 By Tom Fournier It is in June and July of 1804. The 41st Regiment of Foot have already been in Canada since the autumn of 1799. On behalf of the Board of Ordnance, Lieutenant Colonel George Glasgow of the Royal Artillery has supervised an inspection of the muskets of the 41st Regiment. He finds they are in a remarkably deplorable state. For those who love the minutia of detail associated with the British Army of the Napoleonic Age, his reports and summaries offer incredible and fascinating details! He wraps it all up with what I think is a shocking recommendation. Report – 20 June 1804 In the examination of arms belonging to the 41st Regt. Of Foot the following points have been attended to – Viz The Barrels Every barrel has been taken out of the stock, the breech taken out, and both inside and outside closely inspected; those marked unserviceable have visible defects from holes or flaws, each of which was tried with a searcher before being condemned. The doubtful are those containing smaller defects, not so visible but probably equally dangerous, and which might require further proof. Very many barrels (even among the serviceable) have bulges within, opposite to the fixing on of the loops, and the whole almost without exception, have bulges opposite to the Proof marks. The Stocks All those stocks which were cracked or splintered in the upper part were marked Repairable; and where the cracks or splinters are situated about the Lock, in places which would not bear repairing, they are marked unserviceable, they might however in their present state with care, last a considerable time with any Regiment although not fit to be issued as serviceable from Store or received as such; these bear a great proportion among the Stocks marked unserviceable. The Locks The principal part of the repairable Locks are so, from the hammers being soft; the feather spring weakened by wear; or the tumbler requiring some trifling examination by the Armorer. The Locks appear by much the best part of their arms. The Ramrods Some of the unserviceable Ramrods are broke, & others made of soft Iron. The Bayonets The unserviceable Bayonets are mostly broke, either in the blade or the Shoulder; many are injured by having been used to unscrew the swivels & lock screws. The Furniture Marked repairable consists chiefly in pipes worn down or wanting, in swivels wanting, or in the guard plate being broken at the Screw. The Extract from the report on the annual return sent home; and the Quarter Masters statement of the reception of these arms in 1799/both which are annexed show them to have been received by the Regiment in a very defective State; and the Quarter Masters statement is confirmed by the Variety of marks when them either of different Regiments or Depots or of the East India Company. We cannot conclude this report without adverting strongly to the injury which might to their Majesty’s Service from Regiments being actively employed with arms of so bad a description in their hands. George Glasgow Lieu Col Comg. R. Arty. 4, 5 & 6th July 1804 The whole of the barrels except the unserviceable have been proved in these three days, with 10 drams of the best powder and one ball each rammed well home with wadding – those marked doubtful & many of the others had each two balls which proof they all stood without exception. George Glasgow Lieu Col Comg. R. Arty. Source: Library and Archives Canada, "C' Series, Record Group 8, Volume 909, pp 11 - 13 The marks that Glasgow refers to, can be found on a report that he created showing the marks by locations on various muskets. I have chosen to highlight the column of marks on the “barrels” which is referenced in the above report when he talked about the “variety of marks.” It is stunning to look at the variety of marks and wonder where on earth did all of these muskets come from and how old were they? For example, an understrength 41st Regiment arriving in Canada in 1799 drafted 224 members of the 2nd Battalion 60th Regiment who were scheduled to leave Canada for England (see previous Blog post here). These muskets predated the 41st Regiment in Canada! 41st Regiment of Foot Return by Companies of the Arms, which present Marks. Quebec 19th June 1804 -- Marks on the Barell 60th Regt. 2nd Battn. Ditto 5 60th Regt. 2nd Battn. four straight cuts thus IIII 75 61st Regiment Leeds G.R. 00 A.D. 8 479 9 445 178 29 G 4 300 955 B.D.D.C.F. 159 60th Regt. 2nd Batt. 29 A. m. D. 60th Regt. 2nd Battn. Prince of Wales Fencibles 60th Regt. 2nd Battn. Leeds Volunteers 60th Regt. 2nd Battn. 13 60th Regt. 1st Battn. 60th Regt. 1st Battn. 183 714 Royl. Cornwall Regt. R.C.F. 939 London 395 London 60th Regiment County Limerick Militia 60th Regt. 2nd Batt. 60th Regt. 2nd Batt. 657 87 34 2 68 Kildare Milita Leeds Dublin Militia 60th Regt. 2nd Battn. “on the Butt” A.L.D. Limerick Militia County Limerick Militia Royal Meath Prince of Wales Fencibles Leeds Volunteers Leeds Volunteers Leeds Volunteers D.&C.C.M. Cavan Militia Source: Library and Archives Canada, "C' Series, Record Group 8, Volume 909, pp. 34 - 35 Another report breaks down the muskets and various components of the muskets by company. I have created a table that shows the summary and it gives a very good sense for how rough these muskets must have been. State of the Arms of the 41st Regiment of Foot examined between the 5th and 18th June 1804 at Quebec  And finally, the shocker.
