The New Englanders
Phip’s had 2,300 militiamen in seven battalions. A simple division gives an average of roughly 330 men per battalion. This figure is roughly half the size of an actual regular army battalion’s strength during the period. It may be safe to assume that colonial militia units were severely under strength for a variety of reasons. As this was not a Royal or State initiated campaign then perhaps enforcement of service terms may have been rather less stringent than a national war situation. If the militia followed the traditional infantry structure then these 330 man units would be subdivided into 13 companies. Company strength would then be a meagre 25 men.
Phip’s had 2,300 militiamen in seven battalions. A simple division gives an average of roughly 330 men per battalion. This figure is roughly half the size of an actual regular army battalion’s strength during the period. It may be safe to assume that colonial militia units were severely under strength for a variety of reasons. As this was not a Royal or State initiated campaign then perhaps enforcement of service terms may have been rather less stringent than a national war situation. If the militia followed the traditional infantry structure then these 330 man units would be subdivided into 13 companies. Company strength would then be a meagre 25 men.
It has been stated
that the New England militia were organised on
the Trained Band system. This would mean a ratio of two muskets to one pike.
Units could then be composed of two wings of muskets and a central group of
pikemen.
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| Massachusetts men. The French may have looked different. |
The French
Chartrand mentions
Frontenac reinforcing the St
Charles River Canada