Welcome to
the 64th Regiment of Foot,
Grenadier Company
Headquarters: Rochester, NY

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The 64th Grenadiers are a group of men and women dedicated to accurately re-creating the life of soldiers and civilians during the American Revolution. Mainly hailing from upstate New York, the members of the company are a diverse mixture of ages, professions, and experience. We welcome both experienced re-enactors and novice alike. If you are interested in joining us, or even just trying out re-enacting as a hobby, we have plenty of support and supplies to get you started!

At a reenactment you will see numerous regiments with all different types of uniforms (even within the British Army) and different types of soldiers. What makes the Grenadiers different from others?

Each British regiment consisted of approximately 500 men and was typically recruited from a particular geographic location in either England, Wales, Scotland, or Ireland. The regiment was then broken down into 10 companies: 1 company of Light Infantry ("skirmishers"), 8 companies of Line Infantry ("hat companies" due to their tricorn hats), and 1 company of Grenadiers. The Grenadiers have a long history that extends from the French and Indian War to the present day (see this picture of Buckingham Palace to see the role Grenadiers play today)

The Grenadiers derive their name from the word "grenade." During the French & Indian War (called the "Seven Years War" by European nations), the British experimented with having a specialized group of troops use explosive devices as they stormed fixed positions. Unfortunately, the idea outpaced technology. Rather than explode like conventional grenades (throwing shrapnel within a blast radius), the grenades of the 18th century simply broke in half (if they exploded at all), causing little damage to the enemy and rendering the experiment a wasteful use of military resources.

By the time the Revolutionary War commenced, the Grenadiers had ceased to carry grenades but the name persisted. During this conflict, the Grenadiers retained their status as a specialized unit. The Grenadiers were considered an elite force, the "shock troops" of the 18th century. In linear combat, the Grenadiers were typically positioned on the right flank to repel any enveloping movements by the opposing force. Later in the war, the Grenadiers companies from various regiment were detached to create an entire Grenadier regiment, a fearsome force on the battlefield. As a rule, Grenadiers were the most seasoned and skillful troops within a regiment (rarely would rookies be accepted into the ranks of the Grenadiers). Physically imposing (usually over 6 feet tall at a time in history when the average height for a male was in the mid 5-foot range), the Grenadiers were used to wage psychological warfare against their opponents. The bearskin helmet that the Grenadiers wore had no practical purpose. Rather, the tall helmets made the Grenadiers stand out on a battlefield (making them easier to spot by their own commanders and by the enemy as well). Donning the tall helmet, the Grenadiers appeared over seven feet tall. British commanders hoped the sight of these physically imposing, hardened veteran soldiers would strike fear into the hearts of the colonial militias and Continental forces.

At reenactments today, the Grenadiers are still considered an “elite” force and attract the curiosity of both the public and fellow re-enactors.

Grenadier Company Recruiters:

• Major Michael Grenier: majorlxiv@frontiernet.net
• Sgt. Hiram Lyon: hmln@mail.rochester.edu
• Cpl. Pierson Bell: piersonbell@gmail.com