Continental Line Uniforms 1776

  The   Massachusetts Provincial Congress resolved on  23 April 1775 that each man enlisted for a year should be given a coat as bounty. Each coat was to made of brown wool, with no lapels and a collar and cuffs and working pockets.  It was based on a simple working man's jacket of  the period.  Samples of the wool were sent out to each town and they were responsible for making a number of jackets equal to the men from that town who had enlisted.  When done they were collected and sorted by shade and regimental marked buttons attached.   By 28 December 1775 13,000 coats had been made.  These so called"bounty coats" served as the first uniform. 

Construction of Bounty Coat.

   But a more military style uniform was desired.  Although Washington recommended uniforms of hunting shirts,  lack of tow cloth in New England scuttled that idea.  On 20 October 1775 at Cambridge headquarters Washington and delegates from continental Congress agreed that soldiers would be provided cloth to make new uniforms for 1776 at a  cost of 10 shillings per man.  On 17 November ordered officers commanding 26 continental regiments meet at the  Quartermaster General's office at Cambridge to agree on uniform for their regiments.  Cloth for uniforms ware to be dyed brown with facings (collar, cuffs and lapels)  and numbered buttons to distinguish regiments.

  What materials were available for these uniforms?  First, there were captured british uniforms;    examples were 338 uniforms red faced buff from the 22nd regiment and 336 red faced buff uniforms from the 40th regiment.  These would have their facings removed, coats dyed brown and facings reattached.  Additional cloth obtained included two bales  containing 420 yards blue cloth plus miscellaneous amounts of cloth in various colors.    These were to be made up into 2,000 blue, brown, and green coats and waistcoats,  with red, blue, pink, green, yellow, white, buff, brown, and crimson facings.  In addition  2,000 felt cocked hats  with white bindings were collected.  These regimental uniforms were drawn for  by the Colonel of the 26 regiments when they became available for delivery on 5 January 1776.  A mixture ofa , civilian clothing, the 1775 bounty coats and these new regimental coats give a glimpse of how the new regiments appeared.

  On 20 February 1776 Washington ordered that each regiment be furnished with colors that match its uniform.  The suit of colors for each regiment was of  two standards and four grand division colors.  First standard was the union and second was in regiment's facing color and marked with it's number and a motto. 

In an army where uniforms were rare some system of identification of rank was needed.  These were adopted in the summer of 1775 by the army in Cambridge.

 Commander in Chief  - light blue ribbon across breast between coat and waistcoat.
Major General - purple ribbon
Brigadier General - pink ribbon
Aides-de-camp - green ribbon
Field Officers - red or pink cockade
Captains -  yellow or buff cocked
Subalterns - green cocked
Sergeant - epaulette or strip of cloth of red on right shoulder
Corporal - one of green.

  The 27 Continental Line regiments uniforms and standards based on returns and deserter descriptions.  These paint a confusing picture of what the early American army looked like.  Cloth colored coats were undyed wool.  When blue or brown coats were mentioned they could have been bounty coats or civilian coats.

1st Continental Regiment
Green coats and breeches officers.  Green hunting shirts men
Numerous references to white and brown hunting shirts
Standard a tiger enclosed by netting defended by a hunter in white and armed with a spear on a crimson field with motto.

2nd Continental Regiment
Blue faced green

3rd Continental Regiment
Cloth colored coat and jacket.  Also one man sailors jackets

6th Continental Regiment
Brown faced red or white.

7th Continental Regiment
Various brown or blue coats
Sailors dress
Standard white field with black thorn bush and flesh colored hand extended to pluck the bush.  Motto "He that touches me shall prick his fingers. "

10th Continental Regiment
Light brown coats faced red or buff.  Also some blue jackets.

11th Continental Regiment
Brown hunting shirts and coats faced white.  Officer silver lace

12th Continental Regiment
Blue coats faced buff

13th Continental Regiment
Brown coat
Standard light buff/yellow with line tree and field of Indian corn.  Two officers in uniform one wounded in breast with blood flowing pointing to children.  Motto " for posterity I bleed. "

14th Continental Regiment
Light colored coat faced red.  Blue coat tared trousers.

