In additional to confusion over uniform colors for Patriot regiments, there has been similar questions about flags flown by Patriot Units. As with any rebel army composed of volunteers from various locations, a lack of uniformity can be expected. Early flags for volunteer or militia units were designed by the unit's Captain or Colonel and made by the ladies of the town. Communities which provided hand made flags often added elaborate details on them which reflected the nature of the community. Some flags can be associated with only one battle being replaced or the unit disbanded shortly afterwards. During the early phases of the war, many units including Continental regiments were supplied with colors from their own state who assigned the field color to be used. Most frontier Militia groups who were used to wilderness combat tended not to carry flags at all.

The flag was viewed as a command and control measure for directing and rallying troops. In most cases regiments carried two colors which reflected the European trend of a national standard and the 'regimentals'. The devotion to colors in Patriot units was considerably less than that of contemporary European armies. This is understandable since among Europeans military service was a lengthy or even an entire life situation with the Regiment become their home and focus of their existence.

However among the Patriot troops the service in a Regiment was viewed as temporary in which the unit was frequently merged or disbanded. Also military service, as a whole, was known to be limited to the duration of enlistment, which could be only a year or less, or the war.

The 1776 General orders issued at Cambridge Mass states that each regiment will have a regimental standard with regimental number and a motto which reflects the colors in their uniforms. They will also have flags for each "Division'.

In 1779 along with the Uniform Regulations, regimental colors were stated as to now be in Facing Colors to help during battlefield rallying. When material from France was ordered to make flags the cloth colors included " Crimson, Deep Blue, White and Buff". This would have provided enough flags for 31 red field regimentals, 28 white field regimentals, 13 blue regimentals and 8 buff regimentals. In addition there was enough extra blue cloth ordered to make a blue field national standard for each regiment.

The National Standard was initially the Grand Union design which was replaced with the Stars and stripes pattern with many variations. In 1779 Washington recommended that the common pattern for the National Standard be a "deep blue field..." containing a pattern of stars on it. In my OPINION, the stars and stripes remained a "naval-marine" flag or political symbol while the ,easily seen on a battlefield, blue field flag became a military standard.

Based on his interpretation of the data, Richardson believes that the standard would have had a blue field with thirteen white stars in rows along the top or more likely in a circular cluster around the center. Inside the center star cluster or in the canton position would have been a looped rattlesnake and inside the loop would have been the regiment's number and state (1st VA). There is some indication that not enough of the blue silk which was ordered in 1779 for the national standard arrived. As a result the "Blue National Standard may not have been issued until 1782.

Grand Division Flags

There seems to be a lot of confusion concerning Grand Division flags. Records of their count does not equal regimental or Brigade numbers. Tactically, divisions were the maneuver units comprising of companies which varied from battle to battle based on their mission. The "Gostelowe Return" indicates that each regiment had two which indicates that each regiment would have been divided into two maneuver units. This is realistic and reflects the tactics of the era.

In all but one case of the eleven given the division flag colors were different than the regimental field. Does this mean that the regiment could be divided into three maneuver units instead of two? I do not know. It would make sense so use different field colors to avoid battlefield confusion.

Examples of regimental combinations from the report are : Green Rgt = Blue & Yellow; Red Rgt = Green & Yellow; Yellow Rgt = Blue & Red; Red Rgt = Blue & Yellow; Blue Rgt = Yellow & Green; Blue Rgt = Red & Yellow; Blue Rgt = Red & Green; red Rgt = Red & Blue. ( There are not numbers on the Regimental Colors, so they may have been awaiting issue.)

While these may have been of a solid field color, there is some indication that others may have had simple "Liberty" slogans on them. One example of a red divisional flag (7th PA) had a canton consisting of a red and white "stars & stripes" outline.

In my opinion, these may have also been the camp flags used by administrative companies during bivouacs. It was a common practice even during the American Civil war to have additional flags used to designate company bivouac camps. During the Civil War many of these camp flags were the local flags given to companies when they were raised. This leads me to speculate that the same practice may have existed during the American Revolution.

