"Lee's Legion Infantry Uniforms" Topic

A good friend sent me this in an email:

With respect to your Lee's Legion at Guilford Courthouse project, the following quote from p. 308 of the 1812 edition of Lee's memoirs may be of use:

'The legion taking the lead, with the horse in front, lieutenant colonel Lee put himself at its head, to direct operations both delicate and important. This stratagem could not fail in imposing on the country people, however well acquainted they might be with the appearance of British troops, so far as respected the legion, inasmuch as both cavalry and infantry were dressed in short green coats, with other distinctions exactly resembling some of the enemy's light corps.'

This quotation refers to the advance of Lee's men towards what would become known as Pyle's Massacre. That incident took place in the early hours of February 25, 1781 – about three weeks before the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.

I have specifically looked for any variation in that quotation in later editions of Lee's memoirs. I haven't found one. I think that has to be regarded as pretty conclusive evidence of at least the color and cut of the Legion's cavalry and infantry dress.

So, does this conclusively end the discussion of what uniforms the infantry of Lee's Legion wore at Guilford? Or are there conflicting accounts?

One source does not necessarily equate to definitive proof. If you could find another account with te same info, that would help.

I'm not familiar with the Lee memoirs, so why is the account in the third person?

so why is the account in the third person?

Perhaps for same reason the Caesar's Gallic Wars were in third person- make it look as if someone else is bulling up your achievements?

Writing in the third person was not uncommon at that time. Winfield Scott's memoirs and various reports, if I recall correctly, were written in the same manner.

It does make it sound a bit pretentious, but it's a method.

Bill, I'm not sure if this is the final end-all-be-all, but I think you can safely say that around that time they wore a uniform similar enough to the "other" Legion, that there was confusion…

Hope your move went well and you're healing up too.

Eric

It sounds like if you can pin down Lee's Legion, you have also nailed down the British Legion. And vice versa.

I seem to recall some converstaion on TMP that did not settle the uniform of the foot troops of the British Legion either.
Me, I use Perry LI in green coats wearing pimp hats. But they are also my "generic Loyalists".

When did he write this? How many years after the events? Ewald supposedly wrote his journal every night, then transcribed it into a book years later. My point being, Ewald's was largely written that day. Not sure about Lee's and questions of remembering correctly.

Apparently he wrote these some years later:

link

I'm not saying he is mis-remembering, but the gap in time does raise that possibility.

John;
There you go with the "pimp hat" thing again…

"Huggy Bear's Hussars…"

Eric

I am going by what some deLancey reenactors called it when I saw them locally.

Everyone knows the Lee's Legion mounted field commander was Colonel Starsky and the foot commander was Lt. Colonel Hutch. I saw it on TV Land last night. The fact the Captain Huggy Bear fought with the legion is proof that African American troops fought in the legion. All of them wore pimp hats, nothing else makes sense! End of controversy.

: O

B

Memoirs can be influenced by political considerations (as Caesar's were!) and certainly the closer to the event the more reliable -- but it is hard for me to imagine that the commander of Lee's legion couldn't remember what color coat they were wearing, or that he had any reason to lie about it.

The infantry had green coats.

I have to agree with Doc. There are plenty of things to lie about in your memoirs, but uniform colors are not one of them.

Bill

The 1812 edition of Lee's Memoirs cannot be treated as prima facie evidence because it is not written at the time, whereas the comments about the blue and red etc are more or less contemporary. See the comments in Larry Babits and Josh Howard' GCH book on the 'relaibility' of the 1812 edition of Lee's memoirs (my copy is not to hand and I have partaken of a dram but can look it out if you wish). The main issue you are perhaps seeking to resolve are what kind of coats and cap did the foot wear? If you take the analogy of the British Legion into account then the info quoted by Lefferts and Rene Chartrand (the Loyalist Osprey) supports the conclusion that the foot and horse are dressed differently. The same is true I suspect of Harry Lee's boys.

Don't forget Willie Dynamite!

There's an illustration of Lee's legion infantry by D. Troiani that I rather like.

Is that the pink leisure suits?
I have those Perry figures.
I think Bill wants to avoid them, though.

He may not remember correctly due to the number of uniforms issued over the course of the unit's history. Just saying memory is a fallable thing, especially when sitting in debtors prison some years later. :-) He may be right, he may be wrong. Best if it can be backed up by a second source – if it is that important to you.

