UNIFORM DOCUMENTATION

PULASKI'S INDEPENDENT LEGION

1st Company

Objective:

To establish the known information on the uniforms of the light infantry companies of Pulaski’s Independent Legion for the purpose of meeting the requirements of the Brigade of the American Revolution for advancement to probationary membership. It is to be understood that we are not attempting to represent the troops of horse or lancers commonly known as Hussars or Bosniques (and referred to by Col. Ewald) who may have had a distinctly Eastern European dress, but exclusively the light infantry contingent. References to the Ulhans de Saxe (Marshal Saxe of France being credited with the Legion prototype) and to Lauzun’s Legion of Rochambeau’s force both indicate that the Foot components of these units were dressed in conventional infantry coats that mirrored the uniforms of their respective units hussars. Saxe: green coats with red sash and red waistcoats (foot having green with red facing). Lauzun: sky blue with yellow breeches and trim (foot blue with yellow facings).

Background:

The First Independent Legion, or Maryland’s Legion, or American Legion commonly known as Pulaski’s Legion was created by act of Congress on March 28, 1778. The Legion as created was to "consist of 68 horse and 200 foot, the horse to be armed with lances and the foot to be equipped in the manner of light infantry."(MC&H 98) A subsequent resolve, dated April 6 reveals an estimation of the equipment to be provided to the new corps in excess of $130 per man allowance for equipment:

"For each trooper and light infantry man, one stock, one cap, a pair of breeches , one comb, two pair of stockings, two pair of gaiters, three pair of shoes, one pair of buckles, a spear, and a cartouch box.

For each trooper a pair of boots, a saddle, halters, curry-comb and brush, portmantle, picket cord, and pack saddle: The leathers for the portmantle and pack saddle to be furnished out of the public stores."

(Journals of Continential Congress, X, 312)

We can deduce from the surviving receipts of the Legion, which are by no means complete, certain facts regarding the equipping of the Legion. The initial equipping of the Legion, of which the most records are currently available occurred from April thru October 1778 and centered around Philadelphia, PA and Baltimore, MD with a reference of an expedition to Boston to obtain arms. It should be noted that the recruiting and equipping of the Legion in the Baltimore area prompted Pulaski to suggest that the Legion be called Maryland’s Legion on several occasions.

The following breakdown of basic uniform components represents, to the best of our knowledge the existing information on the Independent Legion. Receipt sources are listed with dates and National Archives reference numbers taken from the article in Military Collector & Historian (MC&H) of the Winter 1964 issue by Donald Holst and Marko Zlatich; two digit noted refer to a an existing expense account from late October 1778 noted in the above article but reprinted more fully in Pulaski: A Portrait in Freedom by R.D. Jamro. Other sources listed as noted.

THE HELMET

Probably the most distinctive feature of the recreated Legion uniform, the documentation for the helmet is fragmentary but lists the components included in the recreated unit helmet. The current uniform consists of a dragoon style leather helmet with black horsehair crest, black turban, white feather and an eight pointed metal star.

Several references are made to purchases of leather caps:

Item No. Description Extended Cost

CAPS AND HORSEHAIR

43 64 leather caps at 100/..... 852.2.6

50 dto. at 20 D..... 1000

17724 9/16/78

50 dragoon caps at twenth dollars .... 375.0.9

The above item #17724 also lists a charge for

"Repairing caps and puting hair in the combs"... 18.0.0

TURBANS and FEATHERS:

17766 9/27/78

19503 400 White feathers sold to him..... 100.0.0

44 50 yards of Black cloth to put around

450 Feathers..................... 291.5.0

STARS:

45 400 Stars for the Soldiers caps... 200

 Notes:

1. To argue for the existence of a "typical" leather cap used by (at least) the foot of the Legion, N.A. #19568 lists 16 old Light Dragoon Caps being received by a Lt. Carlevan from the Legion (11 Sept 1778) with no other descriptor.

2. The placement of the star, is based on a letter from the former Brigade Inspector, Roy Najecki dated 17 January 1990. References by some Brigade members have been made to a particular elaborate design engraved on the star but, as of this date no proof has been shown.

3. The recreated Legion currently displays brass stars on the helmet and this is going to be corrected shortly based on the current interpretation of "hard metal" as tinned iron or trade silver.

 

THE COAT

There is no known complete description of the uniform coat of the Independent Legion. Informed speculation into the design of the horsemen’s uniform coats rests on the theory that they would have been dressed in the manner to which Count Pulaski was accustomed. While we have developed a speculative uniform coat we attempted to keep our design to what is practical and reasonable based on the fragmented data and generally held practices in other units.

Our current uniform coat consists of a dark blue coat cut short in light infantry style with red collar, cuffs and facings and buttons marked USA.

