Uniform researchers must be careful when using primary sources such as newspaper descriptions of deserters. It was common practice in the Continental and British armies for soldiers to share Regimental uniforms, especially the coats. Quartermaster and Inspector General Returns for both sides list fewer uniform sets than enrolled men for a regiment. Often these facts have been dismissed to poor supply systems.

However it was common practice to expect only fit for duty men to be given uniforms prior to leaving on a campaign. Another example to illustrate the point was that most regiments only maintained enough greatcoats to outfit those men posted to sentry duty. When you consider that on most days, soldiers would wear "civilian" clothes, then the variety of dress listed for deserters from the same units can more easily be understood.

In most accounts I would only consider items listed as "regimental coats, coats turned or faced with a color" as reliable examples for regimental uniform colors. Support items such as stockings, hats, waistcoats and even breeches could have been wornout by a soldier due to constant use being part of his uniform or daily dress. Such items would have been constantly replaced with whatever was available. Also old regimental coats would have been retained for daily wear after new coats of different colors would have been received.

Another point to consider about eye witness reports is the shade of clothing. Different batches of coats all intended to be the same color often arrived in different shades. Dye compositions would produce different shades which would be even reported as different colors. With The heavy indigo blue dye saturation resulted in some uniforms being reported as being black rather than blue. Also the eye witness accounts of drab would report the same uniform as being brown, gray, light brown, tan and even off-green.

Except for the period of isolation during the first Valley Forge, the Patriot forces were fairly well clothed which is different than being uniformly dressed. The comments on lack of proper uniforms often occur during the period of transition between uniform styles.

For example, several New England Continental regiments were still wearing brown coats at Yorktown. The collection of captured coats for reissue is another example of a reason for varying uniform types used for both regimental campaign dress and daily wear. Another factor for varying uniforms for the same regiments is due to the frequent merging of depleted and disbanded - expired enlistment troops which often resulted in the men continuing to wear the regimentals of their old regiment.

For example Jackson's Additional Continental Regiment was disbanded and the men transferred to at least two other regiments. Also many volunteer and some State units continued to wear hunting frocks throughout the war. South Carolina units wore their regimentals only on parade and in garrison. They wore hunting frocks while on campaigns or patrols.

Another overlooked area in uniform study is the dominant color of regimental coats. Our views have been guided by focusing on Washington's General Order on uniforms issued in 1779. These orders establish the well known dark blue coats with facings of red, white, buff or mid-blue. Many units had not changed to these colors by the time of Yorktown in 1781. There were constant and costly delays in procurring uniforms (locating a manufacturer, paying for the uniforms, making the uniforms, then tranporting the finished product to the regiment). As a result units were still being issued captured British coats in 1782.

Continental troops were still clothed by their State of Origin but their color was ordered by Congress. State and even uniformed militia wore uniforms of a color as determined and procured by their state. Volunteer units raised by individuals wore colors determined by that individual or the financing group. Local Alarm Militia wore their daily dress unless they had a coat from a prior enlistment.

While State and local units did use blue, gray and green coats, by far the most common color was brown. Why brown ? There are a number of factors that contribute to the preference of brown coats. One, many states sought the cheapest supplier and brown dye or even undyed cloth was the cheapest. Second, throughout the war Congress reissued captured British coats to state and even Continental units. These captured coats were often dyed brown before being issued. (The facings were left unchanged)

Stockings covered the leg from the ankle to the knee. While units tried to issue the same color to its men, the high rate of consumption ( wearing out, torn, etc) resulted in men wearing any color that was available. Letters written by soldiers to home asking that stockings or pants be sent never specified a color. Based on these facts , I decided not to specify stocking colors. When Overalls were worn, stockings and sometimes even small clothes were not used or if used they could not be seen easily to be painted at the 15mm or 25mm scale.

146 Identifiable Regts

For the miniature painters, I composed a comparison list of 146 identifiable regiments prior to the 1779 General Uniform Orders. It should be remembered that even after the 1779 Uniform Orders, brown continued to be a very common alternative color to blue. The following is a summary of the basic coat color with facings. It does not include any cavalry or artillery units. It also does not account for any variations in pants, stockings or small clothes.

Coat only totals were Blue = 65 (45%), Brown = 44 (30%), Light Brown = 10, Gray = 7, Red = 9, Green = 5, White = 2, Light and Mid Blue = 4.

Almost half wore one of the top three combinations.

