MUSKET

The Musketeer in the English Civil Wars.

The musket played a vital role on the battlefields of the English Civil Wars. A musket block is flexible, manoeuverable and able to deliver punishing blows from massed firing volleys with an effective range of 50 yards and further. The value of musketeers was so great that by the mid 1630s they would comprise two thirds of an infantry (or Foote) regiment, while the pike made up the final third. This does not mean that the role of the pike had diminished; pikeman provided the musketeer with much needed protection from cavalry. It is not until the invention of the bayonet do we see pikemen disappearing from European battlefields.

Due to the limitations of the technology and the sometimes uncertain training of the troops, Royalist and Parliamentarian commanders could not rely on the individual accuracy of a musketeer. On the battlefield musketeers were formed into large blocks of men, making it possible for the musket blocks to deliver massed volleys which where designed to fire as much shot (Lead musket balls) into a particular target area as simultaneously as possible. It was an effective method of increasing and concentrating firepower on enemy lines in an attempt to disrupt them, and made up for the sometimes limited experience of the firing musket block.

It was realised that the effectiveness of the musket on the field depended greatly upon the quality of training. To this end we find many drill manuals, such as the ones written by De Gheyn and William Bariffe, were in the possession of officers on both sides of the conflict. Some of these works would detail up to forty three separate manoeuvres or “postures” to be performed in the process of loading and firing a musket. Many of these drill books serve the Sealed Knot as primary source documents in researching authentic foot drill and tactics of the 17^th century.

The Matchlock Musket

The matchlock musket was an average of 12 lbs in weight and up to 48 inches in length, though of course there were variations in musket size and bore of the barrel. It has been estimated by live firing exercise and experimental archaeology that a musket can be fired by an experienced shooter, with relative accuracy, at ranges of 50 yards, but still has enough force to kill a man at 100 yards.

By today’s standards the matchlock musket appears to be a primitive firearm, yet in the 17^th century it was regarded as a terrifying and effective weapon. The musket requires a lit piece of match cord to fire a single shot. It is a muzzle loaded weapon, so the primary charge of gunpowder, ball and wadding has to be pushed down the barrel by a ramrod. A small quantity of gun powder is then placed into a pan at the foot of the barrel. The match cord is secured to the serpentine and the trigger is depressed to fire the musket. The trigger pulls the serpentine down onto the pan, causing the lit match to ignite the gun powder. A spark from the pan would travel down a small hole into the base of the barrel igniting the charge which causes the musket ball to be propelled out of the musket barrel at a high velocity. Compared to a modern firearm it is a slow and unwieldy task to load a musket. This slowness sometimes made the musket block vulnerable to cavalry and other musket blocks. Once the musket blocks had fired their muskets they were not completely defenceless however. Many musketeers would also carry short swords for personal defence; a musket can be reversed and the butt end used as a very effective club. Officers and sergeants would often have a long pole arm, such as a halberd or a half pike (Which were used as badges of rank) and they also carried swords.

Charles Gerard’s. The re-enactors.

The musket block of Charles Gerard’s regiment attempts to re-enact as accurately as possible the equipment, orders and foot drill of the original regiment. As part of a re-enactment society, and combined with the pike and cannon, we can perform anything from a school presentation, drill displays to complete battles. (The latter with other regiments of the Sealed Knot.) Like every part of the Sealed Knot, Gerard’s musket is comprised of volunteers who are passionate about the turbulent history of the 17^th century.

During a display muskets are blank fired using gunpowder giving the public the experience of hearing and seeing a 17^th century musket block in action. New members of the musket block are fully trained in the foot drill and safety requirements of the regiment before going on the battlefield. Every new member is given the fullest support and help in performing their role safely on the field. New members of the musket block go on the field with a non firing musket for the first few battles. (In the Sealed Knot parlance referred to as a dummy musket.) Once a new musketeer has completed the training they must pass a safety test and are then ready to fire a musket on the battlefield. New members are given the fullest support and training to ensure their hobby is both safe and fun.