16113 Troiani Art of War - Rhode Island Regiment Enlisted Man Marching

On 1 January 1781, the Rhode Island regiment was formed by the consolidation of the understrength 1st and 2nd Rhode Island regiments at West Point, New York. The regiment was an integrated unit composed of African American, Native American, and white soldiers, who served together from 1778 through the end of the war in 1783. This amalgamated infantry unit numbered approximatly 400 men and was made up of ten companies, with the 6th and 8th companies formed of African-Americans and indigenous people. This made the regiment at least 27% of men of color. New England states, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island contributed the largest portion of blacks to the Continental Army. The regiment had a distinctly American appearance in 1781, wearing fringed hunting shirts, overalls, and a cap with an anchor painted on the front flap.