Lord Howe, in preparation for the attack on the French fort at Ticonderoga, which controls access from Lake George to Lake Champlain, sets about reforming Abercrombie's army for warfare in North America.
Having accompanied the famous ranger Major Robert Rogers on a scouting expedition in the fall of 1757, Howe again meets with Rogers in the spring to discuss warfare and tactics in the North American theater.
He begins instructing the troops in Abercrombie's army in the manner of marching, forming, and fighting in the woods.
Using his own 55th Regiment as an example for the rest of the army to follow, Howe has uniforms cut short, so that they come just to the men's waists, and all lace is removed from the coats as well.
The cumbersome tricorn hats worn by the soldiers are cut down to brims of two and a half inches (six point four centimeters), resembling derby hats.
Infantrymen are issued leggings made of wool, in place of their linen and hemp canvas gaiters.
Excess uniforms and equipment are done away with and the men's hair is cut short.
Officers are not immune to his changes either, and he makes himself an example of this, cutting his hair short.
He washes his own clothes, and takes very little baggage into the field.
His changes do not only affect the uniforms of the army but its tactics as well.
Many historians have credited Lord Howe with the creation of light infantry, and have called the 55th Regiment a light infantry regiment; however, this is not the case.
While Lord Loudoun had contemplated creating light infantry companies in each redcoat battalion, the idea was scrapped when Colonel Thomas Gage proposed to raise a regiment of Light Armed Foot, which became Gage's 80th Regiment.
They wear brown uniforms instead of red and are the first British light infantry regiment.
