Note 44 — Chapter IV
Reading edition
This might be attributed to many of our infantry, when hard pressed, adopting the French skirmisher’s method of loading, viz. after priming, shaking the rest of the powder into the barrel, dropping the ball after it, and then giving the butt a rap or two on the ground, which, from the rain, was quite soft. The ball, in consequence, not being rammed down to confine the powder, came out at times nearly harmless.