In this sketch, St. George shows how British officers adapted to life in the field. Army orders required the alteration of uniforms for the Philadelphia Campaign to account for the summer heat and extensive marching. Seated at the center, St. George’s uniform reflects those changes: trousers instead of breeches and stockings, a short jacket, and a broad-brimmed hat instead of a cap. British officers and soldiers frequently lived without tents and built brush huts or slept under the stars. One officer called it a “Savage life.” St. George’s depiction of himself refusing a cloak from his servant may be a deliberate expression of his composure.

Myself on Picquet in a Tempest Disdaining a Cloak 
Drawn by Richard Mansergh St. George
1777-1778
Ink, Watercolor, Paper
Courtesy of the Harlan Crow Library, Dallas, Texas

In this sketch, St. George shows how British officers adapted to life in the field. Army orders required the alteration of uniforms for the Philadelphia Campaign to account for the summer heat and extensive marching. Seated at the center, St. George’s uniform reflects those changes: trousers instead of breeches and stockings, a short jacket, and a broad-brimmed hat instead of a cap. British officers and soldiers frequently lived without tents and built brush huts or slept under the stars. One officer called it a “Savage life.” St. George’s depiction of himself refusing a cloak from his servant may be a deliberate expression of his composure.

Myself on Picquet in a Tempest Disdaining a Cloak 
Drawn by Richard Mansergh St. George
1777-1778
Ink, Watercolor, Paper
Courtesy of the Harlan Crow Library, Dallas, Texas