American Forces

Washington’s Life Guard

This elite military unit, commonly known as ‘Washington’s Life Guard’ was a unit of the Continental Army that protected General George Washington during the Revolutionary War.

Formed in early 1776, the Guard was with the future first president in all of his battles and was disbanded in 1783 at the end of the war.

The Guard itself was authorized on 11 March 1776 at Cambridge, Massachusetts with not only the task of protecting General Washington but also safeguarding the money and official papers of the Continental Army.

To that end, Washington directed that this corps of soldiers be made up of "sober, intelligent and reliable men”.

The original unit was relatively small, just four men from each of the Continental Army regiments then present at the siege of Boston.

The strength of this small corps then grew to number about 180 men until the winter of 1779-1780 when the whole army was encamped at Morristown, New Jersey in very close proximity to the British forces. The Guard was temporarily increased to 250.

For the first three years of its existence the Guard was commanded by Major Caleb Gibbs of Rhode Island. (K&C will release a mounted figure of the major later this year). Gibbs official title was ‘Captain Commandant’.

During the Guard’s relatively short existence several different accounts have been given about their uniform and general appearance.

King & Country considered several options before choosing the uniform details and descriptions provided by the Company of Military Historians and their excellent illustrated volume on ‘The Era of the American Revolution’. This book shows the soldiers of the Guard wearing blue coats faced with buff and a striking red waistcoat. On their heads they wore a round cap crested with black bearskin fur and decorated with a blue and white feathered plume. All in all a very striking appearance worthy of their position as the Commander-in-Chief’s Guard.