British Army tactics

I believe the basis for the tactic was that the weapons lacked accuracy and firepower. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the weapons, it was necessary to have a tightly spaced group of soldiers firing at the same time.

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Choocheechoo choocheechoo choocheechoo ya ya pow!

By the civil war those tactics were obsolete. The rifle much better and accurate, my God I couldn't imagine getting wounded by a .58 caliber"bullet"

Revolutionary War was towards the end of when these tactics were effective. It make more sense if you consider how a lot of these strategies evolved from more primitive weapons like bows and arrows that were less deadly.

Discipline is one of the most important elements in these kinds of battles. If you let your men run around and take cover and fire from spots that are safer, you lose a lot of control and can easily get routed if the enemy makes a strong advance. Battles like this are generally won through superior formations and organized advances. Just put yourself in the soldiers shoes. If you are hiding behind a bush and taking potshots against a strong enemy line, you arent really paying attention to your officer further away down the line telling you to charge. If you are marching in a unified formation, you are going to be more likely to follow the officers orders and lead a potentially successful advance that breaks through the enemies defenses.

The British regulars also didn't use rifles because bayonets, which were vital to the British tactics, usually could not be fitted to rifles.

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The real tactic was a bayonet charge. Muskets had short range and little accuracy. Infantry were moved in groups for the best firing position. They fired in line, to create a wall of lead. That was to reduce enemy numbers and soften them up, in preparation for the bayonet charge. Meanwhile, cavalry and artillery were used for heavy hitting. Cavalry charges could be devastating. To counter that, infantry formed squares, creating a hedge of bayonets which would cause the horses to turn away. That also made a tempting artillery target.

Rifles were used, with Ferguson and his breechloading rifle, though not in great numbers. the patriots employed them, especially Daniel Morgan, with his sharpshooters. they would try to pick off officers and non-coms, to disrupt command. The British subsequently used riflemen, in the Napoleonic wars, to do the same thing.

If you want to read battle tactics of the era, in an entertaining fashion, read Bernard Cornwell's Redcoat, which covers the period, and the Sharpe series, which covers the Napoleonic wars. The man did his research and writes a darn good adventure story.

Fortunately, Ah keep mah feathers numbered for just such an emergency!