"Strouds, 1/5 Red 4/5 Blue with a worm and stars on each
side..."
Overwhelming Prevelence of Blue Cloth in the SE Trade, 1754 - 1763.
In the zeal to overcome the sea of leather, unshaven heads,
and general uninformed interpretations; a great deal of effort was put into
discovering a "generic" guide to a better 18th century Native
American interpretation beginning in the 1990's. This brought with it great advancements, but at the
same time, a loss of understanding of the differences in taste which existed between
regions and even village or national identities. The historic record is full of references to
Natives and even some Europeans being able to tell which nation an Indian
belonged to – even from a distance.
Looking around at living history events with a substantial “Native” presence, the eyes will be assaulted with a bewildering array of blue, red, black, and green wool matchcoats, leggings and breechclouts. While this is advancement, like the widespread use of quilled ornaments, it is just as problematic when it comes to distorting the historic truth.
But don’t take this as a blanket statement! This article, like the bulk of this website, is dedicated to the trends seen in the Southeastern colonies. Looking through the hundreds of trade lists, gift lists, shipping invoices, and trade inventories, a distinctive trend began to emerge: Southeastern Native Americans really liked blue! It was everywhere, and in massive quantities. There was so much blue Stroud wool on hand in Charleston, SC during the Cherokee War that advertisements were placed searching for merchants willing to construct uniform coats made of blue Stroud cloth for Howarth's Regiment of SC Provincials.*
ABOUT 260 suits of regimental cloathing are to be provided for the men of the South-Carolina regiment, to be made of the blue strouds, and as suitable to their present uniform as possible. Those inclinable to undertake the same, as desired to send their proposals in writing without delay to…
-The South Carolina Gazette February 23, 1760.
Now, European clothing made from Stoud is not that crazy. Stroud cloth was commonly used but without the “saved list” stripes and designs found on the textiles destined for the Indian trade. What is telling is that this advertisement in the SC Gazette is asking for local industry assistance. Interestingly, the SC Gazette in this same period is littered with advertisements for storehouses with Stroud cloths for sale to Indian Traders. Buy why so much blue?
We really will never know why blue wool was so popular in the 18th century Southeast; far more popular than red, black, or green. However, inventories of trade and gift lists bear this out during the 1750’s. The following are a series of excerpts from various lists which support this apparent preference for blue in the Southeast.
Memorandum of Goods Delivered to the Catawba Nov. 1756 (GW Papers, Library of Congress)
8 blue strowds
3 red ditto
2 matchcoats
6 blankets
6 pair white leggons [leggings]
5 pair blew ditto
9 red britch clouts…
Exact Return of Indian Goods at Fort Cumberland, December 24th, 1756 (Hamilton, Stanislaus Murray. Letters to Washington and accompanying papers Vol II Society of Colonial Dames of America, Boston, Houghton, Mifflin and Co, 1898 – 1902 P26)
1 Blue Strouds
2 ps. Red Strouds
3 ps. White Plains
2 ½ ps. Blue Plains
2 ½ ps. Red Plains…
[previous inventories show larger quantities of blue on hand, indicating they were being sold/traded/given away]
A Return of Indian Goods Delivered to the Honourable Colo. Atkins by Qr. Master Hamilton, June 5th, 1757 (Letters to Washington... P80)
1 Blew Strouds Match Coats
1 Pr. of Red Leggings
1 Pr. of Blew ditto
A List of Goods Proper to be sent from England to Charleston South Carolina to be given as Presents from His Majesty to the Indians in the Southern District for the Service of the Year 1757 (Huntington Library, LO 2514(B)
Strouds 1/5 Red 4/5 Blue with a worm and stars on each side. Mr. Boswicke in London to be consulted whether the Indians still prefer that stripe
Frock coats of cheap blue cloth (except 10 of Complet) with scarlet close cuffs and collars (without lace). ½ yellow and ½ white buttons – not scanty.
Invoice of 67 packages containing presents for Indians... 11 Jany 1757 (Mayes, Judith, Amherst Papers, 60-62)
Bale #1 9 ps plain blue Strowds at 75/6 33:19/06
3 Bales
No 1 2 ps plain blue Strowds
No 2 1 ps ditto …..3 ps at 75/6 11:06/06
A List of Goods Bought by Captain Bosomworth & William West not yet sent off but will be ready on Thursday next. May 23rd, 1758 (Papers of Henry Bouquet)
14 pieces blue strouds
2 pieces strip’d flannel
2 pieces half thicks
3 single match coats
A List of Goods wanting to equip three hundred more Indians espected to join for the Service of the Expedition (Papers of Henry Bouquet)
60 pieces of Stroud mostly blue and black, but few red amongst them
30 piece of Dusseld’s or striped matchcoats, 20 matchcoats in a piece, take care they don’t send us blankets instead of matchcoats…
Reward proposed to be provided at any time by the Government of Virginia & promised by his Majesty’s Agent & Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Southern District... Virginia, October, 1759. (Amherst Papers, P 74-76)
At their Return from War:
100 blue Strowd Cloth Match Coats
1 yd ¾ & 2 Inches [65 inches] or 12 in a piece (if Lond. O Strowds near 13 in a piece) is 8 p.r Strowds 1/3
To the Captains, supposing 1 to 25 men
2 Blue Strowd Matchcoats to be promised to Each…
As the historic record indicates, blue wool was a definite favorite among the Indian nations of the colonial Southeast. Like checked shirts (to be covered in another article), blue wool seems to have emerged by the 1750's as an identifier of sorts for peoples such as the Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Catawba.
