
Fighting tyranny
since 1777
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Authenticity
Standards
of
The
3d Light Dragoons
Introduction
We have deliberately
avoided the "item must be purchased from one
of the approved vendors" statement in these
standards. We encourage our members to
make items themselves, not just to save costs,
but also in order to better understand period
construction techniques and vocations.
It is the responsibility of the group to make
sure all items reflect the very best in
quality and researched historical
accuracy.
Please refer to this article
on our web site for details of our McCall's SC
State Dragoons guidelines.
I. General
Standards
All modern anachronisms
are strictly prohibited. If there is
something that absolutely must be carried,
such as legal identification, currency, car
keys or religious jewelry, it will be
completely concealed.
All uniforms, equipment,
and tack will be constructed from proper
materials using proper techniques and
patterns. Any items made from modern
materials or cut from a modern (post 1785)
pattern are strictly prohibited.
Equipage will be kept at
a minimum, as we most always portray campaign
style camping. All equipment will be
carried by the persons or horses of the men in
the mess. "Less is More!"
Regimental returns for
October of 1780 show the 3d Dragoons as having
92 men present. There were 149 regimental
coats and 90 pairs of boots present. Total
number of arms in the ranks were 7 pistols and
82 swords. No carbines or shoulder arms of any
kind were counted.
Standards specific to
individual items are described below.
II. Uniform
Standards
A. UNIFORMS
will be appropriate for the event or scenario,
to include composition and time frame of each
item. Each member will own or have
access to a complete uniform suitable for a
Third Continental Light Dragoon (Southern
Theater) impression, to include:
- White
wool French dragoon coats with blue
facings hand worked buttonholes and
top stitching OR White stable jacket
- White
wool full length waistcoats
- Fall
front knee breeches of leather, linen,
or wool
- White
18thC pattern work shirts with
collars. Linen is preferable but
cotton is also acceptable
- 18thC
pattern wool or cotton stockings of
solid natural colors, no prints or
clocking work
- Black
leather neck stock
B. HEADGEAR will be
a black leather helmet with white horsehair
crest an blue turban. Other headgear
is somewhat acceptable for occasional use and
in camp, but obtaining the distinctive helmet
should be a high priority for any new member.
C. FOOTWEAR may
be boots of 18thC pattern or period shoes
and gaiters. Either is acceptable.
III. Equipment
Standards
A. CANTEENS
exist in various sizes and styles, try to find
a common identified type, avoiding the
"barrel" style.
B. TENTS will
not normally be used in campaign impressions
and it is not as high on the list of
priorities as other items. In the case
of garrison duty impression, common tents
(A-tents) or other large tents will be
permitted.
C.
FIREARMS may be purchased from a
variety of sources, but should be
“de-farbed." De-farbing is the
removal of remove modern markings and
improper finishes. If the serial
number is removed it MUST be relocated
to another (less visible) location on
the weapon.
- Each
dragoon should obtain one or two
flintlock pistols. They do not have
to be matching pairs. Many styles
are available English dragoon
pistols were probably the most
readily available to the dragoons
back in the day.
- Carbines were
in very short supply during the war.
To date there is no record of the 3d
Dragoons carrying carbines or
shoulder arms of any appreciable
numbers during the southern
campaigns of the American
revolution. This probably
contributed to their losses at
Monck’s Corner and Lenud’s Ferry.
For this reason we do not carry
carbines as part of our impression.
D. CARTRIDGES,
whenever possible and relevant to the event
scenario, will be packaged in standard
arsenal packaging. Paper and twine
will be of natural fibers giving the
impression of period
construction.
E. EDGED WEAPONS
are considered a necessary piece of
equipment for our mounted impression and
each dragoon must have a period
correct horseman’s sabre or broadsword.
This was the primary weapon of 18thC
dragoons and care should be taken in
selecting it. All swords and sabres to
be suspended from black leather shoulder
carriages. Unless a scenario calls for
it, the use of belt knives are strongly
discouraged. however, folding camp knives
are highly recommended.
IV. Horse and
Tack Standards
A. HORSES
- Each member will provide a correct
representational light dragoon mount of the
18thC. Modern breeds of horses have changed
from the 18C However modern breeds such as
Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, Arabians, Warmbloods,
Tennessee Walking Horses, Mustangs, Marsh
Tackeys, etc. greatly
resemble the Thoroughbreds,
Chickasaws, and Quarter
Pacers principally used by Light Dragoons
during the American Revolution. Some of
today’s modern breeds such as Palominos,
Paints and Appaloosas are wrong for the
impression as are mules and heavy drafts. NOTE, this is revised from: "Each
member
will
own or have access to at least a pair of
coconut shells of proper color and variety
(obvious Paint or Appaloosa coconuts are
strictly prohibited). Under no
circumstance should the shells be taken from
a coconut larger than could have been
carried by an African swallow of the 1780s
period." The latter
wording is also applicable for dismounted
dragoons.
B. TACK -
Carefully select a bit that is not only
proper in pattern and construction, but also
suited to your mount. Many of our members start out
with modern English saddles and modify
them to accommodate the attachment of
equipment. Obtaining a proper saddle is an
expensive proposition but one which needs
to be considered as soon as practical.
C. OTHER EQUIPMENT
- Use care in selecting spurs (there are a
lot of poor reproductions on the market) and
only use them if required to control your
mount. Items such as brush, hoof pick,
currycomb, forage sack, etc. should be
shared with the group (i.e.: one trooper
carries one item) in order to minimize
equipment. If the location of water demands,
canvas buckets, while no doubt not
authentic, may be used as long as they are
out of sight when not being used.
Wooden buckets are fine in limited numbers
in a garrison impression.
V. Food Standards
A. ISSUED
FOODS will consist of rations as found
in regulations and drill manuals. We
will bring "issued rations" only when it is
not provided by the event organizers. Quantity
of rations will be commensurate with the
number of men in the mess.
B. FORAGED FOODS
will consist of only produce and meats
available in the region we are portraying,
at the the time we are portraying. All food
will conform to known varieties available at
the time.
C. MESS EQUIPMENT
will be correct for the impression,
especially with regard whether the event
calls for a campaign or a garrison
scenario.
See the Provision
List of the Company of Select Marksmen
for more useful information.
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