Saratoga Campaign 1777: Crown Forces

The British troops which took part in the campaign consisted of the

 1st Brigade: 9th, 47th and the 53rd

2nd Brigade: 20th, 21st and the 62nd

Royal Artillery: 1st and 3rd Battalions

Gunner, Royal Regiment of Artillery, 1777 Burgoyne expedition

Before General Burgoyne's 1777 expedition started south from Canada, the British troops modified their uniforms to make them more suitable for fighting in North America. This gunner of the Royal Regiment of Artillery wears the resulting uniform. Coats had their tails cut off short. Separate breeches and gaiters were replaced by one-piece gaiter-trousers. The felt tricorne hat was cut down to make a cap, which was given a crest of horse hair dyed red. A period drawing by Friedrich von Germann, a German officer with Burgoyne’s army, shows all of these details. Visible in the background is a howitzer on a Congreve pattern field carriage. Reconstruction by Gerald A. Embleton. (Parks Canada)


Royal Irish Artillery: 1 company

I shall add my own images of my troops in the coming weeks.

From www.cmhg.gc.ca


Throughout the summer of 1776, British reinforcements continued to arrive. Dozens of ships reached the docks of Quebec to unload tons of provisions, dozens of brass field cannon and thousands of soldiers from Europe. The 9th, 20th, 21st 24th, 47th, 53rd and 62nd regiments arrived, as well as the grenadiers of the 29th, 31st and 34th, accompanied by 500 artillerymen of the Royal Artillery.