AWI American Musket and Rifle Armed Light Infantry

[armchairgeneral]

I am looking to field units from Morgan’s Rifle Corps during the Monmouth campaign as an addition to my 28mm American army.

This was made up of rifle companies from 1st , 4th & 12th Pennsylvania, 6th, 7th , 8th & 11th Virginia and light infantry companies from 1st & 2nd North Carolina. My understanding is they would be uniformed as their parent units but probably in light infantry leather caps. Hunting shirts aside, there doesn’t seem to anyone who makes rifle armed, uniformed American infantry in light infantry caps?

[FifteensAway]

No expert, just a fan of the period, but I have no memory of ever hearing about light infantry caps for Morgan's rifles.  While I know you said 'campaign'', at the actual battle of Monmouth Morgan's rifles were on the flanks and too far afield to participate actively.

Only light infantry caps I recall for Continental Light Infantry were those provided by Lafayette to the Corps of Light Infantry at his expense - and I don't recall that they were at Monmouth, formed later(?).

Hope someone with better knowledge will join the conversation.  But I suspect no light infantry caps. 

Also, you did not specify what size of figures you are using. 

[armchairgeneral]

No expert, just a fan of the period, but I have no memory of ever hearing about light infantry caps for Morgan's rifles.  While I know you said 'campaign'', at the actual battle of Monmouth Morgan's rifles were on the flanks and too far afield to participate actively.

Only light infantry caps I recall for Continental Light Infantry were those provided by Lafayette to the Corps of Light Infantry at his expense - and I don't recall that they were at Monmouth, formed later(?).

Hope someone with better knowledge will join the conversation.  But I suspect no light infantry caps. 

Also, you did not specify what size of figures you are using.

Thanks for the reply. Sorry it was for 28mm figures. I have corrected my original post.

Some of my information sources suggest some of the light companies in American regiments had caps from quite early in the war. Just not sure if any of these were in Morgan Corps.

[CapnJim]

I was in the 8th PA s a reenactor several years ago.  Best we could tell, our riflement wore cocked hats or round hats (some with the right brim pinned up), as did the rest of the men.   

[sepoy1857]

No expert, just a fan of the period, but I have no memory of ever hearing about light infantry caps for Morgan's rifles.  While I know you said 'campaign'', at the actual battle of Monmouth Morgan's rifles were on the flanks and too far afield to participate actively.

Only light infantry caps I recall for Continental Light Infantry were those provided by Lafayette to the Corps of Light Infantry at his expense - and I don't recall that they were at Monmouth, formed later(?).

Hope someone with better knowledge will join the conversation.  But I suspect no light infantry caps. 

Also, you did not specify what size of figures you are using. 

The Americans could barely supply food and uniforms, so specialized light infantry caps are probably very unlikely.

[armchairgeneral]

Thanks for the replies chaps. All food for thought. From further digging around, I reckon there would have been quite a mixture of headgear. The British seemed to favour the slouch hat but maybe cocked on one side as the war progressed. Leather caps were expensive so caps that were worn would likely be cut down felt hats with the left over pieces fixed to the front.

[Aaron]

A poor man's light infantry cap was sometimes made by cutting down cocked hats if memory serves. Whichever way you decide to go, King's Mountain Miniatures do a slew of separate heads that work well with Perry and Old Glory figures. It doesn't look like Bill is trading anymore, but Galloping Major are carrying a lot of the options.

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

No expert, just a fan of the period, but I have no memory of ever hearing about light infantry caps for Morgan's rifles.  While I know you said 'campaign'', at the actual battle of Monmouth Morgan's rifles were on the flanks and too far afield to participate actively.

No, I'm fairly sure Morgan's men, whether at Saratoga, or in the Monmouth campaign, wore "floppy" (as opposed to cocked) hats; for one thing, the brim would shade the eyes when aiming (a common complaint about the British "Keppel" light infantry cap).

The reason Morgan's men took no part in the battle was because Lee sent him a letter saying he was going to attack the British "tomorrow" and Morgan should arrange to co-ordinate his attack with Lee's.  Unfortunately, Lee wrote the letter on one day, but signed and dated it and sent it out just after midnight, leading Morgan to believe that "tomorrow" was the day after the day when he received it, rather than the day after the day when it was actually written (ie the same day that he received it).

[armchairgeneral]

I understand Morgan’s men didn’t take part in the actual battle. I am just after fielding Morgan’s infantry, musket or rifle armed, typical for this period.

[Pan Marek]

Light infantry that accompanied Morgan's Rifles were not rifle armed.  They had muskets that took bayonets.   Dearborn's light infantry accompanied Morgan's at Saratoga, to defend them in case there was a British breakthrough or counterattack.  I suspect the light with Morgan in the Freehold campaign did likewise.

[Old Contemptable]

The composite light infantry that Morgan had was not rifled armed. They had bayonets and their purpose was to back up the Riflemen who were not bayonet-armed. I believe most of the Riflemen wore tricornes (cocked hats) and some had floppy hats.

My light infantry wears caps. But that is conjecture on my part. I just like Perry's American light infantry. This photo is from my Freeman's Farm game.

[armchairgeneral]

Thanks for the reply and the great picture.

As my initial post, Morgan’s corps during the Monmouth campaign had 7 rifle companies and 2 light infantry companies. I am just trying to get an understanding of what all these troops wore. I would argue they would mostly be wearing the uniform coats of their parent units and a variety of headgear i.e. floppy hats, cocked hats, tricorns and floppy hats cut down to just caps to distinguish themselves as light troops whether musket or rifle armed.

Apologies for the confusion. When I refer to light infantry I meant the whole of Morgan’s corps not just the light infantry companies it contained.