The Philadelphia Associators were first formed as companies of volunteer militia on 21 November 1747 by Benjamin Franklin among others.
There were only two active Associator companies by early 1775-Captain John Cadwalader's Philadelphia Greens and Captain Joseph Cowperthwait's Quaker Blues.
Because of Lexington in April, however, four uniformed battalions as well as several separate companies were formed and organized and were seen to be constantly drilling.
By August of 1775 there were four infantry battalions, numbers 1-4, a 5th rifle battalion, an artillery battalion and a unit known as the City Guards which performed the internal duties of an auxiliary police unit.
Silas Deane, a member of the 2d Continental Congress, in a letter to his wife on 3 June 1775, described the appearance of the new battalions:
‘The uniform is worth describing to you. It is a dark brown (like out homespun coat), faced with red, white, yellow, or buff, according to their different battalions, white vest and breeches, white stockings, half boots, and black knee garters. The coat is made short, falling but a little below the waistband of the breeches, which shows the size of a man to a great advantage. Their hats are small…with a red, white, or black ribbon, according to their battalions, closing in a rose, out of which rises a tuft of fur of deer (made to resemble the buck's tail as much as possible) six or eight inches high. Their cartouch boxes are large, with the word LIBERTY and the number of their battalion written on the outside in large white letters. Thus equipped they make a most elegant appearance, as their cartouch boxes are hung with a broad white horse-leather strap or belt, and their bayonets, etc., on the other side, with the same, which two, crossing on the shoulders diamond-fashion, gives an agreeable appearance viewed in the rear.'
‘The light infantry are in green, faced with buff, vests, etc., as the others, except the cap, which is a hunter's cap, or a jockey's. These are, without exception, the genteelest companies I ever saw. They have, besides, a body of irregulars, or riflemen, whose dress is hard to describe. They take a piece of Ticklenbergh, or towcloth, that is stout, and put it in a tanvat until it has the shade of a fallen dry leaf. Then they make a kind of frock of it, reaching down below the knee, open before, with a large cape. They wrap it around them tight on the march, and tie it with their belt, in which hangs their tomahawk. Their hats are the same as the others. They exercise in the neighboring groves, firing at marks and throwing their tomahawks, forming on a sudden into line, and then, as the work, breaking their order and taking their parts to hit their mark. West of this city is a large open square of nearly two miles each way, with large groves each side, in which, each afternoon, they collect, with a vast number of spectators. They have a body of horse in training, but as yet I have not seen them out.'
From Mrs Mary Morgan to her sister:
‘Last Thursday we had a grand review of all three battalions all dressed in their regimentals, the first in brown and buff, the 3d brown turned up with white; and the 2d brown and red…besides there is four other uniforms, the Light Infantry to the 3d Battalion are dressed in green and with white lapels and white waistcoats, breeches and stockens, smart caps and feathers-it is a compleat company as can be, all gentlemen and most of them young fellows and very handsome. My neighbor Cadawalider capten and my brother George Morgan first Lietenant. There is another company all young Quakers, their uniform is light blue and turned up with white, made exactly like the green. Then there is the Rangers Mr Francis captain. Their uniform is tanned shirts with a cape fringed. A belt round their waists with a Tommy hawk sticking in it. Some of them paint their faces and stick painted feathers in their heads, in short their aim is to resemble Indians as much as possible. Lastly comes the light horse. Mr Marko their Captain. There is only five and twenty of them as yet but really they look exceedingly well.'
Perhaps the horse mentioned are the single troop of the Philadelphia Light Horse?