Personalised American Civil War Uniform

[figheadair]

I came across this fascinating example of personalised uniform worn by a Confederate officer photographed wearing a tartan jacket complete with his Captain's bars. I can't determine the tartan and it is likely he chose something that was fashionable at the time. I've never seen anything like this and assume that it must have been a personalised item that he wore to reflect his Scottish ancestry, perhaps he was even born in Scotland. I wonder how he managed to get away with it and how common such obvious departures from standardised uniform were at the time.

[Luke MacGillie]

Peter,

I think this is what was known as a "Battle Shirt" vice it being a jacket. They were a very early war hasty uniform for the Confederacy. Shirts of this type, made of "Plaid" or checked cotton, perhaps even actual madras made India cotton are the minority, with red or grey being the most common.

They have their origins in the overshirts worn by workers, kind of an American take on the farmers or waggoners smock.

I think the only connection to Scotland there might be would be the person who got weavers in India to make cloth in this design.

Just my 2 cents, But it is a very cool image non the less.

Luke

[Luke MacGillie]

Joseph William Holden, 3rd Lt. then Adjutant of Co. D the "Auburn Guards" 31st NC Infantry.


Edited because the image is not showing up, even with seeing it when I try and edit the post.....

[figheadair]

Joseph William Holden, 3rd Lt. then Adjutant of Co. D the "Auburn Guards" 31st NC Infantry.

Edited because the image is not showing up, even with seeing it when I try and edit the post.....

Luke,

Here's your image.



Interesting observations in your first post. I note the difference bewteen the two pictures in the absence of rank in the second.

[CollinMacD]

I use to research and write all about Civil War Uniforms and Regiment for many very famous Civil War authors. The shirt is a civilian vintage shirt, that was commonly worn by both North and Southern Soldiers, especially in the many Militia Groups that join the early part of the war. Very correct they are over shirts worn by laborers, that could be removed as it got warmer during the day. Gingham and Calico was much more popular for the north, also another popular different shr is something called Fireman Bib shirts, worn by Fireman of the time, which whole fire companies joined keeping the shirt, early war. Of course regulars normally wore muslin off white shirts with wood buttons, bone buttons were to costly. South used more patterns of checks, plaids, Judging by the photograph, this is an early war photo, as he looks extremely healthy and most Southern Photos were taken between 1860, (pre-war) through 1862, after that the South suffered many shortages due to the Union Blockades, and lack of home grown industry. Usually because soldiers lived in the elements, they wore two shirts plus undershirt. Because wool was of a premium in the south and limited, many soldiers from southern militia groups work two cotton shirts. Wool was normally worn because it does not catch fire like plant fiber, wool smolders. Southern soldiers wore many more homespun shirts, similar to your photo. Early war you see the plaids, late ware they used a butternut light or dark brown obtained from nuts or barks of trees boiling with material to get browns.

After the battle of 1st Bull Run (Manassas), Lincoln appointed George McCullen as the head of the Union Army, very poor combat General but best training officer the Union could have asked for. He published a General order that standardized the Union Uniform, with exceptions. US Milita groups had so many different uniforms, it was like a clown parade. So the standard 4 button sack, Kersey Blue Trousers because standard uniform per his General order. The South NEVER standardized uniforms as each state was responsible to provide what they could. After a while many confederate took Union uniform parts from dead soldiers, especially shoes and socks.


Photo indicates he is wearing one of his better shirts. Sewing the bars on these shirts was not uncommon, remember Camouflage was not an issue, until the Union started the 1st U.S. Sharpshooters, who wore GREEN jackets, pants and had black rubber buttons, with green forage caps. You want to see a bunch of colorful and weird uniforms, look as some that was worn at the first battle of Manassas. Stonewall Jackson wore a blue frock with blue caps, 2nd Wisconsin wore grey, so did the 6th Massachusetts. 2nd Minnesotta wore RED fireman shirts with dark blue trousers and I am not even talking about the ZOUVES, CHAUSSERs, and others....


From looking at the photo, soldier is wearing Kepi, and the sword is a standard field officer sword. Most photos like this were actually props the photographer had, and took photos of civilian as they joined their militia units. His trousers show two 1 inch stripes, by shading the should be red, signifying infantry, red artillery, yellow cavalry. The hilt of the sword places it as a model 1861 Artillery officers sword. No basket on hilt, single straight back guard. Brass fitting on leather scabbard, very common Confederate sword. Blade is slightly curved, so not a Sabre, eliminates Cavalry. Infantry sword using a more decorative Guard usually with CS molded into the guard.

A reference early was made to a battle shirt. I guess any shirt you wear into battle would be a battle shirt, however, tunics were more of the :Battleshirt", Check out the uniform of the 2nd Rhode Island, They wear what was referred as Burnside Blouses, these are more typical of a Battle Shirt, worn by both sides.

The south was very limited in uniforms, early war grey was chosen become most of the Military Acadamies where in the south, and cadet uniforms were confiscated and issued. Also when dye was used it took one dye for the color grey, BLUE takes two dyes, and was harder to get uniform coloring, the industrial North has the material and know how for BLUE, besides BLUE is the official color of the US Army, to this day. I could go on forever, but again I have seen MANY photos, does not mean this person is Scottish, most likely he is a mixture of Irish, British and Scottish as most were in the south.. READ "Yankee and the Cavaliers" great book on this subject.

[OC Richard]

Officers were responsible for acquiring their own uniforms, and one thing that jumps out to my eye when looking at hundreds of Civil War photographs is the two trends among officer's dress, Union and Confederate.

Confederate officers, surrounded by men dressed in a chaotic range of clothing (home-made uniform, captured Union uniform, civilian clothing, whatever was to hand) tended to use their money to purchase high-quality uniforms which closely followed the regulations.

Union officers, surrounded by a vast sea of soldiers in virtually identical dress, often went in for quirky non-regulation clothes.

So that seeing a group of officers from either army would give the opposite impression that one would get seeing the ordinary troops.

Of course there were exceptions, I'm talking about general tendencies.

Yes plaid shirts were very common in both armies, either ordinary shirts worn under their uniform jackets, or the elaborate "battle shirts" worn alone.

Here are some more "battle shirts." As you're seeing there was no standardized pattern, they were made at the whim of the mother, wife, or girlfriend of the soldier.



These are still made, worn by Civil War re-enactors:

http://www.jamescountry.com/battleshirts.html