"What Were Stark's NH Militiamen Wearing At Bennington?" Topic

John Stark was an incredibly interesting man. Captured and held by Abanaki Indians, ransomed and returned to New Hampshire, he rises to the rank of Captain in Rogers Rangers.
He was along for the raid on St Francis, yet did not fight in the battle, due to his time spent living with these same Abanaki.
Stark then appears at Bunker Hill where he becomes one of the heroes of the day. He gets passed over by Congress for promotion and resigns. He returns to NH where he becomes the General of the NH militia. He only agrees to take the Command because of a clause, that exempts Stark from having to obey orders from the Continental Commanders.

Stark leads his NH Militia with an assist from the Green Mountain Boys to a destruction of the Brunswickers, Loyalists, Canadians and Indians at Bennington.
Washing pushes hard and Stark is reinstated as a General in Continental Army.

What an amazing life?

Anyway, Stark certainly knew how to prepare for a campaign.
His reputation was such that he raised 1400 militia men in 6 days. It would be warm in the middle of August in Bennington. Probably starting to get chilly at night, though.

I'e looked all around the internet, went through all the usual suspects (Mollo, Katcher, Lefferts and on and on) and can find no reference to what the NH Militia would be dressed in. A lot of these guys were not the typical farmer.
They were tough old Indian fighters and they would know what to wear out in the wild. I'm thinking a mix of civilian and Indian clothing might be right.
I've checked the NH Militia site, but it's really not much help.

I'm also just guessing that Stark would have a rifle company or two.
I'm also guessing that they must have had some sort of standard. A militia that was able to muster that many men that quickly, had to be trained. There would have been a flag. Perhaps more than one. Towns or Counties would wish to be represented and identified.

Anyone have any ideas about what sot of clothing Stark's men would be wearing?

My wife's ancestor was one of Stark's men.he was a veteran of Bunker Hill and Quebec. I'm sure little of any uniform he had survived those campaigns. Civilian clothes would be it, maybe a hunting shirt.

This image seems to support use of civilian attire.

Militia are civilian untrained volunteers. So the use of daily civilian clothes. The only comments on regulation coats being used are for those men who were veterans. Some may wear the coats of their father.

There are notes on the use of field signs such as armbands and greenery, feathers or animal tails in Southern campaigns.

Bill;
What I was able to find was not very helpful, either. I would recommend civilian clothes, not necessarily shirt sleeves, but I'd stay away from hunting shirts.

There's a very nice myth about how many were "old Indian fighters" and how many had actual experience in combat, etc.

The reality is, it's hard to discern just from muster rolls, etc.

I would disagree with New England militia being described as "untrained" volunteers. I would posit that there was some level of training, especially as we've passed the first year of war, so there was certainly some level of training done at the company level. Maybe not so much at the battalion or brigade level.

My two shillings worth.

Eric

No rifles in New England militia. Rifles were a PA and south thing. Yes, they were present (as a regiment) at Saratoga, but those men weren't from the NY/VT/NH area.

I would not count on any FIW coats from veterans of the Royal Americans or provincial regiments.
Can you fit into a 20 year old jacket? And it would have been worn and worn out a long time ago. Maybe one or two to mark the odd, rich officer who takes seriously being a militia officer.

Of course, all these suggestions assume you are starting from scratch. I would just go to my Box O'Militia and haul out the usual suspects for a game.

You really have to have eagle eyes to pick out rifles on 28mm figures on the table top. If they do happen to have rifles, they are muskets.

Thought you might find this interesting –
link

Referencing both arms and the lack of uniforms

From link

Referencing Samuel Drakes Book on the 1777 campaign

No rifles in New England militia.

I think that it's very unwise to talk in terms of absolutes
when discussing the AWI.

I also find it very difficult to believe that no one owned a rifle in the entire New England militias.

Plenty of riflemen in the F&I War which was fought mainly in NY and New England.

nevinsrip – the link above refers to sharpshooters having rifles – referring to a British officer observing the militia

Most New Englanders preferred the fowler for hunting, it was more adaptable. You could fire birdshot, buckshot, and round ball. When Southern riflemen showed up for the siege of Boston the locals were amazed at rifle's accuracy. Also remember that the rifle came from Central Europe, and with the settlers from those regions rather than Great Britain. Another thing, if painting early war N.E. militia have very, very, very few hunting shirts, if any, in the unit since the hunting shirt is also a regional garment not native to N.E.

