First Maryland, Circa 1780 |
Infantry
in Hunting Shirt
Whats a hunting shirt? Hunting shirts are a loose fitting linen coat that the American Army favored when Regimental Coats (the fancy ones) were in short supply. They were cheap and easy to make. General Washington was reputed to like them because they made the untrained Americans look like backwoodsmen. They are lighter and more comfortable in the summer than the wool coats. They were dyed by different colors by regiments so they could tell which unit a man was with by the color of his coat. They could also be worn over the Regimental coat like a workers smock to keep the fancier coat from getting dirty. In our reenactment unit they are worn by recruits as a first coat until they can make the more difficult Regimental coat. The recruit in the photo carries the French Charleville musket. The French came to the aid of the Americans during the Revolution and provided supplies and troops that helped us win the war. Did they do it because they loved us, no, they hated the British! |
