Help on a Gordon Highlanders uniform

[beloitpiper]

I'm slowly putting together a 92nd Regiment of Foot uniform, but I've hit a snag. I'm aiming for a uniform from the Battle Kandahar, but I've found two paintings that have confused me.

I have always known the Gordon Highlanders sporran to be white horsehair with two black horsehair tassels. Granted, they didn't officially become the Gordon Highlanders until a year later in 1881, but in these two paintings, they both have them wearing black horsehair with five white tassels--a design I've seen more with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

The paintings in questions are so:
Drummer Roddick rescuing Lieutenant Menzies of the 92nd Highlanders at the Battle of Kandahar





Any help on the subject?

[Bigkahuna]

The Wikepedia site on the Gordon Highlanders has a painting of them at Kandahar showing the same sporran. If you check out "BYDAND" a recreation of the Gordons of 1882, they are all wearing the two black horsetails on a white sporran.

[Woot22]

Hey Beloitpiper, this in know way is helpful to you but I was hoping you may know where to purchase a print of this painting? I really like it and have several military art prints framed and hanging in my house, the top image is excellent.
Thanks.

[Korvyn]

I'm not a military man or a familiar with how thengs wen but the caption for the photo is

Drummer Roddick rescuing Lieutenant Menzies of the 92nd Highlanders at the Battle of Kandahar

seems that since the painting is of a Drummer he might have had a diffrent Sporran to denot he was a drummer. just an observation.

[Woot22]

Found it, if anybody else was interested.
http://www.military-art.com/mall/more.php?ProdID=5166

[madmacs]

You could always ask them... http://www.gordonhighlanders.com/contact/

[OC Richard]

Ah, what you have hit upon is the fact that ALL the kilted Highland regiments originally wore sporrans with either five or six short tassels. The concept of having two long tassels first appeared in the Officer's Undress sporrans in the Cameron Highlanders and later spread to other regiments.

Here's a little chart. The dates of change are guesstimates based on looking over hundreds of 19th century photos and paintings.

Regiment: Earliest image of modern sporran tassels/body; eariest image w/long tassels tassels/body

42nd: 1855 5 black on white; n/a n/a
78th: 1834 6 black on white; 1877 2 black on white
79th: 1840 6 black on brown; 1855 2 white on black
92nd: 1835 5 white on black; 1885 2 black on white
93rd: 1838 6 white on black; n/a n/a

As you see the 42nd and 93rd never went over to the new long tassel look. The 92nd as you see were the last to convert, around 1885.

[macwilkin]

Second Bigkahuna's suggestion you contact Bydand Forever, the California-based reenactment group:

http://www.bydandforever.com/an_introduction

Note that this group is officially sanctioned by the regimental association, and has "hopped the pond" to participate in events in the Gordon's "home country". Like any good living history organization, I would bet they have fairly detailed uniform guidelines and recommended suppliers for their impression.

T.

[OC Richard]

The best way for a re-enactor to recreate the pre-1885 Gordon Highlanders sporran would be to take the Argylls pattern, add a Gordons brass shield-shaped sporran badge, and remove one of the tassels and reposition the remaining five. (At that time the badges on Gordons sporrans were placed directly on the hair- there was no leather cantle.)

The old Argylls Other Ranks sporran has the black hair body, the brass rim, the short white tassels in brass cones, in short all you need save for the Gordons badge.



(BTW in case anyone thinks the artists above are "taking artistic license" with the Gordon's uniform, I have numerous photos of them wearing these exact sporrans.)

[Bigkahuna]

An on-line store called Highland Brigade has a line of Full Dress Gordons Officers kit if you want to spiff up abit. You could also try Regimental Quartermaster at www.regtqm.com. He does all kinds of Victorian Era kit.