"Plan for the Cloathing of the [Continental] Infantry" by Freiherr de Steuben

Dear Reader,

Today, I am sharing a primary source regarding clothing in the American Continental Army. This is a proposed plan created by Friedrich Wilhelm, Freiherr de Steuben, for clothing the infantrymen of the Continental Army.  Obviously, this plan was never fully adopted by the United States, and shortages continued throughout the war. This plan, however, gives a clear vision for the type of clothing which Continental troops could expect to receive, and also Steuben's view of what the ideal clothing of a soldier consisted of.

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Newburgh, August 14th, 1779

Gentlemen,

...The distribution of cloathing should be made with more regularity. As long as [one] regiment receives shirts, whilst another receives shoes and their stockings, or what is still worse, when a regiment receives 20 hats, another 200, and another none at all, we must not think of having our Army cloathed.

The distribution of cloathing should be made at certain fixed periods in the year.

Whatever the soldier is to receive should be determined. Every article of the cloathing should be valued at a certain rate, he who receives more than his allowed should refund the price of the surplus and he who receives less should have an adequate compensation made to him.

The annexed plan of such an arrangement will make it clear and more sensible to you, and although at first sight it may appear so much an expenditure, yet I dare assert it will prove advantageous and oeconomical to the United States.

Plan

for the Cloathing of the Infantry

Whatever Cloathing the soldiers receive from the states may be reduced to these Heads:

1st. The Necessaries

2nd. The Uniform

3rd. The Small Mounting 

The necessaries of a soldier consist of:

A haversack of calf or goat skin

A Knapsack of Grey linen

A Blanket

A Pair of shoe buckles

A Pair of Knee Ditto

A Stock Ditto

A Clothes Brush

A Pair of Shoe Brushes

A Large Comb                   I  

A Small Tooth Ditto            I

Six needles                        I    [These] Enclosed

Two Oz Blue thread           I > in a leather case

Two Oz White Ditto            I

A Pocket Knife                   I

A Tin Spoon                       I

The Uniform of a Soldier Consists of: 

A Hat

A Pair of Wool Overalls

A Coat

A Leather Stock

A Waistcoat

A Pair of Garters and Buckles

A Pair of Wooll Breeches

A Pair of Woollen Gloves

The Small Mounting Consists of:

Two Shirts                                      I          Once of each Articles

Two Pair Woollen Stockings          I  >       Every Four Months 

A Pair of Shoes                              I

x A Queue Ribbon and One every six months

A Hunting Shirt                            I

A Pair Wool Overalls                   I> Per Year 

The soldiers should receive their necessaries at their first entering in the Regiment

They should receive their Uniform every New Years Day 

Their small mounting should be made at four different parts of the year:

1st Delivery/ Jan 1st

A  shirt, a pair stockings, a par of shoes, a queue ribbon

2nd Delivery/ April 1st

A shirt, a pair of Lin. Overalls, a pair of shoes

3rd Delivery/ June 1st

A Hunting Shirt, A pair of overalls a Queue Ribbon

4th Delivery/ Sept 1st

A shirt, a pair stockings, a pair of shoes 

The soldiers' necessaries always belong to the states, and when a soldier leaves the service

he must be accountable for them to the Regimental paymaster.

The Uniform belongs to the soldier after sixteen months service and when a soldier dies or quits the Regiment before the expiration of that time his uniform must be must be delivered to the paymaster
who will keep it in his store to distribute its  to the soldiers who will arrive in the course of the year.

The small mounting belong to the soldier after four months service, in case of Death or Discharge, but as long as he remains with the Regiment he must account at each review for the following articles:

3 shirts 3 pair stockings 1 pair of shoes 1 hunting shirt
1 pair linen overalls when a recruit enters a regiment from
January to April, inclusive he receives:
His necessaries
His Uniform new and Compleat
2 shirts
2 pair of stockings
1 pair shoes
1 Queue Ribbons

When a recruit enters his Regt from
May to Aug inclusive he receives
His necessaries
A complete Uniform from those in the paymasters' stores
2 shirts
2 pairs of stockings
1 pair of shoes
1 Queue Ribbon

A recruit who enters from September to Jan inclusive receives

His necessaries
A Complete Uniform from the paymaster's [stores]
2 shirts
2 pairs of stockings
1 Pair of shoes
1 Queue Ribbon

Steuben /////
Maj. General[1]

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Thanks for Reading,

Alex Burns




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Steuben Papers, 2:10.