A Rail Gun and the Coldstream Guards, 1801

The first entry in my sketchbook is ironically enough, not by me, but by my brother. This is his depiction of a rail gun, a futuristic electromagnetic gun. A large rail gun is currently being developed by the United States Navy. But the weapon has run into two problems.

First, after firing rounds at such high velocities, a stream of plasma forms behind the projectile, due to air friction. which causes extreme wear and tear in the weapon making them good for only a limited number of shots. Second, the portable power sources able providing the electromagnetic energy have not yet been developed. The technology is currently only suited for a large nuclear powered ship. However, if weapons developers can find materials capable of conducting at that level of electric current efficiently and able to withstand the wear and tear of plasma generated from firing projectiles at hypersonic speed, it would be possible to make this weapon.

The next entry, and the first entry that is actually by me is the British Army’s 2nd Foot Guards, known as the Coldstream Guards, pictured in 1801, at the start of the Napoleonic Wars.

The Coldstream Guards are part of the household division, seven elite regiments(six during the Napoleonic Wars), which serve as the personal guards of the Royal Household. Ironically enough, the Coldstream Guards were raised for service in Oliver Cromwell’s army during the English Civil War. However, after his death, their commander defected back to the Royalist side and marched into England through the Scottish village of Coldstream, and the name stuck. 

As with any of my unit entries, I prefer to start with the commanding officer. The first sketch is of the Regimental colonel and his adjutant. Notice that they are both mounted, in the Napoleonic era, all infantry officers with rank of major or above and adjutants were mounted.In fact, following this tradition, British infantry officers with rank of major or above and adjutants are authorized to wear riding breeches and boots with their dress uniforms.These officers are sporting the Hungarian Hussar style boots, which became enormously popular throughout Napoleonic Europe and adopted by the British infantry and light cavalry officers. 

Also notice the epaulettes. Officers with rank of Major and above were also distinguishable by their pair of epaulettes, while the officers with rank of captain and below only wore one epaulette over their right shoulder. 

This is a captain, dismounted with only one epaulette over his right shoulder. You can then see the rank and file. A British line or guard infantry regiment consisted of two or three battalions, and each battalion consisted of ten companies: eight center, one grenadier, and one light.

Soldiers of the three companies are pictured here. The first enlisted soldier portrayed is a center company sergeant. While the officers were armed with swords and the lower ranks muskets, the sergeants of the center and grenadier companies carried pikes, which were equipped with a crossbar to prevent the pike from impaling an opponent. For this and other reasons, the Napoleonic era is considered one of civilized warfare. 

Next is one of his subordinates, a private in the center company. Notice that the officers and other ranks wear a different shade of red. The officers and sergeants wore scarlet coats, while the other ranks wore medder red. This would last until 1873, when scarlet was introduced for all ranks. 

Next is a corporal in the grenadier company. The grenadiers were called what they were because in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, the armies of Europe experimented with grenades, selecting their tallest strongest men to handle them. By the mid eighteenth century, grenades were deemed impractical, but the tradition of the tallest and strongest men endured. When lined in battle order, the grenadiers were stationed on the right flank which harkening back to Ancient Greece was the greatest honor and reserved for the best unit. 

Next is a private on the left flank unit: the light company. Although positioned on the left flank when in formation, they were often detached as skirmishers, as their name implies they received greater training in light infantry tactics such as marksmanship. Perhaps the best example of this was at the Battle of Waterloo when the light company of the Coldstream Guards took sharpshooting positions behind the walls and from the windows of Hougomont farmhouse. For this reason I choose to portray this light infantry private without a bayonet fixed.

Finally, the last soldier depicted is the youngest of the soldiers, a center company drummer boy. The center and grenadier companies employed fifers and drummers to play music to keep the soldiers’ spirits up, while the light infantry and cavalry employed buglers. That is why the bugle was adopted as a symbol of the light infantry. Another difference to notice between the different companies is the color of the pompoms. The center companies were red and white, the grenadier white, and the light green. 

Check out the Vlog version of this entry on YouTube, featuring a commentary by my brother on his sketch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYnAKNvIjfA&list=PLZ9Tol07XTjMOaHwiUBMJ_fLoVq4pP7yC&feature=mh_lolz