,tl ho,pital., \H'te centrali'>ed in the l lopitai-CetH'tal
under the rat t' of the AuguHine remarkable facilit\ and its
traiued '\tafl pmhahlv s;ncd mam wounded men's Jives ou both sides for
it appears to ha\ l' antiripatcd Flonnce :-\ightingale 's reforms during the
Crimcau War I 00 \ 't'<ll s latet. Knox ptabcd the nuns as 'cxcccdiugh
humane and tcndct and described their hospital in glowing term<;:
:-\oman ran lie down more clean and comfortable ... each patieut
has his own bed with cmtains allotted to him ... The arc
ranged in galkt ies on tarh side, with a sufficient space between
each for a to through: these gallericl> an scraped and
awm ('\'en tnorning and sprinkkd vinegar,
that a \tl'<lll!-{t't not of' any unsa\'OU!'\ scent whatewr.
If too di,.thlccl to \Ct \T, a Light lnlantf') man, like other Briti'\h
tegul.u.,, eli'>< hat gcd .tnd home, mam abandoned 10 lend lot
thern.,eh Some "ho "en lucJ..., could re-enlist in imalid
''hi< h 11 aditionalh gatt i'>oncd pon and harbour dtl'eme-; in Britain.
if fmtun.ttt l'tHmgh 10 h,ne had more than 20 H' at M'l'\ i< c
before being incaparit.ucd. could apph to the Roral Hu-,pital\ at
Chel,ea in l.ondon 01 1\.ilmainham 111 Dublin as potential
The majmit\, hm\t'\et. lwc.une on the of the
remindn!-. of Britain\ m er'it'as
MOTIVATION
From the out;o,ct or theit hatd serncc 111 North America, Robnt
Kirkwood and coll<'agucs saw themselves as avenging angel!.. Any
notions of honour and glory they may have had upon their recruitment
wert l'mnt their on their first march through western
Pennwlvania, ,;ewing 'the horrible or a once-beautiful
C<Htllll). Kit I.. wood rccordt:d their shock in his joumal as the\
I louses rlcscrtcd, the Corn fields. Orchards, and well filkrl
I laggards H'l \lllol..ing, nwl.tnchoh proofs oft he barbarous en min
of the metlile\s lndiam. Mene continued for the extent of
eighn mile'> ... hom Shippcmburg to Bedford ... and whocwr was
so unhapp' a' to fall into the hancb of these inhuman \\Tetdlt''>
eithtt alpcd .111d burnt or barbarously used.
A \t'<lt ,tltet kitl..wood\ ,md e!.cape from the Sha\\nee, he
50 '>l'l\'ing in tlw 77th Foot's light com pam at Crmm Point and did not
-
lw11itatc to Yohmteet f01 the St Raid which raLed a ddcn:,cleso.,
Abtttaki ,ill age lO the ground in Octo bet 1759. Kirkwood'.; decision was
not di rti cul t:
I went upon part\ being stimulaHd with the hope of nvenge
[.tgaimt] a den of the most mischic,iou'> and imeteratt t' nt' nHes
the English c' er had ... Number! <II c their scene:, of blood-.hed
and rapine, theM' '\aYages had committed on our people,
hut thank Cod a pniod was shottlv put to their cmcltr.
ESPRIT DE CORPS
'The Most Honourable Virtue'
I he :-.uong of <.ommunity and gmup lmalty was strongcM ,unong
th(' ll ighland uni ts in which Ki rkwood stncd, their dress and language
di!>ting-uishing them l'mm the rest of the red coaLs. Accorciing to that
great chronicler of the Highland soldier, Stewart of Ga rth, l lighlanders
were 'taught ro con-.ickr courage a-. the most honour .thlt- \'irtue.
<. 0\\,ll eli( e as the mmt di-.graceful faihnj.( . Kirkwood proudh
r<.corded the hra\'cn of the Black \\'at(h \\ho fought along-.idc the 77th
at nu-.h\ Run in the regimenr to \\hich he Wa!> the
foll owing year on disbandment of the llighlanders: 'The
ligh t company of the 12<1 Rcgt ... withstood the enemy with a 1 <'solution
that will he rcnwmhered to their honour. I Ie also noted with
'<mil' th,lt it his comp<lll\ entrusted to t,tkc pmsc-;<;ion of
the Frtnch forts in tlw 'lllenoi-. lOllllll' ' lot the King in I 71i:"' > , a result
of the failure of 'the 22d tTgiment 1d10 h.td heen upon the
the >car before, but wa.., defeated and d 101 c hack by the Indians after
they !tad reached t h<' of the bsi:-,si ppi .
I he expeditiom against t\ lartinir[IH', Dominica and I Iavana
enough brought the hard-bitten of the \mcrican
Gallantry at Bushy Run. Ktrilwood
proudly recorded the bravery of
the Black Watch who fought
alongside the 77th at Bushy run,
the regiment to which he was
transferred the following year on
disbandment of the Montgomery
Highlanders: 'The light company of
the 42d Regt', he wrote, attacked
'the enemy with a resolution that
will always be remembered to
their honour'. Print after an oil
painting by C.W. Jeffreys.
(National Archives of Canada, NAC
C-43726) 51
late lO r;l('(' \\ ith Sl:\t'lCII B itish
battalions from l ronicall\', it
\\'a.'> the lonnc1 co1 in their cut-elm,,,
unilorms and hat!>. and
tomaha\\'ks and 1iflcs who lool..ed dmm
their noM's at the <It: an, neath d1 essed
redcoat,, -.omt. of thci office'
earning spontoorh
1
[ icutcnant John
Grant of the tlOttd """ that these
Jt<.'I\Cnnwrs "\dw had latch ;urived It om
the tal..ing ol Bcllislt landed in ''hite
SpallcJ dashe:-.. Cm gt't!> & 'pontoons and
sashc.s, and llusted tlwi 1 prm isions to
their We older campaigners
to bacl..woocb expnlilion/1
took ran to equip with
haversllrks containing- <HII prm'i.sions and
IH'n ridicui<:d bv the gay gentJcmcn !or
doing so.'
OnC' soldier remarking on the C'sprit de corps of the 'American ,\rn1\''
at Ma1 tinique \l'd that neither disease nor the rug-ged terrain could
affect morale: l lw <iimatc was very fatal to the troops, and the whoit.'
arn11 " '"' \1,ited with .. .... hut neither these or anv other dang<rs
which could plt'll'llt itsdl 11,1s ,1bk lO all,n that a1dor 01 desire of 1iUon
which seemed to reign predominalllh throughout tlw ''hoi('.' That
conlideme .mel \\,Is nntt.d di ... apprminglv hv comnunder,,
e<,pecialh tht. Lui of . \lbem;uk. t.ommander of tJw land l01ces .11 tht.
of I Ia, ana in 17fi2. I k \\lOll' to hi' f1iend Jeff Amher-,t:
Your anm i!'. a fi ue out. hr .11 e to the Ia'> I degree. almo-.t 'pmlt 1)\
the e"Xpcdirion up the Rivet 'it Lawrence ... Tht'\ ha\'e ColHJlll' rt' d
in a lew dav., the countrY \'OU e\'er 'a". in the ,\nwrican
\\tl\, running- 01 11ith the Indian [w]hoop. That lll<llllll'l o(
\\ill not .,ucncrl. and I dread their meeting of
troops that ,,ill their
H111 the Light InEmt ryman of tJw ' American Am1)" would never lw
calit'd upon agai 11 to lace French hca\'y before the peace, the
only exceptio n being a Mil prise dawn attack <Uld rout of French grenadie1s
from the fortified hill-top or Signal Hill in StJohn's, in
Septembe1 171i2. A Lil-(hl lnfanll)m;m 's principal enemy from the
of 1762 would be the Jndians of me Great uncle their
accomplishect war chid Pontiac. Thev would have some spectacular
1ictories <LS Bu-.hv Run in but also c;uffer some discourag-ing-
defeaLs at :\iag;u a and Detmi t the s;une ll1e latter di1 ec th
awihuwble to mcrnmfidence and poor march discipline.
