This unit is an example of a “State Line” regiment. The term refers to units raised and (hopefully paid) by the individual colonies, and not by the Continental Congress. The term state is of course an anachronism; there were no “states” during the Revolution, that came later with the US Constitution in 1788.
I find the design of this historically attested flag (by Adolfo Ramos) somewhat odd. The color of the ground of the flag doesn’t reflect the color(s) of the uniform or the state. By 1712, the Colony of Connecticut was already using a seal almost identical to the modern one; Three supported grape vines in natural colors, and a scroll with the motto “Qui Transtulit Sustinet“, “He who transplanted still sustains”.
The “Charter Oak” might have been another logical symbol – “On October 9, 1662, The General Court of Connecticut formally received the Charter won from King Charles II by the suave diplomacy of Governor John Winthrop, Jr., who had crossed the ocean for the purpose. Twenty-five years later, with the succession of James II to the throne, Connecticut’s troubles began in earnest. Sir Edmund Andros, His Majesty’s agent, followed up failure of various strategies by arriving in Hartford with an armed force to seize the Charter. After hours of debate, with the Charter on the table between the opposing parties, the candle-lit room suddenly went dark. Moments later when the candles were re-lighted, the Charter was gone. Captain Joseph Wadsworth is credited with having removed and secreted the Charter in the majestic oak on the Wyllys estate.” It is estimated that the white oak tree may have been hundreds of years old at the time, and it stood until 1857, when it was blown down by an enormous thunderstorm. Wood from the tree was used to make a variety of artifacts, and acorns from the original trees were collected and planted in roughly 100 locations across the state, often near post offices, cemeteries, town halls and the like. Descendants of those trees have been planted for various ceremonial occasions and historic anniversaries – two seedling were even sent to France to be planted in the modern gardens at Versailles!
In 1998, the University of Connecticut , my alma mater twice over (and of which I was a clinical professor in Family Medicine for 30 years) adopted a new logo and seal inspired by the charter oak (as well as a new version of the Husky logo for the athletic teams in 2013, the whole Husky thing being a play on UConn, the common shorthand for the University for decades, and, as of 1998, now the way that the University refers to itself in most correspondence.
Ok, that’s enough UConn stuff, but as well as myself and my wife, my sister in law is also a UConn graduate. Back to the Revolution…
In any event, the flag is the flag!
This regiment is documented to have had red coats with white collars and cuffs. I have used a very dark “barn red” kind of color for the uniforms; scarlet cloth was very expensive and hard to come by at this time, especially in North America!
Connecticut regiments were often noted to be especially well clothed and equipped during the Revolution! The drummer wears fashionable reversed colors. Figures are by Brigade Games once again.
