The 1791 U.S. Army manual of arms specified the musket loading sequence in eight numbered motions. From "Handle cartridge," the soldier reached to the cartridge box at his right hip and took out a paper cartridge containing powder and ball; "Tear cartridge," he bit the paper open and held the ball in his teeth; "Prime," he poured a small amount of powder into the firing pan; "Shut pan," closed the frizzen; "Charge with cartridge," poured the rest of the powder down the muzzle followed by the paper and ball; "Draw ramrod," pulled the ramrod from under the barrel; "Ram down cartridge," rammed everything firmly to the breech; "Return ramrod," replaced it under the barrel. The musket was then ready to shoulder and fire. A trained Legionnaire could complete the cycle in twenty to thirty seconds. Doing it while marching forward — like the figure depicted here — added a layer of difficulty that explains why Wayne's two years of drill at Legionville mattered.

This figure shows the moment in the eight-step cycle when the soldier has charged the musket and is preparing to ram the cartridge down — body still moving forward at a walking pace, musket held horizontally across the chest, the bayonet on the muzzle giving the weapon its readiness even mid-loading. He wears the 1st Sub-Legion uniform: blue coat with red facings, white cross-belts with cartridge box, white breeches showing the dirt of campaigning, the modified cocked hat with white binding and black hair roach. He pairs with the Legion infantryman reaching for a cartridge (an earlier stage in the same loading cycle), General "Mad" Anthony Wayne Mounted, and the Legion infantry officer advancing — together composing the firing-line cycle Wayne drilled into his men.

1/30 scale (60mm), matte-painted, single figure boxed. Catalog number 16119. As with the rest of the W. Britain modern range, the painting is photographic-quality detail intended to read well in dioramas and display cases.