On tlw "hole. tht ptOft',sionalism and confidence ol the I
lnhmtn '"" so IH'll b\ 1762 that confident
prediction to lm light troop' the \ear-; earlier that once the\ 'had b'
practi!>e & C:'JX'ri<'ll<t' , arquired <1/1 much Caution & Circumspection a\
thev Spirit & \cti,itv. the hO\ding Barbarians' would 'llee before
52 them' was fulh IC<tii,cd.
ABOVE The Battle of Bloody Run,
1763. (Courtesy of Gary Zaboly)
-
FACE OF WAR
Robert Kirkwood's La st Ba ttle
\\'ithout a doubt o;ix war'> of campaigning in the t\orth Alllt'tic.lll
helped Pt ivatc Robert Kirkwood of the 77th Foot
( r-. l ontgom<t;t \ ll ighlander'>) lot hi\ final battle in 1763. ln the wot d'
of one of lkitatn \ mo'>t renowned hislOrians, the Battle of Bw .. Jn
Run 'till in the <lllll.lh of military history as one of the
fierce;t fought 1d th Indian!>'. Kit kwoocl \ commandet on
this the well-respected trainer and leader of
men, Colonel J lent i Bouquet of the Roval Americans
who, .J.\\'. Fortl'Kll<.' claims. 11as the right man in the
right plact: at \he right time. ' ll ad any man of less
experience in wa fatl' been in command, he
states. 'irs issue might well have been disastrous.'
Bouqttet. at the time, was modest and unassuming,
attributing tlw li on's of credit to the
presence of experienced nHn like Kirkwood and
their 'cool and behaviottr'.
Kit kwoocl\ lit st inuodu< tion to the bush fight
had been in 17.)H 11 hen he wa' to be in a
scotlling pat t\ tcmarcl<; the French-held Fort
Duquesne ( Piu,but gh). a ... mall fighting patrol
rt:inforccd with 60 Clwro\..ee warriors under the
chieftain Atta\..ulla\..ull.l or 'l.iulc Carpenter'. OnlY
The victor of Bushy Run, 1763.
A portrait of Colonel Henri
Bouquet. (Privat e Collection)
\ersed in tht: 1 udinwnt.tt \ of and
marching. Kirkwood h,\d trm elled light li\..e the rest of his
colleague'> .111<1 rm<'t c:cl mam mile' cadt da,. He remembered
mo:.tly the exucme fatigue, the of an in
which tiW\ ck,llmerl a and Sha\\nee Indian war pany. then tlwit
Lerrihing pur,uit b.u \.. to Fcut Ligoniet h\ a larger enen1\ wat part'
hell-helll on rcvtngt:. I k tecalkd that patrol wa.\ ,o much hara....,cd
in our retreat' and the ctH'Il1\ so close that '1\e could plainly
their halloos .
Several wecks lattt he was capLUred b) the Shawnet'\ at thl
failed surprise attack on Fort Duquesne, la id low by painrul buckshot in
his kg as he u icd to tsntpe th<' massacre. Spared imntedi;-tte death by an
Indian warrior, he was adopted int o the tribe and dressed in a
breechclout, and had his hair cut into a Kirkwood hidcd
his time 0\'l' t thc next ll'at, gaining his tribe's trust and as an
able hunter. Bu)ing hintself a 1 ifle from French with hca\l't
pelts, Kir\..wood wa' finallY included as a warrior in a raid against the
Cherokees. itonkalh tiH' Indian'> 1\110 had first trained him on his
an;,-;.tl in llt''>tt'l'll Penns\ lvania. But Kir\..wood ne,er had to fire a shot in
anger at hi' fotiiH'I ,\!lie' for he \lipped awav unnoticed witlt anothet
white captile and mack hi' 1\il\ ba< \.. to hie; unit in time fm <.encral
Aln herst \ 1759 rifondcJOga e\.pcdi tion.
\\'hilt' '>crYing at ( .rown Poilll. Kirkwood 'iingled out h\ the Iamott'
Robet t " a ..,\..ilkd hu..,hlighter and taken along on thl' 17.l\l
St Raid. Kit \..woocl', experiences on Lhat grueling expedition
taught him tht hcndit\ of '>tealrh, surprise and how to liYe and forage ofT
the land. ... uni\al and teliabilit\' him to he tcmpor,trih
53
The siege of Fort Detroit.
An Harpers Illustrated Weekly
engraving of Pontiac's Indians
besieging Fort Detroit from an oil
painting by Frederick Remington.
As the Indians had no artil lery
their only strategy was to bottle
up the defenders and prevent
any reinforcement or resupply.
On hearing that French aid would
not be coming many of Ponltac's
nati ve allies lost patience and
returned to their families for the
winter hunt in the fall . By mid
November, Pontiac was forced to
lift the six month siege. (Private
54 Collection)
attacll<'rl 10 Rogers Rangen who W<'H' 1 o lake of Fort
I ktt oi t and other western French pow .. 1 hat lwcanw 1 he of the
Crown \\ith the of Ne'' Fl .llltl'. Ki1 kwood ..,pent ''eek!:> in
canm.., and and ha;, kit u;, detailed account;, of his exploits on
the C eat Lakes and the'' ildlik lw tiH'J c.
On rt-turn in the auwmn of 171) I l-...11 !..wood I{Ot dunk in Alban)
and de..,erted. but ''-as <>ub..,NJUenth ,111 <'..,t<d ,111d confined at Fort
Ont<uio on 2 Decembe1 1761. In the -..umnH'J of 171)2, Kirk\,ood the
rogue rerei\'ed a ''ekome icH'. All .tbk-hodu:d men I 10m garrisom
in :-..onh .\merica were being a"tmhkd to fOJlll a fighting force to
retake Newfoundland from the I John'!-. h.1d tall en in a daring
raid b' a combined French foltt' ''hibt the nt<tjmit\ of Brit.hh forces
were 'ltill in Cuba be-;icging H;wana. h.i rkwoocl founcl himself mustered
with men who had been con\'alc;,dng in l"l'\\ YorJ... hmpital\ as part of a
pro\'isional force uncler Colonel William t\mht'l st. tht same oflicer who
had commanded Kirkwood's Li ght Infantry corps on the approach to
Mo11tteal two years previously. Again :-.peed and surprise
mc r a lmost. inaccessible terrain , Kirkwood and his comrades were
\'iCiorious at Sign al I I ill against a much !'lllJWrior force.
