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Patriots who wanted to fight had the option of enlisting in Washington’s Continental Army or joining their state militia. The militias were less organized and less disciplined but provided crucial support for the army in many battles.
Minutemen were special groups of militia, formed just prior to the Revolution. They were ready to respond to a British attack “in a minute.” Boys as young as 14 could enlist in the army with their parents’ permission. There was no upper age limit. Loyalists—colonists who remained loyal to Great Britain—either joined the British army or formed their own militias.
▲ Because many British felt sympathy for the American cause, King George III found it difficult to raise troops to fight across the Atlantic. As a solution, he hired soldiers from small German principalities. Many came from Hesse-Cassel, so all were referred to as Hessians.
▲ The army was closed to women, but a few, like former indentured servant Deborah Sampson, disguised themselves as men and joined. Once, Sampson hid a serious thigh wound so she wouldn’t have to undress and reveal her identity. She later contracted yellow fever. The doctor discovered she was a woman. To her surprise, she was given an honorable discharge, probably because of her courage on the battlefield.
The well-dressed British soldiers were called redcoats because of the color of their jackets. Americans from the northeast colonies mockingly referred to them as lobsterbacks, after the color of a cooked lobster. ▶
◀ Soldiers in the Continental Army had to provide their own shirts, breeches, socks, and shoes. When their shoes wore out, many tied rags around their feet. At winter quarters in Valley Forge, bloody footprints in the snow revealed the suffering of many.
◀ The British tried to entice slaves to join their army with the promise of freedom. Some slaves who joined the British got their freedom; others did not. At least 5,000 free African Americans fought on the Patriot side. One was Lemuel Haynes, who later became the first black in America to serve as the pastor of a white congregation.
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▲ Flintlock muskets ending in sharp bayonets were standard weapons in both armies. When the trigger was pulled, a piece of flint (very hard rock) hit a piece of metal, producing sparks. The sparks ignited the gunpowder, which exploded, firing a ball out of the muzzle. For accuracy, soldiers waited until the enemy was near before firing. After firing several times, soldiers charged the opposing line with their bayonets.
Fact or Fancy?
About 20,000 Patriot women followed their husbands to war. They cooked, did laundry, and nursed the sick. A few went with their men into battle. The legend of Molly Pitcher may be based on several of these “half-soldiers.” Mary Hays, called Molly, carried water in large pitchers to fighting soldiers on the battlefield. On June 28, 1778, at the Battle of Monmouth, Molly helped her husband with the cannon. An enemy shot tore away part of her petticoat, but she carried on!
Both British and American soldiers carried various items. In the Continental Army, five or six men who slept in the same tent also cooked meals, or “mess,” together and were thus known as messmates. Each group of messmates was issued an iron pot for cooking their scanty rations over an open fire. Since the pots were very heavy, they were often discarded during long marches. ▶
