The soldiers don't wear proper uniforms because they can't afford them. In a series of letters to his family, Sam describes how they have to live on short rations and, even in the winter, some men had to wrap cloth around their feet as a substitute for shoes. He says it is becoming increasingly difficult to get cloth and leather because the Continental troops need it themselves for clothing and shoes.

On the first page, Timmy's brother Sam arrives at the tavern where they live dressed in a soldier's uniform, which includes a scarlet coat with silver buttons, a white vest, and black leggings. However, Sam, though only 14, is a student at Yale University (and probably one of the first to join up), so they can afford to give him, and no doubt entice him, with a uniform. As more soldiers join the Rebels, the more they are seen wearing normal clothes. On page 93 Tim and his father are approached by Rebels that Sam says are dressed in ordinary clothing—brown shirts and muddy boots.

The novel, an anti-war novel, is about how war can tear families apart. Though his father is a staunch loyalist, Sam joins the Rebels in the fight for independence. It leaves Sam's brother Timmy feeling torn between both sides.