The “New Model” Army
The Swedish Army under Gustavus proved so effective and successful in the Thirty Years’ War that it became the model for the organization common to all armies during the seventeenth century, which may be well studied by British soldiers in the “New Model” Army, raised in the Civil War on Cromwell’s suggestion. This army, perhaps the best disciplined and most effective the world has ever seen since Roman times, was never beaten during its many campaigns. The “New Model” is the true ancestor of the British Army, which has proved itself not unworthy of its descent. We still wear the red coat common in Cromwell’s army, and have its organization and military terms in use to-day. Marlborough’s army was practically the same as the New Model Army, only with bayonets for pikes, and flint locks for match locks.
The New Model Army was organized much like the armies of Maurice and Gustavus. It was composed as follows:
The Horse were formed in 11 Regiments of 600 men each, with 6 Troops. The Foot were in 12 Regiments of 1,200 men, each with 10 Companies. The Dragoons, which were practically Mounted Infantry, formed one Regiment of 1,000, in 10 Companies. Regiments had been formed in England after 1618. The Colonel had a Company of his own, and, as he could not command it himself as well as the Regiment, it was commanded by the Lieutenant, who was therefore styled Lieutenant of the Colonel, or Lieutenant-Colonel. That officer’s connection with the Commanding Officer caused him to be of such importance that his position was that of Second-in-Command of the Regiment, and he eventually became the Commanding Officer, as he is to-day. In the Horse, the Colonel had, similarly, a Troop, which was commanded by the Lieutenant, who ranked as Junior Captain, and was called Captain-Lieutenant. Horse Regiments had thus no Lieutenant-Colonel, and Cavalry Regiments have no Second-in-Command in any army to-day.
All Regiments had a Major (originally the Sergeant-Major), whose duties were those of our Adjutant. The latter officer was introduced after the Restoration in 1660, to perform the duties of the Major, who had become Second-in-Command, owing to the Lieutenant-Colonel having become Commanding Officer. Like the Colonel, the Lieutenant-Colonel and Major had each a Company of their own to provide their emoluments, and these were stronger than those of ordinary Captains, so as to bring in more pay to the senior officers.
Each Regiment had a Provost-Marshal to enforce discipline, a Surgeon, and a Chaplain, and Infantry had a Quarter-Master and a Drum-Major.
The Troops of Cavalry had four Officers—Captain, Lieutenant, Cornet, Quarter-Master—and three Corporals and three Trumpeters. There were no Sergeants of Horse, so that even to-day in the Household Cavalry the word Corporal-Major is used instead of Sergeant-Major.
The Infantry Companies had three Officers—Captain, Lieutenant, Ensign—and two Sergeants, three Corporals, a Quarter-Master-Sergeant, and two Drummers.
The Artillery was at this time of little account. The lighter guns—3- to 6-pounders—were attached in pairs to each Regiment, like our Machine Guns to-day. This practice survived during the eighteenth century. The heavier guns—9- to 12-pounders—with a few larger ones up to 20-pounders, were drawn by teams of horses or oxen, driven by civilians on foot. They formed, with the wagons carrying ammunition both for guns and match locks, the Train, controlled by the Waggon-Master-General. Each gun was served by a Master Gunner and two Under-Cannoneers, while the train was managed by Waggon-Masters, assisted by Furriers (French Fouriers) and clerks, and a number of artificers of all sorts.
The Head-Quarters of the Army consisted of a General as C.-in-C., with a Second-in-Command, naturally called the Lieutenant-General, who commanded the principal Arm—the Cavalry. There was a Sergeant-Major-General who commanded the Infantry, and was, as his name implies, the Chief Staff Officer of the Commander-in-Chief, as the Sergeant-Major was the Staff Officer of the Colonel of a Regiment. In these titles the Sergeant has long been dropped, and the (Sergeant) Major-General is still, as in the “New Model,” the junior rank of General Officer. A Master-General of the Ordnance controlled the Artillery, Engineers, and Train.
The two Generals of Horse and Foot had each a Staff, consisting of an Adjutant-General and a Quarter-Master-General. Under the Master of the Ordnance there were a Comptroller of the Ordnance, and an Engineer-General with several assistant Engineers, but no men.
The list of Administrative Officers on the Head-Quarters Staff is interesting, as showing the antiquity of many of our military titles:
The Judge-Advocate-General.
Two Provost-Marshals-General—one for the Horse, one for the Foot.
The Commissary-General of Victuals.
The Commissary-General of Horse Provisions.
The Waggon-Master-General, in charge of Train and baggage.
Medical Officers.
The Chaplain to the Army.
Two Treasurers-at-War (or Paymasters).
The Muster-Master-General.
The Scout-Master-General, who was what we should call the Chief Intelligence Officer; he had two Assistants and twenty Scouts.