Marine blues Were Hand-Me-Downs From U.S. Army of 1798

Marine Blues Were Hand-Me-Downs From U.S. Army in 1798
by R.W. Gaines
Gny Sgt USMC (Ret.)
1952-72
~~~~~

A few years ago I had posted online something to the effect that the first Marines blue uniforms had been hand-me-downs from the U.S. Army. A lot of people didn't like that post for whatever reason, I recall. In any case, the online reference (webpage) for that article has long since disappeared, and I have long since deleted that article from my websites. Had I known at that time of the Way Back Machine, I likely could have retrieved the defunct webpage in question.

Anyway, I recently read an article where the U.S. Army is presently trading in their green uniforms to once again return to blue uniforms.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=ak4fIl4tyI5U&refer=us>

This triggered something in my old mind-housing-group as to the above and I spent some time Googling for information on the old story, and surprisingly, came up w/a few items on it.

"Legion Ville played a major role in this campaign and the modern United States Army and Marine Corps owes much to this small army. The 3rd United States Infantry (The Old Guard) who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, descended from the 1st Sub-Legion. The badge of the Old Guard shows a black cocked-hat with a white plume, the colors given to the 1st Sub-Legion by Wayne. In 1796, when the rifle-battations of Wayne's Legion were abandoned, the uniforms were put into storage. In 1798, when the United States Marine Corps was officially designated a distinct branch of the military, they were given Wayne's surplus uniforms. The distinctive dress uniform of the Marines with its high collar and red piping is very similar to the Legion's uniform. It is said that the term "leatherneck" came from the neckstock the soldiers were forced to wear. Henry Burbek, who designed the layout of Legion Ville was a co-founder of West Point Military Academy. Other notables at Legion Ville were William Henry Harrison, ninth president of the United States; Zebulon Pike, who discovered Pike's Peak; William Eaton, who led the Marines ashore at Tripoli and Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the leaders of the Lewis and Clark expedition. This tiny piece of land in Beaver County is uniquely tied to American history."

http://www.bchistory.org/beavercounty/beavercountytopical/Military/LegionvilleMilestones/LegionvilleMSU96.html>

" Blue cloth jacket, lapelled and faced with red, edged with red and a red belt, red cuffs cut underneath with one small button; red collar, with a shoulder strap, edged with red, ending with red wings below the shoulder, one coat to each soldier. Red vest, blue woolen overalls with
red seams, two to each; naval buttons to all, viz: an Eagle, with a shield on the left wing, enclosing a foul anchor. A common hat, trimmed with yellow, turned up on the left side with a leather cockade, one to each. White linen overalls, two to each. Shirts ruffled to the bosom, four to each. Shoes, with strings, or ribband, two pairs to each. Two Epaulettes for each Sergeant, one Epaulet for each Corporal. The Epaulets are yellow silk. Drummers and fifers dress: Red cloth coat, with a blue belt, edged with common yellow livery, blue cuffs, edging the same, with a blue shoulder strap edging the same, ending with blue wings, below the shoulder and edging the same. Another standard piece of Marine clothing was the watch cloak. Since sentry duty was a Marine's most common task aboard ship. The Secretary of the Navy allotted one watch cloak for every two men in December 1798.

The first Marine uniform was based on garments designed for the Rifle Battalions of the Legion of the United States. Since the Army had abandoned the legionary structure and converted the Rifle Battalions into standard infantry units, the surplus riflemen's clothing was issued to Burrow's Marines- a sensible economy measure.

The Marines were not always satisfied with their uniforms. Many items were shoddily made or unsuitable for wear at sea. On May 13, 1799, a disgusted lieutenant wrote Commandant Burrows; "A number of the Marines have lost their hats overboard by accident, and I have procured others
for them...The hats that I received from the Agent for them were of a bad quality. After they had been wet a few times they cracked and broke very much, so badly that some are worn out, and I have replaced them by others." Burrows attempted to improve matters in March 1800 by
authorizing a special summer uniform fro his troops. "There has been adopted a Summer Dress for the Marines," Burrows announced, "a white linen coatee made of Russia Duck with a red cape. Lapelled with two buttons on each side bound Ferret and a small skirt about six inches long; overalls edged with red." Burroughs recommended that his Marines receive two white coats apiece, but any man who wanted the "Summer Dress" had to pay for it out of his pocket.

The Quasi-War provided the U.S. Marines with few opportunities fro glory, but whenever they came, Burrow's men performed well. The marine guard of the USS CONSTELLATION distinguished itself in that frigate's victories over the L'INSURGENTE and the VENGEANCE. Other marine detachments participated in the successful amphibious operations at Puerta Plata on Santo Domingo and St. Christopher on Dutch Caracao. Following the Quasi-War, the corps was reduced in size. Lieutenant Colonel Burrows stayed on as Commandant until 1804, when he was forced to resign by growing ill health and financial difficulty.

Editors Note- Please take a minute to look at the similarity with our
uniforms and the modern dress blues of the US Marine Corps. We are
often mistaken for Marines.

http://www.legionville.com/m1798-18.htm>

---

---

~~~~~~~~~~


R.W. "Dick" Gaines
GnySgt USMC (Ret.)
1952 (Plt #437)--'72

GyG's Globe and Anchor! --Sites & Forums
http://www.angelfire.com/ca/dickg/sites.html>
GyG's Old Salt Marines Tavern ~Interactive~
http://network54.com/Forum/135069>
Gunny G's Globe and Anchor Weblog
http://gunnyg.blogspot.com>
~SITES/FORUMS FOR THE THINKING MARINE!~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~