The Divisions of 18th Century Armies and Their Weapons

by: Rick Brainard

Armies of the 18th century were small professional forces. They consisted of three different units: the infantry, the cavalry and the artillery. Each unit assigned specific tasks had crude but effective weapons that best suited their needs.

The two methods of warfare that these units engaged in were:

Land:
Where two armies faced each other in the countryside, slugging it out and determining the winner by maneuver

The artillery pounded the enemy at long range with shot and shell. The infantry then would advance, fire and finally charge with bayonets. In the meantime, the cavalry fought on the flanks.

Siege:
Where an army laid siege to a fort or fortified city

They dug trench lines near these places, then bombed the forts with shells and forced those within to surrender. Siege warfare was the preferred method of warfare because it was very controlled, mathematical and kept the casualty rates low.

The units and their weapons

Infantry

The main fighting force of the army was the infantry, which bore the brunt of most battles. The infantryman used the smoothbore, muzzle-loading flintlock musket as his standard weapon. The musket shot a smooth lead ball about 3/4 of an inch in diameter with an effective range of less than 50 yards.

The best-known musket of this era was the Brown Bess of which there were three models.

1. The Long Land Pattern musket had a 46-inch barrel. The British used it during the French and Indian War.
2. The Short Land pattern musket, with a 42-inch barrel and a metal ramrod, was the weapon used by both the Americans and British during the American Revolution.
3. The India Pattern model, with its 36-inch barrel and metal ramrod, was the one used by the British during the Napoleonic wars.

Cavalry

The cavalry was the eyes and ears of the army. This unit provided the commanders with information on the strength and location of the opposing force. During combat, the cavalry pinned the enemy flanks down so that the infantry and artillery could destroy them.

The main weapon of this fighting unit was the straight, single edged saber. They also used carbine muskets. Carbines were short-barreled muskets. These weapons were easier to carry and fire on horseback than the muskets used by the infantry.

Artillery

Artillery units used horse drawn cannons, siege guns, howitzers and mortars. All were smoothbore muzzleloaders. The main artillery piece was the horse drawn cannon for use against infantry formations.

The type of ammunition used depended upon how far away the enemy formations were.

• A smooth lead ball, weighing anywhere from three to ten pounds, was fired at long-range targets.
• Grapeshot was a cluster of small cannon balls tied together, resembling a bunch of grapes and used on medium range targets.
• Canister, used at close range, looked like a huge shotgun shell. Loose pellets, musket balls, rusty nails or anything that could fit filled the can.

Siege cannon were huge and could throw balls weighing as much as 100 pounds for up to a mile. Armies used these guns to surround forts and fortified cities. The French used their siege guns at the battle of Yorktown.

The artillery used Howitzers and mortars to fire projectiles over entrenchments and fortress walls to destroy the enemy.

Resources

The 73 Regimental Foot Weapons Page
Here you will find a general overview of the Brown Bess and its different incarnations from the Long Land Pattern to the third model Brown Bess, known as the India Pattern. The British used the India Pattern musket during the Napoleonic wars.

Origin of the Brown Bess' Name
From the Research Reference Notes web site maintained by David Minshall, you can read about how the Brown Bess got its name in this short article from 1858.

Artillery at Yorktown
The National Park Service of the United States has some interesting information about the artillery used during the siege of Yorktown. It discusses the four types used in detail including images of each gun.

Cannon and Gunpowder
This is an in-depth essay by J. B. Calvert discussing the history of cannons and gunpowder and their uses.

Napoleonic Artillery
Although this web site is primarily about the Napoleonic era, it discusses the artillery developments up to the era. It includes some information about 18th century artillery pieces.