"I need help with colors for provincial regiments " Topic

Did provincial regiments carry colors in the FIW?

I've been digging into that a lot lately. The answer is: probably not. They may or may not have even had them for parade use. If they did, they very likely would have looked like British Regimental colours.

But… One of mine certainly will!

Historically, there was one Captain Henry Bayeux of the Westchester County New York Provincials. For my gaming table, Capt. Bayeux' Company shall be primarily drawn from New Rochelle, and they shall proudly carry a Green Standard (regimental facing colour, in the dark green of the officers' coats) with the Union in Canton, and a Huguenot Cross on the field.

New Rochelle was founded by ex-pat Huguenots from Rochelle who were not allowed to migrate to New France.

It sounds like you have done a lot of research.
I would think that a higher formation would need colors for a rallying point or a point of origin to dress the line off of

A couple years ago I did a huge FIW collection based largely on the Blue Moon 15mm/18mm FIW line of figures. While I no longer have a clear memory of my research into that process, I do remember that the question of provincial colors and uniforms was something I spent a lot of time on. My collection focused on four vignettes: a frontier farm community, the French attack on Ft. William Henry, the attack on the Abnakis village at St. Francis, and the British assault on Ft. Carillon. In terms of your question, the results of my research can be seen in the Ft. Carillon assault… there are provincial units and unlike the British regiments the provincial units do not have colors. You can see my collection on my vanity website. There are 19 galleries that are identified by name and picture. I believe the FIW gallery is about five or six galleries down on the left on the gallery page. Just click on the picture associated with the FIW gallery and scroll down… more than 100 pictures. You can see it at warin15mm.com

Clarification: it is 5 galleries down on the left and only 95 pictures. The Fort Carillon vignette is the last one. Good luck with your project.

As MiniMo said, IF they had colours, they would have followed British precedent.
Having said that, I can't think of any situation in the FIW when they would have carried them.
My Jersey Blues had them. Following British practice, having red facings, they had a white field with George Cross etc.

We are gamers, we must have flags!

Even if our Captains have to pay for them out of their own pockets.
=^,^=

This is an under-studied area and a difficult one to nail down.

For instance, did the original VA forces under Washington at Fort Necessity have colours? Not likely. The ones the following year under Braddock certainly did not since they were only a collection of companies (no rank higher than captain). How about the newly reconstituted VA regiment in 1756? There was no owning colonel, as found in the British regiments. The Governor, with financial control resting in the House of Burgesses, controlled the regiment. Later, a second regiment was added as well.

For years Colonial Williamsburg had regimental colours in the foyer of the Royal Governor's Mansion. I hear they might be disassembling that display. Not sure what those colours (white with a red cross)were based on.

PA had provincial regiments as well (two IIRC), as did other colonies. But they changed a lot over the years and the owner was likely the Royal Governors (or proprietors in PA's and MD's case) – so I am not sure who would have paid for colours or kept them.

"White with a red cross " is in the Warrant for regiments with red facings. Of course, the Union should be in the upper staff quadrant.

I've always gone by the "feeling" that in the AWI, Loyalist regiments would want to be "more British than the British", and use appropriate Colours. Even Butler's Rangers, not exactly a line unit, carried Colours. Google the Butler's Rangers home page.

NY had 2 regiments. I have not come across any historical evidence for flags. The re-enactment group happily carries them.

Deep google-fu discovered the Muster Rolls of New York Provincial Troops. 1755-1764, published 1892.
link

Key-word searching my way through that, "Capt." was the search that finally helped me sort through all the listed Captains, and the happy discovery of Henry Bayeux. Even if the Regiment didn't purchase any flags, a proud Huguenot Captain might spring for one out of his own pocket and use a Huguenot Cross instead of the expected cypher for Georgie Rex to fly in the face of the French army!

Thanks for the input gentlemen. I think that I will model my provincials without colors. You have a very impressive website War in 15mm!!

Thank you. Richard