Further to my previous mail on civilian camp followers, I think I should also mention this: the lot of these hangers-on and tagalong dependants was not always a help to an army. One of the most moving descriptions of the plight of the camp followers when the army is retreating in haste for some reason, can be found in the George MacDonald Fraser's first Flashman book, ''Flashman''. This narration is in turn based on the real-life journal maintained by the redoubtable Lady Sales. (This journal is online at Google books, full view.) A Journal of the Disasters in Affghanistan, 1841-2 By Florentia Wynch Sale http://books.google.com/books?id=uXYIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA178&dq=lady+sale&as_brr=1 During the First Afghanistan War in 1842, a British force of 4,500 troops, accompanied by roughly 10,000 camp followers, began the long and arduous retreat from Kabul. Seven days later a lone horseman, Surgeon William Brydon, reached the walls of the British garrison at Jellalabad, some 60 miles east of Kabul, as the crow flies. The account of the retreat is one of suffering and heroism. http://www.britishbattles.com/first-afghan-war/kabul-gandamak.htm Also see : Camp followers (Pindaris) with the Maratha armies - http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9060068/Pindari#258440.hook The Pindaris followed the Maratha bands who raided Mughal territory from the late 17th century. With the collapse of the Mughal empire in the 18th century, these camp followers organized themselves into groups, each usually attached to one of the leading Maratha chiefs. [Main entry - http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-363851/Maratha ] The Pindaris later became a headache as their strength grew and it was left to the Britons like M. Elphinstone (who was stationed in Nagpur in the 1820s) to vanquish them effectively. Then we have this: Civilians in battle: Camp followers often fulfilled valuable roles during campaign, and were susceptible to attack during or after a battle. Braddock sent the camp followers back in 1755, mainly as they were slowing his progress. As the baggage train was destroyed during the battle, his actions probably saved many of the women who were following their husbands into battle. It is difficult to judge how many women and children were killed in the aftermath of battles during the French and Indian War, as they were not included in the official counts and casualty reports. When the battle was a siege, of course, it was much more difficult to protect the camp followers after the fall or surrender, of a fort or settlement. Even when an agreement laying out the terms of surrender had been made, commanders could not always force all their troops to comply with the terms. The aftermath of Fort William Henry in 1757 is the most infamous incident of this type, when militia and allied American Indians, possibly drunk on captured rum, massacred all the camp followers as they marched out of the fort. [Empires Collide The French and Indian War 1754-63] http://www.ospreypublishing.com/title_detail.php/title=T2199~per=12~view=extract The modern era -- Armies have always had civilians along, to perform support functions. The historical term is "camp followers." In times past, the ratio of civilians to soldiers was often much higher, like eight civilians for every one soldier. Only the most disciplined armies (like the ancient Romans at their peak), kept the ratio closer to one to one. But when conscript armies became common in the 19th century, it was suddenly cheaper to replace many of those civilians with conscripts (who were paid a nominal wage.) Now that armies are going all-volunteer, it's gone back to the old days, where it's cheaper to have civilians perform a lot of support jobs. http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htatrit/articles/20070523.aspx Finally, we have this mail by Kerrie sent to the INDIA-BRITISH-RAJ-L on 18 Feb 2005: It was the capture of Madras by the French in 1746 and of Calcutta in 1756, which led to the influx of soldiers, both Company's and Royal troops and with them of European women and camp followers. The 39th Foot (The Dorset Regiment) had formed part of Clive's small force of 3,000 Europeans and sepoys; by 1790 there were 6,000 Regulars under the Company's command. They would remember Clive also for the Military Fund he set up in 1770 for the widows of officers and men who lost their lives in the service of the Army in India. http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/INDIA-BRITISH-RAJ/2005-02/1108773547 ----- Harshawardhan_Bosham Nimkhedkar Nagpur, India