"Getting back to Ferguson's Rifles" Topic

Since they were picked men from various light companies from various regiments, would they have worn the uniforms of the parent units?
I have a "generic Loyalist" unit painted. The usual LI in pimp hats, but with green coats. Would green be wrong? Should I stick with red?

Since the attitude after the Philadelphia campaign was "Well, that was a successful experiment! Let's break them up and send them back where they came from!" I am thinking that just plain old redcoat LI with various facings would be my best bet.

3 men in the center of the "Massacre at Paoli" painting are supposed to depict Feruson's. Ther are depicted in slouch hats with green short coats with white facings.

According to McQuire's book, they were very effective. I suspect they were broken up once their commander was wounded. There is some thoughts the rifles were later shipped to the southern theater later in the war. I think that might be in the back of Harris' book, IIRC.

The unit was always an "experimental corps" that would be disbanded and the men returned to their parent regiments at the end of the campaign season. This was neither stupidity and short-sightedness, nor political vindictiveness, on the part of Howe as is often suggested. All men serving away from their parent regiment on special duties – including the grenadier and light companies – would usually rejoin their parent regiments over the winter months during the AWI. Another issue seems to have been that many of the men, like Ferguson, had become casualties, which may have delayed the reconstruction of the unit. Far from being abandoned, the concept seems to have been widely accepted among the British high command, and Clinton hinted at re-forming the corps at double its original strenght; it is not clear why this didn't happen, but Ferguson's prognosis may well have delayed the process until it became a low priority.

Ferguson brought green cloth for jackets over from Europe along with his rifles; there is no evidence the men wore their own uniforms, unlike the Corps of Select Marksmen in Burgoyne's army, but as has been pointed out, the della Gatta painting of Paoli does depict what appear to be members of the rifle unit. I think the white cuffs may be shirt sleeves, but I could be wrong.

So. I got it right the first time.

I remember reading a book claiming that Ferguson affected a green tartan hunting frock!

Related article FWIW. Part of the challenge seemed to be making the thing. If the rifle was slow in coming then I would assume the uniformed unit will take time to form.
link

Thank you for that very interesting link. Not only for the new information on Ferguson, corps but also for the "Battle of New Brunswick". That looks like an interesting scenario.