Camoflauge

[Mike R]

P.S. as to shiny military stuff, at least early in the european colonial experience over here, things were bright and shiny.  I have read one period piece that describes an army approaching being seen far off from the glint of the sun off their shiny musket barrels.  I remember that being a F&I War era quote..I read for personal knowledge, not to convince anyone else, so I don't keep catalogued records of info like some reenactors do who are concerned with one-upping their buds or defending their gear [and some are professional historians who do it for posterity].  Sometimes I regret that oversight on my part, but mostly I think folks ought to read more primary sources and rely less on chat rooms for info.  I read some part of some work of history every day of my life.  I cannot always keep straight WHERE I got info, but I am pretty good at remembering the info. Right now I am the Editor for a large volume of technical papers [mostly geology] due out soon, so I don't have much free time to go back to my hist refs...[see post at end of p.1]

[Loyalist Dave]

You are correct, and Wolfe also gave orders for his light infantry to brown the barrels of the muskets, although the lights remained in red except for the 80th regiment.  The Germans in the AWI are documented at one point to have been told to remove the gold and silver lace and braid from their uniforms.  

The problems that I have encountered are when folks find one historic source, and assume it universally used throughout North America.  This seems to be a natural mind-set for the 20th and 21st century mind.   Folks want simple, and in some cases "one word" answers of "yes" or "no".

Case in point, about 15 years ago many folks at historic sites would tell you that the color yellow was not often seen in Colonial clothing, except in evening gowns, as it wasn't very colorfast, and faded very quickly in sunlight.  I wondered then, why did the flags used in Maryland, use so much yellow if it faded in the sun?  I found that information came from a Smithsonian report on the natural dyes of New England, that was done about the time of the Bicentenial, so it was then already 20 years out of date.  Well New England isn't Maryland, and when we used goldenrod, a natural dye available in Maryland, but not mentioned in the Smithsonian report..., we found yellow to be quite bright, and very colorfast.

So, in answering many questions, you find conflicting information, and often need to be specific to be accurate in a reply (in my experience).  Some riflemen used brown in wartime, or other "sad" colors.  Other rifle companies, though, wore white, sometimes with red cuffs and collars.  One rifle regiment wore purple, with red cuffs and collars.  So with this question, as with many, the beginning question is very broad, and you have lots of variations.

Talk about firearms, dyeing, or clothing, you get huge regional differences.  Talk about currency, and you've got several hours of studying to understand just the coinage that they used.  (I was very surprised the day I discovered that "pieces of eight" were actually bits of cut up coins) There's an article in the current Muzzleloader magazine on the different "hands" that people used when writing (never knew that), and in it is mentioned the different types or levels of literacy as well (I thought it was you could read or you couldn't).  Talk about medicine, and you find there are barbers, surgeon's mates, surgeons, and physicians, plus apothecaries.  It's not one-upmanship, it's merely an attempt to prevent the continuation of inaccuracy, and it's natural offspring, myth.

After all, how many folks that visit historic sites think we beat the British because we were smart and hid behind walls while the Brits were stupid, wore red, and stood in lines in open fields?

LD

[deadfallpaul]

......I read for personal knowledge, not to convince anyone else, so I don't keep catalogued records of info like some reenactors do who are concerned with one-upping their buds or defending their gear [and some are professional historians who do it for posterity].  Sometimes I regret that oversight on my part, but mostly I think folks ought to read more primary sources and rely less on chat rooms for info. .......  

 :lt th      Right on!!!!

[Hank in WV]

Seems like I vaguely remember a Sid Ceaser (sp) skit like that.

[hankaye]

Well, time for the new kid to say something.
'Back in the day' when laundry was done on an irregular basis at best, and dry cleaners were really hard ta find, especially in the field, wouldn't a white uniform coat or rille smock get that nice dull blotchy look in just a few days? The 'books' may state that White was the color, and any painting/sketch would show the garment as 'clean'. I don't think that there is a citation for common sense. Some things just 'stand to reason'.  Honestly, how clean are your duds when ya get done at the range? What do they look like at the end of an encampment, rondivouse, whatever?
My 2 cents worth.
hankaye 'the new guy'
PS  Spell check is STILL not in the building

[Capt. Jas.]

“Supposing there might be a number of Indians at hand, we being not far from the place where the fort was said to be built. Here we made a halt, to consult what methods to take; and soon concluded to send out a spy, with green leaves for a cap and vest, to prevent his own discovery, and to find out the enemy.”

   The History of the Wars of New-England with the Eastern Indians, or a Narrative Of Their Continued Perfidy and Cruelty  1703-1726, By Samuel Penhallow, Esqr.
1726, 1859…reprinted 1969, Kraus Reprint Co., New York

[Quartermaster James]

Well, this is a bit pre AWI, and (again) in Scotland, but:

MALCOLM:

    Let every soldier hew him down a bough
    And bear't before him: thereby shall we shadow
    The numbers of our host and make discovery
    Err in report of us.

Macbeth, Scene IV

[Loyalist Dave]

Back in the day' when laundry was done on an irregular basis at best, and dry cleaners were really hard ta find, especially in the field, wouldn't a white uniform coat or rille smock get that nice dull blotchy look in just a few days?

 Which is why soldiers were issued smocks to wear over small clothes, and their regimentals were put aside when doing most chores, why sailors had slops, and why the royal artillery of four nations wore dark blue, to avoid powder stains.  Don't fall for the trap that the parade uniforms worn by the men on the drill field, barracks, or in paintings was the field/combat uniform.  Oh an laundry was actually more common..., bathing was not.

Let us not also digress from the point of the original post..., the idea of constructing clothing to actually aid concealment as a rule and not by default, is a mid to late 19th/early 20th century idea.  

LD

[Eric S Campbell]

As dave said. In the army it was most of the time maditory to keep your clothes and uniform clean.

In the 18th century a clean shirt was considered to be healthy. And a dirty shirt was unhealthy. Many people judged others based on that idea. They thought a clean white shirt would soak up the toxins from the body and needed to change the shirts or have them washed regulary. It is amazing to read how far even poor people went to keep their clothes clean.

I think most people just like the idea of being dirty. For me I will endevor to keep my clothes clean in the most period way while at events or treks.

[Loyalist Dave]

Correct, and in fact if you have a sweaty shirt on for many days, the chaffing will convince you that a change might be needed, and..., the boils will convince you if the chaffing does not.  FYI in the desert of North Africa in WWII, the soldiers of the British army had to scrub their clothes with sand to remove body salts and oils when water was very short to preserve their health.  Pretty drastic, but it apparently did work.  An 18th century, boiled wash, not only cleans..., it kills off vermin as well.  Keeps their numbers down to a manageable amount  

LD

[hankaye]

Truley I do respect the time alot of you'ns have spent on research.
Best I can do is use what I remember from my G'GrandPa Charles Walker.  
His 'Goin ta Church shirt ' HAD ta be boiled. It was his best one. His regular shirts got cleaned in the washtub with the rest of the laundry. G'Grama did laundry the same day as she did all the weeks baking. Why, well, that was the day the wood stove was heated up more for all the hot water she was gonna need ta do washin, an bathin. Saturday.
my 2 cents worth

[Sir Michael]

I thought I'd revive this discussion since I found a new reference that some might find interesting.

Practical Instructions for Military Officers  By E. Hoyt, Brigade Major and Inspector in the Militia of Massachusetts.  Published in 1811

Dark green and blue are the colours most suitable for light troops; the former is generally preferred, as it is the least conspicuous; a quality of great important in the dress of troops that are employed in the petite guerre.