On his return Kirkwood :-.p<nt the wintn in Philadel phia with the
remnants of his disea:-.e-shatt.ered regimc..H: manv of hi s lmmer friends
died !rom yellow fc\'er contracted clttring the conf(uest of
llavan.t. In the ol J 76:\ the Penm\ han ian and t'\(;'w York ft on tiers
were ablate the Ottawa wa1 chieftain, Ponti,t<.. took up the hatchet
and mam trihcsjoinccl upming. Tht'\ laid to Fort
Dell oil. sacked fi\ e snullc1 loth .mel kilkcl mmt ol thei1
nee-.. ,\lingoes and Dehl\\ate'> be-.ic..g<.d l- ot t Piu (tlw 1 e-named Fort
Duque<>ne) and onr 2,000 men. wonwn .md children were killed .
.,c...tlped or taken in the \H'.,tt'lll wuknH:IH.,. 1-...it k\,oocl wrote:
In order to forcc.. relief to the inhabitants at Fort-Pitt. the remains
of the 1st and 2d of Rm .tl II igh 1.111dc.. s ,md t.he residue
of our regiment \\ere formed into OIH'. \\'e ntarchecl with the
--
greatest expedition 'till we reached Carlisle lOO mile.), above
Philadelphi a where we arrived the 19th of july and waited fot an
of 1500 laden with Hour, 500 bullocks and a
few sheep. This convoy was destined for Fort-Pitt ... which was
block'd up bv the Indians and 300 of the inhabitants, besidcs the
gatt ison in a !>taning condition.
Colonel llenri Bouquet's command consisted of about 160 men in
total- the light and grenadier companies of the 42nd & 77th, 18 Royal
Amcticans, a company of Virginia Rangers and 60 drivers.
Bouquet procccdecl to Fort Ligonier, the last British-held f(Ht closest to
Fott Pitt, manv of hi), men who wen still from the \\ht Indian
campaign falling out along the way. On 5 August 1763 Bouquet and
llmall relief column "'t off to force-march 18 miles to the ned. at Bll!>ln
Run, where he intended to pause briefly before auempting to nm the
dangerous Tunic Creek defile by night.
One mile short of' his objective, Kirkwood and other Light
performing their role as scouts 'came within sight of the
etwmv\ fires and could b) the tracks we fell into, be t<.'ttain o{ their
approach'. On the ,tlct t now 'our van de,crv'd the Indian., f who] \\hen
the\ were cominu:d that we saw them, immediately begun the
itt the front. which contrary to theit maxims in wat; thc} being
accustomed to begin an engagement in the rear'.
Kirkwood and the 77th li ght companv, in t.andem wi th the light
company, took careful aim with their and dropped of' the
tuttning warriot I hn then fixed bayonet'> and, instead of rcueating.
went forward <:-aming their 0\\11 W<u n to dri'e ofT tlw ,td\'ancing
Delawares, l\.lingoes and Shmmee)o. The Indians meltld ''"''" only to
reappear on the flanks of the strung-our column. Bouquet brought up the
main force to support the hard-pressed light companies and tilt action
wasjoined, but soon Indian war whoops could be heard in IIH' rcar of the
tolumn. Bouquet metered the entire force back into a dcfcnsiH' circle on
Edge Hill, drawing the packhorset-. and their sack.<. of flow into the centre.
'lla,ing made a of breastworJ... with the floutbag ... .' recalled
Kit J...wood, 'we waittd their approach [ andj when the\' came do.,c up, we
ga' e them our whole lite and rushed out upott them with fixt bayonets.'
Kirkwood recorded with some satisfaction that ' the were not
vct y well used to way of' fighting I andj therefore tooJ... immediately
10 their heels and ldt the field ofbattk'.
I his hard-won n.,pite ga,e them time to organise thl:it defenses in
thl gathering twilight. f<>r. KirJ...\\ood noted. the cncm' 'hmered in
the woods about m ... ''hidt made the rommanding oflint not to think
it expedient to lcaw that situation lm that night'. Surrounded by the
enemy, Bouquet ettl>Ltr<:d his pcrimctct wa11 in good order and put out
listening posts, before calmly sitting down to write a dctaikcl cli!->patch to
( :encral Amher<;t. l ie <;inglcd out t\lajor .\llt'n Campbell of' thc 42nd,
<ommanding Kit ,anguard, fot prai<>e and comnwndcd the
gallantry of the Light Infantrymen who had not pani< in the first
contact. I Ie had prai'\e for the pacJ...horse drivers, o( whom
'Stupefied by Fear, hid themselves in the bushes, or wnc incapable of
hearing or obeying any Orders'. Casualties already cxccnled ()() killed
and wounded and five drivers were missing.
55
56
Light Infantry bayonet charge.
'We gave our whole fire and
rushed out upon them with fixed
bayonets'. On the first encounter
with the attacking Indians at
Bushy Run on the afternoon of
5th August, Kirkwood and his
fellow Light Infantrymen gave
the enemy cold steel. A detail
from Robert Griffing's painting
One Mile to Bushy Run Stati on.
(Courtesy of Robert Griffing and
Paramount Press)
'\\'t' begun w look aftet <llll \\OIIIHit'd,' 1 t'membered Kirkwood,
'manv of whom we found faim f01 ''ant ol wat<' t that th(' \ muM han'
ine,itablv perished ifthev were not H'II('H'd'. Kit kwood and a !>mall panv
rout ageou!>h crept out of the llo111 bag fot tifi< .ttion in the darknes!>.
avoiding the Tndiam who had ;;utTntmcl<'d them. '\\e coulcllind [water]
btu \\a.<; 'en mudcl\.' he confe;;wd. 'but ltht' ''oundt'd] \\t'l't' glad to gt't
11 am ''a'.' None of the uoop.., got .Ill\ :-.lt'ep th,tt night .md "hen
moming dawned, the Indiam 'achanrcd and IH'gun to fire upon us'.
1\.irkwood and his comrade:-. made l'H'I\ ... hot coutll and preparations
wen. made behind the lluur bag batt itadl.'' to make Mretcher!> for
can>ing the wounded men.
' At noon tht' fiting wa:-. \ ' ('!'\' hot,' tet01dcd Kirkwood. 'and the
Indians became so insolent that thq told out Colonel who commanded
I hat they would have his scalp hy nigh1.' Colonel Bouquet knew he had
to lind some way w entice [the lndiaml lO con1e do:.e upon us, or to
Stand their gTound when allackecl'. I It- ordered Kirkwood's light
COillpany well as that of the I 2nd tO withdraw pncijJitously from the
ptTimcter as if retreating in feat, tiHn to txit qui< kh on the wuthern
of the defenses and regroup a:- a mobik counter-auack force. The
other companies were to clme the gap whibt exhibiting sign;; or panic
and despair.