Remember, in WWII, ever tank faced by GIs was a Tiger and every gun that shot at them was an 88. Just saying, eyewitnesses sometimes don't make the best… er… eyewitness. :-)

Thomas,
The main issue you are perhaps seeking to resolve are what kind of coats and cap did the foot wear? If you take the analogy of the British Legion into account then the info quoted by Lefferts and Rene Chartrand (the Loyalist Osprey) supports the conclusion that the foot and horse are dressed differently. The same is true I suspect of Harry Lee's boys.

Do you have anysource to back that up? I am trying to be as accurate as possible here. Everything that I research points to the infanrty wearing those purple suits prior to 1780.

No one (other the Lee hinslef) seems to know what the infantry wore at Guilford. Short green coats with the cavalry helmet is the best I can come up with.
I will gladly take any further info under advisement.

Bill

Firstly apologies for taking so long to reply to this, life, the universe etc.

Firstly the purple linen suit was worn by Maclean's company in 1778. However by in the south it appears that the infantry component of Lee's Legion were in blue faced red see

link

As to the infantry elements of the QAR and British Legion wearing different uniform the evidence has been quoted several times in Lefferts' book, paper by Bill Carman in JSAHR but is probably most easily accessed in Rene Chartrand's MAA American Loyalist Troops (see descriptionsfor plate G)

I understand that suggesting Lee's Legion were not dressed in green might go against current excepted knowledge. But when I painted them up I used the painting of Lee himself in a tan/brown faced green coat. In addition I also used the following quote from private Shaw of the 33rd regiment of foot. He was captured just prior to guilford courthouse and wrote later:

"Scarcely had we gone half way up the lane, when seven of Lee's light horse made their appearance: my companion swore there was Tarleton's light horse coming, and, says he, ‘we shall be taken up on suspicion of plundering, and get 500 lashes a piece.' ‘No;' said I, upon observing their brown coats, and white cockades, ‘no, friend, you are deceived; these must be the rebels.' Having therefore discovered his mistake, he began to cry;--but for my part, I thought it very good fortune.—As they were advancing towards us, we concluded to go and meet them; which we accordingly did, and falling on our knees begged for quarter; which they granted ….

B6GOBOS

Your comments relate to Lee's Legion horse – the infantry were dressed (and equipped) differently. So Lee's Legion cavalry element in green is no problem. What the original question was about was/is what the foot element was wearing in the south.

Thomas
since no one has turned up an inspection return or quarter master return for the legion infantry then it is a case of best guess. Hence my suggestion basted on Lee's portrait in a light tan/ brown coat with green facing for the cavalry uniform rather then a green jacket. Private Shaw confirms this. As to the infantry my guess is also a tan/brown faced greet coat with cocked hat or light infantry helmet. Note that this would be similar to how the British legion infantry was dressed baded on a inspection return (quoted in Lawson).

B6GOBOS,

If you read the link that I initially posted it mentiosns the evidence for the Legion infantry having a different uniform from the mounted element. To be brief it is the issue of enough cloth to three officers to make coats of blue faced red and lined white (see p40 Katcher Uniforms of the Continental Army). This was by the clothier general of Maryland in 1782 – coincidentally at about the same time of the portrait of Harry Lee painted by Charles Wilson Peale. In addition Sherman (in the link I initially posted) refers to a portrait of Legion officer Laurence Manning who was shown in a blue coat faced red.

As to the British Legion foot again materials from 1782 show a green light infantry coat likely with light infantry caps (this is based on the similarities of two listings the Wiederhold list and. Lawson is great as a resource but one has to bear in mind he quotes no sources and things have moved on. If you look at Rene Chartrands recent American Loyalist Corps MAA then the data concerning Legion uniforms are discussed therein under commentary on plate G1. Roughly speaking this covers the period 1780 – 1783.

According to Simcoe's Journal(p 210) see

link

Tarleton's Legion were in white but as this relates to the period of campaigning in Virginia in May 1781. It highly likely it only relates to the Legion cavalry as most of the Legion infantry had gone into the bag at Cowpens in January 1781. After that unfortunate event the Legion had to rely on attached companies of light infantry from other corps in order to supply its deficiency in infantry. Of course what we do not know is what white garment the BL cavalry were wearing – was it just shirt sleeves, stable jackets or even hunting shirts? No idea no one tells us but if there is confusion between the BL Cavalry and Lee's Legion horse (as seems to be the case based on near contemporary literature) it does not extend to the infantry elements of either corps which seem to have worn distinct uniforms green from the BL and Blue faced red for Lee's infnatry.