Disaster, I was not disputing the link. I believe that there were more rifles present than just Morgans men.

Since the NH Militia was comprised of 1400 men it just stand to reason that some of them would carry rifles.

I am researching further to see if I can pin down what Stark's men wore. So far, I've found 2 Conn. units and 5 Rhode Island units on Rudy Nelson's Hunting Shirts list. So there were HS in NE according to that.

nevin – wasnt sure you had seen it –

I suspect you are right and I am continuing to look myself

A few things I found

From The Centennial History of the Battle of Bennington

The activity of the Council of Safety could not fail to instil a certain degree of enthusiasm in the minds of all interested in the loyal cause of the Americans Every day witnessed the arrival of new recruits in Bennington and although many came unarmed and even unprovided with camp utensils these deficiences were supplied as far as lay in the power of the Council Uniforms were entirely unknown in the ranks of the volunteers Each one suited his own taste and ability in clothing himself and these generally resulted in the simple farmer's frock and pantaloons Each one also was expected to furnish his own firearms

PDF link

Washington's General Order of July 24, 1776 Washington recommended hunting shirts as part of the clothing bounty to be provided by the Continental Congress. He considered it the most practical garment for troops. In his July 1776 General order, he wrote: "No dress can be cheaper, nor more convenient, as the wearer may be cool in warm weather and warm in cool weather by putting on under cloaths which will not change the outward dress, Winter or Summer – Besides which it is a dress justly supposed to carry no small terror to the enemy, who think every such person a complete marksman."

link

Hunting shirts were not worn by the New England Patriots who fought at Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, and the Siege of Boston. The hunting shirt was not adopted as a uniform for New England regiments serving in the Continental Army until mid-1776.

link

Speaks of Hessians in full dress while patriots were in shirts and towsers

Addresses on the Battle of Bennington, and the Life and Services of Col. Seth Warner, Delivered Before the Legislature of Vermont, in Montpelier, October 20, 1848

• On Saturday morning Stark was joined by Colonel Symonds with part of a regiment of Berkshire militia and by Colonel Her rick at the head of three hundred Vermont Rangers in a uniform of green with red facings

• Prior to the arrival of Stark
Schuyler who at first had contented himself with granting the Vermonters half a ton of powder now sent Warner $4,000 USD and an order for whatever clothing could be procured in Albany

"Speaks of Hessians in full dress while patriots were in shirts and towsers"

They were Braunschweig (Brunswick) troops, and they were in modified uniforms (trowzers instead of breeches, etc) though otherwise they looked pretty "regimental."

They were non-uniformed militia. They wore civilian clothes. Possibly a few of them who had served in Continental Army and after serving their time came home and joined the local militia.

So a few with brown face red and blue faced red coats. Some with hunting shirts. But for the most part they wore civilian clothes.

I would say they got as much training as any other militia unit. They knew how to form ranks and march. They were most likely all armed with either Brown Bess muskets or similar French musket. Not sure how much training with the bayonet.

It is quite possible that at least some of the militia were Minutemen, who would have had hatchets instead of bayonets; but I would agree with civilian clothing for the vast majority.

Chances are most early war militia wouldn't have had bayonets. Until May of 1775 Massachusetts only required troops that resided in Boston to have bayonets. The 1696 militia laws were what was in place, with province amendments, until the new states came up with their own militia laws.
I believe that when GGovenor Tryon of New York was having a new manual written for the militia, he suggested leaving out bayonet drill since most of the militia didn't have them. Swords or a Cutlash were the "official" side arm, with hachets becoming an unofficial, acceptable subsitute.
I would be surprised to find that the typical militiaman would have everything that he was supposed to have, and I would be even more surprised to find him carrying more than what was required.

link

Gasp!! Rogers Rangers in Hunting Shirts!!

And Hollywood is ALWAYS right.

Yes especially when Hollywood have the Rangers wearing Glengarry bonnets…