British soldiers in the eighteenth century A redcoat soldier in the British Army during the 18th century would have faced war in a number of theatres throughout the European continent , the Americas and the colonies ; the Jacobite rising of 1745 , the Seven Years ' War raged from 1756 – 63 , the American War of Independence from 1775 – 83 , the French Revolutionary Wars in 1792 – 1802 . At the start of the 19th century , and as part of an army going through extensive gradual reform , he would face the ensuing Napoleonic Wars from 1803 – 15 . Life for a redcoat soldier was often tough and challenging . Plenty of training was needed before a soldier could enter the battlefield ; drills and exercises had to be strictly followed as punishments were applied for even the most minor of mistakes . A Soldier in the Army . The British Army in the 18th century was commonly seen as disciplined , regimented and harsh . Camp life was dirty and cramped with the potential for a rapid spread of disease , and punishments could be anything from a flogging to a death sentence . Yet , many men volunteered to join the army , to escape the bleak conditions of life in the cities , for a chance to travel the world and earn a regular wage . There were a number of names used to describe the variety of groups serving within the army , including the militia , fencibles , associations , volunteers , yeomanry , rangers , local militia and provisional cavalry . Although many of the men rarely saw active service abroad , the army was often used as a constabulary force within the British Isles and it was often questioned whether a standing force was actually needed . However , the growth of the British Empire in the 19th century demanded the use of an established imperial force . Nature of recruitment . During the 18th century , men who joined the army were recruited in a number of ways . The regular army used recruitment parties and occasionally press gangs to enlist men , whilst the militia regiments were raised by a ballot , a process that was established in the Militia Act of 1757 : " Thirty - two thousand men , all of them good Protestants , were to be . . . subjected to martial law in time of active service " . There were also many part - time forces , often called volunteers , and they were not in short supply . Becoming a volunteer exempted men from the militia ballot and part - time service as a volunteer was certainly easier than disciplined life with the militia or regular army . Motivations behind the volunteering nature were not solely patriotic , but also commonly economic . Many men who joined as volunteers and went on to serve with the regular army were unemployed urban dwellers , and prospects of a standard income were better than none at all . Tradesmen could be sure to make a tidy profit from selling their wares to the soldiers , and sutler s often became camp follower s , following a regiment , whilst on campaign . Certainly more applicable to the landed and wealthy gentlemen , fears of invasion also persuaded many to serve ; not so much to support the nation as a whole , but to preserve their own interests , money and property which could be lost if the enemy succeeded . Officers . Many men who wished to become officers had to purchase their commission . This was often seen as a " proof of gentlemanly status " as commissions were expensive – at approximately £450 – and usually only the wealthy could afford them , with landed families purchasing commissions for their sons . John Cookson suggests that serving with the army did command a certain respect , and those men that became the holder of an office " could lay claim to the title of [ being a ] gentleman " . Therefore , self - interest , respect and status were enticing prospects for many who were to join the army . Only a small proportion of officers were from the nobility ; in 1809 , only 140 officers were peers or peers ' sons . A large proportion of officers came from the Militia , and a small number were gentlemen volunteers , who trained and fought as private soldiers but messed with the officers and remained as such until vacancies ( without purchase ) for commissions became available . The Duke of York oversaw a reform of the sale of commissions , making it necessary for officers to serve two full years before either promotion or purchase to captain and six years before becoming a major , improving the quality of the officers through the gained experience . Equipment and weaponry . During the 18th century the weapon of choice was the Brown Bess musket which had been used by the army since the 1730s . The pike had been replaced by the use of the musket in the early 18th century . There were many different patterns of musket fired during the 18th century , but the weapon normally favoured a flintlock mechanism which was more reliable than the preceding matchlock system used during the civil war in the 17th century . Bayonet s were used in conjunction with the musket for close range fighting – the bayonet was screwed into the musket barrel and effectively turned the musket into a sword - like instrument . A well trained soldier could fire up to four rounds per minute , and the use of the platoon formation by the British army meant that a constant volley of fire could be employed . There was much that could go wrong with the musket – from misfires in wet weather , to the gun firing at random due to sparks which set the powder off . In the heat of war a soldier may forget to remove the ramrod from the barrel before firing , and the inaccuracy of the flintlock ( even though it was more reliable than the matchlock ) meant that the enemy had to be within at least for an accurate shot to be fired . Camp . On an 18th - century battlefield , the camp set up by a regiment would have been extremely simplistic in terms of possessions and comforts . Only the very basic necessities would have been taken as everything a regiment needed had to be carried whilst on the move . A traditional