The Indians thought we wer<' going to b1 eak .mel run away,'
recorded Kirkwood, and being :.\Ire of tlwit pre" came in upon m in
the greatest disorder. The two hght rom pan it'' mw,ide the petimeter
nm' some dead ground and came up umeen on the right flank of
the massed Indian attack. 'Thn '><><>II found their mi\take, crowed
Kit k\\ood. 'for we met them \\ith out lite fit'>t. and thcn made a terrible
havock amongst them with our fixt bmont'l'> ,\lld continuing to push
them everywhere, they ;;et to their hetl.., and tH'Wr after were able to
t<tlh again.' Fmn the Indians for two \\hile tlw
rco;t of the main boch mmed down to Run for much-nC'cdccl heo;h
water. The ca,ualti<''> fm two elm., fighting were 50 killed. 60 wounded
and j mi-,-.ing. one-thit cl of Bouquet's entire force. Run \\<l\ a
anion in of the -.mall numbers engaged, a<> it pronclto he
the tuming point in putting down Pontiac's Uprising.
Bouqut't\ tittd column reached Fort Pitt on 10 August bttt the
besieging u ihes had gone. '\\'t at la:-t arri,cd at the Fort,' Kirkwood
\\Tole. 'and rei incd the in hahi tan L\ "ith provisions and t'\ en othet
nert's;,an.' I k aclclecl, 'Our a11 i\al gave new life to the whole.'
to he Kirkwood\ last baule, though the skirmishing, patrolling and
como) would continue for at least another )'ear. ' We staid but a
short Lime at Fort !'itt, having to tscon the down thC' coutttry
and ron1e back with morc provisions. We continued employed in
manner till the first of.J;ulltary [ 17fi
1
l j.'
During this ti llll' Kit kwood's o ld regi ment, the 77th Foot
(Montgomcrie's llighla ndet!'.). wa!-. disbanded and he transferred lo
the senior and sok remaining Highland regiment, the 12nd Foot. l it:
subsequent!\ panicipatcd in Colonel Bouquet's expeditiom to the
i\ luskingum RiHt that 'ummct to intimidate the Shawnee and othct
Ohio t1 ibe-. and. the following \ear, wok pan in Captain Thoma'>
Stirling\ e>..peditiun down the Ohio and i\ lississippi to Illinoio; coutlln
to take pm-.co;sion of F01t ck Chat
Kirkwood could tight!\ claim in his i\ lcmoirs that 'fe'' Men h.lH'
tt<l\ eled mott than [ nw I in the back parL'> of ::--:orth Ametica . From
, iagara Fall\, 10 , e\\foundland and the Carolinas, to the great we'>tt'l n
plains fl,mking the thic; Light Infantr;1nan coveted
5.000 loot. t.tnm, \\haleboat and transport 'lhip in the course
of his ten campaigning.
Colonel Bouquet ordered
Kirkwood's Light Infantry
company as well as the Lights
of the 42nd to withdraw
preci pitously from the perimeter
as If retreati ng In fear (A) then to
exit at the southern end of the
defenses. The other companies
were to shrink the perimeter to
close the gap and also exhibit
signs of a defensive collapse
(also A). The Light Infantry,
unseen by the Indians, formed up
In dead ground at B. They then
counterattacked and rolled up
the Indians' right flank from east
to west, joined by two perimeter
companies at C when the Indians
were compl etely routed.
57
58
BELOW Lieutenant Colonel
William Howe, Wolfe's Light
Infantry commander. A portrait of
the youthful leader of the Light
Infantry that landed first and led
the British Army up the cliffs
leading to the Plains of Abraham.
Lieutenant Colonel ' Billy' Howe
was deemed to be the best
battalion commander In all
America by General James Wolfe,
and his Light Infantry were
eJrtremely successful In
skirmishing and patrolling against
the Indians and French Irregulars
that constantly harassed the
British siege camps. (National
Archives of Canada,
NAC C-96946)
CONCLUSION
'I conceive they know no difficulties'
.\ Infantry 'a chmen man', the most 'acti\'c marcher',
an ' ,tlerl. able to enchnt an 'at tificial sa\'age'
.llld ' cxpet tat firing ball'. Ile was proficient .It and <>kim1ishing
,lJld could -;crap \\ith the best the hench and theit Indian allies could
lllll'tt r. Like Kirkwood. he wa., at ea'c in r.moe.,, '' hakboaLs. and
b,me,tux. :,hooting rapids 01 on p01 tage. but wa'> cqualh adept at
the wav on arnphibiou., 111 with the
RO\ .tl r\m1. I le was extremeh fit and agik, rould U!>C :,nowshoe!-1, scale
u .tg'> while under fire ming the terrain. ot make hio; waY
swamps and jungle tetTain bv da, ot night In essence. the Light
l nf.mtryman was the rel>ilient and moti,ated 1 <:>dcoat of Britain's
' American A.rmy' dllling the SeYen Years' \\'at.
Robert Kirkwood's Alnnoin not onl} ,,n,T to highlight the
e\'olution of the British Light into a proCessional,
all -purpose soldi er, hut arc also vn)' much the story of the
'Arnetican Army', an army adapti ng itself into a tough,
flexible and innmative fon:e whoM ultimately
won the respect of Britons and Anwricam alike during
first global conllirt. The achievemenL'> of
men like Kirk\wod, anclmarn othen like him, caused
.\1ajor General .Jdkrv to 'av of his olrl
'Amet ican'' that it \\<I\ ,111 honour to command
such 1d10,e 'rmhtant 'tea<h conduct
anrl un"earied ex<rtinn ol their abilities in
carrYing on the c'tc.n,tH' .111d wm in this
counu'' entitled tlwm w '>in cere
acknowledgem<nt., and claimed that 'their
happinel>s and glon [" ould I be in:.eparable
from
IIi!-> \'ottnger hroth<' J, \\'illiam Amherst, 'aid it best
of all, when he W<l:o. pu1 in < hargt of 1'-.itl..wood and his
comrades fot the approach mar<.lt on Montrcnl in 1760.
The roung Amherst proud!; \\lOll' that on one forward
reconnaissance-in-force: 'wt lost our way [backl & did not
reach the Camp umil af'ter dark, through swamps & the
thickest wood we could meet wi th'. I k confessed to be glad of it
'as it shewed the temper or the Cur ps. expecting IO lay out all night,
without auy covering or anyt hing 10 cat or drink. The bon volontt; and
clwerfulness T had before met with amongl'.t them !'> till subsisted, & I
concei'e thev know no dillintl tic:>. It a pkastu e l>Cn ing \\'ith :,uch a
Co1ps.'
MUSEUMS, COLLECTIONS AND
RE-ENACTMENTS
which depict the role of the I .ight lnfantn n1.1n in :'\onh Ame!ica
elut-ing the Se"en Years' \\'ar can lw fouud 111 Canada, the
USA ami the t:K In all the mu ... aud their re!i>pecti\c
li-;tecl bl'iow have
exhibit-. anci collection'>
tJ1at highlight the.: equip-
men t\, Wl'apom. and
e\erHhn life of all 1 Hth
cc:ntun I' ,mel in
the \<L\C of the l':o1th
Amc:d\an hi-.tmical \itt'\,
the hi.,ton of F1 cnrh and
Indian ,L., \\tll.
Details and .,pccilk dates
for North ,\me ic.111
rc-enan nil' nt wtT ke nds
k11own as 'gT<IItcl encamp-
ments' can be found at the
museum wcb!>ite!-,, the
lwing those ron-
ducttd annuall}' at F011
Ticonderoga. Fot l ;\liagara
and F01t ck ( :hartrc..;
res pee ti \'t'l v.
