Coats of Revolutionary War Soldiers from Massachusetts

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20240325-115021-Scan.pdf

As the war began in April 1775 there was no official
State uniform. The soldiers wore the civilian clothes they had.
If you see pictures of militia and minutemen in all different
colors and clothing items that is what they wore.

The Officers of the 3rd Bristol County Militia did have a official Captain's coat.
In Norton on November 9, 1774 a meeting of Commissioned Officers voted on a uniform.
The coats were blue with red self facings and slashed plaques on the cuffs. Buttons of a gold color. Black cocked hat and white stockings. All officers had to pay for their own coats and all additional clothing.

Records of the Provincial Congress 1775

On the 29 of June 1775 two weeks after the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Committee of Supplies sent letters to the Selectmen of each town in Massachusetts and Maine District. They required each town to make a certain number of woolen coats for the soldiers from their towns serving at the siege of Boston. A total of 13,000 coats were needed. They were to be like a farmers short coat that buttoned down the front. Each town was responsible to get good quality wool (20 ounces) and dye it to a brown color between fawn and tobacco. The coats were to be sent to camp at Cambridge Massachusetts. There the Clothing Committee would attach the buttons for the regiments from 1-26.

Colonel Timothy Walker’s Regiment of the United Colonies was the 22nd Regiment.
The following is a list of the number coats some local towns needed to send to Cambridge.
Rehoboth 147, Taunton 105, Swansey-Shawamet 67,
Attleboro 88, Dighton 49, Berkley29, Norton 55.

In October the soldier started to receive the BOUNTY COATS. Some soldiers got money or a bounty instead of a coat.

If you see the Rehoboth Minutemen and some have BOUNTY Coats this is the story of their history.