Thomas Wentworth's Regiment of The Sealed Knot


	As a regiment we do not represent the 'norm' as seen in the field armies. Ours is more of the type of unit that may have been seen at the county level, and as such we are primarily Dragoons, with a company of Pike attached. Our main weapons consist of either a firearm or a pike. In addition many carry a sword. Shot In the years prior to the Civil Wars, muskets, having completely replaced the bow, had not only become the primary infantry missile weapon, but had become the main battle winning weapon. Foot regiments would advance with a central body of pike flanked on either side by bodies of shot, who would keep up a steady fire on the enemy. Whist officers may have had access to pistols with a wheel-lock mechanism, the rank and file would have been issued with either match-locks or dog-lock, with match-locks being far in the majority. The match-lock consisted of a simple arrangement by which a smouldering piece of saltpetre impregnated rope - the match - was lowered into the guns flashpan. This made for a cheap and reliable weapon, but was prone to damp weather, could be seen at night and from the point of view of Dragoons, not very practical when riding a horse. The dog lock was an early form of flint lock. In this case a flint struck a piece of steel, creating a spark and igniting the pan, setting the gun off. In many ways this was a far superior arrangement, but as a result, more expensive than a matchlock. As Dragoons our job is to function like any other unit of Shot but with the ability of riding to our destination. Thus Dragoons combined firepower with mobility. Within the Sealed Knot we fight on the battlefield as a Shot unit, but are available for any 'extra' work or pre-battle displays that need to doing. Pike Even though its use continued into the 1680's, by the time of the Civil Wars the pike was becoming an obsolete weapon. With the increase in firepower its main battlefield function was being reduced from main attack weapon, to that of protecting the shot units from cavalry. In battle the pike units would form up in bodies up to six deep. Once advancing to contact the first three ranks would level their weapons at the bodies and faces of the enemy. The last three ranks would then bring theirs to the Port position (about and angle of 45 degrees). The body would then advance to contact. The idea was to not to stab at each other, but to present a wall of points, and by advancing, push these into the enemy ranks - the Push of Pike. Once they had advance passed the points of the opposition, assuming they had not been skewered, the front ranks would then drop their pikes and fight hand to hand. The 'official' recommended length of a pike at the beginning of the Civil Wars was 18 feet. However, even if issued, it is highly unlikely that they would have remained at such a size for very long. The pike is a very unwieldy weapon and it is documented that the soldiers were quite willing to trade the extra reach in battle for the convenience of a slightly shorter (15 to 16 foot) weapon. Sword As a secondary weapon our members may carry a sword. Swords basically fall into two categories - those designed primarily to stab, and those to cut. Of course they can perform both types, but to a lesser degree. At the outbreak of the War many civilian swords, such as rapiers may have been pressed into service. It is however uncertain as to how long these would have lasted as the rapier is designed to stab one opponent and not the multiple enemies of a battlefield. Of much more use was the less refined but more practical swords designed to cut - the various Mortuary swords, back-swords, broadswords and hangers. But whatever type the officer class favoured, that issued to the rank and file where pretty dire. In fact the only use many found for them was to cut firewood.