BRITISH WARFARE By: Kevin Breckenfelder

EQUIPMENT  All soldiers carried single shot muskets which took about a minute to reload. Ammunition was round musket balls made of lead.  Officers carried swords and pistols though they rarely did much fighting.  Uniforms were red tailcoats with white pants. Your shoulder ornaments and other decorations such as your hat showed your rank in the army.

PLANNING  Before a battle, the British commanding officers would meet with the oppositions officers to organize a place and time for a battle. They did this under a white flag to ensure that no violence would break out.  The British officers would usually try to arrange the battle so that it was fought in an uninhabited, flat field that was near a city or a fort so that when the battle was over, the victor could claim the surrounding territories.

BATTLES  If the British generals got their wish, the two opposing armies would line up across from each other on an open field. The battle would start as soon as the generals decided it was time.  The armies would usually open with artillery fire from cannons lined up behind the soldiers, followed by steady one-shot fire from each side’s infantry.  When the British General felt that he was winning the battle he would order a charge where they would rush at the other side and start fighting hand to hand with bayonets. They would also often send in their cavalry to run down the opposition who were retreating. 