“I myself felt more humiliation until I considered that those advantages [obtained by the Americans at Saratoga] proceeded from the nature of the country, and not from the want of zeal or bravery in the British troops.”
—Earl of Balcarres, 1779
The British Army at Saratoga
The British Army was a force serving two kingdoms—Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) and Ireland. As such, the British military recruited heavily from among the populations of both kingdoms, not only Britain.
In 1777, British soldiers were volunteers; no one was drafted into the service. Because a soldier was supposed to receive regular pay, clothing, shelter, medical coverage, and, often, a pension upon retirement, the army was an attractive employer for many poor people. Because joining the British Army was a lifelong commitment—changing careers in one’s life was uncommon in the 18th century—many soldiers brought their wives and children with them. The highest rank soldiers could ever hope to achieve was that of Serjeant-Major; very few were promoted into the officer corps, but it was not unheard of, particularly in wartime.
Officers usually came from Britain’s and Ireland’s wealthier, connected families. While it is true that most infantry officers purchased their commissions (their ranks), artillery and engineer officers were promoted for free based upon seniority. Infantry officers received on-the-job training, while most artillery and engineer officers were military academy graduates.
After the American War for Independence began in 1775, it became increasingly difficult to find army recruits in Britain and, particularly, Ireland—a lot of people didn’t want to fight against their American cousins. One solution the government came up with was to recruit 2,000 Germans for the redcoat ranks. These Germans were separate from the German “Hessians” hired as auxiliary troops during the war. If it sounds odd to have foreign (German) speakers, few of whom knew any English, added to the redcoat ranks, it certainly was!
General Burgoyne’s British infantry “Redcoats” and Royal Artillery “Blue Boys” (so named for the blue uniforms they wore) were professional soldiers, and most were well trained to fight against the “rebel” Americans, even in the woods. However, most of them—including the officers—were inexperienced in warfare and had never been in combat before 1777!
British Army units at the Battles of Saratoga:
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9th Regiment of Foot
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20th Regiment of Foot
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21st Regiment of Foot (Royal North British Fusiliers)
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24th Regiment of Foot
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47th Regiment of Foot (6 companies)
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62nd Regiment of Foot
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Grenadier Battalion (9th, 20th, 21st, 29th, 24th, 31st, 34th, 47th, 53rd, and 62nd Regiment grenadier companies)
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Light Infantry Battalion (9th, 20th, 21st, 29th, 24th, 31st, 34th, 47th, 53rd, and 62nd Regiment light infantry companies)
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British Rangers (1 company drawn from the 9th, 20th, 21st, 47th, and 62nd Regiments)
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Recruits for General Howe’s army, serving as augment men for the Royal Artillery (15th, 27th, 33rd, 35th, 45th, and 54th Regiments)
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Royal Regiment of Artillery (2 companies, 1st Battalion; 1 company and a detachment from the 3rd Battalion)
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Corps of Engineers
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His Majesty’s General Hospital
Additionally, the Royal Navy provided a detachment of officers and sailors drafted from the Garland, Viper, Canceaux, Apollo, Isis, Blonde, Proteus, and Porpoise in order to assist with Burgoyne’s advance on Albany.