15th Continental Regiment
Blue faced white  with white smallclothes.  Officers gold lace 
Musicians had same uniform as men.

16th Continental Regiment
Green uniforms.  Standard red on white field.

17th Continental Regiment
Coats had black facings.
Blue clothing.  Butternut colored coat and scarlet waistcoat.  Light colored coat.

Modern illustration 17th Continental.

18th Continental Regiment
Cloth colored coat faced buff.  Regimental standard buff.

Modern illustration 18th Continental.

19th Continental Regiment
Blue coat faced red.  Blue coat with brown waistcoat.  Light colored coat.

20th Continental Regiment
Blue jacket and trousers.
Short sailors jacket

21st Continental Regiment
Blue jacket

22nd Continental Regiment
Regimental coat faced red.  Light colored coat.

24th Continental Regiment
Same color as 7th

25th Continental Regiment
Blue coat faced buff

26th Continental Regiment
Brown coat blue waistcoat white breeches.  Straw colored standard.
Grenadier company had embroidered mitre  caps.

Modern illustration of the 26th  Continental.

27th Continental Regiment
Brown coat.



The following Sources were used in compiling this list;

Henry M. Cooke IV, “The Massachusetts Bounty Coat of 1775,” The Brigade Dispatch, vol. XXVIII, no. 3 (Autumn 1998), 2-10.

Philip Katcher.  Uniforms of the Continental Army.
1981

Charles Lefferts. Uniforms of the American, British, French, and German Armies in the War of the American Revolution 1775 - 1783.
1926a

Martin Zlatich.  General Washington 's Army (1) 1775-78.
 1994

One book I have not mentioned is "An Illustrated History of Uniforms from 1775-1783: The American Revolutionary War".  Stay away from that one, it's a waste of time.

An Illustrated History of Uniforms from 1775-1783: The American Revolutionary War Hardcover – July 28, 2008

by Kevin F. Kiley

Projects for April

  For April I have a number of projects on the table.  Too much free time is giving me planning ideas and also time to finish a number of tasks I wanted done.  What am I working on?

  As anyone who visits here knows I am fascinated with the American Revolution period.  Especially the events of  1775 and 1776.  During my time with the National Park Service I was able to do considerable research and some writing.  Most of these papers did not see the light of day as management was not interested in them.  So I will be sharing them here.  These include a couple first person accounts that few have used, a research paper on the British dead buried at Concord Bridge and a visit to sections of the April 19 Battlefield. How about two individuals during the fight who are describing the same incident from both of their points of views.   Little about wargaming but I hope interesting reading.

   Painting figures will see a return to the  1776 Continental Line regiments.  The new Brigade Games figures I got include individuals wearing the 1775 New England Bounty Coat.  I bought a number of these to be mixed with figures in regimental uniforms and a few in civilian clothing to create a better interpretation of a 1776 regiment.  I think these will be fun to do.

   In preparation I have written up my research notes on 1776 uniforms. Possibly more details them you need!  I hope these notes will be of help to other gamers.

Pennsylvania State Battalion 1776

   The Pennsylvania Battalion of Rifles and the Pennsylvania Battalion of Musketry, were raised in February 1776.  In the next few months nearly one thousand men enlisted.  They were organized into two battalions of riflemen commanded by Colonel Samuel  Atlee and one battalion of musket men commanded by Colonel Samuel Miles.

   Sent to New York city to join the main American army under General Washington they arrived On 11August and were assigned to the brigade commanded by Brigadier Lord Stirling.  During the Battle of Long Island (27August 1776) the battalions were decimated. Colonels Atlee and Miles were captured and the three battalions were consolidated into a single battalion under Colonel Daniel Brodhead and now revered to As the Pennsylvania State Battalion.  As such they campaigned with Washington's army and fought at Trenton and Princeton.

  I have depicted this unusual unit as the consolidated State battalion.  To create this  I have used a mixture of different figures from Old Glory,  Fife and Drum and RSM.  I hope this gives it the right look.  Uniform details are also very mixed.  The Rifle battalion had blue faced white coats, white waistcoat edged red. They wore black caps marked "PR" or hats.  Lead colored hunting shirts are also mentioned.  My guess (opinion only ) could have been officers in uniform and riflemen in hunting shirts.  But this is only a guess on my part.   The musketeers battalion had blue regimental coats faced red, white waistcoat and buckskin breeches, hats bound yellow.  returns from the State Battalion suggested blue regimental coats faced red with white small clothes.

