The Jacobite army that served the Stuart cause so well during the 4 principle Jacobite wars, 1689, 1715, 1719, and 1745, was not a uniformed host, as were there opponents in the ranks of the government armies. Rather the Jacobites were an irregular force drawn from the civilian populace. Be they volunteer or conscript, the Jacobites did share one thing in common: a cultural martial spirit and a fierce independence that was not only reflected in their actions, but in there dress. This presents many opportunities, and challenges to those seeking to recreate the Jacobite armies on the tabletop. Perhaps the most common misconception surrounding the Jacobite armies is the concept of regimental or clan plaids. The simple fact is that the common references to clan patterns in both tartans and trews are a Victorian concept, evolving more then a hundred years after Culloden. During the Jacobite wars, the average clansmen wore a variety of different plaid styles and colors within the same I clan ' regiment or battalion. These in turn, were mixed with a wide variety of civilian jackets coats and trousers. Colors varied across the spectrum. Blues, browns, greens, and dark reds seem to have been most common but yellos and lighter shades of green also found there way into the mix. As for the civilian jackets and trousers of the'period, browns and greys are the most common: in fact, many fine examples of everyday Scottish clothing of this type has survived( more so then the plaids of this period of which little has actually turned up.) There was little ' uniformity ' to speak of in the Jacobite army, though when on campaign clothing requisitions in various pro-Government cities such as Glasgow, often produced a more I coordinated ' appearance. Also the decision made by the Jacobite military hierarchy , for reasons both practical and political., to take steps to clothe the entire army - in the highland manner - was a step to perhaps begin a uniformconcept within Jacobite ranks, but these steps were only partially successful and from conception to destruction, the Jacobites wore whatever they could lay their hands on: Highlander and lowlander alike. Highlanders There were three typical aspects of dress commonly associated with the Highlanders. The full plaid: also known as the belted plaid: the Philabeg, or small kilt, and the trews, often referred to as highland trousers but in actuality a form of hose. The belted plaid contained upwards of 6 yards or more of material and was thus subject to a variety of ways in which it could be worn. It was most commonly worn as a kilt, belted around the waist with the excess material thrown over the shoulder and either tied or pinned there. The plaid could also be worn as a great cape and kilt combo during cold and inclement weather. The Philabeg was the smaller version, minus the extra material. It was often worn with a civilian style jacket, or the long billowing highland shirt, or both. Both Philabeg and belted plaid could be found in a wide variety of colours, more dictated by the availability of good dyes at any given time then clan affiliation, (though there is beginning to come to light evidence suggesting regional colors . More work in this area is being done as I write this0. The trews are perhaps the most commonly misunderstood article of Scottish clothing - often referred to as Highland trousers, they are in fact hose, or a rather extended pair of stockings. These changed little since the medieval period and in essence were cut close to grip the waist yet provide flexibility. Often confused with being meant for Scottish riding garb, the trews found their way into all levels of the Jacobite rank and file. Like the kilts and belted plaids, they could feature either stripes or simple plain colors as the availability of dyes and skilled craftsmen dictated. It is important not to forget this key article of clothing was found in clothing requisitions for each and every campaign of each and every Jacobite war. The Hose were generally calve-high stockings of either plain or patterned wool, held up by being tied to the upper portion of the calves. As the Jacobites didn't utilize boots, as did few branches of any service at the time, in any army, nor did they use gaiters, the hose served such a purpose: warmth and protectio for the lower leg. For those wearing trews and civilian style trousers, the hose would often be pulled over the lower pant leg which was tucked in for a tighter fit and then tied along the upper calve for a two layer form of poor man's gaiters. As all of the Jacobite wars were wars of almost constant mobility, regimental distinctions were quickly blurred and reduced to the regiments standards. Indeed most Jacobite units had a tendency to resemble militia units rather then regular units of Highland and lowland