79th NY Cameron Highlanders

[OC Richard]

Your jacket is wonderful! I also appreciate the fact that you went to the trouble of having white turnovers on your red&white diced hose, an interesting and perhaps unique feature of the 79thNY's uniform.

Obviously you haven't yet aquired the distinctive, unique 79thNY glen with the two-row dicing.

I of course went though this process myself. For the shoes, what's closest is to get some modern wing-tip tassel loafers, remove the tassels, and put on the buckles. The 79thNY's shoes were NOT like 18th century shoes, but the typical Highland 19th century style I call "buckle loafers", a style which no longer seems to exist in Highland dress.

Getting the exact shoe buckle shape seemed impossible until I happened upon the Scottish company MacKenzie-Frain. They have the EXACT shoe buckles, rectangles with rounded edges.

For the kilt, you'll need a five or six yard kilt pleated neither to the stripe nor to the tartan but somewhat randomly pleated like the originals.

You can order the exact correct 1858-1861 prewar 79thNY sporran from L&M Highland Outfitters in Canada. They made mine, according to plans drawn from the original in the Gettyburg museum. This sporran is NOT the one pictured on the L&M website: that one is the postwar 1870's style, which has been ripped off and is being made in India and sold on Ebay fairly cheaply. If you can't pony up the $300 plus for the prewar style you could get one of the Ebay Indian postwar ones for around $150. In any case it's a white sporran with three black tails, NOT a black sporran with two white tails. It twists MY tail when people mix up the uniform of the 79thNy with that of the 79th Highlanders of Scotland. The two uniforms were competely different in every respect save for the tartan itself.

Here's my kit, followed by two famous photos of the REAL prewar 1858-1861 79thNY full dress uniform:

[dfmacliam]

I have worn sashes in the past.. a civil war variety, but in a native American dance.. I, also was on the portly side, and to keep my sash from slipping, I tied a simple overhand with the ends uneven, then looped the longer end around the other and pulled it tight like a tie.. I was dancing all day long, and the knot would not slip.. At the time I was weighing in the neighborhood of 350+.. so the sash did have some strain on it, and still held.

[Kilted Rogue]

Richard;825937]Your jacket is wonderful! I also appreciate the fact that you went to the trouble of having white turnovers on your red&white diced hose, an interesting and perhaps unique feature of the 79thNY's uniform.

Obviously you haven't yet aquired the distinctive, unique 79thNY glen with the two-row dicing.

I of course went though this process myself. For the shoes, what's closest is to get some modern wing-tip tassel loafers, remove the tassels, and put on the buckles. The 79thNY's shoes were NOT like 18th century shoes, but the typical Highland 19th century style I call "buckle loafers", a style which no longer seems to exist in Highland dress.

Getting the exact shoe buckle shape seemed impossible until I happened upon the Scottish company MacKenzie-Frain. They have the EXACT shoe buckles, rectangles with rounded edges.

For the kilt, you'll need a five or six yard kilt pleated neither to the stripe nor to the tartan but somewhat randomly pleated like the originals.

You can order the exact correct 1858-1861 prewar 79thNY sporran from L&M Highland Outfitters in Canada. They made mine, according to plans drawn from the original in the Gettyburg museum. This sporran is NOT the one pictured on the L&M website: that one is the postwar 1870's style, which has been ripped off and is being made in India and sold on Ebay fairly cheaply. If you can't pony up the $300 plus for the prewar style you could get one of the Ebay Indian postwar ones for around $150. In any case it's a white sporran with three black tails, NOT a black sporran with two white tails. It twists MY tail when people mix up the uniform of the 79thNy with that of the 79th Highlanders of Scotland. The two uniforms were competely different in every respect save for the tartan itself.

Richard Thank you for posting. I see you must of missed my statement about knowing what was amiss about my uniform, and please not to tell that i had things wrong. I have both those photos and many others that i have been using for reference.

THe shoes that i am using where suggested by 79thReproductions as the ones to use as the true shoes are near imposable to find. I know the sporran was incorrect, And Thank to your web site which i linked in my original post, that L&M has the sporran and Mackinze Frain has the buckles.

As for my kilt, It is what it is. A WPG Cameron box pleated kilt. That is what it will remain.


On the subject of the Glengarry, didnt you tell me that your wore a modern Glen? I dont wish to get in to a pissing match.

[macwilkin]

As for my kilt, It is what it is. A WPG Cameron box pleated kilt. That is what it will remain.

You should talk to Matt N. about one of his box-pleats, as its buckle & strap on the left hip is based on a 79th kilt at Gettysburg. In fact, I believe Matt has made a box-pleat in the Cameron of Erracht tartan for a reenactor.