  Figured are from a wide variety of manufacturers.  Old Glory second edition, RSM miniatures and Fife And Drum miniatures.  They all look good together.  See if you can pick them out in the pictures! 

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3rd Pennsylvania Battalion 1776

  The 3rd Pennsylvania Battalion was raised December 1775 in Philadelphia.  Commanded by Colonel John Shee the battalion was assigned to the main army under General Washington during the summer of 1776.  As part of the garrison of Fort Washington the battalion surrendered after a gallant fight in November 1776.  The survivors were reorganized into the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment  in 1777.

   The original uniform consisted of a Brown regimental cost faced and lined white, buckskin breeches and white vest.

For figures I am using Old Glory miniatures second edition.  Rather then cocked hats I put them in round hats as they were a very common field modification done by both sides during the war.  As they were cast in gaitered overalls I went with that rather then repaint them.  Regimental colors were found in the internet .

Uniform of the Delaware Battalion 1776

Charles Lefferts illustration.

Company of Military Historian plate.

  What was the uniform worn by the Delaware Battalion in 1776?  Traditionally, our view of it is based on the illustration by Charles Lefferts in his book "Uniforms of the American Revolution."  A regimental coat faced and lined red, white waistcoat and buck skin breeches with shoes and gaiters.  Lastly, a leather cap with the seal of the Colony of Delaware and the words "Delaware Regiment" crown the uniform.  Later, the Company of Military Historians issued a uniform plate based on his work.  This has been our traditional view and one that is time honoured.  But is it correct?  What documentation do we have? 

   On 13 January 1776 the Delaware Committee of Safety suggested recruits  "...be allowed instead of a bounty, a felt hat, a pair of yarn stockings and a pair of shoes." Much later there was another suggestion by the same body that recruits receive " 1 regimental coat, 1 jacket without sleeves, 1pair of buck skin breeches or 2 pair woolen or linen ditto, 1 hat or leather cap, 2 shirts, 1 hunting shirt, 2 pair overalls, 2 pair stockings, 2 pairs shoes and 1 blanket." There is no indication of these were followed or actually issued to the men.

  What was issued to the battalion?  We know Colonel John Haslet, the first commander of the battalion recorded in his account book that the government be charged  for "688 hats for soldiers as bounty at 8/274.4".  In addition the colors and drums of the battalion were made by Plunket and Fleeson  of Philadelphia.  They also made the drums and colors for Captain Thomas Rodney's Dover Light Infantry company in 1775.  While no illustrations of the colors or drums are in existence we know the flag carried by the Dover Light Infantry was green with a white field and red strips.

  There was one deserter from the regiment in 1776 that gave us a written description of the uniform.  Corporal John Eashom deserted  in May 1776.  He is described as wearing a  "blue regimental coat turned up red, with yellow buttons and a white broadcloth jacket and breeches." Another deserter in early 1777 appears to be wearing a similar uniform. A deserter from Captain Samuel Smith's company on 18 February 1777 is described  as wearing the old uniform "...an old felt hat, deep blue coat with metal buttons marked "DB" and a old pair of buck skin breeches. ".   Finaly, a  Hessian officer described the regiment as wearing a "blue and red coat."

  An unusual but interesting suggestion for the uniform comes from the Delaware currency .  A four pence note, printed in May 1776 had a soldier wearing a regimental coat, breeches and spatterdashes.  The waistcoat is cut straight across with a cloth belt.  The headgear is a round felt hat cocked up on the left side.  Could this be a illustration of a soldier of the Delaware Battalion?

  Based on this information we can come up with a good view of how the battalion looked in 1776.  They wore a blue regimental coat lined and faced red.  A white waistcoat with either buck skin breeches or wool or linen breeches or overalls.  But what of the head gear?

Reenactor wearing reconstruction of possible cap.