regiment of foot , made up of ten companies of approximately 79 men , would have carried a set of camp equipment that included 160 tents , 160 tin kettles with bags , 160 hand hatchets , 12 bell tents , 12 camp colours , 20 drum cases , 10 powder bags , 792 water flasks with strings , 792 haversacks and 792 knapsacks . The proportion of tents and equipment would have varied depending on the size of the companies , and the baggage itself would have differed according to the type of regiment . A regiment of Dragoon s , for example , would have needed to carry extra equipment for their horses including nose bags and horse pickets . Conditions in camp were normally inadequate as a site had to be set up wherever space was available – basic amenities such as fresh running water would have to be collected from nearby sources and latrine s often had to be dug once camp had been set up . Personal space would have been limited , but this commonly created a sense of camaraderie between the soldiers who lived amongst each other on a daily basis . When a regiment was not on the battlefield they would have been settled in an established barrack or billet . However , life was usually not any more comfortable ; a mess group of 5 – 6 men , led by a corporal , could be expected to share living quarters and necessities , and sometimes men would share a blanket for sleeping . Discipline and punishment . Life in the army was extremely disciplined and even minor matters of misconduct did not go unpunished . The courts – either regimental , district or general – were advised by a military lawyer and made up of panels of officers , with some sentences even being determined by the commander - in - chief . The main crimes normally concerned drunkenness , theft and general misbehaviour . The wrong - doer may be punished by running the gauntlet which involved being flogged by one ' s own regiment as he passed between two lines of soldiers . In 1765 a soldier was picquet ted without shoes for drunken misconduct . One of the more common offences that required excessive punishment was desertion . A man could be branded with a " D " if captured , and if he re - offended could face execution . Death sentences were not all that common , with hanging normally reserved for murderers , and death by shot employed for those who were repeat offenders . One such case involved Joseph Stoakes who , between 1728 and 1730 , deserted his regiment three times , and upon being captured for the third time was sentenced by court martial to death . The criminals were punished in front of their peers and officers and the utter humiliation suffered was meant to deter from any further wrongdoing . Punishments were often painful and disgraceful to discourage those who witnessed them from undergoing the same fate . However , it was customary for a soldier to be accepted back into his regiment without any discredit once he had been punished . Camp followers . Whilst on campaign , the army would gather a large group of followers ranging from sutlers , who would sell commodities to the soldiers , to the wives and women who chose to follow their men into war . Only 6 women per 100 men on service were allowed to follow a regiment , but they were expected to work and carry out any of the services required by the soldiers : cooking and washing were common domestic duties but these women often doubled up as nurses and carers . Receiving a wage from the army meant that they could earn a decent living as a camp follower . The sutlers could also make a profit by selling their wares – coffee , liquor , beer etc . – to those they followed . The camp followers were usually subject to the same military law as the men themselves : a sutler could be flogged or even killed if found to be trading without a licence , and common offences included stealing and disobeying of direct orders . There were many complaints about the presence of women and children in camp who distracted the men from their duties or made a general nuisance of themselves with one such protest made to Whitehall on 23 January 1720 : " Complaint having been made , that you permit women and children to lye in the barracks . . . take care that the Master Gunner meets with no discouragement or interruptions in the execution of his duty " . A Soldier ' s Personal Life . A career as a redcoat soldier could be extremely challenging . The dress uniform s provided were often uncomfortable , and could restrict movement ; although when on campaign soldiers would frequently augment their uniform to make them more comfortable and practical . Soldiers received a daily wage after their sign up bounty , though once equipment and food had been purchased , they were left with little in the way of luxuries . Clothing . When marching into war a soldier would have worn the traditional redcoat uniform consisting of the distinctive regimental coat , a white shirt , grey trousers to be held up by a pair of braces , shoes and a cap . The cap may have differed depending on the regiment , but a traditional pattern was the Tricorne to be replaced by the Stovepipe Shako . This too would be replaced in the majority of regiments by the widespread use of the Belgic shako by 1812 , as displayed by the 33rd Regiment of Foot . A greatcoat , fashioned in grey wool , would be worn and was normally tied on top of the haversack or knapsack which was carried by the men whilst on the move . In some cases , it was the bright colours and flamboyant nature of the uniform that attracted men to the army . The chance to wear something as distinctive as the regimental red could be extremely tempting ; a new and vivid uniform would have been a welcome change from the drab colours worn by most men in everyday society and soldiers frequently drew interest from admiring women . A white dress consisting of a shirt , trousers and a forage cap would be worn when the men were based in camp . This uniform was much lighter than the one worn for war , being made from linen and the caps