troops. This blurring of identity , often served the Jacobites well, as their opponents were never quite sure as to the caliber or quality of the troops they were opposing until it was to late. As for Equipment, the Jacobites had one of the best commissaries possible in Ceorge the Second. Indeed, in the 45, the Jacobites were able to receive entire armies worth of clothing, weapons, leather goods, shoes and even artillery trains courtesy of their Hanoverian opponents. At Prestonpans and Falkirk, the Jacobites received entire artillery trains and their equipment along with the almost intact contents of their opponents camps. Hence, in addition to traditional Scottish made leather goods, much standard issue English equipment found its way into the Jacobite commisary for issue as needed. In addition to captured articles, equipment imported from France Spain and Sweden also made its way through the government blockade of Scotland to the Jacobite armies. These included French and Spanish muskets and leather goods, as well as shirts and shoes. French and Spanish artillery, along with the famed Swedish rapid fire light field pieces that Charles Edward brought with him at the start of his campaign, also saw use in the Jacobite ranks and hence add a visually appealing and diverse variety of options to the table top recreation of the Jacobite forces. In addition to traditional Scottish dress, the Jacobites received a number of foreign allied units during the risings. A Spanish contingent fought with the Jacobites in the 1719 war and several French infantry, cavalry and artillry units served with distinction in the 1745-46 war. Among the latter were elements of the 6 Irish regiments in French service, the famed red coated ' Wild Geese' ' along with the red coated Fitz James Horse, an Irish Heavy Dragoon regiment that managed to peirce the blockade with almost 200 of its regimental strength. As much info on these famous units is available through the Men-at-Arms series as well as the Funken Lace wars volumes, it is uneccessary to go into detail here. Suffice it to say that the three piquets from the regiments Dillon, Rooth and Lally, saw the most service but contingents from the other three regiments of the Irish brigade, also landed and saw action. By far the largest French regiment to see service was the Royal Ecossais, or Royal Scottish Regiment. These regulars in thier blue and red regimentals landed almost 900 of their number to fight with Charles in the 45. With them came a large French artillery train and a number of engineers in there blue and red uniforms. ( again the Funken lace wars volumes as well as the men at arms series cover these units well.) To wrap up our over view of Jacobite table-top recreation, a brief look at the cavalry is in order. The Jacobite cavalry was divided into 3 categories: the Princes lifeguards, in blue coats with red facings and turnbacks, the elite of the cavalry, the lowland hotse, largely in civilian garb as described earlier, and the Hussars of Colonel Baggot. These last mentioned wore a yellow and brown plaid coat with a brown fur busby with a red bag, though some mention of a green and yellow jacket is mention for some of the men. Thus it goes without saying that the construction of a Jacobite army will give you one of the most colorful armies a wargamer can put on a table top but keep in mind that it will be a time consuming one to paintbut in the end, it will prove more then visually satisfying. Hopefully this will provide the 18th century gamer with the information required to recreate those colorful forces of the Jacobite era: the last great dynastic struggle in the British Isles. As some of these titles are out of Print and hard to obtain, feel free to use your imagination on plaids and tartan designs. Remember, individuality was a cornerstone for the Scottish Jacobites. The wider the variety, the more accurate you are inclined to be. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SOURCES Painting guide sources for the Jacobite armies--1689-1746. Highland clansmen Osprey Warrior series#21 The Jacobite rebellions 1689-1746--Men at arms # 118 The Jacobite rebellions--by Hilary Kemp Almark publications Like Hungry Wolves --Culloden Moor 16 April 1746 Stuart reid Plates by Gary Embleton Military Illustrated Nos. 38 and 36 Culloden Jacobites Military Modeling November 1986 Culloden Men at Arms # 261 18TH Century Highlanders Armies and Uniforms of the Lace wars--Lilian and Fred Funken Volume 1 Excellent coverage of the French Royal Ecossais and the regiments of the Irish Brigade Men at arms # ? The Wild Geese--Excellent details on the Irish Brigade and FitzJames Horse Back to Table of Contents -- Courier #74 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1998 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com