"Continental Lt Dragoon Std Bearers" Topic

I sometimes see plates with them in reversed color uniforms like the musicians. Is there any authority or regulation that suggests this was ordered/permitted/practiced?

I've never come across standard bearers with reverse colors.

Thinking about it…
Continental Dragoon regiments seem to get a new, vastly different uniform every year. Unless you want to have 27 different sets of figures to cover every single variant, go with one.

Anyway, which regiments specifically are you talking about?

Weren't standard bearers generally officers? ("Ensigns"?) If so, they'd be in officer dress, I think.

I think so too.
That's why I'd like to see the example, and its provenance.

I didnt want to link sites bc I haven't had the time to figure out the rules on that but here is one where both 2nd and 3rd Lt Dragoons have std bearers ion reversed color coats.

link

While we are all here, does anyone know of contemporary sketches or descriptions of 3rd Dragoon uniforms, specifically the turban color; red or blue?

I see both turban colors illustrated and will probably pick red as the color for my unit but wondered if anyone ever wrote down or sketched the actual uniform details and referenced the turban?

Huh. That's the first and only time I've seen standard bearers with reversed colors. I'd love to know where they got that.
I am doubtful, mainly because standard bearers would usually be NCOs or officers. Musicians wore reverse colors, when they did, only to stand out.

In fact, I've never seen that practice in any armies.

As for turban colors, or coat colors for that matter, I have to ask "What year?"
The uniforms sometimes changed every year.
I have three Light Dragoon units.
Philadelphia Light Horse
Brown with green
White with blue.
As we say in our club, "They are who I say they are." I'm not painting every single variety/year.

The lowest rank in the British cavalry was a Cornet. It was the equivalent of the ensign rank found in the infantry. Likely, that is who would have carried any colours.

As we say in our club, "They are who I say they are." I'm not painting every single variety/year.

That's funny, my club says "Hakuna Matata". Also, we repaint every unit for every game we play.

I am not a complete slave to historical accuracy but was making sure the red turban wasn't some glaring error. I am leaning toward red but was curious if there was any information either written or visual on turban color or colors.

Isn't a cornet a horn? A musical instrument which may be why the std bearers are wearing reversed colors. Whether the artist made this mistake or it's a clue to what coat colors std bearers might've been allowed/expected to wear, we might still not be clear on.

A cornet in a cavalry regiment is the lowest officer rank. It's equivalent to a second lieutenant.
It has nothing to do with the horn.

Frankly, until I see where they got that reverse colors information for a standard bearer, I'm inclined to say it's a mistake.
Reverse colors for musicians, certainly. Standard bearers? No.

Agreed. My bad for explaining that the corner was the lowest officer rank for cavalry.

I have never seen anything suggesting that standard bearers wore reversed colors before. It would be interesting to know where Mr. Cranz got his information from.

As to who carried the standard, that seems to be one of the many holes in Continental Dragoon scholarship.

And were standards even carried in the field during this war by cavalry units?

And were standards even carried in the field during this war by cavalry units?

Sometimes. I think Lee carried his flag into battle and the 3rd lt Dragoons carried that red tapestry abomination when it was whipped up for them by an admirer.

But the question is whatever they were carrying did the std bearers sometimes wear reversed colored coats? Maybe if they weren't carrying standards, they were carrying cornets and thus qualified for musician's coats?

Cornet is a rank, not a musical instrument – Unless you are suggesting they were carried around junior cavalry officers. LoL

Musicians were enlisted men, not officers. Colors were generally carried by junior officers during this period.

Those plates you linked to are likely fantasy.

This will hopefully clear up any confusion. From Wikipedia.

A cornet or "cornet of horse" was in the 17th and 18th century a term for a group of cavalry (typically 100–300 men), so-called because it was accompanied by a cornet player (a trumpet-like instrument, from Latin cornū, "horn").[3] Later "cornet" came to refer to the fifth commissioned officer in a cavalry troop, who carried the colours; it never referred to the cornet player himself.

link

Traditional duties
The subaltern rank of cornet was the equivalent of the contemporary infantry rank of ensign; today both have been supplanted by the rank of second lieutenant. The cornet carried the troop standard, known as a "guidon".

A musician wore reversed colors, when he did, so that the Officer commanding could instantly identify him, if he needed to issue commands via the horn. This practice became obsolete.

The Continental regiments were patterned after similar British regiments. They did not have their standard bearers reverse colors. Nor did the French, Austrians, Russians, Prussians, Hessians…..

Read the etymology above.

Your link is a bit confusing, with two First Continental Dragoons.

It is also wrong regarding the facing colors of the third. They were blue, not green. Again, every other source I've seen indicates blue.

I would rely on that at my peril.

So you repaint every unit for every game you play (Why on earth would you do that?), I suggest you get a more reliable source for your Continental Dragoons. I suggest Mollo at the very least.

Your link is a bit confusing, with two First Continental Dragoons.

It says they wore a variety of uniforms.

It is also wrong regarding the facing colors of the third. They were blue, not green. Again, every other source I've seen indicates blue.

To be fair, the author addresses this:

The 3rd Light Dragoons or Baylor's dragoons were also known as Lady Washington's dragoons. This plate is historical speculation by the artist based on an auditor's report showing an issue of a quantity of green cloth to the regiment. Known to have worn white uniforms it is his idea that the green cloth was used for facings and a trumpeter's uniform. He further shows the trooper to be armed with a carbine though it is doubtful that they had them.

I would rely on that at my peril.

I am sticking with blue facings but I merely ask if anyone had come across anything that supported a std bearer in reversed colors. So far, it doesn't seem like anyone really knows one way or the other.

So you repaint every unit for every game you play (Why on earth would you do that?),

Oh, it's the latest thing. All the best people are doing it.

I suggest you get a more reliable source for your Continental Dragoons. I suggest Mollo at the very least.

I am tempted to get a reversed colored coat cornet playing cornet std bearer.

"I am sticking with blue facings but I merely ask if anyone had come across anything that supported a std bearer in reversed colors. So far, it doesn't seem like anyone really knows one way or the other."

Impossible to prove a negative. I can't prove there weren't Martians in the ranks either. LoL

"I am tempted to get a reversed colored coat cornet playing cornet std bearer.

Good one – LoL