Page:Historical records of the 40th (2nd Somersetshire) regiment.djvu/29

 — The officers named above, with the single exception of Captain Paul Mascarene, belonged to the independent companies serving at Annapolis Royal, the strength of which was originally one captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, three sergeants, three corporals, two drummers, and eighty private men per company.

A word must here be said of the order of formation of a battalion at this time, which was in six ranks, the men standing with their heels a little apart, with loose files. Pikes had been discontinued, and the men were armed with large, clumsy muskets, throwing a ball about the same weight as that in use in the Peninsular war, and broad heavy buff leather cross belts, unpipeclayed. The field officers carried half-pikes; company officers, espontoons—a light kind of halberd; sergeants, halberds. All wore swords. Each battalion had three colours; the first, or principal colour, being the Union; and each had a quota of drummers. There were no fifers, and, except in the Guards and a few other regiments, no hautbois players (band).

The names of the officers of the four independent companies at Placentia have not been discovered.