"Washington's uniform at Monongahela" Topic

Washington was a staff officer for Braddock at the Monongahela.He wasn't the commanding officer of the Virginia regiment at that time.The Virginia regiment was transitioning from red coat uniform to blue at that time.Robert Griffing who researches his subjects throughly has Washington in a red coat in his painting "The Wounding of Braddock"Does anyone have a definitive source that states what Washington was wearing at the Monongahela?
Mark

Well, if it was me I would be painting brown breeches, but that's only because I would suspect George (Himself) might have been having an involuntary glandular contraction at the beginning of the episode…

In all seriousness, I do not recall any source that states specifically what George (Himself) was wearing.

That being said, I would suspect his red regimentals would be appropriate for a "gentleman volunteer"…

Eric

As he was rather ill I would say a nightshirt?

All red uniforms were very popular with Provincial officers. They were often worn even in units where the rank and file was issued a different uniform. The original uniform of the Virginia Regiment was all red. It's likely Washington had bought an all-red uniform to wear as their Colonel. It's likely Washington continued to wear it as a volunteer on Braddock's staff.

Since he was probably foisted on Braddock by the local provincial government, Braddock probably didn't care what he wore. Arrogant young pup started the whole mess anyway.

John Jenkins Designs take on George Washington's apperrel for the Monongahela…..

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No one knows if that is accurate.
Mark

Washington did not hold a commission in the English army. He was a commissioned Continental officer. He was being groomed/sponsored for a commission by Braddock. When Braddock died, so did Washington's chances of getting an English commission.

I suspect he was wearing whatever the continental army officers wore at the time.

Continental?

Continental?

Colonial? Better?

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As I said Washington wasn't the commander of the Virginia regiment at the time of Monongahela and the regiment was changing from red to blue uniforms at the time so any painting is suspect.Nothing has been found that I am aware of has described his attire at the battle.I was just wondering if anybody else has read anything from old writings of those times.
Mark

Good thread, largely correct answers.

The previous version of the VA Regiment, that Washington surrendered at Fort Necessity, had no uniforms, though there is some thought red coats with red cuffs were issued to some, probably what the officers wore.

IIRC, Braddock brought over blue coats, faced red, red cuffs and turnbacks, though the coats were shortened, often called bob-tails (a term also used for Light Infantry later). But, as noted above, the VA Regt was re-organized after Necessity into independent companies, with no colonel.

Most likely Washington wore his red coat from the Necessity campaign. He wrote home requesting a pair of boots, as worn by the English officers (makes you wonder what he wore before). He had no commission at this time, and was hoping to secure a British one. He was well liked by Braddock, and the feeling was returned by George.

So, to answer the question, best guess would be red coat, no facings, red cuffs. Red breeches and waistcoat, riding boots. Black tricorne, trimmed in silver. Maybe silver lace on his coat, maybe not.

In 1755 he participated as a volunteer aide in the ill-fated expedition of General Edward Braddock, where he distinguished himself in the retreat following the climactic Battle of Monongahela.

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Volunteer aide to me suggests just that. He volunteered. He probably brought his uniform with him. He also returned to his old regiment after the campaign. I seriously doubt the British army would have taken the time to outfitted him with a matching uniform. I don't think this near contemporary painting is suspect at all.

They re-organized the VA Regiment (including adding a second regiment) after the Baddock debacle, and George became Colonel.

He was not outfitted as a British officer as there were no staff uniforms at that time, IIRC. He was an aide de camp to the General, a gentleman volunteer with frontier expertise. He held no commission, either Royal or Provincial.

The above Peale portrait was painted post-war, and most likely reflects his VA Regimentals from 1758 onwards.

I am also not sure that painting is correct for F&I, as IIRC, the lace color for the VA regiments was silver, not gold. His gorget survives and is gold. I think that painting also exists showing silver lace. The color of gorgets at the time might have all been gold, regardless of the regimental lace/buttons. There is no period portrait of any British officer wearing a silver gorget. The only one that shows a sliver gorget that is Lt. Col John Smith which was painted just prior to the new Royal Clothing Warrants change in '68.

Not likely George wore either sash or gorget during the Braddock campaign for the previoulsy stated reasons of position. The highest rank of the VA companies with Braddock was Captain. George declined to lower himself to that rank.

I agree that the uniform depicted in Washington's portrait was most likely the one he wore while serving on Forbes' campaign. Before that you are most likely going to have to settle on an educated guess. I am fairly certain Washington would have provided his own uniform and there is no certainty it would have followed the pattern in use by Virginia troops at the time.

Virginia troops would officially have worn red in 1754 and adopted blue in 1755. Certainly a number during both eras would not have been uniformed. As Historygamer indicates the red coats were being delivered to Virginia forces during the 1754 campaign. He thinks they may have gone to officers. I believe to rank and file, in part because we are talking about clothing issues and officers would likely have purchased their own and made their own arrangements to get the uniforms to them.

I know re-enactor sites are questionable, but for what its worth here is one: link

To clarify, I think all officers supplied their own uniforms, even Provincials. The red uniforms supplied in '54 were for the enlisted men.

To clarify, I think all officers supplied their own uniforms, even Provincials.

So now the question is, would they have set themselves apart from their own men? Would Washington have worn a uniform that was different from his troops? Are there examples of unit commanders wearing different colored uniforms? How frequently?

All of that might answer your question a bit better to your liking.

John

You have to remember that Washington was not a member of the regiment during the Monongahela campaign.He probably wore his old uniform from 1754 or maybe even civilian clothes.
Mark

I would think that as a member of the Virginia gentry and especially anxious to obtain a commission, the regimental he wore during the Fort Necessity business would have sufficed. Clothing at that time was a durable good. And even if it was unadorned, a suit of red, cut in a regimental style, would have set him off from others.

He was not "just" another colonial tagalong. He was trying to impress and would have been cognizant of what a "gentleman volunteer" would have tried to emulate.

I doubt civilian clothes would have worked. He was looking to command respect and the attention of Braddock.

My two shillings worth…

Eric

Good points Eric.It's a shame that no one from the expedition wrote about his appearance.You would think that anybody that was there and was still alive when he became commander of the Continental Army would have written about being on campaign with him.
Mark

Officers often dressed differently than the enlisted men during this time period. In the Bouquet Papers, Forbes scolds his officers for not wearing their redcoats while on duty, including courts martials.

But this thread about GW in '55 – here is a well researched painting of Washington and some of his men in '54, by John Buxton. John pulled me aside one time and told me I was his model for GW (back to viewer). He just gave me a bigger nose and some more inches in height. Wonder if anyone here knows who I am talking to (face over GW's shoulder)supposed to be Captain McKay of the Ind. Company?

Here is a good one by Bob Griffing

auction

Ooops, link to John's painting

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Here is a better one

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HG;
Well, if it's not Indian Tom, it might be Tom Vogeley…

Just saying.

Eric

Marco;
I think by the time of the Revolution, he would have declaimed anything of his original wish to become a proper commissioned officer.

On the other hand, one would have wished an observer would have recorded something appropriate for George (Himself)…

Eric

Here was a TV program I worked on for two years, produced for The Learning Channel. I was Associate Producer, lead re-enactor wrangler, directed many of the scenes, etc, etc.

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We put "George" in a red coat until 1758, then switched to blue, faced red, silver lace.