COAT COLOR w/ facing color

BLUE w/ Red....37 = 25%
BROWN w/ red....20 = 14%
BLUE w/ White...15 = 11%
BROWN w/ Green...6
BROWN w/ Lgt Blue...6
LGT BROWN w/ Red...5
BROWN w/ Buff...5
BLUE w/ Buff...5
BROWN w/ white...4
GREEN w/ Red...4
GRAY w/ Green...4
RED w/ white...3
BLUE w/ Green...3
BROWN w/ Yellow...3
BLUE w/ Yellow...3
BLUE w/ Lgt Blue...2
MID-BLUE w/ Red...2
RED w/ Buff..........2
RED w/ Yellow...2
WHITE w/ Red...2
RED w/ White...1
RED w/ Lgt Blue...1
GRAY w/ Red...1
GRAY w/ White...1
GREEN w/ Black...1
LGT BROWN w/ White...1
LGT BLUE w/ Green...1
GRAY w/ Blue...1
LGT BROWN w/ Blue...1
LGT BROWN w/ Buff...1
LGT BLUE w/ Red...1

Color Descriptions unless specified as a different shade

Blue: Coats & pants = Dark Blue; Facings = Royal
Brown : Deep color slightly darker than a medium brown
Light Brown : Darker than Tan
Green : Frocks = Hunter green shade; facings = Mid/pea green
Light Green : Pale green
Claret : Dark Purplish Red
Drab : A yellowish or brownish gray
Dark : Indicates a dark almost black gray, brown or green

Abbreviations and terms used in the uniform charts
F = Hunting frock or coat, often with similar shaded trousers, a few had facing cuffs and collars attached, some had fringe of a different color
F/color = The dominant color of the hunting frock often varied by company or state.
Floppy = Wide brim hat, unbound, not tricorne bound, some had feathers
FL/Up = Floppy hat and had with an upturned brim
Round = Hat with a small brim
RD/Up = Round hat with an upturned brim
Buff = This is the main color listed for breeches. It represents not only the various shades of brown linen used but also the yellowish-tan color associated with leather pants.
Small = Smallclothes, for painting miniatures, generally the vest area between the lapels
Mix (Hats) = If the unit is frontier dressed then they will be a mixture of tricornes, stocking, floppy, round and animal skin. If it is town/militia, then there would be few animal skin caps.
MIX (Pants) = A variety of colors including buff/leather, white, blue, striped, brown, gray, etc.
SCC = South Carolina Cap, worn by many troops raised in SC. Similar to caps worn by many light infantry companies of regiments from other colonies. It looks very much like a baseball cap with a high frontal plate with a cresent moon engraved on it.
LD-Tarl = Light Dragoon cap with the Tarleton style fore-aft Comb
LD = The common Light Dragoon cap with hair tails.
Some Mounted and Legion units wore white plumes in their LD Helmets. (ex Va State legions)
Turbans which wrapped around Light Dragoon helmets tended to be in facing colors.

EXAMPLES OF UNIFORMS OF CONTINENTAL REGIMENTS IN 1776
REGT	STATE	COAT	FACINGS	SMALL	PANTS	HAT
1st Rgt (Hand's)	Pa	F	N/a	N/a	Buff	FL
6th (Whitcomb Rngs)	Mass	Brown	Red	Wh	Mix	FL
8th (Poor)	2 NH	Blue	Red	Buff	Buff	T
12th (Little)	Mass	Brown	Red	Brown	Buff	T
14th (Glover)	Mass	LgtBrn/Drab	Red	White	Buff	T
18th (Phinney)	Mass	Drab	Buff?	Red/Mix	Buff	T

PATRIOT FORCES: UNIFORM ORDERS OF 1779
STATE	COAT	FACINGS	SMALL	PANTS	HAT
Georgia	Blue	Mid-Blue	Wh	Wh	T
South Carolina	Blue	Mid-Blue	Wh	Wh	T
North Carolina	Blue	Mid-Blue	Wh	Wh	T
Virginia	Blue	Red	Wh	Wh	T
Maryland	Blue	Red	Wh	Wh	T
Delaware	Blue	Red	Wh	Wh	T-Y
New Jersey	Blue	Buff	Wh/Buff?	Wh	T
New York	Blue	Buff	Wh/Buff?	Wh	T
Pennsylvania	Blue	Red	Wh	Wh	T
Rhode Island	Blue	White	Wh	Wh	T
Connecticut	Blue	White	Wh	Wh	T
Massachusetts	Blue	White	Wh	Wh	T
New Hampshire	Blue	White	Wh	Wh	T
Lgt Inf Co	Blue	Per State	Wh/Buff?	Wh	?

More Continental and Other Patriot Units Uniform Descriptions

Introduction
Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Vermont
Virginia
Legions, Marines, and Other Units
Cavalry and Artillery