Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce Day
My ancestors were part of the Massachusetts Militia at the time of the revolution . They drilled, practiced maneuvers, had officers and were regulated. They were not part of unruly and ineffective mobs that could be cut to pieces by trained British infantry . A direct ancestor has a statue in his memory and a town named after him.
Yes I believe that the participants of the early constitutional conventions knew of the importance of the state militias and the ability of citizens to maintain arms in support of those militias. Of that I have no doubt.
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That's nice Bruce, good for you, my 4th Great Grandfather on my mother's side was a Patriot in the Revolution. I have no idea what they practiced for drills. Militia's were different than "Regulars" and they were considered undisciplined if not unruly by military commanders. When used in combat they were placed in front of the "Regulars", not to give them an advantage, not because they were somehow better, not to make them cannon fodder (at least not deliberately), it was to prevent a disorganized mass retreat in the face of the enemy. They were less likely to do so if they had to run through lines of the Regulars.