Redcoats: Garnet Character

The real history

The red coat has a long history. The National Park Service notes that British soldiers in scarlet tunics first fought on foreign soil at the Battle of the Dunes, near Dunkirk, on June 14, 1658, when a combined British and French force defeated Spanish troops. The same source says the bright color let soldiers easily tell friends from enemies.

By 1775 the coat was the main outer garment of the British infantryman, worn all year. It was made of heavy, tightly woven wool broadcloth, lined with a lighter wool called bay, and held more than forty buttons stamped with the regiment's number. The coat itself was a brick red, but the cuffs, lapels and collar could be blue, green, yellow, white or black depending on the regiment. Modern reenactment standards for the period describe enlisted men's coats as madder red, sergeants' as a mock scarlet and officers' as true scarlet. Artillery crews wore dark blue instead.

Not every soldier fighting for the king wore red. Some Loyalist units, such as the Queen's Rangers, were known for green coats.

Colonists had other names for the soldiers too. They mocked them as "bloody backs," a jab at the floggings officers used to punish them, not at the color of their uniforms.

Red coats stayed in use as dress uniform through the 19th century. They were phased out during World War I, in part because the dye was comparatively expensive.

Sources

1. Origin of the Redcoats (Battle of the Dunes), National Park Service
2. The British Soldier of 1775, Minute Man National Historical Park, National Park Service
3. Authenticity Standards for British Regular Army Impressions, Minute Man National Historical Park, National Park Service
4. British Discipline During the Revolutionary War, American Battlefield Trust

Checked against these sources on October 3, 2026. Spot a mistake? Report an error. How we check facts.