officers in the English army almost coeval with its introduction. In a small MS. volume in my possession, written in the latter half of the seventeenth century, the exercise of the dragoons (for, as has been already shown, it was not confined to the foot soldier,[1]) is thus described. It is stated to be the "Exercize of Dragoons, composed for his Mats Royl Regiment by ye Rht Honble Louis, Earle of Feversham, Colonell." Among other instructions, I find
"handle yor baggonnetts.
"draw out yor baggonnetts."
"mount your baggonetts altogether."
"fasten them in to ye mussells of your musket."
They are further instructed to "march through a towne with musketts advanced and through a quarter wth baggonetts in ye mussells of ye musketts."[2]
A review of the evidence here cited gives us the following results:—
1st. That "bayonette" was the name of a knife, which may probably have been so designated, either from its having been the peculiar weapon of a crossbow-man, or from the individual who first adopted it.
2nd. That its first recorded use as a weapon of war occurs in the Memoirs of Puysegur, and may be referred to the year 1647.
3rd. That it is first mentioned in England by Sir J. Turner, 1670-71.
4th. That it was introduced into the English army in the first half of the year 1672.
5th. That before the Peace of Nimeguen, Puysegur had seen troops on the continent armed with bayonets furnished with rings which would go over the muzzles of muskets.
6th. That in 1686 the device of the socket bayonet was tested before the French King and failed.
7th. That in 1689 Mackay, by the adoption of the ringed bayonet, successfully opposed the Highlanders at the battle of Killiecrankie.
- ↑ Among the Harleian MSS. (No. 6,844) is a copy of a "Treaty between the Sovereign of this kingdom and the Duke of Sax Gotha, Nov. 6, 1691," by which there are "delivered in service to His Majesty of Great Brittaigne, three Reigments," one of which is "a Regimt of Dragoons of nine Companys, provided with good Horses, Carabins, Pistols, Sabels (sic), Bajonetts, and all the same clothing." A regiment of foot is to "be provided with good Musquetts, fire-Locks, and Swine-feathers."
- ↑ Even so late as the year 1735 the name was written and printed "bagonet." "Bagonet is a short broad dagger, made with iron handles and rings that go over the muzzle of the firelock, and are screwed fast; so that the soldier fires with the bagonet on the muzzle of the piece, and is ready to act against horse."—Glossary appended to "Memoirs Historical and Military of the Marquis de Feuquière." Translation from the French. London, 1735.
