Uniform Guide to the Southern Campaign

Further down you'll see a table that contains uniforms for those units that served in the Southern and Yorktown Campaigns of the American Revolution.  Please remember that some assumptions were made since the record is incomplete and often contradictory.  Also remember that uniforms changed over time, particularly with the Americans so what you see here is simply a snapshot in time.

Some of the notes in the table need elaboration.  For example, British light infantry wore a variety of hats, the most common being the leather cap with a large straight peak in front.  "Floppy" or "slouch" hats were also popular.  British grenadiers wore the famous bearskin hat while the two fusilier regiments that served in the south wore a similar, albeit less tall design.  German grenadiers wore a metal "mitre" cap and German fusiliers wore something similar, but like the British, not as tall.

Of the seven French regiments at Yorktown, the four (and Luzon's Legion) that marched south with Rocheambeu had uniforms issued prior to the new regulations of 1779.  Therefore, Luzons, the Royal Deux Ponts, Saintonge, Bourbonnois, and Soissonois regiments still had chasseurs (the French equivalent of light infantry) who wore a variety of light infantry caps and grenadiers who wore bearskin hats.  The three regiments transported by DeGrasse and commanded by St Simon, the Agenois, Gatenois, and Touraine, wore post-1779 uniforms so that the chasseurs and grenadiers wore tricorns like the line companies.  Their status was distinguished by shoulder straps for the chasseurs and red pompoms on the hats for the grenadiers.

Musicians generally wore the reversed colors of their regiments although there were a few exceptions for the British.   "Royal" British regiments had musicians who wore red coats faced blue.   French regimental musicians wore blue coats faced red.  German musicians wore similar coats as the line regiments.  All had tons of white braided trim on their coats.  American musicians had regulations which dictated reversed colors but like most clothing, a drummer was probably lucky to have a coat of any kind much less in the regimental color.

I suggest you try to find copies of the following four books.  They will provide most of what you need for the Southern Campaign and the rest of the war.

1.  Charles Lefferts, Uniforms of the American, British, French, and German Armies of the War of the American Revolution.   Lefforts' work is widely used although much of his work is dated and no longer accurate.  This book is long out of print so haunt online used book stores if you want to own a copy.  Some larger libraries also have it.

2.  John Mollo & Malcolm McGregor, Uniforms of the American Revolution.  Probably the most widely recognized book on the period.  The color plates are a real boon.   Unfortunately, many of the uniforms for the regiments shown drastically change after the time frame mentioned by the author and they do not describe the later uniforms of any given regiment.  This book was out of print but is still easy to find online.

3.  Phillip Katcher, Uniforms of the Continental Army.  Katcher has written a ream of material over the years and this is probably his best work on the American forces. Combined with Mollo's book, you can piece together how most American units looked during the entire war.  The only drawback is that he does not mention any of the State Line units.

4.  Phillip Katcher, Encyclopedia of British, Provincial, and German Army Units, 1775-1783.  An excellent work on the British.  Again, if used in conjunction with the other books, the wargamer can get a reasonably accurate picture of British forces, particularly the Loyalists.

 

BRITISH FORCES UNIFORMS

UNIT	COAT	FACING/COLLAR	CUFF	TURNBACK	WAISTCOAT	PANTS	NOTE
16th	red	yellow	yellow	white	white	white	1
71st-Fraser's Highlanders	red	white	white	white	white	white	2
British Legion	green	black	black	white	white	white	3
Delancey's I & II	red	blue	blue	white	white	varied	white lace
Georgia Loyalists	red	unknown	unknown	unknown	white?	white?
NJ Volunteers	red	blue	blue	white	white	white
NY Volunteers	red	buff	buff	white	white	white
SC Royalists	red	yellow	yellow	white	white	white
D'Angelelli Grenadiers	blue	red	red	red	buff	buff
Von Bose Musketeers	blue	white	white	white	white	white
Von Knoblach Garrison	blue	white	white	red	blue	blue
Royal Artillery	blue	red	red	white	white	white	yellow lace
Converged Lights	red	misc	misc	white	white	white
7th-Royal Fusiliers	red	blue	blue	white	white	white
23rd-Welsh Fusiliers	red	blue	blue	white	white	white
33rd	red	red	red	white	white	white
42nd-Royal Highlanders	red	blue	white	white	white	white	4
63rd	red	dark green	white	white	white	white
64th	red	black	white	white	white	white
Volunteers of Ireland	red	unknown	unknown	unknown	white?	white
Von Lengerke Grenadiers	blue	misc	misc	misc	white & buff	white & buff
Hesse Cassel Chasseurs	blue	misc	misc	misc	white & buff	white & buff
Von Ditfurth Fusiliers	blue	yellow	yellow	red	white	white
Von Benning Garrison	blue	yellow	yellow	red	blue	blue

