Board of War to George Washington, 14 May 1781
From the Board of War
War Office [Philadelphia] May 14th 1781
Sir
The Board have the honor to transmit your Excellency, copy of a Letter from Major General Green of the 2d Ultimo, enclosing the representations of the North and south Carolina Officers respecting their Uniforms, which they beg leave to submit to your Excellencys decision, who have only the power of fixing the Uniform of the Army. I have the Honor to be with the highest respect Your Excellencys Most Obedt Hble Servt
Jos: Carleton Secy
ALS, DLC:GW.
The enclosed copy of a letter Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene wrote the board from Deep River, N.C., on 2 April presented the request respecting uniforms and asked the board “to take the matter under their consideration and conform or disapprove of it as they may think adviseable” (DLC:GW; see also William Moultrie to Greene, 2 Feb., in , 7:239). The enclosed petition, dated 31 Jan., came from Col. Thomas Clark for the North Carolinians and Col. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney for the South Carolinians, who appealed for the “prisoners of War at Charlestown” from those states to have uniform modifications. “Uniform requested for the Officers of North Carolina the present Uniform as ordered by the Board of War with this Alteration instead of blue facings with silver laced Button holes and edging, to have scarlet facings laced in the like manner.
“The Men to wear white Tape where their Officers have lace.
“Uniform proposed for the Officers of South Carolina, the Uniform as ordered by the Board of War, thus altered: to have no lapels—but—instead thereof, button Holes on each side of the Coat laced with Gold to be trimmed with yellow Buttons and an edging of lace: Collar and Cuff of Buff Cloth with a double edging of lace Buff lining and under Cloaths of the same Colour.
“The Men to have yellow tape where the Officers wear lace.
“As it is presumed that the Officers of the North Carolina line now Prisoners of War here, are not the Majority of the whole line, they wish to have the Concurrence of some of their Officers who are absent and whose Opinions can be conveniently obtained previous to the forwarding this Recommendation to the Board of War.
“Should that honorable Board refuse to grant a distinction in the Uniform of these two States it is unanimously recommended that one of the two uniforms above state be allowed them” (DLC:GW).
GW gave his opinion when he replied to the board on 29 May.