British Soldier Diary Entries

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Recommended: Discipline in the army

Dear Diary, Today on April 10th, 1775 I awoke with a terrible hangover. Last night I was at the pub and already had a lot to drink, when a gentlemen approached me from the Royal Navy’s Recruiting Squad. I accepted the “kings Shilling” I was so naïve to fall into their trap. What have I done? I am now enlisted for life. I’m so upset; I can’t believe this is happening now. I feel as if my heart is in my stomach, and, my stomach is on the floor. This fells like a nightmare that I have yet awoken from. I just keep thinking what can I do to get myself out of this terrible nightmare? I was naïve enough to accept the kings sign on bonus, Since I accepted the sign on bonus, theirs no backing out, for the rest of my life! I just need to face it; I need to stop acting like a little baby. I am now a British Soldier, which now means that we are rrequired to buy my uniform, gear, and weapons with my money. Since I am a newly enlisted soldier my pay will be about only twenty cents a day after all the deductions that they take away for clothing, weapons, gear and Surgeon. I know that the British Soldiers are forced to endure such miserable conditions; as a result, there will be strict discipline. If anyone steals, even something small, they will be hung in public for everyone to see, even the tedious crimes are taken seriously. …show more content…

Preparing myself is going to take hours. I must stay always spotless; this is going to take a lot of effort. First I have to dress my hair with stiff curls which will have to fall along my face with a pig tail in the back. I will then have to powder my hair white. I am now done fixing my hair, next I have to shine the three dozen brass buttons on my red coat. All of the white facings will be whitened with pipe-clay. My shoes have to shine like new. The last article of clothing I put on will be my

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