A sample biography might go as follows:
I was born in Bucks County Pennsylvania of Irish parents in 1756 and went into domestic
service at a fairly young age. My first employer was a merchant family from Philadelphia.
They were real tartars and Tories to boot, so I left them to work for a Quaker family back in
Bucks County. They were kind but were unable to retain me due to misfortunes during the
fighting with Lord Howe’s army in 1777. I found my way to the winter camp of the
Continental Army at Valley Forge in February of 1778. I was first employed cleaning and
salting shad during the spring run. A while later I came to the notice of Col. Davies, who
was the newly appointed commander of the 14th Virginia Regiment. He wanted his soldiers
to be have the best appearance of the Virginia Line, so I was invited to join the Regiment as
a laundress and seamstress, becoming betrothed to a private soldier.
Some basic concepts about Camp Follower impressions for the Continental Army are as follows:
1.) Only a very few would have joined the Regiment during its formative months in Virginia, and these would tend to be wives of commissioned or warrant officers. Most signed on during periods where the Army was stationary, as during winter quarters; many being refugees from surrounding counties.
2) Important camps of the 10th Virginia ‘s between Dec 1776 and Nov 1779:
Queen’s (Bronx), Kings(Brooklyn), and Richland (Staten Island).
3) Virginia home recruiting counties: Abermarl, Bedford, Charlotte, Dinwiddie, Fincastle, Goochland, Halifax, Hanover, Louisa, Lunenberg, Orange, Pittsylvania, Prince George.
4) Roles: Most women would have been employed as laundresses and or seamstresses. Girls would be employed helping their mothers. Jobs for boys could include that of a groom, servant or batman, or running various errands. Non military male roles were limited but might include wagoner, batman, or clerk.
5) Ethnic groups : It would be best to portray an English speaker, unless you have skills in other languages. It may be acceptable to wear clothing items of another ethnic group your persona has been in close contact with. (Not every one who wears Italian shoes has to be from Italy).
Ethnic groups in the 10th’s area of operation includes English, Irish, Scottish, Palatinate Germans, or
(Pennsylvania Dutch), Dutch, French Huguenot .
If you wish to portray a member of a non English speaking ethnic group, it would be easiest to
portray someone who was born in the colonies, but whose parents were born in Europe.
6) Feel free to develop any historical persona that would be reasonable for our unit’s history.
Please consult the brief history synopsis.
NAME: _____________________________ ROLE: ________________________________
BIOGRAPHY: ________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
General clothing items:
CAP
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
HAT
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
STOCKINGS
Style_________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
SHOES
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Material_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
Female clothing items:
SHIFT OR CHEMISE
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
BODICE
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
STAYS
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
SHORT GOWN
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
PETTYCOAT
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
POCKETS
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
HANDKERCHIEF
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
Male Clothing Items:
SHIRT
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
WESKIT
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
COAT OR JACKET
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color______________________________
BREECHES OR TROUSERS Style________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color______________________________
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color______________________________
KNAPSACK
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_____________________________
BLANKET
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_____________________________
KNIFE: Source_______________________________________________________________
EYE GLASSES: Source; _______________________________________________________
OTHER:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________ __
I was born in Bucks County Pennsylvania of Irish parents in 1756 and went into domestic
service at a fairly young age. My first employer was a merchant family from Philadelphia.
They were real tartars and Tories to boot, so I left them to work for a Quaker family back in
Bucks County. They were kind but were unable to retain me due to misfortunes during the
fighting with Lord Howe’s army in 1777. I found my way to the winter camp of the
Continental Army at Valley Forge in February of 1778. I was first employed cleaning and
salting shad during the spring run. A while later I came to the notice of Col. Davies, who
was the newly appointed commander of the 14th Virginia Regiment. He wanted his soldiers
to be have the best appearance of the Virginia Line, so I was invited to join the Regiment as
a laundress and seamstress, becoming betrothed to a private soldier.
Some basic concepts about Camp Follower impressions for the Continental Army are as follows:
1.) Only a very few would have joined the Regiment during its formative months in Virginia, and these would tend to be wives of commissioned or warrant officers. Most signed on during periods where the Army was stationary, as during winter quarters; many being refugees from surrounding counties.
2) Important camps of the 10th Virginia ‘s between Dec 1776 and Nov 1779:
- Baltimore MD, June 1777
- All along the Delaware River, North of Philadelphia, July1777- Oct1777
- Valley Forge in Chester County , PA ; Nov 1777 to May 1778 . Surrounding counties include Bucks, Berks, Lancaster, and York
- Middlebrook NJ, Middlesex County , Oct 1778 to May 1779. Surrounding counties include Bergen, Essex, Morris, Somerset, and Monmouth . Tory activity was intense in New Jersey.
- Highlands of New York, May 1779 to Nov 1779, Surrounding counties include Orange,
Queen’s (Bronx), Kings(Brooklyn), and Richland (Staten Island).
- Morristown, NJ; Dec 1779 to Jan 1780, Located in Morris County: surrounding counties include
- March from New Jersey to South Carolina, Feb 1780 to March 1780
3) Virginia home recruiting counties: Abermarl, Bedford, Charlotte, Dinwiddie, Fincastle, Goochland, Halifax, Hanover, Louisa, Lunenberg, Orange, Pittsylvania, Prince George.
4) Roles: Most women would have been employed as laundresses and or seamstresses. Girls would be employed helping their mothers. Jobs for boys could include that of a groom, servant or batman, or running various errands. Non military male roles were limited but might include wagoner, batman, or clerk.
5) Ethnic groups : It would be best to portray an English speaker, unless you have skills in other languages. It may be acceptable to wear clothing items of another ethnic group your persona has been in close contact with. (Not every one who wears Italian shoes has to be from Italy).
Ethnic groups in the 10th’s area of operation includes English, Irish, Scottish, Palatinate Germans, or
(Pennsylvania Dutch), Dutch, French Huguenot .
If you wish to portray a member of a non English speaking ethnic group, it would be easiest to
portray someone who was born in the colonies, but whose parents were born in Europe.
6) Feel free to develop any historical persona that would be reasonable for our unit’s history.
Please consult the brief history synopsis.
NAME: _____________________________ ROLE: ________________________________
BIOGRAPHY: ________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
General clothing items:
CAP
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
HAT
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
STOCKINGS
Style_________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
SHOES
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Material_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
Female clothing items:
SHIFT OR CHEMISE
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
BODICE
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
STAYS
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
SHORT GOWN
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
PETTYCOAT
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
POCKETS
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
HANDKERCHIEF
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
Male Clothing Items:
SHIRT
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
WESKIT
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_______________________________
COAT OR JACKET
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color______________________________
BREECHES OR TROUSERS Style________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color______________________________
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color______________________________
KNAPSACK
Style__________________________________________________________________________
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_____________________________
BLANKET
Fabric_____________________________________ Color_____________________________
KNIFE: Source_______________________________________________________________
EYE GLASSES: Source; _______________________________________________________
OTHER:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________ __
