Soldiers in King Philip's war. Containing lists of the soldiers of ...

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John Steel man. 03 17 02 James Patterson. 02 11 05
James Miller. 0*5 02 06 Thomas How. 02 11 05
Jonathan Hill. 02 1105 Richard Scott. 00 08 06
Remarks.
At the opening of the war the colonial militia was quite efficiently
organized. Each county had its regiment of " trained soldiers."
The regiments of Suffolk and Middlesex counties consisted of fifteen
companies of Foot and one of Cavalry each. The Essex regiment
was of thirteen Foot and one Cavalry, the other counties smaller.
There were seventy-three organized companies in the Massachusetts
colony, besides an independent cavalry company called the "Three
County Troop,*' made up in Suffolk, Middlesex and Essex. The
highest military officer of the colony was Major General Daniel Denison,
of Ipswich. The highest regimental officer at this time was
Major, or Sergeant Major. These local companies were not sent on
active service out of their towns, but men were impressed from the
number and placed under officers appointed for special service by
the Council. Each company of Foot had a Captain, Lieutenant,
Ensign, Clerk, Sergeants, Corporals and a Drummer. Cavalry
had Cornett instead of Ensign and a Trumpeter and Quartermaster.
The regular number of privates in foot companies was 70,
in the cavalry 50. On special service it was more. The pay of
soldiers, according to Mr. Judd, in his History of Hadley, was 6s.
per week, and 5s. was paid for their "dyet." There is no way of
determining the rate of pay from Hull's Journal, as all payments
are "on acct" and do not specify time of service. Plymouth colony
paid the private soldiers 2s. per day, Drummers 2s. b'd., Sergeant
3s., Ensign 4s., " Lieftenant " 5s., Captain 6s. A " Chyrurgion
" or doctor was attached to each expedition. A William
Locke went with Major Savage to Mount Hope, remained with
Capt. Henchman till August, and then joined Capt. Mosely. (This
from two depositions in vol. 68 Mass. Archives, page 60.) A chap-
lain also generally served with each expedition. The price paid for
horses was 18d. per week. Prices of Clothing, " Wastcoats," 6s.,
Drawers 5s. 6d., " Stockins" 2s., Shirts 6s., Shoes 4s.
On this Mount Hope expedition many used the Old Matchlock
musket, the " Regulation " weapon of that time ; but it was soon discarded
as not so serviceable as the Flintlock or " Snaphance." There
were no bayonets in use, but each company at first had a number of
Pikemen, soon found to be useless in an Indian fight. The "Matchlock
" was an exceedingly cumbrous affair, and was too long and
heavy to fire at arm's length, so that each soldier was obliged
to carry a "rest" (a crotched staff" pointed at the foot with
iron and attached to his wrist by a string). No. 7 of the orders in
musket drill, " Elton's Tactics," was, "Put the string of your rest
about your left wrist." The Indians always used the Flintlock.