Just as today, during the Revolutionary War the Army needed a lot more than men who could shoot a rifle. An Army can't function without support--personnel that gathers the supplies, feeds the soldiers, and keeps the equipment running.
The following recruiting ad comes from the Pennsylvania Gazette, printed in York, PA during Continental Congress's stay here:
"York-Town, February 7, 1778.
To all Gentlemen ARTIFICERS,
WHO prefer LIBERTY to SLAVERY, and are hearty friends to the GRAND AMERICAN CAUSE, who are free, able and willing to serve the United States of America, during the war or for three years, in the character of an artificer, such as Carpenters, Black-smiths, Gun-smiths, Lock-smith, Wheel-wrights, &c. has now an opportunity of shewing their abilities in mechanism, by inlisting into the corps of artificers (commanded by COL. BENJAMIN FLOWER) now employed at the public works near Carlisle, let them appear to Lieutenant JAMES GIBSON, at Mr. Jacob Gardiner's in York-Town, or at the public works, where they shall enter into present pay and good quarters, at Thirty Dollars per month, a suit of cloaths bounty, and a suit of cloaths every year, blanket, &c. None will be accepted but men of good characters and good workmen."
Artificers, you may have guessed, refers to skilled craftsmen. The public works referred to was at Washingtonburg, now Carlisle Barracks, in Cumberland County. The pay of $30 a month certainly wasn't bad. It was roughly equivalent to that of a Lieutenant in the regular army.
Click here for more information on the York-printed Pennsylvania Gazette.
Thanks for your explanation of an articifer.....I had a relative in the Civil War who was an articifer. I just assumed that he was n the artillery. Obviously not! Now I wonder what exactly he did!
According to one of my favorite websites: dictionary.com an artificer is a skilled worker or craftsperson. He must have been skilled in at least one of the things listed in the ad. If you can find his will, or even a deed when he bought or sold property, it might list his occupation.
I would like to read the Dec. 1777, Jan.-Feb. 1778 issues of the Pennsylvania Gazette. Are they available in the York, Lancaster, or Reading Historical Socities?
You can see copies of the originals at the York County Heritage Trust Library/Archives. They were originally gathered over 70 years ago by Henry J. Young, director and librarian in the 1930s. At that time copies were mostly done as negative photostats. YCHT staff has recopied those as positive photocopies.
Last year I completed a project, partially funded through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, of abstracting and partially transcribing those copies. The manuscript is currently available for reference use at the York County Heritage Trust Library/Archives. Future publication, in print or electronic form, is being discussed.