CANADA
Loui-.btnu g. C.qw Breton. Park.\ Canada.
http: / I fortrcss.uccb.ns.ca/
llaJif.t:\ Cit.Hicl ' ova Stotia, Canada.
http: / / parkscanada.gc.ca/ lhn-nh'i/ ns/ halifax/ index_E.asp
Signal Hill. St.John\, \Jt" loundlancl, Park-. Canada
http: / j www.parkscanada.gc.ca/ lhn-nhs/ nJ/ signalhill/ index_e.asp
Qucbn F01tilicatiom & Haulefielcl , Quebec,
http: I / www.parkscanada.gc.ca/ lhn-nhs/ qc/ fortifications/ index E.asp
USA
Fort l'irondnoga l\hscum, !\:('" York State,
http: / / www.fort-ticondcroga.org/
Fort ' iagara 1\-1\JM'Uttl, ;\lew Yot k http: / j www.oldfortniagara.org/
Fort Ligonier M useu111, Pennsrl\'ania,
http: / / www.fortligonier.org/ tour.htm
Bushy Run Battldidd Pat k, Pcnnsvlvania,
http: / / www.bushyrunbattlefield.com/
Fot t de Chartlt:"'>,
http: / / WW\.slate.il.us/ hpa/ hs/ DeChartres.htm
UK
Light meum, \\'im IH.>'>tt'r.
http: / hvo.W.hants.gov.uk/ discover I places/ light-infmuseum.html
:--:ation.tl .\1111' Cht'l-.<'a. London,
http: / www.nationaJ-army-museum.ac.uk/
National \\ar of S(otland (former!\' tlu: Scotti'>h L mtt'cl
Sen ice:. http: / / www.nms.ac.uk/ war / main.htm
Impt'rial w .- l\htSt'lllll, London,
http: / / W\W.iwmcollections.org.uk/ overview.asp
A replica of a British landing
craft. From the collection at the
National Army Museum, which
features exhibits on the life and
times of the British soldier
during the Seven Years' War In
North America. This Is a scale
model of the boat used to
transport Wolfe's Light Infantry
down the St Lawrence River and
land below the Heights of
Abraham. (Courtesy of the
National Army Museum)
59
60
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Amhe1 .Jeflt \, Jouuwl of A.mhn-sl.
RerrmfiiiK lht ,\lilitary (ml'l'l of (;1'1/l'l"ril \mher51 in
. \mnttn ftollt /75H to I 7v3, J.C. (ed.).
To10nto. 19:H.
. \mher<;t, \\'illiam, .Jmtlllfil of \\'11/tam . lmhent in
.\mnun 175H- 1760. J.<. (cd.),
ToronLO.
Bouquet. ll enri, /Ju l'nfwt\ of lll'lln Bouquet, S.K.
Ste\tm. et a!. ( ed-.). (} 'ob. Harrisburg.
1951-51.
Callag-han. E.B. and Fen1m1, B. (eds), Donwtentl
RPlatitll' to tlu Colonial I ft\{0/ y of the .State of Sew
}I'JIII. 15 ,ol<;, ,\!ban,,
Dinwiddie, R .. 'f'h1' Ofjtl'irtl RPmrd1 of Robert
Dinwitld if. / ,ifutt'llftiii-GovtIIJOI of the Colony
of Firp;inia, 1751 1758, Vol. 1, Richmond,
Dought\', A.t:. and Pal mal t<. G.\\'. 'l'hPSiege
of Q11eher and Tht !Jalflt of thl' 1-'laim of Abraham,
() 'ol<;, Queb<<. I !10 I.
Fra1>e1. I he CaJ)llllt: of Quebec. A
Manmcripi.Jomnal Relating to the Operatiom
Befm e Que he< hom Xth \la1, 1739, to 17th
.\f,l\, 171i0. k.q>t b\ Colond .\lakolm Fra.o.er.
Then l i<'ulenanl in th<.. 7Hth Foot (Fraser's
llighland<-.)' . .Jownnl of tltl' \'ortel) for Arm_)'
HiMonwl RPitauh. '\ Il l. 1939. 135-68.
Hen<',, \\' illiam . .Jowna/\ of tlu /Jon \\ilbam 1/erfll").
111 ,\or/It \mnna and fmm 1755 to 18J.I;
with Ordtt Book\ at Mou/mtl, 1760-1763, Bury St
Edmund.-.. I !106.
Kirk ] wood]. Robel 1. So ,\Jrw) 71te
,\Jenwin awl t ltll'l'llllilt' \ of Robnt Kirh, / .all' of the
Royal llip;hlmlll Rtp;illlt'llt, fan McCulloch and
Tim (eel\), Fki< l11nanns, :\IY, 20114
(reprint of Linu:ritk c:dition. cl77:>) .
Knox, John, l'ht of Qudlt'r and thr
in .\mth \ mmm, I 75 7 I 7MJ, London. 1769 .
.\!ante. Ihoma,, lltr 1/t\lm) oj tltl' Lall' \\rtr 111 .\orth
.lmniw. London. 1 i7'2.
.\1cKellm, Pa1nck, \ "ihmt \noun/ of tlw
Qurbn 111 tlu }no I 759. Quebt>c 18i8.
Jtme.-.. ,\ltmou\ of rm lnmbd, l1J3!l0
1
Z9 &
Z9A, Maid\IOIW Ccnlll' for Kenti ... h n.d.
'The 01derlv Book', Uulletin oftlu' Fort
Tirondtmga ,\full'lllll {BF/,\1}, II . fi (J uh 1932).
pp. 2 19-:11; XII .:) ( December 1!)69). pp.
32H-!i7; G (Ouolx:1 1970), pp. 131-61: XIJf, 1
(December 1970). HH- 11 6; XIII, 2 (June
197 1). I !i 1-HtJ.
Mu rray, .Ja nws, jou mal of tlw Sit'Kfl of (ltll'VI'C from 1 Hth
Stptnnlwr 1759to 25th May 1760. Toronto, 1939.
{eel.), 1\ lilitrll"\' ,\ffmn 111 .Vorlh ,\mnira
1758- 176'3: Si'lntrd IJ(){IIIIll'lll\ fmm tlu Cumbniand
PrtjJrt"!. in H'ind.1or C:a\1/r. London & :\cw 1ork.
f'/11 1\ ntmg1 of Gn1rgl'
\\(tilting/on, John C. Fiupauid. (l'd.). \ 'ol. II .
\\'ashington, I 1- 11.
:'\'ichol.t, (<'cl.). "'I ike Rocuing Liom
B1 eaking Fmm lhtu CIMIIl'>": fhe Highland
Regiment .u Ticonclnoga'. Rullrtm of the lin1
l'imndnnKa .\lmtum/IWI:\1/. XYI. 2. 1999.
Niagara falls by Thomas Davies, c.1762. The f alls as Robert
Kirkwood would have seen It In his western travels. (' I saw
that amazing piece of creation' he told his readers, ' I mean
the great Falls of Nlagra, the largest cataract In the world' ).
