BELPER REGIMENT. 65 



carrier to Belper 2,400 ball cartridges, in three casks, and 450 

 flints in a box; and on May i ith, 7,200 blank cartridges were 

 sent off in five casks. A circular of December 14th, of the same 

 year, fixes the allowance per man of the volunteer infantry at 10 

 rounds of ball cartridge, 30 of blank cartridge, and 2 flints ; to be 

 issued in the spring and autumn of each year. Ball cartridge 

 could be procured on a more liberal scale, at the cost of each 

 corps, for target practice, and commanding officers were recom- 

 mended to offer prizes for efficiency. AVe have found no record 

 of firing practice at Belper, but an entry about the targets shows 

 that they were painted red. 



In addition to the interesting account books and papers of the 

 volunteer movement of the beginning of the century, preserved at 

 Messrs. Strutt's mills, there are also, at the same place, a small 

 collection of the arms then in use. Amongst them is a pistol, 15 in. 

 long, and f in. diameter in the bore at the muzzle, and two carbines, 

 of the respective lengths of 2 ft. 8J in., and 2 ft. 10 in., with 

 bores of ly'g- and i^ in. These three weapons seem to have 

 belonged to the volunteer cavalry or yeomanry, and not to the 

 infantry. The collection includes three muskets of the respective 

 lengths of 3 ft. 4 in., 3 ft. 3 in., and 4 ft. 3 in. with f in. bore ; 

 we believe the first two of these to have been the arms of 

 the volunteer infantry, and the last of the local militia that 

 succeeded them. There is also a blunderbuss, 3 ft. long, including 

 a cushion i^ in., to lessen the effect of the discharge ; this weapon 

 we believe to have been issued to the volunteer cavalry on their 

 first formation ; its bore is 2| in. at the muzzle, and the metal of 

 the barrel is ^ in. thick. The pikes have 5 ft. 6 in. octagonal 

 wooden staffs, with i ft. 6 in. bayonet ; these were issued early in 

 the movement, when the considerable and rapid increase of the 

 military force of the county completely outstripped the capabili- 

 ties of the arsenals. A circular letter of September 2Sth, 1803, 

 issued specially to the Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire, states that 

 " a very considerable proportion of Musquets are now in a course 

 of delivery with all practical despatch, and Pikes to any extent, 

 which )Our Grace may think necessary for the service, may be 

 5 



