This is a poem I stumbled across, written by Rudyard Kipling. I think you all might enjoy it :)

Brown Bess

Rudyard Kipling
1865-1936



In the days of lace-ruffles, perukes and brocade
Brown Bess was a partner whom none could despise -
An out-spoken, flinty-lipped, brazen-faced jade,
With a habit of looking men straight in the eyes -
At Blenheim and Ramillies fops would confess
They were pierced to the heart by the charms of Brown Bess.

Though her sight was not long and her weight was not small,
Yet her actions were winning, her language was clear;
And everyone bowed when she opened the ball
On the arm of some high-gaitered, grim grenadier.
Half Europe admitted the striking success
Of the dances and routs that were given by Brown Bess.

When ruffles were turned into stiff leather stocks,
And people wore pigtails instead of perukes,
Brown Bess never altered her iron-grey locks.
She knew she was valued for more than her looks.
"Oh, powder and patches was always my dress,
And I think I am killing enough," said Brown Bess.

So she followed her red-coats, whatever they did,
From the heights of Quebec to the plains of Assaye,
From Gibraltar to Acre, Cape Town and Madrid,
And nothing about her was changed on the way;
(But most of the Empire which now we possess
Was won through those years by old-fashioned Brown Bess.)

In stubborn retreat or stately advance,
From the Portugal coast to the cork-woods of Spain,
She had puzzled some excellent Marshals of France
Till none of them wanted to meet her again:
But later, near Brussels, Napoleon - no less -
Arranged for a Waterloo ball with Brown Bess.

She had danced till the dawn of that terrible day -
She danced till the dusk of more terrible night,
And before her linked squares his battalions gave way,
And her long fierce quadrilles put his lancers to flight:
And when his gilt carriage drove off in the press,
"I have danced my last dance with the world!" said Brown Bess.

If you go to Museums - there's one in Whitehall -
Where old weapons are shown with their names writ beneath,
You will find her upstanding, her back to the wall,
As stiff as a ramrod, her flint in her teeth.
And if ever we English had reason to bless
Any arm save our mothers', that arm is Brown Bess.

Such an eloquent poem about the Brown Bess whomping peoples around the world.


Huzzah to the poem Forlorn

Thats the poem that spawned the name "Brown Bess"

excuse my ignorance, but what is its official name then?

Long Land Pattern Musket

Seriously???? :huh:
*snicker*

It's a lot better than "Brown Bess"

wait i think i knew that

there is a short land pattern as well and I believe it is the "Brown Bess" that is used in bg.

This is a very interesting site containing excellent references, and lots of historical information on a multitude of different muskets and period weaponry.

http://www.militaryheritage.com/muskets.htm

The weapon used during our period, 1776 to 1782 actually was in the process of changing. The British army was using a mixture of two different muskets at the time, the 'Long Land Pattern (Tower) musket' which had been in use for many years and had secured victory after victory in the Seven Years War in the colonies. However, a new and lighter musket was becoming available for use, the 'Short Land Pattern (Tower) musket' was gradually replacing the Long Land Pattern musket and this was apparently well under way in the American War of Independence (Am. Rev.).

The musket represented in BG is, as Grantel rightly stated, the Short Land Pattern (Tower) musket, but some units were actually issued with entirely different weapons altogether. Many officers for example, contrary to popular opinion did carry muskets in the field in the Am. Rev. but were 'to lead the men, not to get engaged personally with the enemy' and therefore did not use them until the situation strictly required it. The problem however was that the standard infantry musket was a heavy weapon to carry around and they sought a different weapon which was easier to handle on the field.

Such a weapon was also used largely by the Light companies during the Am. Rev. and that was a lighter version of the Brown Bess musket (not shown on militaryheritage.com) in 0.69 inch calibre produced in smaller quantities but proved to be immensely popular to Officers and Light companies. The British army actually suffered many difficult logistics problems due to many different muskets of different calibres being used in the field, but it's safe to say that they Americans suffered a great deal more due to that problem and it was a common problem at the time.

In reality there were many more type of musket used in the field by the British army then we can imagine. Officers, and even militia who served King George III would have found it easy to exchange their heavy standard musket for any of the lighter French imported guns used by the Americans, and many expressed their admiration for the finer, lighter and apparently more reliable French so called Charleville muskets even though they were contrary to regulations.

I hope that is of interest.

Arquebusier