(National Archives of Canada, NAC C-41051)
COLOR PLATE COMMENTARY
PLATE A: LIGHT INFANTRYMAN, 55TH
REGIMENT 1758
Under the leadership and example of Lord Howe, this
soldter's appearance has changed drastically from official
regulations, the main goal being functionality in the American
wi lderness. The coat has been shortened and the lace
removed. Although sttll shown here, In some cases even the
colored facings were removed While there is also evidence
that the watstcoats were often left behtnd, our ftgure still
wears hts, although he has discarded his neck cravat. His
tricorn has been cut down tnto a "round hat" wtth a brim
about 2
1
ktnches wide, and he wears Indian style leggings of
blue wool to protect his legs in the woods.
The soldier carnes a cut-down Brown Bess musket, and
wears a linen haversack conta1n1ng rations and personal
effects. To reduce glare, his issued t1n canteen IS covered
with wool, and the metal parts of hts musket are browned.
The standard Issue buff leather walstbelt holds his bayonet
scabbard, but a tomahawk replaces his traditional sword. A
black "belly box" usually replaced the over the shoulder
cartridge box, although our figure wears both. He also wears
a powder horn. and carnes extra musket balls in addthon to
hts paper cartndges.
We also see a variety of issued and personal items that
might have been earned during a warm weather campaign.
While 11 IS not likely than any one soldier would have all the
1tems shown here, they probably would have been found
among a group of such men.
1. Brass sund1al compass. sim1lar to an example found on
Rogers' Island
2 Lead penc1l and JOUrnal book wtth marbled paper cover
3 Sausage, hardtack, and cloth bags conta1nrng corn &
peas
4. Fishing k1t
5. Stoneware plate and si lverware based on examples
found at Fort Ticonderoga, along with a common horn
cup. Stoneware was 1nexpens1ve. surprisingly durable,
and was frequently used by sold1ers in the f1eld
6. Ivory dice
7 Leather bag w1th coins and currency
8. Brass button st1ck. to protect the soldier's clothtng
when polishtng his buttons
9. Horn comb
10. Clay pipe and tin tobacco box
11. Shaving brush, soapblock, and stra1ght razor
12. Small ~ r r o r
13. Toothbrush
14 Leather wallet
15. Tinder box w1th fire steel, flint, and tow for fire lighting
(some covers were plain, whil e others held candle
stubs)
16. Fold1ng knife
PLATE B: TRAINING FOR A WINTER SCOUT,
QUEBEC CITY, WINTER 1769-1760
North American winters were severe, and soldiers who
remained 1n service required spectalized clothing, tratnrng,
and equipment rn order to surv1ve. Snowshoes were
espectally 1mportant when traveling 1n deep snow Capta1n
John Knox recorded that Light Infantrymen were required to
"practtse walking on snow-shoes ... to this end five pair of
these rackets are delivered to each corps . . . some of
Capta1n Hazen's New-England Rangers are appornted to
instruct our sold1ers 1n the use of them."
Here, Light Infantrymen of the 15th Regtment are betng
tnstructed in the use of snowshoes by an N.C.O. of Rogers'
Rangers (far right), as a junior officer watches. The American
Army, and the Light Infantry and Rangers in particular,
adopted a combtnation of wh1te and Native Amencan dress
to enable them to survtve during the d1ff1cult w1nter months.
A view of Fort Ticonderoga from atop Mount Defiance, or
Rattlesnake Mountain. This is a view t hat Rangers and Light
Infantrymen scouting the French fort would have seen.
(Courtesy of Fort Ticonderoga Museum)
61
62
In addition to gear prevtously descnbed. they wear woolen
capotes, and carry bearskins and full fteld packs with the
equtpment necessary for survtval.
PLATE C: DAILY LIFE AT FORT CROWN
POINT, 1761
Thts scene shows typ1cal summer gamson life for soldters
and thetr famlites.
In the foreground. three members of the 27th (lnmskilling)
Regtment clean thetr nfles. whtle a corporal of the 42nd
(Royal Highland) Regtment mspects one of his men.
Although the smoothbore musket was the pnmary firearm.
there were also a very hmtted number of nfles, presumably
tssued to the best marksmen. Alexander Moneypenny notes
m hts orderly book for June 12. 1758 that ten nfled-barreled
guns were to be tssued to each regtment, but the exact
specificattons are unknown. It is known that on March 2,
1757, 100 niles were purchased in Germany by Jacques
Prevost of the 60th Regiment for use in North America. and
that they came equipped wtth bayonets and other special
tools, includtng their own bullet molds.
The soldters of the 27th wear two types of headgear, the
fatigue cap and flap hats (bastcally tricorns with most of the
brim removed and the front flap turned up}. For greater
versatility, the Light Infantry compames 1n extstlng regiments
removed the sleeves from thetr regimental coats and sewed
them to their waistcoats. This resulted in a sleeved waistcoat
and a sleeveless regimental coat, which could be worn 1n
vanous combtnatiOns depending on the weather. Both
standard military shoes and lndtan moccas1ns were worn,
dependtng on avatlabthty. the weather. and the terratn. The
dress of the Htghland soldters also shows adaptation to
North Amencan condtttons. such as the lace bemg removed
and leather pockets sewn on the coats.
In the mtddleground. we see a typtcally dressed camp
follower wtth her daughter. and two boys carrytng firewood
on a hand-barrow. The top secttons of the walls of Crown
Point are visible 1n the background.
PLATE D: A WILDERNESS AMBUSH
A mixed group of Light Infantrymen from the 80th (Gage's),
which was specifically ratsed as Light Infantry, a Regular
regiment, and 42nd (Royal Htghland) Regiment are preparing
to ambush a party of French-allied Indians that have just
landed their canoes on the shore of Lake George.
The 80th's coat were made especially for them, and not
converted from prevtously ISSued ones. Therefore. they are
one piece, without the shoulder wings of the two-piece coats
of the Ltght Infantry compantes of the Regular regiments.
The 80th men are also weanng mthtary 1ssue brown canvas
gaiters rather than woolen leggtngs. The Highlanders are
wearing thetr standard dress w1th Light Infantry
modiflcattons, and tn th1s case. blue lndtan style leggmgs
whtch gtve far more protection than their traditional
checkered stocktngs.
The corporal of the 80th, tdenhfted by the white cord on
his right shoulder. IS holdtng a wooden whtstle to hts hps,
about to gtve the stgnal to open f1re.
Smce these soldters are out 1n the field, they all have a day
or two's growth of stubble on their faces. Although most
British soldters of the penod were clean shaven. Light
Infantrymen were encouraged to develop a "smutted"
appearance for better concealment 1n the woods.
PLATE E: THE HAVANA CAMPAIGN, 1762
A Light Infantry soldier of the 27th (lnniskilling) Regiment
purchases drinking water from a Cuban woman, while
another member of his regiment stands by, awaiting his
turn. Troptcal heat and dtsease took a terrible toll of the
troops in the Caribbean Campaigns. The soldiers 1n this
scene are well tanned, but also fatigued and dehydrated.
Their untforms are all faded from the troptcal sun, and their
weapons and equipment have seen hard service but are
not neglected.
To their rear. a squad of Htghland soldters IS being drilled
by an N.C.O. They are regular battalion company soldiers,
not Ltght Infantry Htgh on the htll, a Spantsh fort stands
maJestically agatnst a troptcal background.
