[ February, 1 ] The [Issue 1–1] S COURANT YORKER N·Y News & Wisdom from Sir John’s Regt.– The King’s Royal Yorkers Contents 3 Cleanliness Is Next To Yorkerness 6 Role of the NCO – Williamson 1 Tentative Schedule of 2010 Events 3 Bushfighting 8 The Yorkers in Art NCO Changes in Duncan’s Company 4 Yorkers Were First Settlers of Kingston 1 230th Anniversary of Munro’s Raid Breaking News from the Colonel’s Quill 5 An Instance of Courage in 1776 1 Letter to the Editor, Links COMING EVENTS f e b 1 7 Drill, Ft York Armories mar 17 Drill, Ft York Armories m a r Yorker Party, Ft York Armories april 14 Drill, Ft York Armories may 19 Drill, Ft York Armories tba Drill in Eastern Ontario may 15-16 Lansing Manor, NY jun 5-6 Brigade School, Fanshawe Village, London july 3, 31, aug 1 Fort George (All Up Event) feb /1 181 jun 5/6 181 Battle of Ogdensburg, Ogdensburg, NY Battle of Stoney Creek, Stoney Creek tentative apr 1/11 rev war jun 1/13 181 King’s 8th Fort Niagara Garrison Coteau Du Lac (Fencibles All Up) Schedule of Events may 1/ 181 jun 19/ rev war Longwoods (Tactical) Black Creek, Toronto 1 may 8/9 jul 9-11 f&i -18th Century Cooking Show, Battle of Restigouche, Restigouche, QC Appleby College (Herkimer All Up) ’ve listed below a selection of events may 15/16 rev war jul 1/11 rev war I that were discussed at the Officer’s/ Lansing Manor, N.Y (All Up US) Wyoming Massacre, Scranton, PA NCO’s Meeting in January. This tentative may 22/3 culloden jul 16/18 f&i schedule will help those who have to work Backus Mills (Victoria Day Weekend) 250th Anniversary Battle of Fort La out their vacation schedules early in the may 8/9 181 Presentation, Ogdensburg, NY year. Included in the list are a number of 1812 Gunboat Weekend, Fairfield-Gutzeit jul 19/ rev war timeline events that could possibly impact House, Bath Battle of Monmouth, Monmouth, NJ the Rev War events. The final list of Yorker (BAR) events will, of course, be published in our jun 5/6 rev war Annual Calendar. Northern Brigade School, Fanshawe jul 3-aug 1 rev war Village, London Fort George (Canadian All Up) [ February, 1 ] the yorker courant Page 2 aug 13/15 rev war Fort Ontario, Oswego, NY nco Changes (BAR National) in aug 8/9 rev war Duncan’s Company Newtown (Questionable) sep 1/13 181 Battle of Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY Eric FERNBErg REturns sep 18 rev war TO THE Ranks Thornhill Festival ($$$) ERJEANT Eric Fernberg of Sep 25/26 1812 S Duncan’s Company has decided to Dunvegan Museum, Dunvegan (Hosted return to the ranks. Eric feels that it is time by the GLI’s) to step aside and let someone else wear the sep 5/6 rev war serjeant’s sash and take-on the role. By so Fort Klock, St.Johnsville, NY doing, Eric will have greater freedom to sep 5/6 rev war spend time with his daughter, Kristen, who Brandywine Creek, MD wishes to come out to more re-enactments. sep/oct rev war Eric has soldiered with the Yorkers since Schoharie/Fort Klock, NY August 13, 1994. He was assigned to the old Major’s Company, which was mainly oct 16/17 rev war from the Ottawa area. He was the 285th Myer’s Hill, NY (Invitational) member of the regiment. His smart turn- nov 6/7 rev war out, work rate, and knowledge of military White March, Fort Washington, PA matters earned him the “Yorker of the Year” uniform smartness that many of us should (2nd Bn) trophy. Eric and his wife introduced mess- follow, and I’m glad that he will still soldier ing to the Yorker camps, which has been on with the Yorkers. very successful. The Yorkers were at one The All-Up Canadian event will be at Fort time known as the King’s Royal “Motelers Promotions George in Niagara-on-the-Lake on July 30, and Diners”. Now we have a number of After consultation with Captain David 31 & Aug 1. Brigadier Cameron is setting good chefs, thanks to Eric. Moore, I am pleased to announce the fol- up an event that promises to be spectacu- Eric is extremely knowledgeable about lowing promotions in Duncan’s Company. lar and shouldn’t be missed. This is a full uniforms, and works as curator of Uniforms Corporal Rob Stewart has been promoted National British Brigade / Continental and Insignia at the Canadian War Museum. to the rank of serjeant, and musketman Line event, voted on at the Annual General He has also developed into an excellent Brock Dittrick has been promoted to the Meeting, and it’s being held right here craftsman in a number of areas. His Stand rank of corporal. Congratulations to Robert in Canada. I