Outfitting Our First Army

The Patriots who first traveled to New England to join the Revolutionary cause came from all walks of life; they were students, farmers, shopkeepers and woodsmen, and their clothes reflected their differences. They fought in their own civilian clothing; some wore their finest town clothes while others went into battle in simple work garments.

The first uniforms appeared as wealthy towns raised militia and sent them off with a matching set of clothing, but they were not coordinated with any other units.

When George Washington took command in 1775, he found a destitute army that was poorly clothed. Looking for a cheap but practical and uniform outfit for his militia he settled on the hunting shirt. 

The shirt that came to be the symbol of the Continental Army had just been introduced to the New Englanders with the arrival of Pennsylvanian William Thompson, Virginian Daniel Morgan, and Maryland’s Michael Cresap at Cambridge Camp during the Siege of Boston that year. The famed frontier riflemen wore the linen shirt that was a staple in the backcountry.      

Called a ‘hunting’ or ‘rifle’ shirt they were loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts of linen or homespun cloth that featured decorative fringe along the sleeves, over cape and hem to help to wick away rain.  They were often dyed in colors such as brown, green, or gray to help the wearer blend into the wilderness.

Washington peddled their versatility and considered them the sign of a distinguished marksman.

He would sing their praises to the Continental Congress, “No dress can be cheaper, nor more convenient, as the wearer may be cool in the warm weather and warm in cool weather by putting on under-clothes which will not change the outward dress, Winter or Summer – besides which it is a dress justly supposed to carry no small terror to the enemy, who think every such person (so dressed) is a complete marksman.”

In 1776 the hunting shirt was formally adopted as a uniform for New England regiments serving in the Continental Army.

Over their shirts, soldiers would wear a waistcoat and a wool regimental coat. The color of the outer coat was used to designate the soldier’s rank and unit, coats could be blue, brown, or green with contrasting lapels and cuffs, also called ‘facings.’ The familiar blue coat was adopted in regulations published in 1779 which set the colors for the standard Continental Army uniform: blue coats with white facings for New England, red facings for Mid-Atlantic and blue for the South.

They finished their look with breeches that were tight-fitted around the leg and loose at the top to allow for easier movement.

The financially drained Continental Congress was not always able to supply shoes - we’ve all seen depictions of the men at Valley Forge, barefoot in the snow. When they had them, the shoes were buckled and worn with gaiters and long stockings held up by garters or string. 

As the seasons changed and the conflict widened, the uniforms adapted, but nothing had the impact of the French entering the war! 

French military fashion, the envy of Europe, brought a new level of sophistication and elegance to the Continental forces’ uniforms.

Led by General Washington himself, American officers began to adopt French-inspired styles, including the ‘frock coat,’ a more tailored coat trimmed with lace, epaulettes, and buttonhole trim to display the prestige and authority of the wearer.

Even if you didn’t change your jacket, everyone wanted to replace their tri-corn hat with a French ‘chapeau de bras,’ a folding bicorne hat that you could tuck under your arm when you weren’t wearing it. The bicorne hat was decorated with a cockade, a decorative twist of ribbon that signified the wearer's loyalty. Many American soldier’s chose a black and white cockade to display their allegiance to both the United States and their French supporters.

While their outwear looked similar, there were differences underneath. Unlike the French, the American revolutionary soldier – and officer - didn’t have a dedicated item to wear under their trousers. A long linen shirt worn against the skin served the purpose with the tails passed between the legs. American men wouldn’t adopt underwear until the early to mid-1800s, when union suits evolved.