UNIT	COAT	FACING/COLLAR	CUFF	TURNBACK	WAISTCOAT	PANTS	NOTE
Anspach Jaegers	forest green	red	red	red	green	white
Hesse Cassel Yaeger Corps	forest green	red	red	red	green, white, buff	green, white, buff
Von Linsingen Grenadiers	blue	red	red	red	yellow or white	yellow or white
Prince Carl Musketeers	blue	red	red	red	white	white
American Volunteers	green	unknown	unknown	white?	white?	white
Prince of Wales Regt.	red	blue	blue	white	white	white
Von Lowenstien Grenadiers	blue	red	red	red	white	white
Royal NC Regiment	red	blue	blue	white	white	white
British Guards	red	blue	blue	white	white	white	5
Kings American Regt	red	blue	blue	white	white	white
NC Highlanders	blue	n/a	n/a	n/a	white	n/a	6
Queen's Rangers	green	black	black	n/a	green	white	7
American Legion	red	blue?	blue	white	white	white
80th	red	yellow	yellow	white	white	white
Erbrintz Fusiliers	blue	red	red	red	white	white
Starkloff's Dragoons	green	unknown	unknown	white	white	white
84th-Royal Highland Emmigrants	red	blue	blue	white	white	white
82nd	red	blue	blue	white	white	white
76th-McDonnel's Highlanders	red	dark green	dark green	white	white	white	8
43rd	red	white	white	white	white	white
17th	red	greyish white	greyish white	white	white	white
1st Anspach	blue	red	red	red	white	white
2nd Anspach	blue	black	black	red	white	white
Anspach Artillery	blue	red	red	red	white	white
3rd	red	buff	buff	buff	buff	buff
19th	red	deep green	deep green	white	white	white
30th	red	pale yellow	pale yellow	white	white	white
SC Dragoons	red	yellow	yellow	white	white	white

BRITISH FORCES UNIFORMS NOTES

The preponderance of white "small clothes", that is, pants or breeches, gators, stockings, etc., is actually for parade dress events.  The quartermaster routinely issued overalls (a popular garment) or the men converted their own.  These could be almost any color although white, brown, green, and blue predominated.

1) All British regular regiments had basic white lace on their cuffs and facings.  The differences were with different color stripes on the lace.  Try painting that in 15mm.  Regular loyalist units apparently did not have lace with the exception of Delancy's battalions.

2) The 42nd and 71st Highland units discarded their kils shortly after arriving in America.  Instead they wore white pants, gators, or overalls.  The kilt color for the 71st was black and green plaid.  The Highland units did, however, continue to wear their bonnets throughout the war.

3) The British Legion dragoons wore a very unique helment that became known as the "Tarleton".  British Horse artillery of the Napoleonic period wore the same helmet.  Mollo's book gives a good picture which is based on Tarleton's portrait done shortly after the war.  The dragoons also wore a short cut tight jacket, at least while on parade.  We simply don't know the head gear of the infantry portion of the Legion.  I'm assuming that it was a standard tricorne although if we use the Queen's Rangers as a yardstick, that assumption is open to question.  Infantry Legionaires with the Tarleton helmet do look nice on the table.  The infantry jacket was standard (not cut like the dragoon jacket) but was of the same color as the dragoons.

4) The 42nd Royal Highlander kilt was black and green with a narrow red stripe.

5) The three Guards units were actually detachments from the rest of the parent bodies located in Britain.  Fifteen men from each company were pulled and sent to America.  I simulate this by sprinkling line, light infantry, and grenadier units among the tabletop units.

