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Musketeer, 1st Guards 1660 by P H Smitherman This plate shows the dress of a typical musketeer at the time of the Restoration, and comes from a picture of Wentworths regiment, subsequently the 1st Guards, assisting at Charles IIs departure from Holland. The helmet rather different from the pikemans pot, disappeared very shortly after the Restoration, as did the buff coat slung over his shoulders. This coat, similar to the slung pelisse of the hussar in later years, was a common feature of the musketeers dress on the Continent at this time, and was intended to give the wearer the protection of an overcoat, leaving his arms free to handle his weapon, while, of course, being ready to put on in bad weather. His bandolier had twelve cartridges slung from it - sometimes called the Twelve Apostles - and a bullet bag and a priming horn filled with fine powder. It will be seen that his weapon is a matchlock, with a piece of slowmatch in position. In action this match would be burning, and to avoid the necessity of fumbling in his bullet bag, the musketeer would have two or three bullets ready in his mouth. When a defeated enemy was allowed to march from a surrendered fortress with the honours of war the musketeers marched with matches burning and a bullet in the mouth. The matchlock had its obvious disadvantages - the burning match was visible to the enemy at night, and it might go out in bad weather - and it was gradually replaced by the flint-lock, which ignited the powder by striking flint against steel and so causing a spark. The bandolier of cartridges was also replaced by a cartouche box, or pouch, fairly soon after this date. It will be noticed that the musketeer has no sling to his weapon, which was therefore always at the ready. |
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