French forces are repulsed by British infantry at the battle of the Plains of Abraham, 1759.
Note British muskets are held at waist level & not “aimed”… 🙂
That’s at the “charge bayonets” position after firing the volley and before beginning to advance.
Well, it doesn’t help if one “aims” as with a modern (or even a contemporaneous) rifle because the ball flies in various directions if no rifled barrel……That’s just science ! Better to line up with many abreast (as in the photo) and point in the general direction at waist level. Then you might accidentally HIT something (with that many firing).!! Plus, without modern “smokeless” powder, why risk burning your face by holding ithe piece up “against your cheek” when THE INSTRUMENT CANNOT BE FIRED WITH ANY ACCURACY within 20 feet..!!! ….Tell me: why did armies line up many abreast (with bright red coats no less!) IF SOMEONE COULD ACTUALLY SOMEWHAT “AIM” and pick them off..?!?? Not saying some didn’t try to aim, but it was a fool’s errand if they did….If you ever fired a modern replica of a “Brown Bess” – as I have – you would know this. Even with modern “smokeless” powder (WAY better than what THEY had) three of us fired at a very wide tree stump from about 30 feet – two aiming, modern style (or as depicted by Hollywood) and me pointing at waist level as a book I had recently read said REALLY happened – and NONE of us EVER hit the stump….not once in an entire afternoon of trying…!!! I suggest your research is flawed…
Astonishing stuff.
I read up to the point where he says they fired smokeless powder out their musket, then I could no longer take anything he is saying seriously.
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