Arming The Militia - "In Order For Ye Country Service"

The connections between the 1777 march of the Convention Army and the Massachusetts militia are not limited to Middlesex County, including some who fought at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 . Militia from Essex County escorted the British column of the Convention Army from Saratoga to Prospect Hill in 1777, and faced off against the British Army, including the 47th Regiment of Foot , at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Massachusetts militiamen, whether they served in 1775 or in 1777, were expected to provide their own firearms. Under the August 1777 call for men to support Major-General Horatio Gates at Saratoga, each man was to come equipped with "a good Fire Arm and also a Bayonet if to be had, Cartridge Box, Knapsack and Blanket, with 1/2 lb Powder, twenty Balls suitable for his Gun..." . In September, when more of the Massachusetts militia was mobilized, including those who would escort the Convention Army, those who volunteered or were ...