Kirkwood's Delaware Light Infantry

 

  Following the disaster to the American Army at the Battle if Camden 1780 the famed Delaware regiment was reduced to two companies of infantry.  One was commanded by Captain Jaquett and was assigned to the Maryland Regiment.  The other, commanded by Captain Robert Kirkwood is used as a light infantry company.  Although attached to the famous Maryland-Delaware light infantry battalion at the Battle if Cowpens 1781, it served otherwise throughout Greene's campaigns as a independent light company.  The small company if about 100 men saw service at Guilford Courthouse, Hobkirk Hill and Eutaw Springs.  If you are building Greene's southern army 1781 you need thus unit!

A Don Trioni impression of the Delaware Infantry

The Delaware regiment was attached to the Maryland line and supplied through that colony.  Both before and after the Battle of Camden they were issued blue regimental coats faced red and white small clothes.  Interestingly the officers from Maryland in October 1781 were issued blue and red wool to be made into regimental coats and waist coats.   During the summer if 1781 Greene obtained hunting shirts for the Continental line as a summer uniform.  Traditionally the Delaware regiment had yellow trim to their cooked hats.  

The Company of Military Historians issued a plate in their uniform series depicting a soldier of Kirkwood as company dressed in a yellow trimmed cocked hat, hunting shirt and striped overalls.  No sources are cited.  All issues if overalls to Greene's army appear to be if brown linen or osnaberg materials.

Company of Military Historian plate of Colonel Hall's Delaware Regiment .

 For more information on the uniforms I highly recommend the following article:

Babits, Lawrence E. " Supplying the Southern Army March 1780 to September 1781."

Military Collector and Historian, vol. 47, no. 4 (winter 1995).

For my miniature Delaware company I am painting them in blue regimental coats faced red with yellow trimmed cocked hats.  The figures are from Old Glory miniatures second edition.  I will be mixing brown and tan overalls as well as some unlocked hats to give a field impression of the mixed nature of supplies as well as soldier improvement to their uniforms.