Throughout the war, the
unit performed gallantly, serving with honor at Bunker Hill, Canada, Princeton,
Saratoga, Valley Forge, Monmouth, in the expedition against the Iroquois,
at Yorktown, and even crossed the Delaware with Washington in the attack
on Trenton. They were one of the last units disbanded after the British
evacuated New York City in 1783. The unit itself served for a period of
8 years and 8 months, making it the longest serving unit in the war.
The main uniform
worn by the unit is a recreation of the ones issued to it in 1778 at Valley
Forge. The basic uniform consists of a green coat with red facings, cuffs
and collar and brass buttons. Musicians wear white coats with blue
facings or rifle frocks. These frocks are also worn by the riflemen attached
to the unit. In the warmer months, the unit often wears lighter farmers
smocks or rifle shirts in place of the heavy woolen coats. These too are
quite correct for the time period portrayed, as they were issued to the
troops on a semi-regular basis. We are also in the process of outfitting
ourselves with brown coats with red facings, another uniform the unit wore
during part of the War. The other clothing, consisting of shirt, waistcoat
(vest) and breeches or overalls are not all of the same color and cut. This
represents the mix of "small clothes,"as they were known, that
were issued or procured by the troops. Many of the soldiers also own
18th C. styled civilian clothing, used when portraying the militia or early
Continental Army of 1775-1776.
