"Muskets on right or left shoulder?" Topic

Seen it both ways on figures and pictures
Artistic license?

TMP link

Thanks for the link, Jim though it is primarily ACW.
I'm interested in earlier….WSS and 7YW

SYW drill books usually the left shoulder. I don't think instances of it shouldered on the right are correct, generally speaking, but there may be edge cases I am forgetting.

I can't imagine having to march for long periods of time with a shouldered weapon always on the same shoulder! Switching shoulders occasionally while on the march would serve two purposes:

1. It would ease the burden on the soldier's shoulders and arms (say that 3 times fast!) and that slight shift does seem refreshing after marching a while. Astute leaders will sense when to call for shoulder shift. (Any period that requires the men to march in cadence/ uniformly.)

2. If done as an order, in unison, it helps to retain unit cohesion- the men acting at once instills recognition as being a part of a combined effort.

I have yet to find any references that require/specify which shoulder must always be used while marching. Please enlighten me if you have such a reference. Thanks!

Doubtless they did switch shoulders when route marching to lessen the discomfort.
However marching in battle is different and most drill books specify the left shoulder for the shoulder arms position. The left hand is supporting the weight of the musket rather than the shoulder, the musket is near vertical and just propped on the shoulder. The front point of the tricorn in most armies is over the left eye, so that the leftmost point is not in the way of the musket.
You will see officers and NCOs holding muskets on the right, I am not sure if this is a holdover from how the drill for polearms worked or whether they adopted that anew as they took up firearms.
This is the case in the SYW, I am not sure about WSS. There are Frecnh drill books from the 1690s and maybe Imperial ones from c1710? Haven't checked those.