"State regiments" Topic

Hi Guys,

Does anyone have any info on uniforms or flags for state troops during the Revolution, were they more or less uniformed than Continentals raised in the same state?

Any help will be very appreciated!

Uniforms of the American Revolution by John Mollo is a great uniform guide.

There are very few good general rules, and surviving details are spotty. Give me a unit, and I'll see what I can do.

It also depends on the year. You are asking if a state regiment will be more smartly turned out because it is supplied by the state, correct?

Hi Guys

Thanks as always for your kind offers of help!

The regiment primarily is the 1st Virginia State regiment at Whitemarsh in 1777.

I hope you can help as I cannot find anything in my sources other than Continental additional regiments!!

I came up blank on the usual sources. I tried running every officer captain and above through Google looking for portraits. A couple in civilian clothes, one small image in dark (probably) blue and buff I don't think was contemporary and Captain William Campbell in lightish off-white hunting shirt. Might not have been the right Campbell. (Heitman lists four Captain William Campbells, including yours.)

That said, if I had to guess, I'd say hunting shirt--cheap common, and more common as you go west. And most of those officers are frontier types, not Tidewater planters. A flag would be pure guesswork. There is no Virginia flag as such this early, though the form of it--the state seal on a colored background--is said to predate 1861 and the official adoption.

But really, Herky, unless you're making a diorama, any regiment you build will be used in battles where the uniform isn't right for the year, and quite probably that particular regiment didn't take part. Don't get too worked up about it.

To answer the general question though, I suspect the Continentals were better uniformed than state troops. This is not 1864. There is no native textile industry to speak of, and foreign aid went first to the Continentals.

Thanks Robert! knew I could count on you!- I thought it might be difficult to find.
I actually have sent off…on CavCrazy's advice, for a 2nd hand volume of that book.
I am aiming to try to recreate a few historical battles from the 77-79 period, or at least part of them, as well as pick up games, and as you intimated, I found I would need about 3-4 versions of some regiments!

I have actually tried for a very tatty and un-uniform look for most of my American regulars, only dressing the command stands in a uniform manner.

Make of this what you will.

Records of the Williamsburg Public Stores for 1777 indicate the Commonwealth was issuing to the 1st and 2nd Virginia State Regiments during that time period. The issues to State Troops were frequently of materials, suggesting that the State Regiments were expected to manufacture their own uniforms, and probably also their own haversacks since there were a number of issues of russia sheeting. One problem in figuring out the uniforms is that many issues were made on the company level, requiring you to know the command structure of the Virginia State regiments to figure out what they were getting.

There are some references to oznabrig and linen issues, so hunting shirts for some cannot be ruled out. Also remember the official militia uniform early in the war was supposedly hunting shirts. Most issues seem to be of cloth, suggesting something like regimentals was intended. Many of the cloth issues from Williamsburg Public Stores do not specify color. Where color is specified during this period, blue and brown are mentioned for coat cloth and red and scarlet for facing cloth. There is a deserter description for the 2nd from this period of a man wearing a blue regimental faced red.

Interesting! – Thanks Bill N, I knew asking on TMP would produce great trustworthy advice!

Actually, I have been looking online since I posted this query, and have just found this site, I presume its fairly trustworthy – as it cites its sources, including the Mollo book-- and it has a picture of a man dressed in the uniform you describe. link

Bill N beat me to it. The Company of Military Historians' plates, over the years, had a good many on various Virginia state regiments, largely because the records Bill mentioned allows some reconstruction. The plates can be hard to find.

Nice work, Bill!

doc mcb: "The plates can be hard to find." Indeed so! I am missing volume 3. Probably will never find one and if I do, will probably be priced out of my price range. Seems that the day the delivery arrived from the printer's, the warehouse burned down that night. I was told they never had that volume (out of 4) reprinted. I just know that someone from the CMH snagged (at least 1) of the books that day before the fire. If no other reason than to inspect the printing. In any case, that series is a wonderful research source for US uniform info. Don't forget that their newsletter "Roll Call" always came with a frameable print. Each issue featured an accompanying article on the enclosed print. I was only able to get hold of a few copies as I only learned about these long after they quit sending them out. Perhaps the Mollo book remains the best, decently available, affordable and reputable guide one can get these days for the AWI uniforms. (Would gladly learn otherwise!)