Original Query: Knapsack Boys
In the Second of his letters, written from Coventry on August 26th 1642, (LETTERS 0F JEREMIAH WHARTON / S Ede-Borrett (ed.). Tercio Publications 1983. p10), Wharton talks of the skirmish at Southam and mentions a dead Royallst drummer, whom "our knapsack boys rifled to the shirt, which was very lowsy." -
Who were these knapsack boys? It sounds as though they were employed to guard the soldiers' discarded baggage in time of action, but are there any other references to these Juvenile auxillaries? or, bearing in mind that many of Essex's regiments in '42 were basically a mob of Londoners out on a soree, was this their only outing.???
Answer Could this term really just be slang for soldiers, as in 'Soldier Boys.' After all, Wharton was a sergeant.
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