British Army for me
but in 1745…more datas will be welcome
it was the primitive title for Engineers Corps manpower (the term existed as specialists within Artillery companies) because the Corps of Engineers in many States/Armies of that time were only a staff of officers while the Engineer units with soldiers such as sappers miners pioneers didn't exist really or only at wartime or within Corps of Artillery depending of the country and period, even they can be just ad hoc manpower gathering infantrymen or civilian and peasants under Engineer commands for roads bridges and trenches…
actually 1717 is the creation of the Corps of Engineers (officers) but the company of 'Artificers' was not raised before 1772 in Gibraltar, then the Corps of Military Artificers became Royal Sappers and Miners in 1812
despite they didn't seem to appear in the History of the Corps however I found at least 2 companies of 'Artificers' before 1772 in New England for both sieges of Louisbourg in New France
one in 1745 (Captains Bernard and Daniel Hills)
another c.1757-1758 (100 men under Colonel Nathaniel Meserves in Long Island in march 1757) but their status and uniform are unclear when I read the following text :
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Provincial Papers Documents and Records relating to
Province of New Hampshire
Governor's message
Gentlemen of the Council & of the Assembly,
The uniform Cloathing in a Regiment is almost as necessary as uniformity in discipline as it distinguishes the troops from common laborers & artificers, and may be a means in some measure to prevent desertions, & if a method can be agreed upon, to effect a thing so expedient for the service, it will be agreeable to the Earl of Loudoun that such a provision should be made.
B. WENTWORTH.
Council Chamber in Portsmouth, March 10, 1757.
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end of the 18th century
Officer 1787 blue with black distinctive
paints brigs for the British fleet.
