The Queen Wants You!
For that Celebrated Regiment
The 16th Queen's Light Dragoons
A few handsome young men, who are anxious to distinguish themselves in defense of their King and Country; which they will have an opportunity of so doing in a short period, as the new dismounted troops are now formed and have already seen action.
The character
of the Regiment is too well known to need any comment, on service
it has invariably met the enemy and defeated them; at home it
is in every quarter a favorite.
Colonel Beale regrets extremely
that he is prevented from offering
A Free Musket and Full
Equipment
But the greatest assistance will be given to the applicant in his acquisition and purchase of the necessary kit and weapons.
"You will be mounted on the finest horses … Your society will be courted; You are admired by the Fair … Young men out of employment or uncomfortable … nick in instantly and enlist."
The above is a variation of an actual British Army Cavalry recruiting poster. If you are interested in joining the re-created 16th, please read the material below and contact the recruiting serjeant.
Troop Quarter Master Serjeant John Langan
22 Pleasant Street
Wayland, MA 01778
508 653 1234 or jblangan@attglobal.net
Requirements
AGE:
The minimum age to join the 16th
QLD as a trooper is 17 years old. Trumpeters must be at least
14. For minors under the age of 17, a parent or guardian must
attend events with the minor child.
Trumpeter recruits must be able to play the bugle or other horn or be willing to take lessons.
Physical Condition:
The 16th dismounted troop functions as a light infantry company. Unlike the line infantry which marches and fights at a steady pace in ordered ranks, the dismounts function independently and at a faster pace. This requires a trooper to be able to keep up while covering long stretches of open ground or in the woods. In short, you must be fit.
Costs/Expenses:
Joining a re-enactment unit is an expensive proposition. Check the arms and equipment page to see how much must be acquired. Your major expense is your firelock. This is now ( 2004) approximately $650.00 Your uniform and equipage is about the same. A safe figure is approximately $1,500 for the complete uniform and kit. Once bought, however, the equipment lasts a very long time if it is cared for properly.
The quartermaster will assist you in the purchase of all necessary equipment.
You must also factor in the travel expenses to and from events, food and ammunition.
Your Location/ and Willingness to Travel:
Members of the 16th are currently in NY, MA, ME. We are looking for recruits in these states as well as the rest of New England, NJ and PA.
The majority of American Revolutionary War events are in the northeast. It therefore stands to reason that we travel to these historic sites for our events as well as events at other sites in the region. While many of these events are within the New York or Eastern Massachusetts region, many go further afield.
In the past our events have been as far west as Fort Niagara, NY to Boston in the east and from Fort Ticonderoga in the north to southern Pennsylvania. This is a wide area and requires members to sometimes travel hundreds of miles from their homes. There are also the occasional forays to Maine, Canada and Virginia.
It is expected that members make at least five or six events per year and our current members do this willingly as the events and camaraderie are well worth the travel.