"Continentals in Black Coats" Topic

I stumbled on a set of deserter descriptions that indicates that the 6th Virginia and 1st and 3rd South Carolina Continentals supposedly wore black regimental coats faced red in the 1778-79 time period. I'd previously read that Georgia continentals and the Continental artillery used black regimentals, but during this period I thought Va was using blue or brown, and SC was using blue. Were the coats actually black, or were they simply a darker shade of blue than normal? Is there any additional information on black regimental coats issued during this period?

Do the deserter descriptions actually call the coats regimental coats?
They could just be black coats. Despite Lefferts et al, I am leery to think that most deserters would desert in uniform. Although some clearly did.

The CMH plates show several figures in black coats.

OFM-The specific language is "Black uniform coat, faced red" and "Black coats, faced red".

I think that Knox's artillery had that uniform.

But a Continental regiment is new to me.
Good find.

But since we actually know so little about certain Continental regiments uniforms, why not? After all, its your rendition of the conflict.

Jim

We know what the regulations said. But how closely were they followed? Here's a good reason to paint something different. I would use charcoal paint, rather than jet black or lampblack, since it would have faded.

what black dye would have gone into that, and what would it fade to?

Katcher says 29 April 1778, at Charleston 450 men black faced red….
though in a later portrait of Col Pinckney – it shows blue faced red – though examination of the painting revealed a number of other colors (red coat with black facings – perhaps his militia coat, and blue faced buff) painted over.

He goes on to say that in 1778 the 3rd Regt wore…"different drss, and a mixture of all countries (among its members) – Katcher theorizes this could mean a mix of facings (red and white) or simply different than the first two regiments, which both had red facings.

Katcher says the in 1776 it would appear the 6th VA was wearing hunting frocks dyed black. In 1777 the units appears to have been issued a mixture of coats and hunting frocks. A deserter description in 1778 describes the coat of light gray cloth faced in green.

I believe Katcher's description is for the old 6th Virginia, before the first reorganization of the Virginia line. I think the one I saw was in 1779, after the first reorganization, when the old 10th Virginia was renumbered as the 6th Virginia.

Which is I am far less specific for my Continental army than my British or Hessian one. I find a unit like and paint it up and let him stand in for just about anyone.

When the Patriots dyed the captured red coats from the British at places like Saratoga, they were dyed.
The combination of the red and blue dyed coats often resulted in a black shade. This happened a number of times. Seems that many of these black coats were given to State Quartermasters. The amount of tint in the coats were commented on as being a dark gray to a midnight blue tint.

I would use charcoal paint, rather than jet black or lampblack, since it would have faded.

And you don't want to use anything darker than charcoal in any case because of the scale effect, unless the garment is made of leather (or rubber). Or just maybe silk.

Black (with red facings) was supposed to become the official uniform of the Continental Artillery over the winter of 1777-78. Unfortunately, not enough cloth could be found and a decision was made to revert to blue (one of the four regiments – Proctor's – had refused to wear black and ordered blue anyway). There were also odd instances of black – most likely dark grey – hunting shirts among some of the early Continental units.

In truth, black was hardly ever used for rank-and-file uniforms in this period, as it was an extremely expensive colour to produce due to of the number and complexity of the dyeing processes involved. Any attempt to produce cheaper versions resulted in material that quickly faded to brown or green. This is why it tended to be the preserve of the clergy and the wealthy in Europe.

It is quite likely that the "black" observed on these deserters was really a very intense indigo (think French Napoleonic uniforms), but that is pure speculation on my part. That said, I must confess that I've never come across black/dark grey resulting from attempts to dye captured British coats. Aside from the fact that I think they were invariably dyed brown (using earth dyes), introducing a blue dye to red cloth would have given purple surely?

When reading deserter reports please pay attention to the use of 'regimentals'. The wearing of civilian jackets and coats for off duty daily wear was very common. Often the number of regimantal coats was less than the total number of men in the unit.

A deserter who left wearing regimentals were regarded with disdain by the reporting officers.

The wearing of civilian jackets and coats for off duty daily wear was very common.

Actually, that's not the case. The men frequently wore their regimental coats for fatigue duties precisely in order to save their own clothes from wear-and-tear. There are numerous orders from several senior officers – including Washington, IIRC – that the practice should stop. One of the main reasons that hunting shirts were issued alongside regimental coats in the early part of the war was to save the latter from daily usage, so they would last as long as possible and look good for parades and battle.

I can certainly understand that men would wear civilian clothes in order to desert, as it would attract less attention and make it easier to hide in the local populace. Non-issue of promised uniforms was occasionally a reason for desertion, but if men were performing military duties that caused unusual wear and tear on clothing, I would see them regarding the wearing of their own clothes as an imposition.

I think SM hit upon it. It was probably not black but dark blue, indigo, navy blue, midnight blue, whatever you want to call it.

I would also throw in that if you are relatively poor, as bad as the quality could be. The issued uniforms may have been the best clothing you ever had.

From the mouth of Mrs Carp, the onsite historical fabric information source (we ran a reenactor reproduction fabric business for a long time, and she was pretty well up on techniques used for obtaining colors in fabric):

Black dye was one of the hardest things to produce until more modern dyeing processes came into being; usually an _extremely_ dark green or dark blue was used as a base and an over dye of this with a tannic oxide (oxgalls or black walnut husks suitably rotted) might accomplish a suitable black. For a while.
As to the faded color? Weathered Charcoal with a hint of green or blue might be about as historically accurate as you might obtain.

link
(thanks to my wife's friend, who is a fabric artist and quilter extraordinaire.)