US or Confederate kilted units? Ever?

[Biathlonman]

The US Army - as befits a force that had the French as allies during the Revolution and the British as adversaries, for most of its first 150 years of history emulated French military styles. Americans wore their medals like the French, wore facial hair like the French, adopted bugle calls, kepis, the works. They raised regiments of Zouaves because it was the French style, and the French style was, at least until Napoleon lll, a winning one.

Was there ever - even once - a kilted US or Confederate unit raised perhaps during the Civil War? Americans would see redcoats in kilts as enemies who fought them in two wars in North America, so I find it hard to imagine, but I'm curious. What do our experts say?

[beloitpiper]

Never kilted in battle, but the New York 79th Volunteers wore kilts on parade.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/79th_Ne...nteer_Infantry

[Joshua]

Google the New York 79th Highlanders. There are also some fantastic resources here.

History records no CSA divisions that wore the kilt.

[Taygrd]

I am not aware of any kilted Confederate forces, I vaguely remember a Highland type regiment wearing on for parade. There was a story floating around about a unit wanting to go be kilted in combat and were refusing to serve till McClellan threatened to shoot them. Not sure if there is any validity to that story.

[Spartan Tartan]

Never kilted in battle, but the New York 79th Volunteers wore kilts on parade.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/79th_Ne...nteer_Infantry

***. This is what I found too. Did not notice if they mentioned the tartan, altough they did mention the kilt was box pleated...

[Jock Scot]

***. This is what I found too. Did not notice if they mentioned the tartan, altough they did mention the kilt was box pleated...

I believe it was one of the Cameron ones, but I stand to be corrected.

An after thought. Cameron of Erracht, perhaps?

[Spartan Tartan]

I have found a couple different pictures. But I am the LAST person that is able to identify a tartan by looking at it. Maybe I can get one to post here...or at least the link.

[Nighthawk]

I believe it was one of the Cameron ones, but I stand to be corrected.

I do believe you are correct. They referred to themselves as the Cameron Highland Rifles as I recall from my father's days in Civil War reenacting.

[Lallans]

Re the notion that Redcoats would be resented: If you check out a book that has just come to my attention, Canadians In The Civil War by Claire Hoy, you will see that although the Union had thousands of Canadians (still British at the time) fighting on their side, Canada was in fact very Confederate-friendly. Also, while the Revolution was still in memory, the Confederates were probably very Scots friendly, since huge numbers of their forces were from of Scots and Scots-Irish backgrounds, and also because of Sir Walter Scott, the author, who was so popular in his day that Mark Twain blamed him for the whole Civil War through his promotion of chivilric notions of soldierhood.

(I can't swear that 'chivilric' is a word, but I refer to the promotion of noble codes of behaviour and citizenship from the Middle Ages.)

[ForresterModern]

There were numerous British "observers" at many of the prominent battles of the US Civil War, particularly Gettysburg, as the confederates were trying to enlist the foreign support of the British Empire throughout the war. Confederate blockade runners were most often of British origin and carried goods predominantly between Britain and the confederacy as Britain was the economic outlet of their cotton and tobacco as well as the supplier of their military needs.

Gettysburg plays prominently in this whole picture, in more ways than one the turning point in the war, as the confederates were convinced that a victory on Union soil would almost certainly bring the British much more into their support by supplying gunships and supplies that could have turned the course of the war in their favor.

No kilts, though, to my knowledge.


jeff