The Kings Orange Rangers

KING'S ORANGE RANGERS SCHEDULE 2001

March 17 - St. Patrick's Day

June 4 - King's Birthday

June ? - Planked Salmon Dinner

June 28 - July 1 - Privateer Days

Aug.3 - Aug. 5 - Fort Anne- Annapolis Royal , N.S.

Sept. 7 - 9 - Fort Point Encampment

Dec. 8 - Colonial Liverpool Christmas House Tour

KOR

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KOR Soldier in Uniform

This uniform is typical British Issue to Royal Provincial (Loyalist) Regiments after 1778. Prior to that date the frock coats were green, after 1778 most regiments changed to the traditional red coat.
The facings are burnt orange. The buttons carry the letters KOR circled by a laurel wreath and are modelled after one in the collections of the New York State Library. The King's Orange Rangers officers wore silver lace on their hats and around the button holes.

The standard firearm for the British Army at this time was the Short Land Pattern Brown Bess. It weighed 9 lbs. and had a 42" barrel. The powder cartridge and ball were inserted through the muzzle and rammed home with a steel rod or rammer. A small amount of powder from the cartridge was placed in the priming pan which was ignited by a spark from a flint. An elaborate drill is done when using the firelocks. The King's Orange Rangers use reproductions made by Pedersoli of Italy.

The socket bayonet was attached to the barrel. It has a 16" triangular shaped blade making it a very nasty weapon which inflicted a wound prone to infection and hard to heal.

The King's Orange Rangers use the William Rawle 1777 Patent cartridge box. It carries 36 cartridges and is hung over the left shoulder.

Officers carry a circa 1760 sword adorned with a gold and scarlet sword knot. The KOR officers' swords are silver in keeping with the silver lace of the uniforms.

Mollies

Women played a prominent role in everyday army life. Wives of all ranks travelled with the army and shouldered much of the burden of camplife. The officers' ladies endeavoured to keep up as normal a household as possible, even when on campaign. The wives of other ranks were known as "mollies" and served in all kinds of capacities from nurses to seamstresses to laundresses. When a soldier died, his spouse was said to have had until sundown to find another army husband or leave camp. It was a tough life for the soldiers, a tougher life for their spouses.

The King's Orange Rangers were no exception. Several brought their wives with them to Liverpool. Others like Captain John Howard and Sergeant Fadey Phillips married local girls. In re-creating the regiment's presence in Liverpool, wives and children play a full role as active members of the society.

MARCHING AT FORT POINT LIGHTHOUSE

Almost from the time of their arrival in Liverpool in 1778 to their departure in 1783, the King's Orange Rangers were associated with Fort Point. They were barracked at Captain Freeman's, the married men and their families lived in nearby huts, the officers often stayed at Dexter's Tavern.

It was here on September 13, 1780 that the rebel Captain Cole was able to capture the fort and most of its garrison, only to be driven out by Colonel Perkins, the local militia and the few KORs who had not been at the fort when it was taken.

Today Fort Point remains a focal point of King's Orange Ranger activities including encampments, celebrations and rememberance of that Black Day when the fort was captured if only temporarily, by the rebels.