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| UNIFORMS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION Captain John Crane's artillery company formed part of the Rhode Island quota under the command of General Greene, that was ordered to join the New England army before Boston in 1775. Captain Crane was soon commissioned major, and his company of ninety-five men was reported in the general returns of the army during 1775, as a separate command from the Boston Artillery Regiment, under Colonel Gridley. In the reorganization of 1776, Major Crane became colonel of the 3d Continental Artillery, and the uniform was changed to blue faced with red. (Cf. Plate XIII.) The dress shown in the drawing opposite is that of 1775. One of the leather caps worn by the Rhode Island Company, that which belonged to Lieutenant Benajah Carpenter, may be seen in the museum of the Sons of the Revolution, in Fraunces Tavern, in New York City. It is a small black leather helmet, or cap, formed of six pieces of jacked leather sewn together, forming a cone shape, with a small brown and red tassel at the top. The odd-shaped front of heavy black jacked leather is decorated with a gold painted anchor shaded with dark red, with the motto "For Our Country" painted above the anchor, in gilt letters on a red ground. Under the anchor, also in gilt letters on a red ground, is the Latin motto "In te, Domine, speramus." At the base of the cap on both sides are two small brass buttons with bone backs, having on the face of each a convex anchor. Buttons stamped the same were worn on the jackets of brown faced with red. Privates wore the same dress, but with spatterdashes in place of boots, and carried muskets when not fighting their guns. The officers were distinguished by a small gilt epaulette, crimson sash, saber, espontoon, and boots, are shown in the drawing. |
| Rhode Island Train of Artillery, 1775
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