  Documentation for the cap shown in so many illustrations is scarce.  The modern recreated unit wears this cap.  Modern interpretation of the cap seem to come from Charles Lefferts illustrations.  But these were published after Lefferts death so we do not know where he got his information about the cap.  There is a cap in existence that was offered to the Delaware State Museum.  This cap was examined by  State authorities.  They found a name of a late 19th/ early 20th century Philadelphia manufacturer imprinted inside the cap.  The cap was made of "Fabricoid" a synthetic fabric invented in the 20th century that resembles leather.  Since it was obviously a modern reconstruction it was rejected from the Museum.

  Various individuals writing about the cap place great store in the painted seal on the front of the cap, both individuals  for and against the cap.  I do not understand why this is important.  Both sides cited positives and negatives about what is depicted.  To my mind the most curious part of the seal is the name Delaware Regiment on it.  All period writing use the name Delaware Battalion.  The buttons of the battalion are marked "DB" in 1776.  Later, the new unit in 1777 was called the Delaware Regiment and buttons were changed to "DR".

Modern painting showing the battalion in felt, round hats and color based on Dover Light Infantry flag

  I think the evidence for the cap is very thin.  The suggestion of a hat or cap for recruits leaves the door open for the possibility there might have been caps issued, possibly to a light infantry company.  But I could not see in the organization of the battalion if a light company was authorized.  On the other hand felt hats are most definitely mentioned as worn and we know they were purchased for the battalion.  The money printed for the colony that show a soldier in a round hat is interesting.  These were very common during the period.  The later 1777 regiment wore hats with yellow edging rather then the usual white.  I have found nothing mentioning this in 1776.

  For my collection I will field the Delaware Battalion in felt hats for 1776, either cocked or round depending on the figure.  I feel based on the available evidence this is the most correct interpretation.  But I will not fault any gamer who fields them in caps.  In this hobby one looks at the evidence and draw your own conclusions




For additional information and reading I highly recommend the following books and articles.

Philip Katcher.  Uniforms of the Continental Army.  December 1981.

 Donald Londahl-Smith. "Notes Concerning the Uniform of the Delaware Battalion in 1776" 
Company of Military Historians Spring 1967

Mark Zlatich.  General Washington 's Army (1): 1775 - 78

‘Come on my brave Fusiliers!’ 15 March 1781

Guilford Courthouse 15 March 1781
Along the first line:

  " As at Camden, the British went forward as soon as they were in line. Captain Peter led the 23rd on as acting commanding officer, with the regiment effectively in two wings under captains Saumarez and Champagne. As they went forward, one of them noticed the ‘field lately ploughed, which was wet and muddy from the rains which had recently fallen’.

On they trudged towards the fence that marked the end of Hoskins’ cornfield and the beginning of the woods to the fore, observing as they grew closer that the rails were lined with men. MacLeod’s cannon opened fire, sending their ball whooshing into the American lines. Colonel Webster, on horseback, trotted to the front of his brigade and called out so that all could hear, ‘Charge!’ The men began jogging forward, bayonets fixed and muskets levelled towards the enemy. A crackling fire from their left, Kirkwood’s riflemen, began knocking down a redcoat here or there, but did nothing to check their impetus.

When the British line was little more than 50 yards from the North Carolina militia everything seemed to stop for Serjeant Lamb: … it was perceived the whole of their force had their arms presented, and resting on a rail fence … they were taking aim with the nicest precision. At this awful period a general pause took place; both parties surveyed each other for the moment with the most anxious suspense … Colonel Webster spurred his horse to the head of the 23rd and bellowed out, ‘Come on my brave Fusiliers!’ Some of the Americans started to run, but most held on for a moment; there was a rippling crash of American musketry when the redcoats were at optimum range, 40 to 50 yards away. Dozens of Webster’s men went down as the musket balls cut legs from under them or smashed into their chests. Lieutenant Calvert worried for an instant how his men might react to such a heavy fire: ‘They instantly returned it and did not give the enemy time to repeat their fire but rushed on them with bayonets.’ Captain Saumarez noted with pride, ‘No troops could behave better than the regiment … they never returned the enemy’s fire but by word of command and marched on with the most undaunted courage.’..."


Quote from;
Fusiliers:  The saga of a British Redcoat Regiment in the American Revolution  by Mark Urban