"Question about Continental Uniforms" Topic

Good evening. This is my first entry in the American Revolution board, i must admit I know very little about this conflict, so I have a (first) question.

I would like to paint some old Airfix 1/72 minis from Washington's army set as privates of the 9th Massachusetts Regiment in 1782, using a very nice Don Troiani's painting as a model.

Here you are the test shot figure:

My question is: do the soldiers of this regiment all wear the same uniform in 1782 (after the 1779 regulation), or are there still many differences between the men – the variations that we could find in a French Napoleonic regiment during the Peninsula war, for instance, or even more variations ?

Thank you in advance for your help.

More pictures and comments here: philotepsfigures.blogspot.com/2019/11/awi-continental-soldier-test-shot.html

My own take is that most men in the Continental army were 3 year/duration men, and that although the 1779 regulation uniform was the standard, it is quite probable that not all (or even many) men would have been issued with it, and even then it would have deteriorated within a year, so a general mix of colours/types of 'uniform' would be probable.
Some regiments would be more uniformed than others.

I am sure there are lots of folk on TMP will give you more info on this, as my sources are Osprey and Internet searches only.

Hmm. Without getting into specific regiments in a late-War year--
1. Probably never the degree of uniformity Washington desired. Troops pass in and out, and uniformity would have required a stock of uniforms and other equipment in reserve, which we never seem to have had. So you'd get non-regulation headgear, maybe a hunting jacket instead of a uniform coat sometimes, of coat-tails cut off to patch worn-through elbows--all worse in the Southern Army, of course.
2. But it's not something I'd concern myself with on 1/72 figures--unless you want to for your own amusement. Give or take some fade, we're not talking paint conversions but time spent with knives, pins glue and green stuff, and I wouldn't think it would be worth the effort. Paint them as Washington wanted his regiments to look, and be content.

Nice job on the figure, by the way.

rp +1

That figure brings back some good memories.

Some regiments were well-uniformed and some wore a mix of clothing/uniforms depending on the year.

The 1779 uniform regulations were a step forward in improving the Continental Army, just as von Steuben's drill regulations, the famous Blue Book.

However, even if a regiment was well-uniformed in the spring, campaigning and fighting, if the unit was not resupplied regularly, would look ragged by fall.

Regulations were one thing; what the soldiers actually wore was something quite different. And the ubiquitous hunting shirt was always an acceptable option for uniform wear in any unit.

Harold Peterson's The Book of the Continental Soldier as well as The Company of Military Historians Volume I of Military Uniforms in America, edited by John Elting are excellent volumes to have on hand for uniforms.

Well done on the figure.

Super paint job! Shows Airfix can still hold their own.

I can add very little to the sage advice above apart from paint your toys how you wish. I decided to paint my Continental regiments in uniform coat and facing colours and give the variation through hats and breeches. I might throw in a hunting shirt or two in the next batch.

Looked up the unit in Katcher and did not find much. No mention of colors of issued clothing, and what was there did not reveal entire unit getting clothing issued either (36 coats issued in that year). So the point is, that based on Katcher alone, it might indeed be a regiment of some varied clothing.

Thank you all for your comments and help, highly appreciated.
I usually try to paint units on campaign rather than in full dress, but I don't have enough skill to recreate more accurate soldiers with tons of green stuff (I wish I could). Nevertheless, I will try some headswaps, maybe hatswaps, and find others sets from which I can mix minis. So they won't be fully uniformed, even if they won't pretend to be on a 3 months campaign :)

Outstanding panitjob 0n an old classic.

It does look good. :-)