Queens Rangers ( Simcoe's) during the AWI

[Ceeteegee]

Not sure if these are useful; but i wont know unless i post 'em. I'm looking at an early war unit and was looking to use Perry's plastics or metals. I came across this painting showing the Rangers at Monmouth's Courthouse
https://pixels.com/featured/queens-american-rangers-mark-maritato.html
And there's an article on cap hats that's on the website of a reenactment group.
 http://royalyorkers.ca/articles.php ( Justification for our caps ).

[MiniPigs]

The Baron  said that when the QR unit had coats with facings, they were green coats and green facings? Why do I think the QRs had black facings?

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

Not sure if these are useful; but i wont know unless i post 'em. I'm looking at an early war unit and was looking to use Perry's plastics or metals. I came across this painting showing the Rangers at Monmouth's Courthouse
https://pixels.com/featured/queens-american-rangers-mark-maritato.html

The artist seems to have copied the British light infantry uniform (sleeved waistcoat or roundabout) of the time, but in green, although the absence of cuffs on the arms is problematic.  Interesting speculation - and who's to say it's wrong?  It's not known if the QRs as a whole modified their uniform in this way, or simply retained their regimental coats with the tails cut down - as the Regular line infantry would have done.  For the former, Perry packs AW48 to AW52 would be appropriate; for cut-down coats, packs AW56 to AW58.  If you're using plastics, I think the British bodies with the "slouch hats" from the British box would replicate the cut-down coat look; you'd have to stick with metals for the roundabout appearance though.

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

Why do I think the QRs had black facings?

Possibilities -

1) A "catalogue" of Loyalist uniforms, drafted at the end of the war and quoted extensively in Rene Chartrand's Osprey MAA on the Provincials, had (I think) a reference to black facings on the light dragoon jackets; this could either be a mistake due to confusion with similar jackets for the British Legion dragoons, or a genuine indication that the light dragoon elements of both units were issued the same item.  If you look at the US re-enactment unit, I think its CO (Dr Gary Corrado) wears a light dragoon uniform with black facings.  None of the other elements of the QRs had black facings at any time, though.

2) Lefferts mistook the AWI-era QRs with a later unit raised in Canada in the 1790s, which had dark blue facings (he may also have assumed these from the use of "Queen" in the regimental title).

3) You are Bobby Ewing and you dreamt it.

[Ceeteegee]

It's just the excuse I need to buy a few more packs of Perry's finest. It's not bad day when the dilemma is cut-down coats or roundabouts. Does mean I'll have to get some more Highland troops as well.  ☺

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

Depends what you want - kilts or overalls; I'm not sure if this is accurate or not, but I doubt that the kilt survived very long in the field (the 42nd and 71st had ditched them by the end of 1776).  The Perry highland figures in overalls are more accurate in terms of headgear, as the beret-type bonnet worn by the kilted figures is wrong for AWI-era highlanders, unless you are specifically talking about Southern Loyalist militia (ie Moore's Creek Bridge).  Personally I think the advancing figures (without backpacks) are the best as they tie in, pose-wise, with the metal flank company figures (ie grenadiers and light company).

[FuriousT]

Just to add to the confusion, the Rangers (and most of the provincial units being raised in and around New York) received a clothing issue in the spring of 1777 consisting of green coats faced in white (no lace) and white small clothes with round hats. The Rangers would have worn this throughout the Philadelphia campaign. In early 1778 is when Simcoe mentions converting waistcoats with sleeves for summer wear, but they retain green/faced green coats for cooler weather - as illustrated in the watercolor of the Ranger grenadier. As stated above, it's not until 1780 that the round contract hats are replaced by the leather caps.

Not to toot my own horn, but you can see some examples of the guys in my reenacting unit here if that helps: https://www.facebook.com/qolvr

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

I knew about the general issue of green-faced-white, but didn't realise that the QRs had received that as well - thank you!