Rangers Of The Ohio Company

Welcome to the

Rangers of the Ohio Company Website!

We are a group of French & Indian War reenactors that portray the Rangers for the Ohio Company of Virginia and the British Army, during the years of the French & Indian War 1754-1763. Our unit is also capable of portraying rangers and militia of the Revolutionary War period.

We welcome families & individuals who wish to be non-combatants and to portray camp life and period skills as rangers' families, artisans, and the wide variety of camp followers.

In order to join our unit, we ask that you attend one of our events and see what the camp looks like, how it functions and meet the folks involved. We would like to see the extent of your interest and answer questions that you may have. If you have a time period kit, dress in it or bring it along.

We are interested in you and the depth of your knowledge of the 18th century. You don't have to be a historian! This is an on-going learning experience that gives you the opportunity to learn more about the events of the 18th century and how it impacted history.

The Rangers of the Ohio Company has a great reputation and we would like to see that new members are in fact interested in investing their time and money to become equipped and enjoy this wonderful hobby that we consider a passion. We are eager to help those who are interested in getting started and will guide you to ensure that you are period correct. Both experienced and non-experienced folks are invited!

Please explore our website. The Message Board provides a place for discussions & information and an Events calendar of upcoming 18th century events of interest.

See you in camp!

Families are Welcome!

The Rangers of the Ohio Company is a family friendly group. In addition to our portrayals as Rangers and Natives, we welcome women and children and men to participate in portraying camp followers and other non-combatants.

Camp followers are civilians who follow armies. The women, children, and non-combatant men who followed an army fulfilled many important functions. Either formally or informally, they provided vital logistical support, as well as much of the social structure which helped make military life bearable.

Camp followers played an important role in aiding soldiers in many everyday tasks that were not provided by the military such as cooking, sewing, laundering, nursing, and sutlery. The military often provided a safe harbor for camp followers in return for their service.

The camp follower's dress consisted of civilian attire, working class, and suitable for frontier life. For women, a cap and scarf, a cotton or linen shift, a short gown or bed jacket, a petticoat, and an apron. Footwear consisted of long cotton or wool socks, straight last shoes with a buckle, leather moccasins with a center seam or pucker toe, and sometimes barefoot.

Children dressed in the same attire as an adult male or female.

Family members have the option to join as a family unit rather than each person joining as an individual member. Camp life is a great way to learn and demonstrate a new skill that was critical for survival on the 18th century frontier.

Clothing Guidelines for All

The following list of clothing & equipment is necessary for an accurate portrayal of the Ranger in persona, weapons and gear that was carried during the French & Indian War.

This List of Clothing is Basic Ranger Field Wear from which

Seasonal Changes can be Fitted:

· Tricorn, flop hat, head scarf or wool beret (blue, green or brown)

· Neckerchief, silk, linen or cotton (Often times British affiliated personnel wore a red head scarf or neckerchief for identification, however, other common colors & patterns were also worn)

· Pullover hunting shirt, hunting shirt, or colonial work shirt (brown, grey or green), linen or cotton (plain or checked), or wool for winter / No Fringe

· Waistcoat, green, brown or grey

· Belt, wide leather or woven sash

· Breeches, fly-front, green (preferred) or brown

· Socks, above-the-knee length, wool, linen or cotton

· Garters, leather or woven

· Loin cloth, wool, leather, cotton or linen (modest length worn instead of breeches)

· Leggings, buckskin (preferred) wool, leather or canvas (black, brown or green acceptable)

· Moccasins, leather or elk hide, center seam or puckertoe

· Boots, Hi-Lo Trekker type

· Shoes, straight last with buckle

List of Equipment:

· Mid-18th Century or earlier musket, rifled gun or French fusil (Brown Bess 1st or 2nd Model, light infantry musket or colony-made arms)

· Hunting bag

· Powder horn

· Powder measure

· Wisk & pick

· Tomahawk or belt axe

· Scalping knife

· Haversack

· Knapsack (new invented or other)

· Canteen, wooden or metal

· Blankets, wool

· Bowl, wooden, tin, copper, leather or ceramic

· Cup, tin, horn, wood, leather, copper, or ceramic

· Spoon, wooden, horn or metal

· Cartridges, paper rolled & black power loaded. NO BALL in the cartridge!

Clothing and equipment list for “Distaff” or non-combatants who do not take to the field.

. Cap, cotton

· Scarf

· Chemise, cotton

· Skirt, cotton, drawstring

· Apron, drawstring

· Short gown or bed jacket, long sleeved, Cotton

· Moccasins, Leather or elk hide, center seam or puckertoe

· Socks, wool or cotton

· Shoes, straight last with buckle

Additional Items & Camp Gear:

· Tent, wedge, bell back or diamond fly or ground cloth

· Compass

· Cartridge waistbox (17 rounds belly box)

· Fire starting kit (tinder with flint & steel)

· Fishing kit (hand-made hook with linen line)

· Pipe, clay

· Knife, folding

· Lantern, candle

· Mittens/gloves

· Red scarf, silk or linen

· Capote or blanket coat

· Chair, wooden

· Cap, workman’s (linen, wool or cotton)

· Box, field (for storing accoutrements)

NOTE: Consult your sponsor or one of the unit leaders before purchasing any of the above items or equipment to ensure you buy the correct items for the French & Indian War period.

F&I period was from early 1750 to mid-1760. Revolutionary War items were of a later period and not correct for the French & Indian War era, however, F&I items are correct for the Revolutionary War.

Look at the pictures of the members on the website to clarify questions about clothing & equipment.