Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research

241. HANOVERIAN TROOPS IN SCOTLAND, 1746-56. (Vol. III. 200; IV. 18; and V. 142.) James Ray in his Compleat History of the Rebellion (1745-6), published in 1754, records (pp. 272-80) that when he "was at Edinburgh in February, 1746, then being a Volunteer in Cumberland's Army," the 6,000 Hessians in British Pay, were arriv'd there; they made a fine Appearance, and observ'd a good Discipline, and the Men in general were very handsome; but their Women are quite the Reverse; which made me think they were given them for a Curse, as ours are for a Blessing; at least theirs might be reckon'd as an Antidote against that Love and Respect which ours justly merit. Their Horses were pretty neat Things, with long Tails and Manes, it being customary to indulge all the Hair that grow on those Parts. Those Troops march'd to Perthshire, where they were joined by some British, in order to stop the Western Passage, in Case the Rebels should attempt to return to England again." Q.F.

242. VOLUNTEER. (Vol. VI. London Gazette show that the term of rank:

p. 191.) The following extracts from Volunteer was looked upon as some sort

London Gazette. 10-13 February, 1781. No. 12161.

War Office. 13 February, 1781. 84th Regiment of Foot, 2nd Battalion.
Volunteer Duncan Campbell to be Ensign vice James Robertson.

London Gazette. 5 August, 1815. No. 17048.

War Office. 5 August, 1815. 1st Regiment of Foot.

Volunteer Pultney Poole Sherburne to be Ensign without purchase, vice Frederick, whose appointment has not taken place. Dated 27 July, 1815. Passages from books are here given referring to Volunteers, though nothing in the way of official regulations has, so far, been discovered.

Burke's Landed Gentry, ed. 1852, records (p. 1477) that Robert Weir, whose regiment was disbanded after the siege of Limerick in 1691, was fain to do service in that of Sir Henry Bellasi's as a Volunteer."

"Voluntiers. Gentlemen, who without having any certain post, or Employment, in the Forces under Command, put themselves upon warlike Expeditions, and run into dangers only to gain Honour, and Preferment." A Military Dictionary. London. 1704.

James Ray in his Compleat History of the Rebellion (1745-6), published in 1754, served as a Volunteer in the Royal Army, and records that in March, 1746 (pp. 287-8) "I had very agreeable Quarters at Montrose; there were four Troops of Lord Cobham's Dragoons* at this Time in Town, and when on the March with the Army, I being a Volunteer, was always put to Gentlemen's Houses to quarter; so at this Time I was billeted on a most agreeable young Lady, whose Parents were lately dead, but she had a great Regard for Charley; and at Breakfast, there being no other in Company, she, with a pretty innocent freedom, ask'd me, If I did not think that P—— C— was the Right Heir to the Crown? To which I answered, Madam, you cannot think that I am of that Opinion, when you consider how far I have gone to bear arms against him, and in the Station of a Volunteer. Pretty Miss replied, that was the only convincing Reason which could be given; for had you bore a Commission, continued she, I should have doubted your Sincerity, and think it strange you should be so much biass'd in your Judgment. Had this Discourse proceeded from one of my own Sex, I should have been out of Humour; but from so agreeable a Person, nothing could come amiss. I told her, That I had endur'd a great deal of fatigue in the Government Service, during the Time of the Rebellion, receiv'd no Pay, nor got any Plunder; but that if I could get so pretty a Rebel Lady as she was, to carry with me to England, I should be fully recompenced for all my Trouble. To which Miss replied, That Gentlemen on their Travels don't like to be troubled with Ladies; and that she thought she might rather seem to be a Plague, to torment me, for the Sins I

* Field Marshal, Richard, Viscount Cobham. The regiment in 1927 is designated 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own).'

had committed, in rebelling against a lawful Prince. In this Manner we sat about two Hours at the Tea-Table; at which Time I was as much in Love with her agreeable Company, as she was with her Mock Prince."

Later (pp. 330-1) we read :—

"As I had the Honour of being a Volunteer under his Royal Highness, and of Consequence at Liberty to chuse my own Station, I had taken Post in the Front of Lord Cobham's Dragoons; when the Lord Ancram* was pleased to ask me, If I charged there to Day? as knowing that I had at several Times before joined the Duke of Kingston's Horse. I told his Lordship, That I entended to take my Chance with that Regiment To Day. His Lordship then wished me good Success. He desired me to take Care how I came up to that House, for as I did not know what Number of Rebels might be in it, I was in Danger of being shot; but as I was a Volunteer, he said, he would not hinder me to proceed." Again, on page 390, we find :—

This inspires a Soldier in the Day of Battle with true Courage and Fortitude, being not only engaged in the Service of the Government, but that of the Ladies, our Mistresses, or our Wives, which are the better Part of ourselves: He that does not act under those Principles, is divested of that Honour due to the Dignity of a Volunteer."

In Wellington's Army, 1809-1814, by Sir Charles Oman (1912), we read (p. 196):

In addition to the officers regularly commissioned, a battalion had often with it one or two "volunteers" young men who were practically probationers; they were allowed to come out to an active-service battalion on the chance of being gazetted to it without purchase, on their own responsibility. They carried muskets and served in the ranks, but were allowed to wear uniforms of a better cloth than that given to the rank and file, and messed with the officers."

