Show soldiers wore gorgeous uniforms to bluff enemy the british soldier got his red oat became a lobster back at fe tle tl f e beginning of the eighteenth century in those days uniforms worn in battle were gorgeous sol diers wore wigs which made them look tall in order to terrify the enemy george washington clever ly took advantage of this principle of terror when he became commander of the american forces at cam 1 bridge recalls a writer in the bos ton globe the colonials had no drill but they had a reputation for being much better shots than the best sol diers in europe it was difficult to obtain cloth for uniforms general washington recommended a garb composed of homespun with coats cut like hunting shirts anit long trousers it is a dress he said justly 3 supposed to carry no small terror to an enemy who think every such person a complete marksman the hunting shirts were usually white and fringed but some regi ments wore fellow yellow green or blue gradually officers and some of the enlisted men got into the long tailed coats with vests and trousers of white or buff a light yellow and facings according to states in new england these were white in new york and new jersey buff in pennsylvania delaware maryland and virginia red and in the caro imas linas and georgia blue all more the cocked or three cornered hat of the time at this time wigs for soldiers had gone out of fashion everywhere but even in the amen ameri can army enlisted men were ra tinned flour with which to powder they hair tight breeches went out of fast fasl ion in the french revolution and the long trousers came in officers tucked them in boots shortly after the turn of the century american infantry wore plugged hats topped with a feather but this did not last long |