UNIFORMS
OF THE
AMERICAN
REVOLUTION
The Challenge of Clothing an Army
Although the Continental Army is often imagined wearing identical blue uniforms,
Revolutionary War soldiers actually displayed considerable variety.
A Patchwork Army
When the Continental Army was formed in 1775, there was no single, standardized American military uniform. Instead, each colony was responsible for raising, equipping, and clothing the regiments it contributed to the war effort. Because clothing was purchased or manufactured locally, the appearance of soldiers varied widely from one region to another.
Local availability of cloth, dyes, tailors, and funding all influenced what a regiment wore. Some states issued blue coats, while others clothed their soldiers in brown, gray, green, or other practical colors. In many cases, uniforms were supplemented with civilian garments or hunting shirts until more suitable military clothing could be obtained.
In fact, George Washington described this early version of his army as “half compleat and of a thousand different Colours as to uniform."
Toward a Standard Uniform
On March 23, 1779, the Continental Congress authorized General George Washington to prescribe uniforms for the troops.
General Orders, October 2, 1779
George Washington Papers | Library of Congress
Washington issued his regulations on October 2, 1779. The orders directed that that all line regiments wear blue coats with distinctive facing colors to identify the state or group of states they represented.
Regions and Facing Colors:
White
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut
Buff
New York, New Jersey
Red
Pensylvannia, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia
Blue
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
The Brown Coat & Gold Hunting Frock
You may have noticed that the soldiers of the 9th Pennsylvania are shown wearing brown coats with red facings rather than the blue coats prescribed in Washington's 1779 regulations.
Although blue became the official standard, Pennsylvania regiments had already been issued large numbers of brown coats.
Rather than replace usable uniforms during wartime, many regiments, including the 9th Pennsylvania, continued wearing them for years afterward, making the brown-and-red uniform one of the Pennsylvania Line's most recognizable appearances.
Hunting Frocks
The hunting frock, often called a hunting shirt, was a loose-fitting linen overshirt originally worn on the colonial frontier to protect clothing while traveling through forests and rough terrain. Lightweight, inexpensive, and easy to produce, it was well suited to an army with limited resources.
Recognizing these advantages, General George Washington encouraged the widespread use of hunting frocks in his General Orders of July 24, 1776, particularly for soldiers who had not yet received uniforms. Worn over the regimental coat, hunting frocks protected expensive wool clothing from dirt and wear while helping keep soldiers cooler during summer campaigns. They remained a common sight among riflemen, light infantry, and other troops serving in the field.
Why Goldenrod?
Pennsylvania Light Infantry soldiers often wore hunting frocks while on campaign. The 9th Pennsylvania served in the 2nd Pennsylvania Brigade, which is traditionally associated with goldenrod hunting frocks.