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Battlefield Equipage
La milice went on the battlefield with as little equipment as they could get away with. They felt that it was the Troupes de Terre and the Troupes de la Marine’s job to fight since they were getting paid for it. They did not carry bayonets, large cartridge boxes, and had no intentions of holding off regular enemy troops in a linear battle by themselves. They were often known to run away during such battles.
Here is a brief listing and description of typical equipment carried by milicien into battle:
Fusil (Musket)
Firearms were muzzleloading flintlock smoothbore muskets. These were usually civilian guns supplied by the King for use by milicien. On rare occasions military arms such as the Charleville musket would be issued, although no bayonets were supplied with them.Most guns were civilian hunting guns such as the fusee de chasse and varied slightly in style depending on the age of the gun and the particular gunsmith.
The ‘head breaker’ a simple hatchet produced in mass quantity for the milice. This was a weapon, not a tool. Handle is approx. 18in. long. No ornate pipe axes, the Milice would have only what the King had given them, and would not spent what little money they had on fancy hatchets. This would be carried through their sash in the middle of their backs.
Milicen usually carried a minimum of 2 couteaux, one in their sash, and one around their neck. The neck sheath was usually plain leather, rarely decorated. A third couteau was sometimes carried in the sash securing le mitasse. (Not recomended for battle due to the difficulty of securing it safely.)
Pulverine/Come à poudre
Powder horns came in two different
styles, no
fancy scrimshaw or carving. The milicien loaded
and fired their fusils as hunting guns. Paper
cartridges were for the soldiers and marines.
As reenactors we must carry our powder in rolled cartridges for safety reasons. At NO time are horns allowed on the battlefield with powder in them!
Hunting bags were simple, utilitarian. Usually made from sturdy leather, pig or goatskin. They were widely variable depending on the taste, needs and skill of the individual making it. Carried in it were powder measure, ball bag, screwdriver, extra flints ( pierres a fusil), vent pick (epinglette), worm (tire-bourre), and tow (for cleaning). Reenactors are required to have a wooden block to hold the cartridges safely.