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Greenhorn
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I am not new to shooting flintlocks as it is my favorite thing to shoot compared to shooting modern. I am young in my mid twenties and i am starting to do research on the 18th century and i am not getting anywhere. my aspect of research right now is on how they lived and clothing. If someone can refer me to the right place/direction that would very much apprecited.
 
Posts: 2 | Location: louisville, ky | Registered: 10 April 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
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Sometimes my British cohorts and I portray Continental Riflemen, from a unit that went directly from the ranks of militia to the army. So here's some information from Alexander Lawson Smith's rifle company. Look at the "deserter descriptions" and "period descriptions of riflemen" to get an idea of some of the clothing.

You can also search the Virginia Gazette Runaway Servant ads, to see what common folk were wearing. You can narrow the search to certain years if you wish. You can also search deserter records to see what soldiers had on when they left.

What you will find is that just about any type of clothing was found among the militia. There are some basic rules..., some sort of head covering,then a waistcoat (vest) or outer hunting shirt, inner shirt, and then trousers/breeches/breechclout.

LD


It's not what you know, it's what you can prove
 
Posts: 3843 | Location: People's Republic of Maryland | Registered: 10 November 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of SCLoyalist
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You likely will need, eventually, to narrow down your question. The lifestyle, clothing, religion, customs,firearms, etc of a Massachusetts militiaman at Lexington, a resident of Williamsburg, and a Carolina Overmountain man would all have some noticeable differences in both their appearance and the way they lived. As to clothing and equipment, a militiaman would likely have been dressed in the style of a tradesman or farmer, and would have been required to show up for duty with a long gun, an amount of ammuntion and powder, a hatchet, a blanket, and maybe a few days worth of food/water.

Scurlock Publishing (host of this website) has a section of books under the heading of "Living History". You might look through those offerings. Osprey Publishing has a "Man at Arms" series of books that cover many conflicts and eras through history - I know they offer a volume on Loyalist Troops during the American Revolution, and the volume has illustrations of some Loyalists who didn't have fancy uniforms and probably looked just like the 'Rebel' militia except maybe a different color cockade in their hat. Track of the Wolf's book offerings are another possibility. There is a book by Dale Taylor "Writer's guide to Everyday Life in Colonial America" that, judging by the Table of Contents and Index, might be a good starting point for a general overview. Some of artist Don Troiani's paintings deal with AWI militia, and you might find some of those available online.

Good luck. SCL

This message has been edited. Last edited by: SCLoyalist,


Here's a health to the King and a lasting Peace. May Faction end and Wealth increase....Old Loyalist Ballad
 
Posts: 767 | Location: Panhandle Florida | Registered: 02 February 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Greenhorn
Picture of Stophel
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As far as clothing goes, there is quite a bit available on the internet. This site came to my mind:
http://larsdatter.com/18c/men.html

Fashions changed during the 18th century, and you can see the change in the cut of clothing as the decades progressed.

A militiaman would generally just show up in his ordinary clothing, uniforms often not being provided.... the Continental Army having a hard enough time providing uniforms!

Here's a nice page of links that you can check out.
http://www.1stroyals.org/links.html

Oh, and subscribe to Muzzleloader Magazine! Big Grin
 
Posts: 48 | Location: Kentucky | Registered: 02 August 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
Picture of Dick
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I have been a member of the 2nd Connecticut Reg't. of Militia, some of which guarded the coastal areas against the raids of Tory and British cowboys, and some of which were transferred into the Continental line. They were ordered to wear brown frock coats (or shorter jackets) (probably a fairly dark brown), and I've read that brown was a very popular color for clothing in that part of New England. We have a website, though I'm not active anymore and I haven't looked at it in a couple of years. I'll see if I can give you a link. Try 2ndcnmilitia.org/

Dick


"Est Deus in Nobis"
 
Posts: 2902 | Location: Helena, Montana | Registered: 10 December 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Free Trapper
Picture of Montour
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The question is where? If your wanting to do Kentucky settlement period I can help, other areas, not so much.

If you are military, I can link you up with an NCO in your area that can guide you
 
Posts: 150 | Location: Right where Im standing | Registered: 07 September 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Get a copy of Mark Baker's "Pilgrims Journey". That will help a lot with the back country look. Militia mustered from the settlements might have a little more refined look.
 
Posts: 332 | Location: South Coast (MS) | Registered: 16 September 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Free Trapper
Picture of Montour
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quote:
Originally posted by Pete G:
Get a copy of Mark Baker's "Pilgrims Journey". That will help a lot with the back country look. Militia mustered from the settlements might have a little more refined look.


I think that idea is a bit of a reenactorism.

If you look at probate inventories from kentucky in the 1782, only 7 years after the first settlement, you see lots of high end clothing, silk even. Folks comming to the frontier didnt just leave behind their property and take off into the woods with a brown dyed shirt and a copper trekkers pot......
 
Posts: 150 | Location: Right where Im standing | Registered: 07 September 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hivernant
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also, there are lots of books that are first hand accounts of daily life and military campaigns that will give you some good information.

Recollections of rifleman Harris. He mentions the things they took on the march. He said they slept under one wool blanket and woke up to snow on them. Tough customers for sure.

Narrative of the Suffering and Defeat of the North-Western Army, Under General Winchester by Atherton, William (just finished listening to this one and he talked about the women back in Kentucky sending Rifleman Shirts to them.)

I know there are more I have read or listened to but just can't think of them now.


anything worth shooting is worth shooting once.
 
Posts: 126 | Location: Demokratik Republik of Washington | Registered: 29 September 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Another source would be "MEMOIR OF A REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIER" Joseph Plumb Martin. A very good read to understand some of what he and others encountered and endured.
 
Posts: 557 | Location: geneva,fl | Registered: 29 March 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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