urge all Yorkers to make this of Arms belts and frogs are of excellent and Brock. event a priority. quality, and he also crafts lovely folding Colonel James stools on request. Eric set a high standard of Colonel James THE YORKER GUN Breaking News from the Colonel’s Quill SERJEANT Colin Post has updated me on the progress of the Yorker gun car- riage. The proper type of oak wood has been difficult to obtain, and it has been Annual YORKER Party HErkimER’S BatEauX especially difficult finding someone who has the proper sawing equipment and skill This year the Yorker Annual Party will THE Officers and NCO’s at the annual to cut and finish the wood properly. Colin’s be held in the Officers / Sergeants Mess at meeting voted to accept a motion to include target date for completion of the carriage the Fort York Armories on Saturday, March Herkimer’s Bateaux Company as a fully is mid-season 2010, as long as the neces- 20. Details concerning the menu, cost and fledged member of the King’s Royal Yorkers. sary tradesmen are available to follow the times will be posted as soon as they are Some of the bateaux men are already Yorkers schedule. available. who we all know and love. Please welcome all the bateaux men into our regiment. Colonel James [ February, 1 ] the yorker courant Page 3 Black shoes: Black shoes, believe it or Muskets: Should be clean and lightly Cleanliness not, are an acceptable part of the Yorker oiled in the correct places. Don’t oil your is next to uniform and military uniforms in general. frizzen or pan. Shoes should be blackened when on parade, Colonel James Yorkerness or at the first turnout of a “tactical”. One should not have dirt from an event in May still on ones shoes in October. Black shoe Black brass: I’ve always believed that polish is known to keep shoes black. brass was a “yellow” metal when clean. I’ve noticed that “black brass” exists in some Fringes: Fringes are common on ladies areas of the regiment. In the 18th century clothing, but don’t look particularly good on brass was usually cleaned by using a mix- coats and waistcoats. All of those little bits ture of tallow or fat and brick dust, and and pieces of wool unraveling at the edge of this would remove any tarnish that had the coats give a soldier that “walking doily” accumulated. In the 21st century fine steel look. These fringes can be removed with the wool does the job. Brass should be clean - aid of scissors. not necessarily shining - but clean. I have no doubt that our proficient corporals and Buff leather: As the name says, “buff ”, serjeants will address this phenomenon this and it can be kept clean with some sandpaper. coming season. Don’t attempt to use whitening or pipe clay. Bushfighting R N September, 1777 Major General Massey I informed a small field force drawn from the Halifax garrison that “the troops when halted are to be always drawn up in open order and never unnecessarily to expose themselves.” One way the troops could have done this was to go prone, like the men of the 1st Battalion of Light Infantry who threw themselves on their knees and bellies during the heavy fighting at Birmingham Meeting House at the battle of Brandywine. In simi- lar manner George Harris related that, after the affair at Harlem Heights, a man “in the battalion on our left” was shot dead while The above was taken from the book, the troops were lying on the ground, while “With Zeal and With Bayonets Only”, in later years he recorded that, during the and it shows that taking cover and lying low action at the Vigie, “Captain Shawe, with on the ground was practiced just as much as the 4th [Regiments Grenadier] company taking “to tree”. I quote quite often from this was ordered by me to make his men lie book as it is an excellent reference book on down, and cover themselves in the brush- the British Army fighting in the Rev War. wood as much as possible, to prevent them being seen as marks.” Colonel James [ February, 1 ] the yorker courant Page 4 for the arrival of the Loyalists in the Spring end of the navigation season the settlement of 1784. He left Oswego on the 28th of July would be as capacious, for both troops and and arrived at Cataraqui on the morning of store goods, as Carleton Island ever was. YorkERS July 30, 1783. Ross had with him 25 officers During the Fall, several officers, as well were first settlers of and 422 other ranks, of which more than as two merchants who had followed the half belonged to the Royal Yorkers.