"Highlander Grenadier and Light companies" Topic

I am trying to find out if the Grenadier and Light companies of Highland regiments serving in America during the Revolution, carried swords when wearing their traditional uniforms (kilts, etc).

If you mean basket-hilted Highland 'broadswords', in the years between the French & Indian war and the AWI, the men of the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment had shown themselves increasingly unenthusiastic about their swords, which according to their CO Lieut Colonel Stirling they regarded as an encumbrance and had declined to use them on previous American service, preferring the bayonet for close quarter fighting.

It was recorded in 1768 that the regiment's swords were 'in store' and in 1775 that the grenadiers had none, with 190 wanting for the battalion, the regiment being ordered to provide themselves according to regulation forthwith.

There are accounts of the 42nd being equipped with swords in their early service in America 1776-77, possibly officers and sergeants only, but by May 1777 it was being reported that General Howe had ordered the Highlanders' 'backswords' to be sent to store.

There are contemporary portraits of Highland officers with their swords featuring prominently, including Light company officers, but that does not indicate to what extent they were carried in the field. Lieutenant James Stewart of the 42nd Light coy (1st LI Battalion) was painted circa 1778-80 carrying a fusil and without a sword.

Certainly, the light company soldiers of the 42nd or indeed any other Highland regiment would not have been 'encumbered' with swords.

Thanks flanker. That's what I had come to understand, but there are so many ranges with Highlanders in kilts and some with broadswords, for the period, it made me wonder.

Sculptors sculpt what looks cool and sells. There is often little link to what is scuplted and what is historically correct.

One of my pet peeves is all those officers on foot carrying pistols. British foot officers carried fusils, not pistols.

I would suggest that a gamer may find it easier to identify officers as the guys with the swords and pistols, rather than the guy whose shoulder arm is slightly shorter, and who has a red sash around his waist. That is especially important if the players are mostly NOT the adults who own and paint the minis, but rather adolescents who enjoy the games and are willing but not eager to learn a little history as they play.

I am pretty sure that those of us gaming are all adolscents at heart. LoL

That is for sure. And perhaps a third of my gaming, over the past 50 years, has been against peers at home and at cons. I was part of a foursome that played JOHNNY REB a hundred times or more, over several years, and have enjoyed some expert-level games at Historicon etc. But most of my gaming has been with students at my schools (middle and high school) who are eager to play with my toys, but not to learn complex rules systems nor fret about bastion lace.

I will add that I had the best results, and the kids the best experiences, when I was the only one who knew the rules. It was always "you are commanding this force. Here is your situation. Here are your realistic options. What are your orders?" Details of uniforms were important to ME but not to them. And I had best not forget that.

Well, he did ask…

Tru dat 😅