PLATE F: LOUISBOURG 1758- KENNINGTON
COVE
Just after daybreak on June 8. 1758, Ma1or George Scott's
Composite Light Infantry Battalion stormed ashore in a
crashtng surf, at what IS now called Kennmgton Cove on
Cape Breton Island.
In the foreground, several boatloads of Light Infantrymen
from the 60th (Royal American) Regiment in blue facings are
Fort Ni agara from the Niagara River. (Photo by Tim Todlsh)
r
...
just httllng the beach. The men are jumping out rnto the surf
and startrng up onto the rocky shoreline.
Beyond them, Ught Infantrymen of the 35th (Otway's)
Regrment rn buff facings have already landed and are
charging up a small brush-covered hill to engage French
irregular soldiers and their Indian allies.
The defending force of French irregulars and Micmac Indians
was quickly overcome, and the British soon had a firm hold on
the landrng site. This resolute amphibious assault by the British
Light Infantry paved the way for the eventual capture of the
important French seaport of Louisbourg
PLATE G: THE STORMING OF SIGNAL HILL
In the late summer of 1762. the Bntrsh mounted a
campaign to recover Newfoundland and rts valuable
fishing waters from the French. The expedition's
commander, Lt. Col. William Amherst. recorded the
capture of Signal Hill, one of St. John's most formidable
defenses, on September 15: "The enemy gave them a fire
and we never returned a shot, till we had gained the
summit and these two Companies drove three Companies
of the French Grenadiers and two p1ckets from the most
advantageous ground I ever saw, -really almost
inaccessrble."
Here we see a composite Highland company of
Montgomene's 77th (green facrngs) and Frazrer's 78th (buff
facrngs) Reg1ments, along wrth some 60th (Royal Amencans)
and Massachusetts Provincial Light Infantrymen (in blue
coats), storming Signal Hill, whrch is defended by Grenadiers
of the Regiment de Ia Marine. In the center. Hrghlander Robert
Kirkwood bayonets a French Grenadier as he and his fellow
Ltght Infantrymen penetrate the French lines. At the upper
right, Captain Charles MacDonnell slashes with hrs sword just
before be1ng fatally shot in the thigh.
PLATE H: 80TH (GAGE' S LIGHT INFANTRY):
LATE WAR
A corporal wrth a twrsted whrte cord on hts nght shoulder is
1nspectrng the nfle of one of his men. Hts 1761-1763 coat is
ltghter brown than earlier ones, the facings are off-white, and
the buttons are yellow instead of brown. The warstcoat is
shorter than earlier rssues, but both it and the breeches are
the traditronal dark brown color. He wears standard brown
canvas issue gaiters over his breeches and leather shoes.
The private standing at attention wears a dark brown coat
of the old pattern of 1759-1760. The facrngs, however, are
orange brown. dating rt to 1760-1761. Hrs warstcoat and
breeches are dark brown in color. He wears blue woolen
leggrngs over hts breeches, and lndran style moccasrns
Both soldters wear the black leather flap hat wrth feathered
plume that was standard throughout the regrment.
While the "exploded kit" 1n Plate A shows an early Light
Infantrymen, and focuses on the weapons and personal
equipment of soldiers armed with smoothbore Brown Bess
'Authors' Note After thos plate was completed. our froend and colleague
Rober1 Andrews discovered onformatlon 1n General Amherst's papers
ndocatlng t hat In 1762. the Massachusetts Provoncoals may have been
unformed on all brown. rather than the bluefaced red hown here. It os hoped
that funhet research w II be able to clartfy thos mattet
muskets, thrs plate features the niles and correspondrng
equipment issued to a limrted number of hand-ptcked troops
throughout the war. The nfle ts one of those procured by
Jacques Prevost in 1757, dtscussed prevrously tn Plate C.
The ttems tn the "exploded kit" show the unique aspects of
the rifle and the specralized equipment needed to operate and
malnta1n it.
1. The barrel of a smoothbore (left), as the name implies.
is completely smooth, while a rifled barrel (right), has a
senes of spiraling grooves cut into it, whrch gnp the ball
and cause tl to spin, givrng rt greater accuracy and range
2. Whtsk and ptck set, used to keep the pan and touch hole
clean
3. T1n oil bottle
4. Wooden loadrng block with holes that would gnp a
patched ball t1ghtly enough to hold t1 rn place, but strll
loosely enough so that it could be pushed on through and
into the barrel using the ramrod or short starter
5. Flints and lead wrappers, used to hold the fltnt securely in
the jaws of the lock
6. Small priming horn, which holds a finer grained powder to
prime the pan for better ignition
7. A paper cartndge. shown ready to roll and ftntshed
8. The steps rn loadrng a nfle:
a. Powder is poured down the barrel from a torn-open
cartndge
b. A cloth patch and lead ball are partrally rammed down the
barrel wrth a short starter, then fully seated wrth the
ramrod
c. A small amount of frne powder is placed rn the pan from
the pnmrng horn
9. Hand forged screwdriver
10. A "turn-key," a type of British military issue screw driver
Note: Little Is actually known about the military niles and
accoutrements of the French and Indian War era. It os possible
that the loadrng block and short starter may not have seen
military use, although they were used by other nflemen of the
period
Scalping- A barbarous practice. An 18th century painting
by Benjamin West depleting two Light Infantrymen In their
cropped caps and jackets, watching as a British officer
prevents an Amerindian ally from scalping a cowering
French officer. (Courtesy of the Derby Museum)
63
6: 6 4
INDEX
Referent<'' to rllu,tr.tuon' .Ill' ,Jw,,n in
bold. Pl.llt'' ,,,.. 'ho11n 1111h JM)(I' .lllcl
t.tplrcm lot ,uor' 111 hr.tcl.tt'
\llwm,uk, .. ul of ":?
\nur ic ,,, '\en rh c .UUJMIJ.tU tn 1-h. 8
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batt.tlton,, Klltl'h f (:\11, ti:!.j>.l). "2
Klo()(h Run, H.utlr ol 52
hoat' 5, 7, 22. :10. f (:IH. h'!. ti:IL 46. lh. 59
vt nl\0 ,hap-..
