Colonial Kilts

[string]

Rare, almost exclusively military, and not too practical in most situations on the frontier.

[sharpdressedscot]

The majority of kilts would be found in military units, either Highland regiments of the British Army serving in North America during the various colonial wars and the Revolution, as well as in Loyalist militia regiments.

Another example of a militia unit was the Independent Highland Company of Foot, raised in the colony of Georgia:

http://www.hsgng.org/pages/gaprov.htm

Regards,

Todd

Did any fight on the American side?

[macwilkin]

Did any fight on the American side?

Highly unlikely. The majority of Highland Scots that immigrated to the North American colonies were Loyalists or at least tried to remain neutral during the Revolution.

There were individual Scots, such as Aberdonian Hugh Mercer, an ex-Jacobite, who served in the rebel forces, The Rev. John Witherspoon, James Wilson, etc. who favoured the American cause, as well as the Scots-Irish.

Regards,

Todd

[sharpdressedscot]

But not kilted?

[macwilkin]

But not kilted?

No. Remember that at the time of the Revolution, most Lowland and Ulster-Scots would have not had a positive view of the kilt and Highland attire. The kilt was seen as "savage" dress. See the aforementioned White People, Indians and Highlanders for a discussion of this.

There are a number of accounts of Highlanders who were POWs during the Revolution of being verbally abused by patriot civilians -- there is one in Szaz's Scots in the North American West 1790-1917 that I seem to remember.

But, it is worth pointing out that the Loyalists were Americans as well -- so in a sense, there were Americans who were kilted during the Revolution -- Americans loyal to the British Crown.

Regards,

Todd

[macwilkin]

Rare, almost exclusively military, and not too practical in most situations on the frontier.

See Stuart Reid's 18th Century Highlanders by Osprey for a depiction of a "field expedient" modificiation to the uniform by a Black Watch other ranks. In the depiction, the soldier in question is wearing Indian woolen leggings under the kilt.

T.

[Southern Breeze]

See Stuart Reid's 18th Century Highlanders by Osprey for a depiction of a "field expedient" modificiation to the uniform by a Black Watch other ranks. In the depiction, the soldier in question is wearing Indian woolen leggings under the kilt.

T.

I have a copy of that book and highly recommend it. There's also several pics of paintings here on the forum.

Thanks for the link on the Ga Companies.

[NorCalPiper]

Ogelthorpe left the colony of Georgia under the steward ship of John Mohr Macintosh. The first armed militia for the state was kilted (Macintosh was imprisoned with many of his clansmen after the 1715. This militia actually engaged the spanish and beat them back to Florida. The mural that overlooks this march near Savannah shows a bunch of men wearing full plaids. Most of the Scots married into the local Creek nation and the ancestor of John Mohr Macintosh and his Creek queen bride later became leader of the Creek nation. As a youth Dode Macintosh would come to Stone Mtn. highland games in his Scottish day dress with his plains indian style feather bonnet. But yes, there were kilts in colonial America. 1 or 2 summers in the coastal Georgia heat probably killed the kilt for good though......

[NorCalPiper]

The good ship "Prince of Wales" commanded by Captain George Dunbar sailed from Inverness, Scotland on October 18, 1735 bearing two hundred Highlanders with their families which included some fifty women. Three months later, the timid colonists at Savannah were startled one day by the strains of the Scotch bagpipe as this Highland contingent, in kilties clad, carne marching up the street led by John Mohr MacIntosh, a chieftain of his clan. For the occupancy of this newest accretion, Oglethorpe set aside lands south of Savannah along the north bank of the Altamaha river and immediately across the river from the Spanish settlements. This disposition of the fearless Scotch served to make of them a buffer

Page 312

between the Savannah colony and the menacing Spanish to the south. The settlement of New Inverness was made, later to become Darien and today, Darien, county seat of McIntosh County, Georgia. Early, in the life of this Scotch settlement, the Spanish precipitated an attack and the Highlanders after a fierce engagement drove them back across the river but not without having suffered a loss of approximately one half of their number. The Scotch settlement grew by accretions from their old homeland among the Highlands.

1I Samuel, Chap. 22, verse 2.

[Deil the Yin]

The majority of kilts would be found in military units, either Highland regiments of the British Army serving in North America during the various colonial wars and the Revolution, as well as in Loyalist militia regiments.

Another example of a militia unit was the Independent Highland Company of Foot, raised in the colony of Georgia:

http://www.hsgng.org/pages/gaprov.htm

Regards,

Todd

My Anit-Virus detected Malwear or some such virus when I tried to link to this site...? Just thought I should pass it along...