"It is a notorious fact that when flogging was at its height it was counted no great disgrace...to have suffered under the lash was reckoned qualification for becoming a good comrade.'

-Dr. Henry Marshall (Brereton, 31)

You had way too much to drink, and show up to duty the next morning still very intoxicated. The punishment you are to be given is called "The Wooden Horse," in which you will be mounted onto a horse-shaped sculpture made out of planks, with your hands and feet bound and weighted.

The planks are angled at such a degree as to make the experience as painful as possible. In addition, to show off your alcoholism to the world, pots and cups will be hung from your neck. At least you don't have to wear a petticoat, you tell yourself, like the soldier punished for beating his wife last week. (Scouller 268)

While you are waiting to receive punishment, you see a man being subjected to what is referred to as the Strapado. The man's arms and legs are bound, and then he is hoisted up into the air by means of a rope that runs through a pulley. Then, the man is allowed to drop for a distance, and is suddenly jarred to an abrupt stop. You can see the man wince in pain, and from the sight of him it seems likely that some of his joints were pulled out of place. (Scouller 268)

As you are pushed up on top of the Wooden Horse, you wish to yourself that you had read the 1748 Articles of War, which outlines punishments for offenses ranging from neglectful care of arms to absence without leave. (Rogers 40) If you were an officer, you probably would have only received a fine, and probably much less than the highest fine of 5 pounds for breaking game-hunting rules. (Scouller 268)

As the men tie weights on to your arms and legs, you remember back to last week when a parade was arranged to watch one private get the most common punishment served in the British Army, lashes. The man was stripped to the waist, and his hands were bound to the triangles with his feet spread apart. A drummer beat his drum for every stroke of the cat o' nine tails' (twenty-five is the minimum, but this man received 100, still considered a light sentence). As usual, a Medical Officer was on hand to stop the flogging if it got out of control, but even if he did stop the pubishment the sentence would continue as soon as the offender recovered. (Paget 73)

A rumor going around has it that one man was sentenced to 12,600 lashes for killing his colonel's horse in order to steal the hide. According to the rumor, he received only 1,800 and incredibly managed to survive. At least I'm not that poor guy, you tell yourself. (Scouller 268)

You recover from your wounds only to find that your regiment is being sent to to the Austrian Netherlands to fight France. It's the War of the Austrian Succession!

Next: The Battle of Dettingen!