Those ARE regulars, by God !!!!!
Nice one Michael.
Thank you Scott...Ken...Dragoon...
Dragoon...yes...I love that quote...
"At first, Riall was under the impression that the American line was composed of grey-clad militia troops, whom the professional British soldiers held in much contempt. He expected the poorly trained soldiers to fall back in disarray after the first few volleys. As the American line continued to hold steady under British artillery fire, Riall realized his error and supposedly exclaimed his famous phrase.................
"Those are regulars, by God".
The battle of Chippawa, and the subsequent Battle of Lundy's Lane, proved that American regular units could hold their own against British regulars if properly trained and well led. It is generally considered that Riall, although misled as to the strength of the American forces and their quality advanced overconfidently, and his mistaken tactics led to the heavy British casualties.
The 25th Infantry was later combined with the 27th, 29th and 37th Infantry Regiments to form the 6th Infantry Regiment. The 6th Infantry's motto is "Regulars, by God" from this battle.
The Corps of Cadets of the United States Military Academy at West Point wear grey parade uniforms, but the assertion that they were adopted in commemoration of Scott’s troops at Chippawa appears to be a legend. The reasons given in 1816 for its selection were simply that it wore well and was considerably cheaper than the blue one.
