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Redcoat
The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket
Richard Holmes
HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers2001
Copyright © Richard Holmes 2001
Richard Holmes asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
Maps by John Gilkes
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Source ISBN: 9780006531524
Ebook Edition © 2011 ISBN: 9780007374052
Version 2016-08-11
‘Until yesterday I had not seen any British infantry under arms since the troops from America arrived, and, in the meantime, have constantly seen corps of foreign infantry. These are all uncommonly well dressed in new clothes, smartly made, setting the men off to great advantage – add to which the coiffure of high broad-topped shakos, or enormous caps of bearskin. Our infantry – indeed, our whole army – appeared at the review in the same clothes in which they had marched, slept and fought for months. The colour had faded to a dusky brick-red hue; their coats, originally not very smartly made, had acquired by constant wearing that loose easy set so characteristic of old clothes, comfortable to the wearer, but not calculated to add grace to his appearance. Pour surcroit de laideur, their cap is perhaps the meanest, ugliest thing invented. From all these causes it arose that our infantry appeared to the utmost disadvantage – dirty, shabby, mean, and very small. Some such impression was, I fear, made on the Sovereigns, for…they remarked to the Duke what very small men the English were. “Ay,” replied our noble chief “they are small; but your Majesties will find none who fight so well”.’
Captain Cavalié Mercer, Royal Horse Artillery, describing a review of the British army by the Allied sovereigns.
Paris 1815
Table of Contents
TO FLANDERS, PORTUGAL AND SPAIN
II ALL THE KING’S HORSES AND ALL THE KING’S MEN
IV HORSE, FOOT, GUNS – AND WOUNDS
