Question:  “Hello, I’m a reenactor in a company portraying Beverley Robinson’s Loyal American Regiment (http://www.LoyalAmericanRegiment.org), raised in the lower Hudson Valley and eventually settling near Fredericton.  Since we portray light infantry marksmen, we’ve been wearing cut-down “coatees” in green with madder red facings (our “early war” impression).

We’d like to have late-war uniforms, and have had conflicting information regarding the facing color.  We’ve seen portraits of Col. Robinson and Lt. Anthony Allaire showing dark blue, but we’ve read that madder coats with green facings were also sent from England for Provincial troops.  Do you have any information on what the LAR was issued, were wearing at any particular time, or turned in after the war?  Any suggestions who else we could ask?

Thanks very much for your time …”

Answer:  “Greeting from Fredericton; … Like most Loyalist Regiments, the LAR started with wearing a green uniform, but when permission was given to Loyalist Regiment to wear the British regular “scarlet” uniform for 1778 campaign season – being considered an honour – the LAR took to wearing the red uniform.  To the best of my knowledge, the facing for the LAR uniform was buff.  As a reference, I refer to Charles M. Lefferts book “Uniforms of the American, British, French and German Armies of the American Revolution”.  I believe him to be a pretty solid authority.

You have selected an interesting regiment to reenact.  I live close to the sites of both the homesteads of Beverley Robinson and Anthony Allaire homesteads.

I note on your website that it states Captain Joshua Barnes “received no land grant and disappeared to an unknown fate.”  I offer that Captain Joshua Barnes from Philipsburg, NY, settled after the war on the Long Reach of the St John River, King’s County.  (That is between Saint John and Fredericton).  He died there in 1817.  Regards,   Bob Dallison”

Reply:  “Buff facings is quite a coincidence, since I also reenact the 3rd East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) in the 1812 era.

Thanks, Bob, for the bonus information on Joshua Barnes. Keep an eye on the events schedule on our web site; we often go to Stony Point SP (not too far from the site of BR’s house) for their big weekend in July.”