Untitled Document

Cat o' Nine Tails & Green Baize Carry Bag

Floggings

A soldier who was to be flogged in barracks was marched onto the parade ground or inside a large building like a riding school, with the men of his regiment formed up, in full dress, in hollow square.
The adjutant read out the sentence and its confirmation, and turned to the prisoner, ordering ‘strip sir.’
The prisoner removed his shirt. He was tied up. An infantryman to a large iron triangle, derived from the traditional pyramid of sergeants’ halberds, and a cavalryman to a short ladder made fast to a wall or tree.
Short whips called cats o’ nine tails were already on hand in green Baize bags, in of the drum major (for infantry units) or the farrier major (for the cavalry),

* I would surmise here that in the absence of a drum major or farrier major the senior unit drummer would also have one at hand or in his possession.
There was a bucket of water and a chair, a hospital orderly, and the regimental surgeon stood close by to monitor the prisoners condition.
When arrangements were complete, the adjutant reported to the colonel, who ordered:’proceed.’
The first cat was removed from its bag, and a farrier or drummer struck the prisoner with it, with the sergeant major calling out each stroke.
The punishment went on, with the floggers being replaced as they grew tired, and the cats being exchanged for fresh ones as they became worn or clogged with blood and tissue.

Holmes Richard, ‘Redcoat, The British Soldier in the age of Horse and Musket’, HarperCollins Publishers London, 2001.(P322).

The 'Cat' was administered with scripted ceremony that was more elaborate even than that for the presentation of medals. Punishment parade was ordered for early morning and friends of the prisoner often tried to smuggle him liquor to dull the panic and the pain. On one occasion liquor was offered in the barrel of the guard's musket. The repulsive spectacle inspired fear and trembling in the onlookers, some of whom actually cried like babies at its sickening savagery. On more than one occasion the intended recipients chose death over degradation and the awful pain and committed suicide.
All ranks were assembled in a square facing inward toward the 'triangle,' which was constructed of three sergeants' halberds lashed together. The prisoner was marched into the square to the drummers' beat. The proceedings and the sentence having been read out, the prisoner was striped to the waist and tied spread-eagled to the triangle. A red cloth cap was placed on his head and a buff coloured collar placed around his neck in order to protect these sensitive parts from the lacerating lash.
There was no regulation cat-o'-nine-tails, but most conformed to the dimensions of one belonging to the Coldstream Guards. Its complete weight was 1.5 kg; the length of the handle was 48 cm, attached to which were nine 61-cm lengths oftarred hemp whipcord. To ensure maximum laceration the end of each lash was either plaited or knotted so that in the latter case from 3 to 9 weights were propelled against the flesh. The more knots, the greater the injury. It was charged that some officers steeped the lash in brine before as well as during its application in order to increase the pain.
The lash was administered by the drummer. The adjutant commanded: "Drummer, do your duty." and the drum major counted to three between each stroke while the drummer stripped to the waist in order to be able to apply the whip "with force and vigour," inflicted 25 of his best, after which he was spelled by another drummer. "Failure to 'lay it on' resulted in the drum major applying his cane to the drummer's back."
It took between one-half to three quarters of an hour to inflict 175 lashes. They were given 25 at a time to the tap of a drum beaten in slow time. Blood ran freely after the first few strokes. Following 25 the back was reduced to jelly. Water was kept handy to revive the victim if perchance he should faint for every stroke had to be fully felt. The excruciating pain had to be endured in silence for the soldier's code demanded no outcry.
Sentences from one hundred to more than two thousand lashes were once common, in the latter instance the lashes were administered over several sessions. In this event the victim was hospitalized until his back healed and he was then returned to the triangle for the balance of his sentence. In 1712 a Guardsman was sentenced to 1700 lashes which were administered over seven sessions. His crime: slaughtering his Colonel's horse and selling its hide.

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	Cat o' Nine Tails & Green Baize Carry Bag Floggings A soldier who was to be flogged in barracks was marched onto the parade ground or inside a large building like a riding school, with the men of his regiment formed up, in full dress, in hollow square. The adjutant read out the sentence and its confirmation, and turned to the prisoner, ordering ‘strip sir.’ The prisoner removed his shirt. He was tied up. An infantryman to a large iron triangle, derived from the traditional pyramid of sergeants’ halberds, and a cavalryman to a short ladder made fast to a wall or tree. Short whips called cats o’ nine tails were already on hand in green Baize bags, in of the drum major (for infantry units) or the farrier major (for the cavalry), * I would surmise here that in the absence of a drum major or farrier major the senior unit drummer would also have one at hand or in his possession. There was a bucket of water and a chair, a hospital orderly, and the regimental surgeon stood close by to monitor the prisoners condition. When arrangements were complete, the adjutant reported to the colonel, who ordered:’proceed.’ The first cat was removed from its bag, and a farrier or drummer struck the prisoner with it, with the sergeant major calling out each stroke. The punishment went on, with the floggers being replaced as they grew tired, and the cats being exchanged for fresh ones as they became worn or clogged with blood and tissue. Holmes Richard, ‘Redcoat, The British Soldier in the age of Horse and Musket’, HarperCollins Publishers London, 2001.(P322). The 'Cat' was administered with scripted ceremony that was more elaborate even than that for the presentation of medals. Punishment parade was ordered for early morning and friends of the prisoner often tried to smuggle him liquor to dull the panic and the pain. On one occasion liquor was offered in the barrel of the guard's musket. The repulsive spectacle inspired fear and trembling in the onlookers, some of whom actually cried like babies at its sickening savagery. On more than one occasion the intended recipients chose death over degradation and the awful pain and committed suicide. All ranks were assembled in a square facing inward toward the 'triangle,' which was constructed of three sergeants' halberds lashed together. The prisoner was marched into the square to the drummers' beat. The proceedings and the sentence having been read out, the prisoner was striped to the waist and tied spread-eagled to the triangle. A red cloth cap was placed on his head and a buff coloured collar placed around his neck in order to protect these sensitive parts from the lacerating lash. There was no regulation cat-o'-nine-tails, but most conformed to the dimensions of one belonging to the Coldstream Guards. Its complete weight was 1.5 kg; the length of the handle was 48 cm, attached to which were nine 61-cm lengths oftarred hemp whipcord. To ensure maximum laceration the end of each lash was either plaited or knotted so that in the latter case from 3 to 9 weights were propelled against the flesh. The more knots, the greater the injury. It was charged that some officers steeped the lash in brine before as well as during its application in order to increase the pain. The lash was administered by the drummer. The adjutant commanded: "Drummer, do your duty." and the drum major counted to three between each stroke while the drummer stripped to the waist in order to be able to apply the whip "with force and vigour," inflicted 25 of his best, after which he was spelled by another drummer. "Failure to 'lay it on' resulted in the drum major applying his cane to the drummer's back." It took between one-half to three quarters of an hour to inflict 175 lashes. They were given 25 at a time to the tap of a drum beaten in slow time. Blood ran freely after the first few strokes. Following 25 the back was reduced to jelly. Water was kept handy to revive the victim if perchance he should faint for every stroke had to be fully felt. The excruciating pain had to be endured in silence for the soldier's code demanded no outcry. Sentences from one hundred to more than two thousand lashes were once common, in the latter instance the lashes were administered over several sessions. In this event the victim was hospitalized until his back healed and he was then returned to the triangle for the balance of his sentence. In 1712 a Guardsman was sentenced to 1700 lashes which were administered over seven sessions. His crime: slaughtering his Colonel's horse and selling its hide.

Drummers

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Pennisular & Napoleonic Wars