Becoming Tallmadge

Becoming Tallmadge
by Beau Robbins, Historical Interpreter

Beau Robbins, who played Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge in Fraunces Tavern Museum’s first-ever film, Washington’s Farewell, discusses his work as a historical interpreter, speaker, and consultant and how he “became Tallmadge” for the film.

Tell us about yourself and your past as a reenactor.

I'm a living history interpreter, speaker, consultant, and model for historical artists. For about ten years I've been actively portraying historical figures at historical sites and museums across the country. I enjoy doing that because I believe it's one of the most effective ways to teach and get the public excited about history.

What did you know about Benjamin Tallmadge before you portrayed him at Fraunces Tavern Museum?

I didn't know much at all about Tallmadge before being approached by Fraunces Tavern—just what I saw in AMC’s TURN. My research has mostly revolved around the southern colonies and military history had never been a of much interest to me. The opportunity to portray Tallmadge was exciting because it forced me to broaden my horizons and learn something new.

What was it like reading the memoirs for the first time?

Reading Tallmadge's memoirs for the first time gave me a real sense of the courage and fortitude exhibited by these men who hastily formed an army from nothing and quickly became proficient at combat leadership. Men like Tallmadge took initiative in finding ways to engage the enemy, and that reflects their creativity and zeal. Accordingly, his description of the farewell demonstrates not only Washington's desire not to maintain perpetual authority, but also the brotherhood forged by the Patriots throughout the Revolution.

You had your uniform custom made for this event. What was the research/design/execution process like for that?

As a historical interpreter, I've always required a large and varied amount of material culture that can be hard to find in the modern age. This has forced me to become, among other things, an historical tailor. The process of designing Tallmadge's uniform started with a simple question that was complicated to answer: what was Tallmadge wearing on December 4th, 1783?

Since the uniform of the 2nd light dragoons—which is similar to what Seth Numrich wore when he played Tallmadge in TURN)—has been widely agreed upon by historians to be accurate, I assumed that's where my answer would be found. After consulting the only two known images of Tallmadge from the war—both of which are from 1783—I quickly changed my opinion. The Ramage miniature shows him in red facings, not white of the 2nd light dragoons, and with narrow silver lace. His hair is close cropped and powdered, in both that miniature and his 1790s portrait, despite that being out of fashion. With the waters as clear as mud, I narrowed in on the details for my interpretation. 

The lion’s share of the costuming went to the coatee, for which I chose to copy both details shown in the Ramage portrait as well as other sketches of 2nd dragoons from the late war. While I'm still unclear as to why he appears to be wearing silver lace in the Ramage, I kept it—along with the red facings, which most likely stem from general orders the year before directing all regiments to don red facings. I resoled and converted an old pair of riding boots into jackboots, created the waistcoat, wig, epaulettes, and helmet. It was all completed by adding a few older articles of clothing from my wardrobe, including the shirt, stock, and buckskin riding breeches, all of which are hand-sewn. 

What is your favorite piece of the uniform?

My favorite part is the belted waistcoat, which was something unique adopted by many continental units later in the war. It is constructed from superfine wool broadcloth, which was favored by officers for its quality. It's produced in the UK from original specifications to exactly match the same textile from the 1700s. The helmet is cool too, though there remains room for improvement as research continues. I'm now in the process of forging a copy of Tallmadge’s sword that currently resides in the Smithsonian.

 How did you get into character? How did you "Become Tallmadge?"

This was my first time on York island in over three decades, so I used my free time to walk the city and see where certain things happened, like the declaration reading. Becoming Tallmadge wasn't very complicated after donning the uniform and stepping into the room where it all happened with Washington and Knox. Most of my interpretation is done in front of the public or a live audience, so I usually don't get a second take or a chance to make mistakes. Working on this project with the awesome production team was a real treat, and made it much easier to become Tallmadge. The emotion generated from Dan and Michael's performance gave me a real sense of the gravitas of the situation. History is a team sport.