New Jersey Blues

The Continental regiments from the state of New Jersey were popularly known as the "Jersey Blues," an appellation which originated during the Seven Years War in America (1755-1763), when blue and red uniform coats were worn by the provincial troops from the state. In 1776, the first full year of military service that the New Jersey Continentals experienced during the War of the Revolution, the troops from that state were initially directed to have been supplied with hunting shirts. In conjunction with an order for "the raising of two battalions in this colony [New Jersey] immediately", a letter from John Hancock, dated 12 October 1775, was laid before the Provincial Congress, which included the following resolution:

The Congress have agreed to furnish the men with a hunting shirt, not exceeding the value of one dollar and one third of a dollar, and a blanket, provided these can be procured, but these are not to be made part of the terms of enlistment.

During the first few months of the new battalions’ service, a number of hunting shirts were manufactured for issuance, and when material for clothing was purchased or sought, it was with this apparel in mind. Captain John Polhemus of the 1st Battalion wrote to his colonel, William Alexander, on 20 December 1775:

I Understand by the Commissary that Cloth for the Soldiers' Frocks, &c. are at Elizabeth Town, if so shall be Extremely Obliged to you to have it sent as soon as Convenient, as the Weather is at Present very severe and many of the men are so naked that they are unfit for Duty. I shall be much Obliged to you to have a Pattern of the Frocks sent with the Cloth that I may have them made as soon as Possible.

A few days after Polhemus' letter, the commander of the 2nd Battalion, Colonel William Maxwell, submitted a request to Alexander to "send me one of Your best Frocks for a pattern by the first of the Stage Carriages and I will send it back again." It was not until 12 January 1776, however, that Colonel Alexander finally informed Maxwell that he had directed "Captain Conway [of the 1st Battalion] to send you... one of the Frocks of his Company which you may use as a pattern." By the end of the month the colonel of the 2nd Battalion was only able to report that "We have got many Frocks made but nothing like half enough for the regt..."

Having been informed early in January that the New Jersey battalions were to be marched north into Canada as soon as they could be made ready, it occurred to both the legislators and the unit commanders that hunting shirts would not be the most suitable wearing apparel for the troops. Writing from Trenton, New Jersey, on 23 January, Maxwell stated that his men "have got their Hats Shoes & Stockings I believe in general but I believe they want much warmer Cloathing to go into Cannada than if they'd [remained] here. There is a good many Cartouch boxes & Cross Belts [as well as] some haversacks & Frocks here." At the end of the month, he was suggesting that the small number of hunting frocks which had already been made up "might be taken for a southern regt. & Cloath given to us", in order to make wool coats for service with the northern army.

With regard to an alteration in the type of clothing being provided for the newly raised units from the state, the New Jersey Provincial Congress raised a question in a letter dated 11 February 1776 as to "whether it would not be advisable to clothe the [third] Battalion now raising in Uniform, deducting the Expence Atending it out of the Men's Wages." As a result of these suggestions, some type of uniform coat was issued to at least two of the three regiments from the state. One indication of this is a statement found in an orderly book of the 2nd Jersey Battalion of 1776. The entry for 21 August includes a description of the robbery of some civilians by "Certain Villians who Said they belonged to the Jersey Reigment. There are more Villians that wear Blues than those suspected in the Jersey Regimt." At the time, both the 1st and 2nd Jersey Battalions were present at Ticonderoga, with the 3rd Battalion not arriving there until 1 November. Since deserter descriptions from February 1777 report three men from the 2nd Regiment wearing blue and red coats, it is most probable, if not certain, that at least the 2nd Battalion wore the same coats in 1776. It is known, however, that the 3rd New Jersey Battalion wore regimental coats of a drab color with blue facings during 1776 and, in the following year, procured blue and red coats for its soldiers. Although not generally used by the Jersey troops in 1776, hunting shirts were to make a reappearance and would play a more prominent role in the clothing worn by the New Jersey Brigade during the following two years.

During the winter of 1776/1777, the men of the three regiments raised by the state of New Jersey were discharged at the termination of their one-year enlistment. The three regiments were then reorganized as part of the Second Establishment of the Continental Army and brought up to strength, either by the reenlistment of old soldiers or with the addition of new men. A fourth regiment was also authorized as part of the state's contingent and, by May 1777, the four units were ordered to form a brigade under General William Maxwell of New Jersey. With the discharge of the old troops and the enlistment of new men, the regiments from New Jersey were faced with the task of obtaining new clothing in order to cover the men and to bring some uniformity to their appearance. For the first five or six months of 1777, while the men were being mustered and clothing was being purchased, the garments being worn by the New Jersey soldiers were a mixed lot indeed, as is evidenced by various deserter descriptions. Such descriptions, which have long been a primary source regarding Continental Army dress, are not necessarily the most vaild testimony of the clothing worn by the entirety of a given unit. This is due to the obvious question of how representative such a small sample of deserters can be. Nevertheless, deserter descriptions cannot be ignored entirely, especially in the absence of other documentation.