Advice to Recruits
Answers to oft-asked questions about joining a Highland regiment
|History|Questions|Contacts|
History:
Scottish Soldiers played a vital role in the British Army during the 18th-century. Our group of living-history enthusiasts recreates companies of two Highland Scottish regiments: the 42nd Regiment of Foot (the Royal Highland Regiment) during the Revolutionary War, and the 77th Regiment of Foot (Montgomery's Highlanders) during the French and Indian War. Attached to the companies is a three-pound cannon manned by members of the Royal Artillery.
Both the 77th and the 42nd saw distinguished service in North America. Montgomery's Highlanders arrived in the colonies in 1757 and spent the next five years in arduous wilderness campaigning. They led a surprise attack on Fort Duquesne, a key French post at the site of modern Pittsburgh; took part in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain; battled Cherokee Indians in the Carolinas; and helped defeat Ottawa Chief Pontiac's huge Indian forces in western Pennsylvania.
Nearly 20 years later, when war again gripped North America, the 42nd was dispatched to help put down the colonists' rebellion. The Royal Highland Regiment fought in the British Army's 1776-1778 campaigns in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, including the victories at Long Island, Fort Washington, Brandywine, and Germantown. In 1780, it helped besiege and capture Charleston, South Carolina.
(Unlike many regiments from the Revolutionary War era, the 42nd still exists today. Known as the Black Watch, it is the senior Highland regiment in the British Army and took part in Britain's 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China.)
Our unit is a group of history buffs dedicated to the hobby of re-enacting. We are formally organized as a nonprofit educational organization under the name 77th/71st Highlanders, Inc. The unit has three goals:
1. To educate the public about life in the British Army during the 18th-century
2. To recreate as authentically as possible the regiments we portray
3. To have a lot of fun!!
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Questions:
How do I join?
The first step is to read this section to answer your major questons. Then, talk to one of the people listed in the contacts section of this web page. They can give you more information and arrange for you to attend a weekend event with the unit (in borrowed gear) to see if you like the hobby and our group. After that, if you are interested in joining, we'll give you a membership application to fill out. Your membership will be voted on by the Membership Committee and the Board of Directors.
What do I commit myself to by joining?
Membership duties are minimal: pay $24 in annual dues (to help cover unit expenses); acquire within 120 days the basic clothing and equipment for the role you adopt; and attend at least one weekend event a year. Other than that, you're free to participate as much or as little as you want.
Where is your group located?
The bulk of our members live in the Baltimore-Washington area, but we have members scattered throughout the eastern United States.
How often do you have events, and what are they like?
The unit usually takes part in around 8-10 weekend encampments a year and a few one-day events (in all, roughly one a month).
Weekend events involve camping out from Friday night through Sunday afternoon at a park or historical site. During the day, soldiers take part in battle re-enactments, practice drill, or perform camp duties (standing guard, chopping firewood, fetching water, cleaning their weapons). Campfollowers cook period food for the regiment and demonstrate other 18th-century skills (such as, laundry, sewing, spinning, and carpentry). Evenings, when we are out of the public eye, often involve a party, a dance, or a group of people sitting around the fire singing Scottish songs.
In addition to weekend encampments, the unit sometimes attend Scottish Highland festivals, market fairs, or one-day living history demonstrations, including talks to schools and civic groups.
Where do you travel to?
Most of our events take place in the mid-Atlantic region, although we generally schedule one or two long-distance events a year, involving a day's drive each way.
What basic equipment will I need?
The basic necessities of an 18th-century Highland soldier are:
Many members own their own tents, although the unit also provides tents and cooking equipment for common use.
Where can I get all that stuff?
A thriving industry exists that sells reproduction 18th-century clothing, weapons, and equipment. Any member of the unit can lend you catalogs from these merchants (known as sutlers). Many sutlers also set up booths at events, so you can buy things on the spot.
The unit can also provide you with patterns for the regimental coat, waistcoat, hose, and other clothing, so you can make them yourself or hire someone else to make them. In addition, some equipment and uniform items can be bought through the unit's quartermaster.
How much will it cost?
Unfortunately, re-enacting is not a cheap hobby. A recruit should expect to spend around $1200 to outfit himself completely. The two most expensive items are a musket (around $750 new, less than that used) and period shoes with buckles (around $150). The other items on the list cost much less, unless you end up paying someone to make your uniform.
The unit gives recruits 60 days to buy their musket and shoes and 120 days to equip themselves fully. In the meantime, they can borrow clothing and equipment from other members.
What are the roles I can play?
All men who join the unit begin as private soldiers in either the Highland regiment or the Artillery. With time and experience they can be promoted to noncommissioned or commissioned officers. Men and boys with musical ability can also be musicians, playing drum, fife, or bagpipes. Most women portray campfollowers, wives of soldiers who were permitted to travel with the regiment. (Women interested in portraying soldiers will be judged on a case-by-case basis.)
What if I don't know much about the 18th-century?
Few of us are experts about the 18th-century, but we all share an eagerness to learn. Joining the unit is one of the best ways to do that. Members frequently share books and historical information; in addition, the parks, forts, and museums that we visit for events can teach you a lot about the 18th-century. You'll also be expected to research and create a historical persona to use in your portrayal.
I've never fired a gun; is that a problem?
No, we will teach you (if you are 16 or older). And our safety officers will test you to make sure you can handle a musket safely before you are allowed to fire on the battlefield.
Do I need to be Scottish to join?
Not at all. Although we portray two Highland regiments, most of our members are Scottish by inclination rather than by birth. Of course, a taste for haggis, a love of bagpipes, or a smattering of Gaelic will always come in handy.
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Contacts:
President, Bryan Sherwood:
bryan_sherwood@yahoo.com
Vice President, Gerry Orvis
Secretary, Susan Krakower
Treasurer, Chris Spoor
Member-at-large, Cheryl Sherwood:
revwargirl@yahoo.com
Quartermaster Jan Spoor
Royal Artillery contact, Ben Newton:
fourthbnra@hotmail.com
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