Fusiliers
After the middle of the seventeenth century an important change in the firearm was invented, by which the charge was ignited by flint and steel instead of match, giving more certainty to the fire. The new flintlock was called a fusil (from fucile, flint); it was at first given to picked shots, called Fusiliers, for skirmishing work, but about 1700 all Infantry were armed with flintlocks. It was introduced in Great Britain in the shape of “Brown Bess,” the musket used until rendered obsolete by the introduction of the percussion cap in 1840.
The individual Fusiliers carried out what were later termed the duties of Light Infantry (see p. [188]). By their superior shooting and activity they were better fitted to move rapidly in front of the heavier Infantry, so as to annoy the enemy by their fire, and clear the way for the main body. These Fusiliers were before long grouped into separate Battalions of Fusiliers, which were created in France in 1671, and later in England and Prussia, where they survive to this day.
Grenadiers
During the Thirty Years’ War grenades (grenada, the pomegranate) or hand-thrown bombs were introduced. This brought in another variety of Infantry. Grenadiers were powerful, tall men, picked from the Battalion to throw the grenades. They were soon collected into one “Grenadier Company,” which was added to those of each Battalion, and took its place on their right.
This was done in France in 1667, and in England in 1678. Grenadiers then gave up their special duty, and were armed with the fusil for Light Infantry duties, for which, however, they were eventually found too heavy and slow.
The Grenadier Company continued during the eighteenth century to form the right Company of the Battalion in most European armies. Some of the Grenadiers were assembled in special Grenadier Regiments, like the “Grenadier Guards” in England. In Germany and Russia the title exists to this day, although the special functions of Grenadiers have been obsolete for two centuries.
Thus, during the later portion of the seventeenth century, there were four different kinds of Infantry—Pikemen, Musketeers, Grenadiers, and Fusiliers.
The changes in armament had the effect of reducing the number of ranks in battle. The first phalanxes of pikes had 25 ranks, which Maurice reduced to 10, and Gustavus to 6; by 1700 the number of ranks had become 4, which Frederick reduced to 3, and Wellington, on entering Spain in 1808, to 2. Two ranks became the rule in Great Britain in 1824, and in the French service in 1859. The Prussians were the last to give up three ranks, in 1888, but the third rank had long been used only for skirmishing.