*Special thanks to Billy Jack for the info.
Looking around at living history events with a substantial “Native” presence, the eyes will be assaulted with a bewildering array of blue, red, black, and green wool matchcoats, leggings and breechclouts. While this is advancement, like the widespread use of quilled ornaments, it is just as problematic when it comes to distorting the historic truth.
But don’t take this as a blanket statement! This article, like the bulk of this website, is dedicated to the trends seen in the Southeastern colonies. Looking through the hundreds of trade lists, gift lists, shipping invoices, and trade inventories, a distinctive trend began to emerge: Southeastern Native Americans really liked blue! It was everywhere, and in massive quantities. There was so much blue Stroud wool on hand in Charleston, SC during the Cherokee War that advertisements were placed searching for merchants willing to construct uniform coats made of blue Stroud cloth for Howarth's Regiment of SC Provincials.*
ABOUT 260 suits of regimental cloathing are to be provided for the men of the South-Carolina regiment, to be made of the blue strouds, and as suitable to their present uniform as possible. Those inclinable to undertake the same, as desired to send their proposals in writing without delay to…
-The South Carolina Gazette February 23, 1760.
Now, European clothing made from Stoud is not that crazy. Stroud cloth was commonly used but without the “saved list” stripes and designs found on the textiles destined for the Indian trade. What is telling is that this advertisement in the SC Gazette is asking for local industry assistance. Interestingly, the SC Gazette in this same period is littered with advertisements for storehouses with Stroud cloths for sale to Indian Traders. Buy why so much blue?
We really will never know why blue wool was so popular in the 18th century Southeast; far more popular than red, black, or green. However, inventories of trade and gift lists bear this out during the 1750’s. The following are a series of excerpts from various lists which support this apparent preference for blue in the Southeast.
Memorandum of Goods Delivered to the Catawba Nov. 1756 (GW Papers, Library of Congress)
8 blue strowds
3 red ditto
2 matchcoats
6 blankets
6 pair white leggons [leggings]
5 pair blew ditto
9 red britch clouts…
Exact Return of Indian Goods at Fort Cumberland, December 24th, 1756 (Hamilton, Stanislaus Murray. Letters to Washington and accompanying papers Vol II Society of Colonial Dames of America, Boston, Houghton, Mifflin and Co, 1898 – 1902 P26)
1 Blue Strouds
2 ps. Red Strouds
3 ps. White Plains
2 ½ ps. Blue Plains
2 ½ ps. Red Plains…
[previous inventories show larger quantities of blue on hand, indicating they were being sold/traded/given away]
A Return of Indian Goods Delivered to the Honourable Colo. Atkins by Qr. Master Hamilton, June 5th, 1757 (Letters to Washington... P80)
1 Blew Strouds Match Coats
1 Pr. of Red Leggings
1 Pr. of Blew ditto
A List of Goods Proper to be sent from England to Charleston South Carolina to be given as Presents from His Majesty to the Indians in the Southern District for the Service of the Year 1757 (Huntington Library, LO 2514(B)
Strouds 1/5 Red 4/5 Blue with a worm and stars on each side. Mr. Boswicke in London to be consulted whether the Indians still prefer that stripe
Frock coats of cheap blue cloth (except 10 of Complet) with scarlet close cuffs and collars (without lace). ½ yellow and ½ white buttons – not scanty.
Invoice of 67 packages containing presents for Indians... 11 Jany 1757 (Mayes, Judith, Amherst Papers, 60-62)
Bale #1 9 ps plain blue Strowds at 75/6 33:19/06
3 Bales
No 1 2 ps plain blue Strowds
No 2 1 ps ditto …..3 ps at 75/6 11:06/06
A List of Goods Bought by Captain Bosomworth & William West not yet sent off but will be ready on Thursday next. May 23rd, 1758 (Papers of Henry Bouquet)
14 pieces blue strouds
2 pieces strip’d flannel
2 pieces half thicks
3 single match coats
A List of Goods wanting to equip three hundred more Indians espected to join for the Service of the Expedition (Papers of Henry Bouquet)
60 pieces of Stroud mostly blue and black, but few red amongst them
30 piece of Dusseld’s or striped matchcoats, 20 matchcoats in a piece, take care they don’t send us blankets instead of matchcoats…
Reward proposed to be provided at any time by the Government of Virginia & promised by his Majesty’s Agent & Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Southern District... Virginia, October, 1759. (Amherst Papers, P 74-76)
At their Return from War:
100 blue Strowd Cloth Match Coats
1 yd ¾ & 2 Inches [65 inches] or 12 in a piece (if Lond. O Strowds near 13 in a piece) is 8 p.r Strowds 1/3
To the Captains, supposing 1 to 25 men
2 Blue Strowd Matchcoats to be promised to Each…
As the historic record indicates, blue wool was a definite favorite among the Indian nations of the colonial Southeast. Like checked shirts (to be covered in another article), blue wool seems to have emerged by the 1750's as an identifier of sorts for peoples such as the Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Catawba.
*Special thanks to Billy Jack for the info.