from wool , and therefore allowing the men to work in comfort during encampment . To identify the numerous regiments from one another the colours of the facings on the dress would have differed to reflect the regimental colours . For example , the 24th Regiment of Foot used " Willow Green " facings " lined with white " , whilst the 33rd Regiment of Foot used red facings with a " white lining " . Another way the units were distinguished from one another was the use of flags ( colours ) . As the War Office document WO 26 / 21 stated , " The Camp Colours to be the Colour of the Facing of the Reg with the Rank of the Reg in the center , those of the Horse to be square , and those of the Dragoon Guards , or Dragoons , to be swallow - tailed " . There were also stipulations as to the way the men wore their hair . At a time when most of the troops would have had long hair , the regulation was to wear it queued . It was to be " tied a little below the upper part of the collar of the coat , and to be ten inches in length " with one inch of hair below the tie . Soldiers were not allowed to cut their hair as it prevented the queued appearance . Officers ' uniforms were usually in brighter colors , and had different styles . They also had different insignia , and a decorative metal plate over the neck called a gorget . Food . When on campaign , soldiers would normally be supplied with an allowance of bread , meat , oatmeal or rice and either beer or rum to wash it down with . A typical daily allowance for a group of up to six men consisted of ( ) of bread or flour , ( ) of beef , ( ) of rice or oatmeal and ( ) of rum . A soldier in camp could expect to be provided with a loaf of bread for which would last about four days . A common recipe for feeding the troops was beef broth and potatoes – a hardy , warm and filling meal that could normally feed up to eight men . Stews and meat pies were regularly cooked and small beer – for which a man received around " per diem " – and rum were watered down in order to last and deter the men from drunken behaviour . Small beer was often brewed to kill any germs that was present in the water , and was one way in which to reduce the spread and rates of disease . Drinking was used as a method to relax at the end of the day and was a leisurely activity that allowed the men to unwind . It was believed that this would boost morale and enhance the sense of camaraderie between the soldiers . Food was often shipped out to the troops , but shortages owing to problems with shipping became a common occurrence , and it was therefore much easier to live off the land on which they were stationed , or to buy from locals . Vegetables were also grown and livestock procured to help feed the troops , but there were many reports of soldiers sickening due to a lack of proper nourishment . The level to which troops were adequately fed varied , being dependent on the nature of the terrain the army was operating in and on the skill of their senior commanders . Pay . The daily pay of a British soldier differed with respect to their position within the army . A sergeant could expect to be paid between ( ) and ( ) depending on whether he served with a foot regiment or the dragoons respectively . A trumpeter could be paid up to ( ) , whilst a drummer may have been paid 3s ( ) if he served with the cavalry . A normal private soldier may have been paid 8d if serving with a Regiment of Foot but received almost if enlisted with the cavalry . In comparison , a labourer in the mid - 18th century would have earned a daily wage of 2s ( ) , and a collier a weekly salary of ( ) . A soldier would have to pay for food and forage beyond the supplied rations – and for any other extras such as beer – out of his wage . A loaf of bread usually cost around 5d ( ) , whilst a dragoon soldier , earning daily , would have paid 6d for a ration of forage consisting of ( ) of hay and one peck ( ) of oats . From 1800 onwards soldiers received a daily Beer money allowance in addition to their regular wages . The practice was started on the orders of The Duke of York . Considering the prices of camp necessaries during this period , many items cost a few shillings : a haversack could be purchased for ( ) whilst leather powder bags could be found for 7s ( ) . Dragoons may have purchased a nose bag for the sum of 2s ( ) and a drum case would be worth 10s ( ) . The larger items such as tents would obviously cost more ; it cost approximately for a complete round tent and for a bell tent for arms . Normally , the tents would be provided by the Board of Ordnance , but other necessities may have been purchased by the colonel of the regiment who would later be reimbursed . Perception of the army . According to Samuel Johnson ' s " Dictionary of the English Language " , the term " redcoat " was a derogatory one , used as a " name of contempt for a soldier " with the word " soldier " itself being described as " one who serves for pay " . In the American colonies the term " lobster " was applied to the redcoat soldier . The public perception of private soldiers varied with the times , they could be seen paradoxically as both subservient and destitute individuals while also being widely commemorated in times of victory and war . Patriotic parades and celebrations often included regular army units , the militia or local volunteer regiments , and were an important component of civic ceremony and pride . It must be recognised that although questions did arise as to the need for a standing force , when fears of an invasion were widespread , the speed with which the government was able to utilise its militia and volunteer forces suggests how " the unreformed British state rested on the active consent of substantial numbers of its inhabitants " . The public perception of the British Army gradually changed as the long war with Revolutionary / Imperial France wore on , contributing to the Duke of York ' s structural , recruitment and training reforms in the early 1800s .