Monmouth, 1778
On June 18, 1778, the British Army abandoned Philadelphia. General Clinton marched the men across New Jersey towards New York City. The American Army managed to catch the British rear and bring a general engagement. The Royal Fuziliers, as part of Leslie's 5th Brigade with the 26th and 63rd Regiments was not heavily engaged and largely acted as a rearguard.
Having never replaced the bearskin fuzilier caps, the 7th remained in cocked hats with white cocking loops and tassels. The buff waist belt is worn over the shoulder instead of around the waist. The warm wool knee breeches and short gaitors normally worn in the summer have been replaced with trousers made of hemp cloth called Russia drill. These tightly tailored trousers served multiple purposes; they preserved the issue wool leg wear, kept the men cooler, kept dirt and stones out of the shoes, and looked smart.
Having never replaced the bearskin fuzilier caps, the 7th remained in cocked hats with white cocking loops and tassels. The buff waist belt is worn over the shoulder instead of around the waist. The warm wool knee breeches and short gaitors normally worn in the summer have been replaced with trousers made of hemp cloth called Russia drill. These tightly tailored trousers served multiple purposes; they preserved the issue wool leg wear, kept the men cooler, kept dirt and stones out of the shoes, and looked smart.
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