"Sadler’s chimerical Sharpshooters" Topic

"As it happens, this blog takes its title from the dedication page of Loyal Volunteers, Ackermann and Rowlandson's gigantic 1799 compendium of London armed associations. I've always thought one of the more interesting entries to be plate 46, which shows a member of Sadler's Sharp Shooters – "a Light Infantry Man defending himself with [James] Sadler's Patent Gun & long cutting Bayonet." The figure is chic in a Tarleton and dark blue jacket and pantaloons with red trim. The "patent gun" appears rather short, but the bayonet is enormous.

Some copies of Loyal Volunteers also contain an unnumbered and spectacular plate portraying "Sadler's Flying Artillery" (high res image here) showing the nearest we get to Georgian tank warfare – two guns of Sadler's own invention mounted on a light carriage drawn by two horses. In the text to the first plate this is described as "the celebrated War Chariot, in which two persons, advancing or retreating, can manage two pieces of Ordnance (three-pounders) with alacrity, and in safety, so as to do execution at the distance of two furlongs." Options for "advancing or retreating" were enabled by setting the guns on a turret; to reverse their fire the gunners simply switched seats. As James Sadler had not got round to inventing armour plate, I'm uncertain about their "safety", but you can't have everything…"

More here
link

Amicalement
Armand