I've been reading the Sharpe series of books by Bernard Cornwell and I am fascinated by this era, however I find that the way he describes the loading of muskets and rifles by British infantry to be inconsistent, or I'm otherwise misunderstanding.
Sometimes he describes them biting off the bullet from the cartridge and then ramming it down on top of the wadding and powder but I thought the whole point of the wadding was to go on top of the bullet in order to stop it falling out of the barrel? And other times he mentions that they prime the pan last, but surely you'd want to prime the pan first because it's easier to prime first and then simply pour the rest down the barrel than trying to estimate leaving enough to prime the pan with? (Unless you're using a separate powder horn to prime the pan, which he does mention with the Baker rifles).
Obviously the books are fiction and also men may not follow the drill to the letter during the heat of battle, but is there a book or manual from the time that definitively describes the correct loading drill for flint-lock muskets and rifles circa 1800?
Thanks.
First of all, I'd like to state that while I Have read many of Cornwell's Sharpe books, I do not have any copies at hand, so I can't directly reference the details of loading, per Cornwell's descriptions and how accurate they are, so I'll speak generally to the process, and the possible source of the inconsistency you've noted.
As for the loading process, the manual of arms between the advent of firelocks from the late 17th century through to the late 19th century remained, essentially, unchanged. There were usually ten distinct steps, with several manuals, both American, British, and Continental different primarily in how each step was broken down.
According to the 1815 Manual of Arms (Section 29: Platoon Exercise, pp 27-29) there are 11 actions to be conducted. I should note that the 1815 Manual of Arms is a revision of an 1807 Manual, which in turn was a revision of an 1801 manual. It is from the 1815 Manual I'll be detailing the processes, however I've also listed a few other manuals (namely the 1764 British manual, as well as several American ones) for you to cross-reference.
In British line combat, the first command given upon firing is the order to "Load!" At this point, it is an order for the unit to shift stances. The firing stance involves the instep of the right foot being posted at a 90 degree angle from the left heel at about a half step back.
When the Load order is given, the feet return to a resting position from the firing stance, and also announce that the loading drill will now be conducted.
The next order to come is "Handle Cartridge". The gun, now supported by the left hand, is balanced between the upper arm and torso of the right arm, the butt seated firmly as the gun is balanced and suported by the left. The arm remains stiff and serves as a balance while a cartridge is withdrawn from the cartridge pouch, usually laid slightly right of centered upon the right buttock. With just thumb and forefinger, the snap on the box is removed, and the leather lid lifted, a cartridge removed. Palming the cartridge, thumb and forefinger are again used to snap the cartridge box once again, securing it. The second stage of the order involves the movement of the paper cartridge to the mouth. The cartridge, held in thumb and forefinger, is bitten by the paper tongue.
That position is maintained until the order "Prime!" is given. Then, gently, thumb (capped over the tear, to prevent the loss of powder from the hole) and forefinger are squeezed at the torn cartridge top. It is then tipped into the pan, a small pinch of powder deposited. As the cartridge is lifted from the pan, the wrist turns, three fingers closing the pan in the process. This secures the pan and the priming powder, to allow for the loading of the barrel.
Later Manuals will ordain that the firearm is rested by the butt upon the toe of the right foot or upon the ground. However, the 1815 manual suggests that the firelock is maintained at a height of two inches, held in the left hand when the order "Cast About!" is given. The muzzle of the firearm should be level with the breast. The firelock is turned such that the lock is pointed away from the loader's body. That is, the trigger guard of the musket was pointing towards the loader. The left hand now grips the barrel and stock at the same point as ever. At this stage, the cartridge has been seated into the barrel. The firelock is the dropped those two inches to the ground between the feet. This shakes the powder out of the cartridges into the barrel. The paper cartridge itself, as well as the ball, are not yet loaded. The cartridge thus seated, thumb and forefinger grab the ramrod by the head.
Ramrods are then drawn with the order "Draw Ramrods!" as the rod is lifted most of the way out of the barrel. The soldier grabs the rod midway along the length, gripping the ramrod backhandedly - that is, wrist turned, thumb pointing downward, as though giving a "thumbs down". Once fully extracted, the wrist is rotated and the ramrod put one inch down the barrel. This pushes the paper cartridge and ball down the barrel, but does not fully seat it. That will occur in the following action.
"Ram Down Cartridge" was the ninth command. The ramrod is then pushed down the barrel, forcing it down. The ramrod is continuously forced down the barrel. As it slides, the soldier adjusts his grip again to grab the ramrod by the end now protruding from the barrel. Once properly seated, the cartridge is given two firm taps and the ramrod remains at the base. Thumb and forefinger remain on the ramrod tip. The hand then palms with the remaining fingers the mouth of the barrel.
The tenth order barked "Return Ramrods!" involves the retrieval of the rammer. In as few motions as possible, the soldier grabs the ramrod and thrust it upward to retrieve it from the barrel. He then grips the rod by the midway point of its length, backhanded in the same way he gripped the ramrod while drawing the rammer. The ramrod is then lifted from the barrel entirely, the hand returned to the normal forehand positioning while still gripping the ramrod. The ramrod is then returned to the sleeve beneath the barrel. Once the ramrod is replaced, the firelock is lifted from the ground and the weapon is pivoted so that the top of the firelock now faces the soldier.
At this point, the weapon is loaded. The only thing remains is to "Shoulder Arms!" by ensuring ramrod and bayonet are fixed securely in their proper places with a "strike" by the right hand at the muzzle of the musket. Once secure, and in the same motion, the right foot comes from its perpendicular position. As the right foot comes into the position of Attention, that is 45 degrees with left and right heels touching, the firelock is shouldered in a single fluid motion, the toe of the right foot being used to nudge the butt of the firelock to initiate the smooth movement of the weapon.
From here, soldiers await the firing drill. When it comes time to fire, the traditional three-step orders of "Make Ready" "Present Arms" and "Fire" are used.
When ordered to "Make Ready" the musket is brought from the position of Shoulder Arms, trigger guard facing forward. The left hand grabs the firelock just forward of the trigger and lock, the right elbow raised and prepared for firing. The thumb is used to bring the firearm to full cock.
The order "Present" is an order of movement. The firelock is leveled with the enemy into a firing position. In doing so, the left hand slides foward from its position just forward of the trigger guard to a point further along the barrel. The exact point is different depending on the firearm, but often the trigger-most sling ring or the first barrel band closest to the musket's flintlock along the forestock are the preferred resting place. The whole body moves in one action in this order, and the right foot is shifted back by six inches. Further, the left hand does not actually grip the barrel, so much as simply hold it, hand flat, palm-up with the barrel resting across the palm.
Finally, when "Fire" is commanded, the trigger is pulled and the firelock is engaged. Until and unless a further order is given, the weapon is to remain leveled in the position of Present.
(Part 2 incoming)
I shall, if it is perfectly fine, give the French version thanks to John Elting'a amazing Swords Around a Throne which details this in rather great detail. I would suggest you look at this previous post where I go into detail about French musketry.