RouC]'IC'I, Colond I len11 20 2 I , 2:>-'!.li, 53,
'\:\, .-.: .-.{i, 57
lktcldork, I
Bremntr,John 1:\
Bu'h" Run, ll,ut lt of 51. 52, .''i:l. r;:-,.;,7, 56,
57
C.unphcll, Major ,\ll cn flfi
C:.uupbell, I it.trttu,u11 <:t'OII-(t' 2S
C.unpllt'll, ( '" IHlloll l.tin 1.1
C.unphtll, Johll L"
tannih.lh,ril '!.7 2H
Char It'' lrll,n, 'iouth C.noliu.t 24
''"!""''' C(:\.-,, h'!.). 0 (%, 62). H C 10, fi.l)
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II 1'!., II, 15. ;,o, 'l:l
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fl.tllinl(. \1,,1ur IH
ditt 29 '" alw loud
llrmqdchc . lwuttn.lllt ( . oHIIHll Rohl'lt h
tli,upllltt 'lO, 'l I 1:!. II , II. IX
ch,r.l't'
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dnn\.. 29:11.31,32
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Iii)
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fitldlt'r, I 43 \If olio nnl'it
food 2t>-27, 29 ,,., 11l'" di;t
For'"'' lit r)\Miut (,,.,,.,,,Jjohll '!.0. 21
Fort de Chat li t'\ [>7, .'>\)
Fm 1 Deuoit !'i2. 54, ,-,.1
Fort DII<J11t'"H' ( l,llt'l Foil Pill ) l. ,-,, 17-
IH. 20, 21. 2 1. 1:1. !>:1
Fon l.il-(onrcr 2!\, !'i:l. 55
Feu 1 1'-:ia)(;ll" 62
(follll!'dv Fort 11ur]III'"H') 24, !'>+
,);), >7
Fort Ro1al, (:n.Hil'lmrpe 29. 32
Fott Sta11wi' 30
Fot L Titoralt ro)\.1 I i, .i
1
1, 6 1
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( .. tge, I hom," II , 14 <rral1o
rt'J:IIlll'nt\, ( .ag<'\ ltght lnlanu'o
(.ht, I ho111.1' 21
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II, IH. i I
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llmH'. l it'lllt'rlalll Co loud \\'rlh.1rrr 'llllh'
58
flue I.. Dr Richard I h
Humphre'' Pn,ate Rt< hat d 1 i
lnd1ans I. 5. h. 15. 20. 211:!1. f C:Ih, h:!h:l) .
42, 15, 63 ua/111Ft('J)(h \mt'llllllo,uh
\h.-nal.i 51
( lwrnl.ee I I>, 19, 21. Y1
Delaware :; I.:;:;
(,real Ltl.e' 5:?. 54
I fOCJIIOi' 6
'\lingo :;:,
17- 18,21.21. :10. 17, :;:1 .. '>I,
5.'\
iufantnmeu. hean 1-!"i \If "''"li)(hl
inhuunruc..n
5
JohllMIII, S.-rgearli .John 12
Ktun<:d). Captain Quu11011 II
Kirl.wood. Rolwrr 9- 10, 1:1, 1.">. 21, 2 1. :?:>,
:.W-2H. 41 . 4fi, 49
, 6:1), .-.o .. -, 1. !>:1, .Y-'7
r:1p111red bv I I. 17 IH, :10. I I.
42, 43. .):\
cl.-,enion 29, 31, .14
rlrinl.ing
2.)
.ll Fon Piu 51-55
.111d '\ia)(<U a F.tll, 60
U,linin)( 17-IH. 21
u,l\clo; 8
Kmpe. CorporJ.I Thom.h IH
Kno,,John II. 12. 13, 11-1'\, :!:i, :!7,
.!'1. II, -1-1-4 '\, .iU. ti I
L.ll.t' (;<orge 5. 7. 16. 12. 12
l .ll.t 'iuperim. 'inal..- hl.uul
'l.ight lnfamn' (.otp<; inrrudund i
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44 1u also regimenL>
Lmle Carpentet (.-\u,,l.ull.l.ull.t ) 19. :?1
locll(tllg'> 23
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l oudon,l.ord II , :!0, 2'1
I oui,hur)( t'Xgt'di rinn II, 1:>, IH-1
1
1, 21,
27, f (3H. 19
Captain Charl t, G (:l'l, h:l)
\larl.tllar, Pau ic I. 22
\lrMmdo, Wil liam 4:1
Pril'ate Allan 17
major, 40th Fom 11
madumen 6, 18, 19-20
\laniniqm 112, 511
l'rm1ncial Lt)(ht
1nfantn-man G (39. 63)
mt"dical 'enices I I. IH-:10
malnia<, colonaal (i
l'ri\'lHe James 2:t 2H. 2!1. :10-:1 I. $2
\lurra1. Captam.Ja.mes I :1. '17
General +t
mu'lc seP al1o fiddltJ. llighl.uul
;-;co, B(31. 61-62>. E<:n. 62)
""'' France '> .3-1
'\el,foundland 52. :;-1
Signal Ifill G (:l!l, h:l), :,:?,;, I
l\tagara Falls 3'1. 60
'lma Scotia, \nnapoli, Rm.tl n
'lm-a Scotia 13, 14
num. Augustine II. 5()
Penll\\lvania 4, 50
l'trr \, !-o.tr )(<',lilt D.n icl :H-:12
l'rtt,hurgh I <If' ai\IJ fort Fun
!'Itt
Ponti.tl. '>2. 54 . '\I. .'\i
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11 .u. 58
h. 7. \IP nlw olia
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lOth Foot II
12ntl l oot ( lll,u I. \\,tl{ h) C(:l!"i. 62),
O(:lt;, b2). 12, 51, 51. .)Il. 56. 57. !>7
1:1r d Foot 11
lli1 h Foot 22
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FC:lx. ti2 ti:l). Cc:19, ti3). ;,5
77rh Foot (l\.loutgoHII'l ir\
10. 12. 19. 21. 24. G (:\9,
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13. C C I'I,IH), H
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( 11(1.'\ Ltl(htlnlantn II. 15. 16. 17, 19.
1
1
1 20. 1:! \II'"'"' rt'l(illll'llb.I\Otlt Foot
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F(:IH, t\2-ti:l)
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'hip' 5. 2:1-21. 24. 30 ste abo btloll>
""'1-:' 12-1:1
'irt'\\'<111 of (.arth. Daad 17. 51
Stirlinl-(. <.apt.t rn Thomas 37
''"](''' 21i. :10. 12. <13
t,H I il' _-,.{),
I hompson,
Titondcro)(a 1:!, 13. 29. 41.53
tor IIIII' 41;...]7, 47
'J<m mhtnd. ( tor J{t' 17
4. 17-20. 19. 21-22. BC3 I. 61-6:!)
\'iti(HII.tll l'r m 1111 i.rl' 4
\\,u of till' Le.t!-,'Ue ol H.tp>bllll( 5
\\,u, of tht c\tl'tl r.111 Sp.mi'h Sune,>ton
-,
I. h
1\(',IJ>Oil' 1:!, 13. II, 18. I!J. A(J3. b(),
ccn. ti21. II ( 111. ti.ll
1\l'olllll'r I-I
\\lldlrh- 11-1"
\\ollt'. \l,lJOI 16. 17. 58
\\'olll.'\ l.il-(ht lllf,uttn 22
\\IIIIH'll 12. C(3."i, 1}2). 11-12. 42. 43
lns1ghts 1nto the daily lives of history's fighting men and
women, past and present. detailing their motivation, training,
tactiCS, weaponry and expenences.
Maps
Full color artworl<
Illustrations Unnvaled detail
OSPREY
PUBLISH NG
www .ospreypubl ish i ng.com
British Light
In fan try man
of the Seven
Years' War
North America 1757- 63
The British Light Infantryman
of the Seven Years' War was
a "chosen man," proficient
at scouting and skirmishing,
and more than a match for the
French and their ruthless Indian
allies. Shooting rapids in canoes
and whaleboats, traversing
swamps or jungles and
snowshoeing through endless
tracts of forest, British redcoats
earned a reputation for resilience
and resourcefulness as they
adapted to the wilderness
conditions of North America.
Their development was
a watershed in the history of
irregular warfare, and this book
provides a full examination of
their fighting methods, covering
training, tactics and campaigning
from Canada to the Caribbean.
ISBN 1-84176-733-6
II IIIII
9 781841 767338