Revolutionary Army Life on the Road

Revolutionary Army Life on the Road. In The War for American Independence. It was no picnic. A bivouac for the allied armies was not simply a bed to rest for the night, but a place with a daily set of demanding chores. Hundreds of oxen and horses needed to be unhitched, fed, watered, and secured for the night, especially during the overland baggage train march. Tons of hay had to be procured. Often, when fresh meat for several hundred marchers was available, it was on the hoof and needed to be slaughtered and dressed before cooking., Wagons and artillery required constant maintenance, which could only occur before the next day's march. Gunpowder and weapons had to be protected from wet weather. Outdoor camping life with the Virginia mosquitoes requires no explanation., The scenes of modern reenactors shown here illustrate the various uniform and camping conditions of the allied armies. French soldiers of Lauzun's Legion, for example, were paid and supplied as an expeditionary force (lower left) by the treasury of France. The American soldiers, although lacking the fineries of European military uniforms, were a respected fighting force in the allied military campaigns against the British army.