As someone who has stripped down a Brown Bess musket for the purpose of cleaning, I can relate to the essence of the following report. My first musket was bought second hand and it had been in service for a number of years. In removing the barrel, I found a pin or two were missing. As I removed the barrel, I found some of the “tangs” on the barrel that would pin it to the stock had been broken off. There really was not much that was holding the barrel to the stock. Needless to say, I now have a new musket and the other has been retired as a lovely wall hanger! I was really surprised to come across this report and find that soldiers of the 41st Regiment were experiencing the exact same problems 200 years ago but those muskets remained in service and were in the hands of those trusted to defend the frontiers of Canada. Quebec, July 7th 1804 Sir, As the Artillery Officer appointed by you to examine the Arms of the 41st Regiment, we think it our duty to submit to you for the purpose if you should think proper of being transmitted with the report to the proper Officers in England, the following suggestions, which we humbly conceive might benefit His Majesty’s Service, and ultimately diminish, instead of increasing expense. Every Soldier, in order to clean his arms, is occasionally obliged to take the barrel out of the Stock, by which means, in the present form of the breech pin, the screw becomes soon loose, the breech pin itself often broke, and the stand of arms rendered in many cases useless. A false breech therefore, fixt in the Stock in the manner of fowling pieces, would be better, as it need never be removed even for cleaning. The manner of fixing loops into the under part of the barrel essentially injures it, each loop having a dove-tail filed flat into the barrel, which cuts deep into its thickness, the riveting of which in many cases bulges the interior of the barrel; -- The Wires which go thro’ these loops, by being often removed injure the Stock, & with every care of the Officer and N. Commis.’ Officer, are frequently left out by the men to save trouble: this, in the end, by leaving the barrel to no other connection with its stock than the upper swivel pin and the breech pin, must tend to destroy the Stock, and cause the stand of arms to be soon defective, if not useless; -- The pipes, also, for the ramrod is pinned in a similar manner with wire into the stock, will if removed for cleaning tend to injure it by the frequent removing of the pins; -- For all which reasons, the Clasps in use with the arms of most of the Continental powers, embracing both barrel and stock, serving as loops for the ramrod, and being easily removable, appear to us better calculated for preserving the Arms of a Regiment, and consequently beneficial to the Service. We have the honor to be, Sir with great respect Your most obedient humble Servant Lieut.-General Hunter George Glasgow Commanding H. Majesty’s Forces Lieut. Col Comg. Ry. Arty. in both Canadas Wm. Riley (?) V.V.V. – Captain R. Artillery Source: Library and Archives Canada, "C' Series, Record Group 8, Volume 909, pp 7 – 9 So ultimately, Lieutenant Colonel Glasgow felt the style of musket used by the French and American armies (the Charleville pattern illustrated in this Blog), was a superior fashion of manufacturing and keeping muskets in service. Seeing as how the Brown Bess never changed, it is easy to see that his insights and advice were not heeded! From His Majesty's Gentlemen: A Directory of Regular British Army Officers of the War of 1812 by Stuart Sutherland, here is a brief description of George Glasgow’s career: GLASGOW, GEORGE: second lieutenant Royal Artillery 8 September 1774, first lieutenant Royal Artillery 7 July 1779, captain-lieutenant Royal Artillery 29 December 1784, captain Royal Artillery 25 September 1793, brevet major 6 May 1795, major Royal Artillery 3 December 1800, brevet lieutenant-colonel 1 January 1800, lieutenant-colonel Royal Artillery 25 December 1801, colonel Royal Artillery 24 July 1806, major-general 4 June 1811, lieutenant-general 12 August 1819, died 28 October 1820 at London, England. Present: July 1812-February 1815. Staff appointments: officer commanding Royal Artillery in the Canadian command, July 1812-February 1815. Civil appointments: administrator of Lower Canada, June-September 1813. Biographical reference: Dictionary of Canadian Biography, V.
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