Confession: the new wagon has me excited. Just some observations on the structure of a British Battalion during the French and Indian War. This references the 35th (Fort William Henry). When Scottish Regiments arrived in North American, the companies were much larger than English or Irish simply because of the "excess" number of males in Scotland, more than the land could support, so it was easy to reach the full quota marks. Rank & File in Scottish Companies could exceed 100. Grenadier Companies were often larger because the number was determined at the start of a Campaign and assumed that the "tricorner" numbers would catch up with additional recruiting, which was a constant practice in North America.
When moving from a peacetime footing to a war footing, the number of lieutenants in a foot regiment was typically doubled by the addition of a lieutenant to each company in the battalion. The number of sergeants per company would increase from three to four. In peacetime, the nine battalion companies, "tricorner hats", would be lead by a Captain, one Lieutenant, and one Ensign; in wartime, there would be a Captain, two Lieutenants, and one Ensign. Ensigns would not be assigned to the single grenadier company. The additional officer and sergeant assigned to each company were needed as the Rank & File also ballooned, more than doubling, if not tripling in size. Regardless of origin, there needed to be a rash of promotions or new blood added to the regiment to staff the ten or so "new" lieutenant vacancies in each battalion. In the four weeks prior to the Battle of the Monongahela, Braddock authorized at least thirty promotions among the officers, gentlemen volunteers and possibly sergeants of the 44th and 48th Regiments, minting both new ensigns and new lieutenants (Steward, 2015; Page 204). Under wartime conditions, a full strength battalion of ten companies would be officered by: 1 Colonel, often remaining in the British Isles, as did Otway of the 35th, or detached for other service; 1 Lieutenant Colonel; 1 Major; 7 Captains; 1 Captain Lieutenant; 20 Lieutenants; 9 Ensigns; 40 Sergeants; and 20 Drummers with an increased target of 1,040 Rank & File including 40 Corporals, but achieving more than 850 Rank & File was atypical. Though under-strength, fifty-man companies remained effective. At least on paper, the officers appointed as the Adjutant and the Quartermaster would also serve in an existing line company (double duty); these two positions were not additional officer slots. There would be additional staff officers – chaplain, surgeon and surgeon mates. Math and logic would dictate that the wartime grenadier company would then carry a Captain and two Lieutenants. Yet this was not the case here. In 1757, the 35th was carrying 20 Lieutenants, but consistently a third lieutenant in the grenadier company. This is shown in the Monthly Returns for the 35th (LO 6751 — January; March; and September through December; the other Returns were lost in the Siege). In March 1757, there were 832 rank & file enrolled in the 35th; in September 1757, there were 817 enrolled. Filling in the vacant officer slots was done in a way that the Army was able to direct an underperforming regiment, such as the 35th:
"Your Royal Highness will be surprised, I have chose to take the Royal Americans (60th), rather then Lieutenant General Otways (35th); this last are entirely Raw Officers and Soldiers, and every thing new to them; the prest men I dare not trust so near the Enemy; I had Six of them deserted together, to go to the French: two of them, after losing themselves in the Woods, and being Starving with Hunger, Surrendered to some of the Parties above; those I tried and hanged directly;" (Loudoun to Cumberland, October 3rd, 1756; MANA, Page 239; reference to 1757's Louisbourg Expedition).
"As to Otway's Regiment, I am not surprised at the scandalous Account you give me of them. They have never seen any manner of Service; & I am afraid, your Letter convinces me of that I feared before, that it was composed of a Set of ignorant, undisciplined Officers & 'till you make Examples of the officers, you will never make a Regiment of it." (Cumberland to Loudoun, October 22nd, 1756; MANA, Page 254).
Battalion Tricorner Hat Company: Full Quota
1 "Captain"
2 Lieutenants
1 Ensign
4 Sergeants
104 Rank & File including 4 Corporals
2 Drummers
When moving from a peacetime footing to a war footing, the number of lieutenants in a foot regiment was typically doubled by the addition of a lieutenant to each company in the battalion. The number of sergeants per company would increase from three to four. In peacetime, the nine battalion companies, "tricorner hats", would be lead by a Captain, one Lieutenant, and one Ensign; in wartime, there would be a Captain, two Lieutenants, and one Ensign. Ensigns would not be assigned to the single grenadier company. The additional officer and sergeant assigned to each company were needed as the Rank & File also ballooned, more than doubling, if not tripling in size. Regardless of origin, there needed to be a rash of promotions or new blood added to the regiment to staff the ten or so "new" lieutenant vacancies in each battalion. In the four weeks prior to the Battle of the Monongahela, Braddock authorized at least thirty promotions among the officers, gentlemen volunteers and possibly sergeants of the 44th and 48th Regiments, minting both new ensigns and new lieutenants (Steward, 2015; Page 204). Under wartime conditions, a full strength battalion of ten companies would be officered by: 1 Colonel, often remaining in the British Isles, as did Otway of the 35th, or detached for other service; 1 Lieutenant Colonel; 1 Major; 7 Captains; 1 Captain Lieutenant; 20 Lieutenants; 9 Ensigns; 40 Sergeants; and 20 Drummers with an increased target of 1,040 Rank & File including 40 Corporals, but achieving more than 850 Rank & File was atypical. Though under-strength, fifty-man companies remained effective. At least on paper, the officers appointed as the Adjutant and the Quartermaster would also serve in an existing line company (double duty); these two positions were not additional officer slots. There would be additional staff officers – chaplain, surgeon and surgeon mates. Math and logic would dictate that the wartime grenadier company would then carry a Captain and two Lieutenants. Yet this was not the case here. In 1757, the 35th was carrying 20 Lieutenants, but consistently a third lieutenant in the grenadier company. This is shown in the Monthly Returns for the 35th (LO 6751 — January; March; and September through December; the other Returns were lost in the Siege). In March 1757, there were 832 rank & file enrolled in the 35th; in September 1757, there were 817 enrolled. Filling in the vacant officer slots was done in a way that the Army was able to direct an underperforming regiment, such as the 35th:
"Your Royal Highness will be surprised, I have chose to take the Royal Americans (60th), rather then Lieutenant General Otways (35th); this last are entirely Raw Officers and Soldiers, and every thing new to them; the prest men I dare not trust so near the Enemy; I had Six of them deserted together, to go to the French: two of them, after losing themselves in the Woods, and being Starving with Hunger, Surrendered to some of the Parties above; those I tried and hanged directly;" (Loudoun to Cumberland, October 3rd, 1756; MANA, Page 239; reference to 1757's Louisbourg Expedition).
"As to Otway's Regiment, I am not surprised at the scandalous Account you give me of them. They have never seen any manner of Service; & I am afraid, your Letter convinces me of that I feared before, that it was composed of a Set of ignorant, undisciplined Officers & 'till you make Examples of the officers, you will never make a Regiment of it." (Cumberland to Loudoun, October 22nd, 1756; MANA, Page 254).
Battalion Tricorner Hat Company: Full Quota
1 "Captain"
2 Lieutenants
1 Ensign
4 Sergeants
104 Rank & File including 4 Corporals
2 Drummers
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