T.

[Kilted Rogue]

You should talk to Matt N. about one of his box-pleats, as its buckle & strap on the left hip is based on a 79th kilt at Gettysburg. In fact, I believe Matt has made a box-pleat in the Cameron of Erracht tartan for a reenactor.

T.

Yes he made one for OC Richard ( the above poster) I did ask Matt about making one but i believe it got lost in the shuffle. I can live with my kilt the what it is. besides i dont have another 300$ to drop on a kilt, i need to drop it one a sporran.

[macwilkin]

Yes he made one for OC Richard ( the above poster) I did ask Matt about making one but i believe it got lost in the shuffle. I can live with my kilt the what it is. besides i dont have another 300$ to drop on a kilt, i need to drop it one a sporran.

Didn't mean to offend, just an "old" living historian (who was never satisfield with the authenticity of his kit) offering a tip. I own one of Matt kilts, and I'll vouch for its quality.

T.

[79thReproductions]

Wooooo! I just got your PMs and read the thread! I'm impressed. I have to be honest, you are too hard on yourself! You described the uniform as if it were the worst historical impression ever conceived!

I have an old 79th sporran somewhere that Ill part with for a low price to help out your cause

There have been a lot of suggestions but I'll throw in my $.02.

Hat. Money is tight to get a 79th one.... In the mean time, take the feathers off? The 79th wore hackles after the war with the uniform change, but before and during the war they didn't Its a quick something that can make things better.

LOVE the jacket. Really, its one of the best jacket I have seen! I like the collar and the detail....the cut fits you well....Wonderful!

The Kilt is great. Only a handful of people know about the pleating and I can almost guarantee to wont meet them in person. The tartan set is right so I would have to say with your expense...its great

Belt / Sash. If your father would allow it, take off the brass keeper on the belt. The sash is correct. Try and find a balance with where you wear the belt. If possible, wear it over the last button.

All of the images of 79th soldiers with sashes I have seen show them completely under the belt. Try and place the sash on your thigh about half way from the left side of your body and the front. About 45 degrees. Also, make the sash wider when you wrap it around so theres more room for the belt to rest on. Aim for red on both sides of the belt ith:


Shoes. The tongues are a bit long but they are the closest things to the originals without being false buckle shoes. If you could find someone to modify those tongues.....that would be really neat.

Sorry for the novel! Im gone for a few weeks and so many things happen. Im hoping I can still catch you on YIM Rogue

I think you have inspired me to take pictures of me wearing my uniform.

GREAT 5th New York Impression btw! I have been working on mine.
1st Issue jacket...unfinished



Awesome thread! I needed some cheering up

[Kilted Rogue]

Thanks Rachel
No am not talking my uniform down. I really just didnt want a hundred ppl telling what i could have done after the fact. you know i had that thread out before about this unit and what drama the posters created.
Off to work ill post more to ya later!

Cajunscot idn't mean to offend, just an "old" living historian (who was never satisfield with the authenticity of his kit) offering a tip. I own one of Matt kilts, and I'll vouch for its quality.

You didnt offend thank you for posting.

[OC Richard]

I certainly apologise if it seemed like I was being critical! That wasn't my intent. I know the long hard and expensive process it is to research and pull together a 79th uniform.

It's exceptionally difficult because nothing in their uniform matches normal Highland dress or normal Civil War dress. It's why most 79th NY reenactors go about with a mix of ordinary Civil War stuff and ordinary Scottish stuff: they're going with what's readily available.

My uniform was far from perfect!! I hand-embroidered my own diced band and just stuck it on a modern Glen. Cheesy I know but far preferable to what 99% of 79th NY reenactors do which is to wear a standard modern Scottish glen with three rows of dicing. I searched and searched and couldn't find anyone who made the correct 79th NY glen until now, when it's too late for me.

My hose weren't right. I was in the process of having custom hose hand-knit, red and white diced with plain white turnover cuffs as per the 79th NY, when I abandoned the entire project.

The correct 79th NY shoes are cheap and easy to reproduce! Get a pair of used tassel loafers on Ebay, take off the tassels, and stick on buckles.

Throughout the 19th century the Scottish military wore these "buckle loafers" as I call them (I have no idea what they were actually called then). In the 20th century these were replaced by the "Mary Jane" style shoes in the Scottish regiments.

I made a pair for my 79th NY uniform and another pair for my normal piping kit, seen in my avatar.

Keep it up!

[muirkirkca]

I am not a reenactor but I do appreciate the contributors who keep history alive even if there may be some deviation from original uniforms.