Our Camp and Soldiers

To show how the American Revolution was fought, the First Virginia Regiment fields a company armed with smoothbore muskets and a platoon of men who fire the more accurate, slower loading long rifle.

Continental regiments often had cannon accompanying infantry, so the First Virginia has a light field piece and crew. The gun is a three-pound brass battalion gun, built for portage and copied by the Americans from British guns captured at Saratoga.

Mounted troops allowed armies to reconnoiter the battlefield quickly and the First Virginia has an attached mounted unit that porttrays that role.

Thus, the First Virginia is one of the few recreated regiments that can demonstrate all the arms used in the Revolutionary War. We wear both of the principal uniforms of the war: the early hunting shirt, made of linen with the distinctive Virginia round hat, and the later regimental coat and cocked hat. The uniforms are based on extensive research, including review of contemporary records at Williamsburg where the regiment trained.

The First Virginia also boasts of a growing Fife & Drum corps that brings the camp to life with march tunes and duty calls that were a part of a soldiers everyday life.

The First Virginia has a company-sized 18th century military camp with tents for men, officers, dining and arms. Meals appropriate to the period are prepared by women in 18th century dress, using reproductions of the iron pots, tripods, trammels and other cooking gear of Washington's army. Vignettes of camp life-sewing, repair of gear, drill, gaming, and other activities-demonstrate how the Revolutionary War soldier lived. Medical care of the period is also featured. More than one ton of gear is used in this living history display.