Marine recruiting poster, 1776

[snopes]

Comment: am told by an impeccable source (another-never-wrong 1stSgt USMC) that the below was checked by Snopes and found to be accurate, otherwise you would not have been receiving this.......... Read and enjoy !


GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT
AMERICAN REVOLUTION

What a Brilliant Prospect does this Event Present to every Lad of Spirit
who is inclined to try his Fortune in this highly renowned Corps. The
Continental Marines When every thing that swims the Seas must be a
PRIZE! Thousands are at this moment endeavoring to get on Board
Privateers where they will serve without pay or reward of any kind
whatsoever, so certain does their chance appear of enriching themselves
by PRIZE MONEY! What an enviable Station then must the CONTINENTAL MARINE
hold,--- who with far superior advantages to these, has the additional
benefit of liberal Pay, and plenty of the best Provisions, with a good
and well appointed Ship under him, the Pride and Glory of the Continental
Navy; surely every Man of Spirit must blush to remain at Home in
Inactivity and Indolence when his Country needs his Assistance.

Where then can he have such a fair opportunity, reaping Glory and Riches
in the Continental Marines, a Corps daily acquiring new Honors, and here,
once embarked in American Fleet, he finds himself in the midst of Honor
and Glory, surrounded by a set of fine fellows, Strangers to Fear, and
who strike Terror through the Hearts of their Enemies wherever they go!

He has likewise the inspiring idea to know, that while he sails the Ocean
to protect the Liberty of these states, that the Thanks and good Wishes
of the whole American people shall send him forth on his mission and
participate in his Glory. Lose no Time, then, my Fine Fellows, in
embracing the glorious Opportunity that awaits you: YOU WILL RECEIVE
Seventeen Dollars Bounty. And on your Arrival at Head Quarters be
comfortably and genteely CLOTHED. And spirited young BOYS, of a
promissing Appearance, who are Five Feet Six Inches High, will receive
TEN DOLLARS, and equal Advantage of PROVISIONS and CLOTHING with the Men.
And those who wish only to enlist for a limited Service, shall receive a
Bounty of SEVEN DOLLARS, and Boys FIVE. In fact, the Advantages which the
MARINE receives are too numerous to mention here, but among the many, it
may not be amiss to state --- that if he has a WIFE or aged PARENT, he
can make them an Allotment of half his PAY which will be regularly paid
without any Trouble to them, or to whomever he may direct, that being
well Fed and Clothed on Board Ship, the remainder of his PAY and PRIZE
MONEY will be placed in Reserve for the Relief of his Family or his own
private Purposes. The Single Young Man, on his Return to Port, finds
himself compelled to cut a Dash on Shore, with his GIRL and his GLASS,
that might be envied by a Nobleman. Take Courage then, seize the Fortune
that awaits you, repair to the MARINE RENDEVOUS, where on a FLOWING BOWL
of PUNCH, on Three Times Three, you shall drink. Long Live the United
States and Success to the Marines The Daily Allowance of a Marine when
embarked is One Pound of BEEF or PORK. One Pound of BREAD. Flour,
Raisins, Butter, Cheese, Oatmeal, Molasses, Tea, Sugar, &c. &c. And a
Pint of the best WINE, or half a Pint of the Best RUM or BRANDY, together
with a Pint of LEMONADE. They make Liberty in warm countries, a plentiful
Allowance of the choicest FRUIT. And what can be more handsome than the
Marines' Proportion of PRIZE MONEY, when a Sergeant shares equal with the
Fleet Class of Petty Officers, such as Midshipmen, Petty Officers, &c.
which is five shares each; a Corporal with the Second Class, which Is
Three Shares each; and the Private with the Able Seaman, one Share and a
Half each.

Desiring Greater Particulars, and a more full account of the many
Advantages of this Invaluable Corps, apply to CAPTAIN MULLAN at TUN
TAVERN, where the bringer of a Recruit will receive THREE DOLLARS.

January, 1776

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by snopes

Desiring Greater Particulars, and a more full account of the many
Advantages of this Invaluable Corps, apply to CAPTAIN MULLAN at TUN
TAVERN, where the bringer of a Recruit will receive THREE DOLLARS.

January, 1776

Captian Mullen wasn't commissioned until June 1776

Also there was no uniform issued originally, and Marines served on commissioned naval vessels, not Privateers (civilian vessels holding a government-issued Letter of Marque; which meant they could legally sieze enemy vessels)

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by snopes

Desiring Greater Particulars, and a more full account of the many
Advantages of this Invaluable Corps, apply to CAPTAIN MULLAN at TUN
TAVERN, where the bringer of a Recruit will receive THREE DOLLARS.

January, 1776

Captian Mullen wasn't commissioned until June 1776

Also there was no uniform issued originally, and Marines served on commissioned naval vessels, not Privateers (civilian vessels holding a government-issued Letter of Marque; which meant they could legally sieze enemy vessels)

Almost certainly inspired by one of these Civil War-era USMC recruiting posters:
http://bluejacket.com/usmc/posters/p...c_cw_prize.jpg

http://bluejacket.com/usmc/posters/p..._cw_prize2.jpg

Or even this Navy one from the Civil War era:
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/i...cnara/45x9.jpg

In addition to what's been noted above (uniforms not being issued during the Revolutionary War period etc.), I'll also note that the poster claimed to be reproduced above is much more verbose than anything I'd imagine being printed up during the Revolutionary War period, or even much later. Not only would the typesetting expense have been massive, but I'd doubt whether prospective recruits of that time period could have been expected to read such a massive document.

[UEL]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

...and Marines served on commissioned naval vessels, not Privateers (civilian vessels holding a government-issued Letter of Marque; which meant they could legally sieze enemy vessels)

Which is exactly what the author is saying. In essence, he is saying that the unpaid Privateers will be envious of the paid Contiental Marine.

The part about Privateers: Thousands are at this moment endeavoring to get on Board Privateers where they will serve without pay or reward of any kind whatsoever, so certain does their chance appear of enriching themselves by PRIZE MONEY!

The part about Marines: What an enviable Station then must the CONTINENTAL MARINE hold,--- who with far superior advantages to these, has the additional benefit of liberal Pay, and plenty of the best Provisions, with a good and well appointed Ship under him, the Pride and Glory of the Continental Navy;

[Bonnie]

What snopes's correspondent offered is most probably an adaptation of something that appeared in at least a couple of American newspapers a century ago. This piece was published in The Los Angeles Times on 26 September 1909. Note the provenance offered for the text of this "recruiting poster":

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a319/Cackalacky/Poster.jpg

This Los Angeles Times printing gives the impression (to me, at least) that the article itself was prepared by staff at The Times [of London, presumably]; interestingly, I've been unable to find the text in the archives of that newspaper.

Bonnie "sur-prise, sur-prise, sur-prise!" Taylor

[Marine_1775]

Correct on Captain Mullan's commission date. However, he was appointed by Capt. Nicholas as a Continental Marine Officer. The 2nd Continental Congress made it official. The uniform was not adopted until 5 Sept 1776 by CONGRESS. However, Nicholas' company may have had them early on. Officer were required to purchase their own uniforms. Many of the early Continental Marines brought their own firelocks (muskets)when they joined and they were not sharpshooters. Muskets are smootbore firearms.