AWIART-03
John Jenkins Designs
The Continental Army’s growing pains through the first years of the war caused Washington considerable irritation. Professional armies cannot be developed overnight, and the fits and starts of the Continental Army’s creation is illustrated most clearly in the establishment of the artillery. The United States had to build its artillery from scratch, but impressively by 1778 this branch of service was well regulated and effective.
Although the Continental Army’s artillery units were not affected by the uniform regulations as much as the infantry had been, there were still several different uniforms pre the 1778 regulations.
The change imposed on the artillery by the regulations was to make all four of the Continental regiments uniform in appearance as a branch of service and do away with distinctions between the regiments. This happened in October 1779. Prior to this, the artillery arm of the Continental army had been noted as mainly wearing dark blue coats, usually faced red.