6) The NC Volunteers, or Highlanders, wore a locally made coat that had no cuffs, facings, etc., making it an all blue jacket.  All accounts indicate that the regiment used kilts from the 71st but whether or not they used them in the field is debatable.  Nonetheless, a very interesting variant of the basic highland uniform.  Bonnets and the red and white red checked stockings were presumably the same as that found on other highland units.

7) The Queen's Rangers had very distinct uniforms that were well documented by the unit commander, Lt Col Simcoe.   Both Mollo and Lefferts have abundant descriptions of the uniforms and differing helmets.  Plenty of Queen's Rangers figures are also available which show the distinct styles.

8) The 76th and 80th wore green and black kilts but most likely used the more practical gators or overalls while in the field.  They also wore bonnets.

  AMERICAN FORCES UNIFORMS

UNIT	COAT	FACING/COLLAR	CUFF	TURNBACK	WAISTCOAT	PANTS	NOTE
1st Dragoons	brown	green	green	green	green	buff	yellow lace
3rd Dragoons	white	light blue	light blue	light blue	white	white
4th Dragoons	green	red	red	red	white	white or buff	1
1st SC	blue	red	red	white	white	white	2
2nd SC	blue	red	red	white	white	white
3rd SC	blue	red or white	red or white	white	white	white	3
Pulaski's Legion	blue	red	red	red or white	white	white
1st NC	misc.	misc.	misc.	misc.	misc.	misc.	4
2nd NC	misc.	misc.	misc.	misc.	misc.	misc.
3rd NC	misc.	misc.	misc.	misc.	misc.	misc.
1st VA	blue	red	red	white	white	white
2nd VA	blue	red	red	white	white	white	5
3rd VA	light blue	pale blue	pale blue	white	green	white
1st VA State Line	unknown	probably blue	red?	red?	white?	white
2nd VA State Line	unknown	probably blue	red?	red?	white	white
1st DE	brown	red	red	white	white	white	6
1st MD	blue	red	red	white	white	white	7
2nd MD	blue	red	red	white	white	white	7
3rd MD	blue	red	red	white	white	white	7
4th MD	blue	red	red	white	white	white	7
5th MD	blue	red	red	white	white	white	7
6th MD	blue	red	red	white	white	white	7
7th MD	blue	red	red	white	white	white	7
Armand's Legion	blue	buff	buff	buff	buff	buff	8
Lee's Legion	green	red	red	red	buff	buff
4th VA	blue	red	red	white	white	white
5th VA	blue	red	red	white	white	white
Converged Lights	blue	red, white, buff, blue	red, white, buff, blue	white	white	white	9
Hasken's Lights	blue	red, white, buff, blue	red, white, buff, blue	white	white	buff
2nd Canadian, Congress' Own	brown	red	red	white	white	white	10
1st PA	blue	red	red	white	misc.	misc.
2nd PA	blue	red	red	white	misc.	misc.
Gaskin's VA State	blue	red	red	white	misc.	misc.
1st NC State Line	unknown	unknown	unknown	unknown	unknown	unknown	11
1st NY	blue	red	red	white	white	white
2nd NY	blue	red	red	white	white	white
1st NJ	blue	red	red	white	white	white
2nd NJ	blue	red	red	white	white	white
3rd RI (Olney's)	white	white	red	white	white	white	12
3rd MD (reorg)	blue	red	red	white	white	white	13
4th MD (reorg)	blue	red	red	white	white	white
Continental Artillery	blue	red	red	red	white	white	yellow lace
Bourbonais	white	white	white	white	white	white	14
Lauzon's Legion	sky blue	yellow	yellow	grey	white	white	15
French Artillery	dark blue	red	red	red	blue	blue
Soissanais	white	white	red	white	white	white
Saintonge	white	green	green	white	white	white
Royal Deux Ponts	sky blue	yellow	yellow	white	white	white
Gatinais	white	purple	white	white	white	white
Torraine	white	white/rose	rose	white	white	white
Agenois	white	white	purple	white	white	white

AMERICAN FORCES UNIFORMS NOTES

Throw just about anything together for an American unit and you could call it accurate.  This is particularly true for the Southern Campaign where Nathaniel Greene often commented on the ratty appearance of his army.  The French units were obviously well clothed as were the American Light Infantry regiments.  Lee's Legion also had a reputation for its smart look.  The above listing reflects how the units appeared in 1780.

