In The Novel, Why is Jacob Concerned About The Militia's Formation?

In the novel, Jacob’s Destiny, Jacob eventually joins the New England militia. When he does, he is concerned about overall lack of discipline, but specifically about training the militia group to load and fire their weapons in formation.

For those unfamiliar with military tactics of the 18th century, armies standing in the open and shooting at each other might seem foolish. In reality, tactics are a function of the weapons being used.

Muzzle-loading, smooth bore muskets were the infantry weapon of the age. They were notoriously inaccurate.

At Waterloo, in 1815, soldiers used pretty much the same weapons as in the American Revolution. Mercer, a captain of British horse artillery, famously engaged French skirmishers.

Skirmishers were soldiers not arranged in formation. They would creep as close as they dared to the enemy line and fire at the enemy.

These attacks never resulted in many casualties but unnerved the enemy line so that, when charged by the main army, they would break and run more easily.

Captain Mercer writes of ‘parading’ between his troop of artillery and the French skirmishers, swearing at them in French and daring them to shoot at him. The range was fairly close.

He did this to draw the skirmishers fire so as to steady the gunners under his command and keep them from running for cover.

The inaccuracy of the weapons of the day allowed Mercer to do this and come away unscathed. Even at close range, the French muskets just could not hit him.

This explains Jacob’s concern about men used to hunting and non-military activities with their guns. They didn’t understand that, only grouped together and firing as a unit, at a large target, did his little militia band have any hope of hitting anything consequential.

Jacob had learned this from his study of military things and his short stint in the British Army.

Small fact. It helps understand Jacob’s concerns. I hope that helps understand his worry over this issue in the novel.