Civil War Armies
In 17th century Britain an army consisted of regiments of foot (numbering up to 1200 pikemen and musketeers), regiments of horse (whose cavalrymen would be brigaded into bodies up to 2000 strong), dragoons (who were really mounted musketeers) and a trayne of artillery' with its accompanying baggage trayne'. There was considerable dependence on camp followers, sutlers and others who catered to the needs of the soldiers. At the start of the war many regiments were initially raised, armed and clothed by private gentlemen of wealth.
An army of 15,000 men on the move would be a noisy, dusty, but impressive sight and, when drawn up for battle, would present a front line nearly two miles long. A commander would draw up his army for battle according to the practices laid down in the many drill books written by professional soldiers before and during the wars.
Each regiment of foot' was supposed to contain about 1,200 officers and men organized in ten companies. However, regiments were usually well below strength, and often had less than ten companies. Companies of only 40 or 50 men and regiments 300 or 400 strong were common. Both sides raised several armies during the course of the civil war. They were sometimes created to conduct a particular campaign and it was quite common for losses in men and materials not to be replaced, so that an army dwindled in size until it became ineffective.
Each company was commanded by a captain (or more senior officer) supported by a lieutenant, an ensign (carrying the company flag, or standard), one gentleman of the arms (to take care of the weapons), two sergeants, two corporals and two drummers. In addition, each regiment had a quartermaster, a chaplain, a provost marshal (in charge of discipline), a surgeon and his mate', a carriage master and a drum major. The ordinary soldiers in each company were either musketeers or pikemen, the usual ratio being two musketeers to every pikeman.
The main weapon of the musketeer was the matchlock musket. Early versions were heavy and had a barrel forty-eight inches long which, because of its weight, had to be supported on a 'rest', a wooden pole about four feet long with a steel fork at the top. Lighter, shorter muskets that could be used without rests had been specified by the government in the 1630s and these became the standard pattern as the war progressed. Matchlocks were cheap, strong and easily repaired.
Coarsely ground gunpowder (or black powder') was carried on a shoulder belt called a bandolier from which hung a dozen or more wooden or leather bottles each containing enough powder for a single charge. Lead bullets were carried in a bag on a waist belt. An alternative to the bandolier and bullet bag was a pouch of ready-made paper cartridges each containing a charge of powder and a lead ball.
The musketeer also carried a flask of finely ground powder for priming the musket. To ignite the gunpowder a coil of slow-burning match' (cord boiled in saltpeter and vinegar) was used. Both ends of this were kept alight in case one went out. Wet weather was a serious problem for the matchlock musketeer as rain could render both priming powder and match useless.
Loading and firing was a lengthy process, requiring over thirty separate movements. Trained musketeers could achieve a rate of fire of two rounds a minute. In order to provide an almost continuous fire the musketeers were formed in ranks six deep or more, each line firing in rotation. Despite improvements in firepower, musketeers still needed to be supported by armoured pikemen, especially when opposed by cavalry. Bayonets did not come into use until later in the 17th century.
Clothing of Soldiers in the English Civil War
Articles - Civil War Armies
There was no standing army in Britain before the civil wars of 1642-1651. When soldiers were needed, every county supplied a quota of men and the money needed to provide each man with a uniform coat and the cost of getting him to place of rendezvous, the so-called 'coat and conduct' money.
Each county was also responsible for raising and training local militia forces, the 'trained bands'. It is uncertain whether all of these were provided with uniform coats as well. Probably not, except in the wealthiest areas. The London Trained Bands, for example, do appear to have been uniformed. It is likely that forces raised for purely local defence during the civil war wore their own clothing, although they may have worn uniform coats over this to aid identification.
There is far more evidence for the wearing of complete uniforms in the field armies of both sides. Many of the initial companies and regiments were raised, clothed and equipped by private gentlemen of wealth. We know from contemporary descriptions that these gentlemen chose the uniform colours that were worn by their men.
At the first major battle of the war, Edgehill (23 October 1642), the King's army included many new Welsh recruits who lacked both uniforms and weapons. These defects were put right in the early months of 1643 when the King established his headquarters at Oxford. The records of issues of coats, breeches and caps in cloth of blue and red, and of the small army of tailors assembled to make these uniforms, still survive. The details of the uniforms provided for Parliament's New Model Army have also survived - red coats and grey (or some other 'suitable' colour) breeches.
The Musketeer
Articles - Civil War Armies
The main weapon of the musketeer was the matchlock musket. Early versions were heavy and had a barrel forty-eight inches long which, because of its weight, had to be supported on a 'rest', a wooden pole about four feet long with a steel fork at the top. Lighter, shorter muskets that could be used without rests had been specified by the government in the 1630s and these became the standard pattern as the war progressed. Matchlocks were cheap, strong and easily repaired.
Coarsely ground gunpowder (or black powder') was carried on a shoulder belt called a bandolier from which hung a dozen or more wooden or leather bottles each containing enough powder for a single charge. Lead bullets were carried in a bag on a waist belt. An alternative to the bandolier and bullet bag was a pouch of ready-made paper cartridges each containing a charge of powder and a lead ball.
The musketeer also carried a flask of finely ground powder for priming the musket. To ignite the gunpowder a coil of slow-burning match' (cord boiled in saltpeter and vinegar) was used. Both ends of this were kept alight in case one went out. Wet weather was a serious problem for the matchlock musketeer as rain could render both priming powder and match useless.
Loading and firing was a lengthy process, requiring over thirty separate movements. Trained musketeers could achieve a rate of fire of two rounds a minute. In order to provide an almost continuous fire the musketeers were formed in ranks six deep or more, each line firing in rotation. Despite improvements in firepower, musketeers still needed to be supported by armoured pikemen, especially when opposed by cavalry. Bayonets did not come into use until later in the 17th century.