1) All the Continental Dragoons were rather small units and fairly random in their uniform.  They, like many other units, wore white hunting shirts during the summer heat.  Continental Dragoons favored the French style currasier helmets of which Mollo has a good example.

2) The 1st and 2nd SC regiments wore a light infantry style cap with a crescent moon and inscription on the front.  Mollo has a good example.

3) The 3rd SC regiment appears to have worn a normal cocked tricorne although there is one reference that indicates some men had a cap with an inscription.

4) The NC regiments were particularly ill-equipped with uniforms.  They apparently never received any French coats and after most of the regiments were captured at Charleston, the state did little to better cloth what few troops were raised later.  Therefore, make your NC regiments the most hodge-podge looking in the army.

5) The 2nd VA is a good example of a drawback in Mollo's book where there is a nice picture of a soldier from that unit.  It shows a blue coat with blue facings and turnbacks.  However, that was how the unit looked from 1775-78.  By 1780, the uniform listed above was the regimental norm.  The 2nd VA used a low crown hat with a short brim turned up at one side that was a feature of most VA regiments early in the war.  It is unclear how long they lasted.  The "round hat", similar to what the Marines wore, should probably be sprinkled in amongst a VA of the Southern Campaign but should not predominate the head gear in a given unit.

6) The 1st DE has been one of the most misrepresented American units of the war.  Lefforts originally showed the entire unit having a light infantry style leather cap similar ot what the light companies of the 2nd Canadian wore.  That representation was repeated by others well into the 1970s.   Mollo corrects that mistake but makes one of his own.  He shows the 1st DE as it looked in 1778 with the blue faced red coats with a cocked hat with gold trim.  By the time the regiment went south with DeKalb, it still retained the gold-trimmed hats but the uniforms were French issued brown coats faced red.  How long they lasted is debatable but it appears that one of the two surviving companies, Kirkwood's, wore hunting shirts.

7) Originally when I put together the order of battle for the Southern Campaign, I did what so many others do, I lumped the seven MD regiments into their battalion structure and called them the "1st and 2nd MD regiments."  I've now broken them out into their individual units and listed the appropriate uniforms.  Whether or not these uniforms lasted until 1780 (they were issued in late 1778)  is problematic.  The officers at least retained the French issued uniforms into the Southern Campaign.  After Camden, the remnants of these 7 regiments were consolidated into two regiments which still causes endless confusion.

8) Armand's Legion wore hats similar to the "Tarleton" hat of the British Legion dragoons.  I cannot determine if the infantry also wore the same hats but painted my unit as if it did because of the effect.   Given the rather decrepit nature of the troops in the unit and the dubious leadership qualities of Armand, I doubt the infantry wore anything but a tricorne.   In fact, I did the same thing with Pulaski's Legion infantry figures using a French dragoon hat instead.  Lee's Legion is the only unit where I can find contemporary references to the fact that the infantry arm wore dragoon hats.

9) The Converged Lights also wore a unique cap that had a red and black pompom on one side.  Mollo has a good picture.

10) The light infantry company of the 2nd Canadian wore a special cap with an inscription on the front.  The rest of the unit wore the standard cocked hat.  Mollo's representation is from 1777.  By 1780, the facings and cuffs had changed to red.

11) The single NC State line unit probably looked little different from a neighboring militia unit.  As with the other NC regiments, make this one as motley as you can and it will be accurate.

12) The 3rd RI was an amalgamation of the earlier 1st and 2nd RI regiments.  The unique aspect of this unit was it's uniform and the ethnic makeup of the line soldiers; three quarters of the unit was African American.  The jacket was cut in some ways like a dragoon jacket, was white, and the troops wore a peaked leather cap similar to what the RI artillery units had earlier in the war.  Mollo has a good picture.

13) These regiments were those raised in MD after Camden and the subsequent reorganization of the remnant MD units which is why there are "two" 3rd and 4th Marylands.

14) French troops wore black gators on the march or in winter so painting them either way is fine.

15) Lauzon's Legion cavalry was probably the most exotic looking unit of the war looking more like something from the future Napoleonic conflict.  The dragoons wore a hussar hat with a very fancy overcloak.  Mollo has a good picture.