UNIFORMS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION -- French Army

UNIFORMS OF
THE FRENCH ARMY
IN THE
AMERICAN REVOLUTION

The Prince de Montbarey became minister in September, 1777, and quickly cancelled the most unusual features of the 1776 uniform while preparing a new regulation which finally appeared in February, 1779.

While it is not possible to know exactly to what extent individual regiments wore the 1776 uniform, we know that coats were intended to last up to three years while hats, waistcoats, breeches and most other items were issued yearly. It was possible in late 1776 to see a regiment wearing three different uniforms at the same time. By 1780 this was down to two. Evidence of this is seen in the Saintonge Regiment during 1780-1781.

A crude drawing by Captain Von Closen of the Royal Deux-Ponts regiment shows a view of a private wearing the 1776 uniform and a four-cornered hat, while another drawing in 1778 shows an enlisted man wearing a more conventional hat, waistcoat and coat with white turnbacks. A witness to the 1779 attack on Grenada sketched the metropolitan infantry in white coats with long tails and white turnbacks, while depicting Dillon's (Irish) charging up a hill wearing a short red coat with yellow turnbacks.

The regular colonial infantry had their own uniform regulations and were not subject to those of the French Ministry of War. The regiments in the West Indies had a blue coat with no lapels but with turned-down collar, cuffs and shoulder strap of the facing color; white turnbacks; white metal buttons set as follows: six large in front (one at the neck, two at the chest, and three at the waist), three large to each pocket, one large to each back hip, four small buttons on each boot cuff, and one small to the shoulder strap of fusiliers. Fringed epaulettes were of the regimental facing color for grenadiers, and white for chasseurs. The facing colors were: Du Cap, Saxon green; Port-au-Prince, red; Martinique, buff; Guadeloupe, crimson. The facings and front edges were trimmed with white piping and cloth anchors of the facing color on the turnbacks, white waistcoat, breeches and gaiters; black tricorn laced white with white cockade, cockade loop and small white metal button.

[REFERENCES: The French Army in the American War of Independence. Men-At-Arms Series, #244. Reed International Books, Ltd., London, England. 1991. Color plate by Francis Back.]

1 - Grenadier, Martinique Regiment, 1778-83
2 - Fusilier, Dillon's (Irish) Regiment, 1779
3 - Volunteer Chasseurs-volontaires de Saint-Dominique, 1779

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