James Grant relates in The King's Own Borderers, chapter xxviii, that "A volunteer is a poor devil who is too proud to enlist, and is too friendless to procure a commission; who has all a private's duty to do, and has to carry a musket, pack, and havresack, wherein are his ration-beef, biscuits, and often his blackball and shoebrushes; who mounts guard and salutes me when I pass him, and whom I may handcuff and send to the cells or guardhouse when I please; who is not a regular member of the mess and may never be; who gets a shilling per diem with the chance of Chelsea, a wooden leg, or an arm with an iron hook if his limbs are smashed by a round shot; who is neither officer, non-commissioned officer, nor private-neither fish, flesh, nor good red-herring (to use a camp phrase).".

This phrase is first found in a collection of proverbs by John Heywood in 1546. Q.F.

The following extracts are taken from Chambers's Cyclopædia of 1738:"The soldier is he who takes pay; the vassal he who is obliged to serve at his own expences: the Volunteer he who serves at his own expence, and of his own accord."

Cadet. A young gentleman soldier, who to attain to some knowledge in the art of war, and in expectation of preferment chuses to carry arms as a private man in a company of Foot. Cadet differs from volunteer, as the former takes pay, though only that of a private man, whereas the latter serves without pay."

A. M. H.

243. PASSING THE PIKES. (Vol. VI. p. 190.) In The Academy of Armory, by Randle Holme, 1688, Book III, chapter XIX, printed for the Roxburghe Club, in 1905, the following passage occurs on page 218

Cowardice and its Punishment. To forsake the ranks, or to aboundon the ensigne, or faine sicknesse: to leaue his standing on the wall or forsake the trench

*William Henry Kerr, Elder son of William, 3rd Marquess of Lothian. He commanded the Cavalry of the left wing at Culloden, being at that time Lieut.-Colonel of the 11th Dragoons, of which his brother, Lord Mark Kerr, was Colonel.

in tyme of assaults, to goe from the watch or office of scout, is by most nations punished with death and the greatest favour to run the pikes (of some termed running the gauntlett) that is to be slashed and whipt throwe two files of men, 60 or 100 deepe. Y.Z.

244. UNIFORMS WORN IN 1745-6. (Vol. IV. p. 22; VI. .) The description here following of the Hussars of Prince Charles Edward's army1745-6-is found in A Compleat History of the Rebellion. By James Ray, of Whitehaven. Published in London, in 1754.

Ray was a “Volunteer under his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland ** during the campaign, and had also ridden in one of the King's troops as a Volunteer in 1715, when but 15 years of age (p. 450). He writes (p. 119)::

"Their Hussars were most of them young men, dress'd in close Plaid-Waistcoats, and large Fur-Caps; but having very bad Horses, it occasion'd them to exert all their Vigour in bringing them to a Gallop, tho' very often the poor Beast, notwithstanding the Severity used by their Riders, would drop that Speed, and take one more suitable to their Age and Infirmities."

Is anything further known of Ray?

G.O.R.

245. GRENADIER CAPS. (Vol. VI. p. 191.) In Millan's Succession of Colonels,' edition of 1748, the Earl of Loudoun's regiment-there numbered 64this shown as having Furr caps to Grenadiers." This regiment was raised in April, 1745, and broke' in 1748.

The Royal Warrant for the clothing of the Army, dated 1 July, 1751-P.R.O., W.O. 26/21-contains this provision:

"The Grenadiers of the Highland Regiment are allow'd to wear Bear-skin Fur Caps, with the King's Cypher and Crown over it, on a red Gound, in the Turn-up, or Flap." J.H.L.

246. MEDICAL CARE OF SOLDIERS (Vol. IV. pp. 58 & 219; VI. p. 59.) In Sir Walter Besant's Life of Gaspard de Coligny [Chatto and Windus. 1894. p. 50.] the following remark is made in regard to his disciplinary reforms in the French Army :

"He (Coligny) intended, and would have carried out his project but for the disaster of St. Quentin (10 August, 1557) to supplement the establishment of military discipline by the formation of a surgical service, and the establishment of a military hospital provided with carts for the wounded, to follow the camp."

A.C.W.

247. THE 12TH ROYAL LANCERS. (Vol. 111. p. 56.) "It is said that the playing of the Vesper Hymn originated in one of the officers' wives presenting the regiment with a new set of instruments on condition that the hymn was played every night after the Last Post.' The playing of the Spanish Chant is declared to be a penance for the sacking of a convent during the Peninsular War. No reason is assigned for the playing of the Russian National Anthem." (Notes and Queries. 10th Series. Vol. X. p. 457.) A. S. W.

END OF VOLUME VI.

CONTENTS OF VOLUME VI.

1927.

ARTICLES.

Army Customs, Old 134.

Art of War, A Treatise on the. 65, 209.

Artillery, A short history of the Royal. Review. 228.

Bermudas-1780, Plan for the defence of The. I.

Blew and Orange, The Loyal and Friendly Society of The.

Boston—1775, A British Fusilier in. 174.

199.

"British Grenadiers," "The. 23.