"British Uniforms New York/New Jersey Campaign" Topic

Anything special about British uniforms in New York and New Jersey 76-77? Were the British wearing Tricorne hats? I was going to do warrant uniforms but I thought I would check with our resident experts.

If you don't use Warrant uniforms in 1776, then would you use them?
If you don't use them in this campaign, you may as well throw out any figures you have in that uniform. Or ship them to me.

That's what I was thinking.

Most pictures show this sort of uniform…

If you don't use Warrant uniforms in 1776, then would you use them?

1775?

I've used figures in the 1768 Warrant uniform at Guilford Courthouse.
Once I draft and paint a unit, it serves the entire War.
I can't afford 4 different uniforms for how the 23rd foot looked through the entire war.

I agree, use what you have. Says the guy with both tricorne and a floppy hat wearing British army and is thinking about doing specific Saratoga figures too…..

You are more then welcome to use any figures you wish. if you have figures in full dress uniforms in cocked hats go for it. They look great!

If you want figures in 1776/1777 campaign dress there is ample documentation to show how they were dressed. The Brigade of Guards orderly books and Ensign Glyn's journal talk about how they adapted for America. (Here is a blog entry I did for the guards link

Use of the roundhat dates to the Boston garrison in 1775. Here is a clipping of a contemporary painting of the landing on Long Island. Nice detail of troops in the boat wearing round hats.

A good source for figures are the wonderful Fife and Drum miniatures.

My plan is to have specific uniforms for Saratoga, Southern and New York/New Jersey. I have it for the first two. The NY/NJ is what's left. I will probably reuse the Germans I already have as their uniforms are close enough. I also plan to reuse my British Lights and Grenadiers.

Most common Brit uniform for Howe's 1776 and 1777 Army would have been round hats and round about or shorten coats. My armies have a mixture of modified uniforms, and Royal Warrant.

What scale/figures are you using?

As units came over late in the war it is a bit uncertain who modified their kits and who didn't. Personally, I enjoy the mixture of kits.

The Burgoyne look is rather unique to that army. Apparently even the grenadiers of that army also wore the cut down wool felt hat and not the bearskins.

It also took time for the new uniforms to reach/catch up with a regiment if keep moving to different posts or theaters. For Example the 24th ordered their '76 clothing while they were stationed in Ireland in '75. In 1776 they were sent to Canada, the clothing didn't get to Canada until 1777. Afterwards the 24th went south and the clothing ordered in 1775, for 1776, didn't catch up with the 24th until 1779. As an aside the 84th Royal Highland Emigrants were ordered, in 1781, to take on the clothing issued for the 21st, even though the 21st aren't a Highland corps. Many units in Gilbralter didn't receive new uniforms from Britain during the siege.

My British are 28mm, Perry and Foundry.

I have been considering just that. Mixing in a few round and slouch hats. I have a few Southern figures left over that I might sprinkle in.

Great stuff guys.

I would not mix hats in a Brit unit, I would be consistent. They either wore round hats or cocked hats, but not both.

The sergeants wouldn't allow it!
"What do you lot think you are? Continentals???"

"This is the 1768 uniform coat
and these the Regimental facings and buttons
-whose use you will see when you receive your coats.
And this is the uniform cocked hat
With black cockade and white binding
-which in your case you have not got…"

(With apologies to Henry Reed)

There is an inspection return where the men are wearing hats laced with white linen rather than mohair tape. So if the proper stuff didn't make it across the big blue wet thing, use what is available. Of course it is still going to come out of the Ptes. pockets, regulation or not.

I believe the Perry 28mm figures allow you do mix and match. Fortunately, Blue Moon 15s (what I use) have done various campaign uniforms, including the Burgoyne expedition.

A German colonel refers to the British troops wearing one-piece gaitered overalls, comparing them (positively) to the inconvenience of breeches and long (over-knee) gaiters worn by his own men. Howe encouraged the cropping of regimental coats and cocked hats (as he and his eldest brother, George, had done in the F&IWar), but this is not blindingly obvious on a 28mm figure, so you could get away with 1775 figures. As <<historygamer>> suggests, I would not mix hat styles in British units as there are frequent orders to "arrange" the hat as per a pattern held by X at Y (usually this was done at a regimental level, so I have wondered if the arrangement varied from regiment to regiment, or possibly by brigade).

The amphibious nature of the NYC campaign would suggest tump-lines instead of backpacks for most operations, but again, your call. The big difference between 1776 and 1777 was probably the simplification of the Light Infantry uniform to "slouch" hat and roundabout (converted waistcoat) for the Philadelphia campaign; so different figures for your Light Battalions is probably the only change needed from the (cropped) Warrant uniforms.