THE COAT:

National Archives listing #17719 notes that on 31 August 1778 the Legion paid one Henry Rice:

17719 86 Light Dragoon Coats at .............. 1/10/0

7 trumpeters coats at................ 1/10/0

        60 jackets at................. 15/0

        271 Infantry coats at................. 1/10/0

4 drummers coats and jackets at.......... 2/5/0

Deserter descriptions and some other correspondence refer to

Blue coats and colored lacing for the noncommissioned

officers and trumpeters

33 134 Yards ¼ Blue cloth at L6............ 2148

34 130 yards silver lace for the NCO and

trumpeters coats at 4..................... 520

4000 yards of binding for the soldiers

coats at 1/3.............................. 88.1.8

60 yards green lace for the

trumpeters coats at 5/ .................... 46

It should be noted that there was no distinction of different colors for the 4000 yrds of binding for the soldiers coats. In a telephone conversation with James Kochan of the National Parks service who has done some research into the uniforms of the legion he stated that he believed that the "binding" was arranged in a "zig zag" pattern on the coats where the buttons are. "in a typical Eastern European (Hussar) style". However, he also stated that is interest was with regard to the horse and the infantry uniforms might have red cuffs and collars thus explaining a description of two drummers coats of RED.

We have elected to arrange our uniforms as blue with red facings based on the descriptions of the drummers coats of red (and an understanding that musicians coats were generally the reverse of their units), and instructions to the Clothier General of Maryland from that State’s Council dated April 21, 1778 to furnish clothing to the recruits of the Legion on the same basis as recruits of the Maryland Continental Line. While this choice may not be correct it is our conservative best estimate until such a time as facts are presented to the contrary.

THE BUTTONS:

National Archives reference #19480 (dated August 21, 1778) refers to the return of "86 groce Coat buttons USA, 10 Groce and 5 Dozen vest buttons Dto. All which are received into the clothier Generals Warehouse." This indicates that there was most likely a unit button created for the regimental coats. A silver button engraved with a script "PL" is illustrated in the book History Written With Pick and Shovel by Calver and Bolton (p.141) and is generally attributed to the Legion. More significantly, there is also a reenactor who claims to own 20 such buttons dug at the Van Campen Inn in the Mininsink Valley (a Legion posting), however he has thus far failed to produce any proof.

Until such a time as we can determine that this is in fact a likely legion button we will continue with the USA button. It should probably be noted here that the Legion brand was "IL" not "PL" as seen in an advertisement for two stolen horses of the legion and signed by the troop Colonel of the "American Legion".

NOTE: Our Non commissioned officer has silver lace on his coat cuffs as noted in Item 34 above, again a conservative interpretation.

THE EQUIPMENT

Other Items of Note:

17737 (6/18/78) Paid to Wm. Haltery for making:

Original Receipt October Accounting

85 Hunting Shirts at 15/ converted to $2.....170

150 Overhalls at 15/ " 2.....300

24 shirts at 15/ " 2.....48

200 cloth Portmantles at 22/6 " 3.....600

300 pair of Gaiters for soldiers at 7/6 (1...300)

The October 1778 expense account lists only 85 hunting shirts and 150 overalls yet totals over 426 pair of gaiters. While we have elected to equip our unit with hunting shirts (not Frocks) it seems as if perhaps only a percentage (the Rifle Company?) of the unit may have been outfitted in Hunting shirts and overalls.... why wear gaiters with overalls? There were also 50 Pr. of leather gaiters listed as a separate item at 10 dollars per.

Light Infantry axes:

46 220 little hatchets......12/...................551

45 152 hatshes caps.........1/3...................23

Canteens:

350 Canteens 1..............350

We have elected to paint our wooden canteens blue with the lettering "I.L." (as noted above as brand for unit horses).

Backpacks:

Item 32 above lists 200 cloth Portmantles. We have recently re-equipped with the "New Invented Knapsack Haversack". Mr. Najecki notes in his letter of 1/17/1990 noted above that "given that the issue was mid war and the issue took place in the middle colonies its a safe assumption...".

Cartridge Boxes:

Item #19576 lists "100 caterage boxes of the new construction" being issued to the legion on October 14, 1778 at Philadelphia by Johnathan Gastelowe, the Commissioner of Military Stores. Some members believe this to refer to the Tin Canister which was approved by the Board of War in March of 1778.

Expense Account item #42 lists 98 cartridge boxes at 6 dollars per (or 2/5/0).

NOTE: While several of our members are currently using the Tin Boxes we have recently decided that they are dangerous in that they sometimes open and spill out the cartridges which have been picked up by spectators. We have recently converted to other boxes and intend to use the Tin Boxes as a reserve, securely fastened shut with a leather thong.

CONCLUSION

A point can be made regarding the recreated Pulaski’s Independent Legion regarding the last item noted. Currently we have men equipped with leather shoulder boxes, tin boxes, belly boxes and at least one shoulder box converted to Belly box. We believe that with the exception of coats that were all made at the same time the supply of equipment to the Legion was even more sporadic than that of the rest of the Army. Particularly when one notes that the Legion was not officially designated to one State... this might in fact explain Pulaski’s offer to call his corps Maryland’s Legion.

We have to the best of our knowledge assembled the best conservative accurate interpretation of the uniform of the 1^st Light Infantry Company of the Independent Legion, and do appreciate advice from all quarters on the improvement of our impressions, when they can be substantiated by, if not fact, at least several incredible coincidences.

Compiled by Scott Blake, Adjutant

For the Commander, James Sieradzki

1^st Co. Pulaski’s Independent Legion

April 1. 1995

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