Individual Flags

I cannot provide an accurate and usable narrative within this article when trying to describe individual flags. Most of the center devises were hand painted elaborate designs with various people, animals and other symbols. Many also contained motivational mottoes.

What I will try to do here is to provide some of the basic field colors and other distinguishing characteristics which might help the 6mm or 15mm painter. Everyone should try to find a better reference for painting detailed standards. One of the best books on this subject is Edward W. Richardson's "Standards and Colors of the American Revolution".

Examples of some (not all) unit flags include :

The use of a flag with a basic field color and forms of the "LIBERTY" slogan was common in 1776 with several being captured during the New York Campaign.

The New England Pine tree was a symbol commonly associated with New England and especially Massachusetts units. It was placed centered or in the canton of various flags.

Webb's Additional Continental Rgt which became the 9th Conn in 1780 had a Rgt flag with a Light yellow field and elaborate center design. A Divisional flag from the same unit is of a deep yellow/ gold color.

The colors assigned by Connecticut to its regiments in 1775 were 1st = Yellow, 2nd = Green, 3rd = Scarlet, 4th = Crimson, 5th = White, 6th = Azure, 7th = Blue, 8th = Orange. In 1776 the 2nd Conn Rgt had a red field with writing on one side and a center design on the reverse. This may have been common with Conn flags as several examples have writing (mottoes or unit ID) on one side and the state seal design on the other.

1st New Hampshire in 1779 was Deep Green. 2nd New Hampshire 1777 had two flags, one of a Blue field with a grand union canton and one with a Buff field and unusual union canton of alternating red-blue segments similar to those seen on French flags. Stark's Militia (Green Mountain Boys) flag was green with a blue canton containing 13 white stars in equal rows.

1st Pennsylvania 1776-1777/Pa Rifle Rgt 1775 was Deep Green field with a centered red square containing a design. PA State Rgt 1776 one had a purple field. Westmoreland Rgt in 1775 had a deep red/crimson field with a grand union canton. 2nd PA Rgt 1777 had a white field with a large brown rattlesnake centered over a blue motto stripe.

New Jersey Brigade in 1778-79 has a light green field with a white canton consisting of 13 green stars in equal rows. Also in 1779-80 a Blue field with white stars and a Buff canton was used.

Delaware Miltia in 1777 was Olive green field with a red and white striped canton. The same green color may have also been used by the Delaware Continental unit as late as 1783.

Rhode Island Regiment carried a flag with a white field and a blue canton containing white or gold stars in equal rows.

Georgia 1st Continental Rgt/Bn 1778 had a Blue field with a centered yellow rattlesnake. Referred to as a camp flag, could it have been a Divisional flag? The traditional facing colored flag would have been Yellow or Buff. between 1777-1779.

Maryland 3rd Rgt or the converged Delaware-Maryland-Virginia carried a Stars and Stripes flag with the stars in the blue canton being in a circular pattern around a large center star.

3rd New York 1777 had a blue field with an elaborate center devise design similar to that state troops carried in the American Civil War.

North Carolina volunteer flags had variations expected of such units. The 1775 "?" flag consisted of a white field with a hornet's nest centered and the 1775 Bladen County unit flag was had a white field (?) with a snake coiled at a pine tree.

1st South Carolina had one flag with a blue field and one of either buff or scarlet. The 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th SC Rgts had one with a blue field and one with a red The 3rd SC Rgt had one flag with a blue field and one with a white field. Forts often flew specific 'Garrison' flags.

1st VA Rgt Culpepper Co had a white ? field with a centered coiled rattlesnake and various slogans added. Taliaferro's company flag also had a white field. 8th VA 1776 shows a yellowish-pink flag with centered unit number on a white scroll. Could the simplicity of the design indicate a divisional rather than a regimental flag? 11th Va in 1777 had a yellow field. The 11th Va in 1778 had a buff field.