"Pirate Era Colonial troops" Topic

HI during 1660-1715 or so what jacket colour would one use for the Carribean Colonial powers coastal troops, aka Spanish and French soldiers?

British are clearly scarlet or red jackets, are the French Lt grey with the Spanish white or yellow brown?

Can't seem to locate colours for the Spanish until 1715+.

GG

Not so quick on the British colors. I'm a long way from an expert but I don't think any country had really settled on a national color until the end of your time frame. And the far colonies would be even slower. So I think you're safe to use what ever color appeals to you. Unless you really need precise historicity.

This is a little outside of your period but the colonial Spanish forces wore blue in 1740 – link

It appears that blue was in use as early as the 1660s, although the colonial troops would not necessarily be uniformly outfitted – scroll down for clothing info link

The New Model Army adopted a red tunic in the mid-1640s, and I think red was well accepted by the 1660s onwards.

Actually, Spanish infantry in this era usually wore white coats, although some units had blue and blue-faced-red is probably correct for the St. Augustine garrison. French infantry mostly wore white.

Red was likely seen as a universal British thing. Pere Labat who was in the region at the time and fought the British, commented several times on the fact that they wore red coats…and they used a lot of cavalry btw!

Spanish florida and West Indies troops usually wore blue with red facings and the only French regulars I can find are Marine companies. So' white with blue facings probably.

Any able,to find anything about any Dutch troops in this time frame? I wasn't able to dig up anything on them. :(

So could one simply use white with blue trim to represent spanish and French colonial troops? Or for French use white with blue trim, Spanish blue with red trim?

Maybe cool whites (built up from gray) for French and warm whites (built up from beige or tan) for the Spanish?

Why different shades of white for Spanish vs. French, Flashman? I'll grant, French uniform coats were wool while Spanish uniforms in the American colonies were sometimes wool, sometimes cotton. 18th century artwork generally shows them all as whiter-than-white. Modern artwork tends toward light grey for both.

17th century colonial troops would wear more of a rounded flat brimmed hat rather then the tricot be of the early 18th century correct?

Yes. European soldiers started cocking their hats in the 1690s, as best I can tell, and the style took a few years to fully develop.

I found these on the Khurusan Site, would these work for Spanish and/or French Colonial Troops 1660-1700?

I'd use them. The '12 apostles' bandoleers suggest matchlock muskets. Looks like they lack bayonets, another clue. Yeah, they're perfect. Be sure to paint in the seat-rot stains on their uniforms at armpits and crotch.

A plate in the Buccaneers Osprey book shows Spanish West Indies militia in white coats.

I'm going to go with White, thanks guys for all the help.

Try this image collection at the New York Public Library Digital Gallery.

Uniforms and Regimental Regalia: The Vinkhuijzen Collection of Military Costume Illustration
link

Bekosh, thanks for the excellent web source.