ABSTRACT
Throughout our period more soldiers were recruited by voluntary enlistment than any other means. The most common agency of recruiting was a party from a company of a regiment which was led by the captain or a trusted officer, and consisted of well-set-up NCOs and soldiers and a little body of musicians: ‘Your party must appear remarkably clean, very neat and smart in their dress, hats well-cocked, and worn in a soldierlike manner’ (Simes, 1780a, 59).
