They are pipers....officers and NCOs wear swords on the left hip.

I'll dig out some accounts and transribe/post them about the piper thing. Diaries, newpaper articles, ect say "Club pipes" "Caledonian pipers" ect. One even talks about the pipers seeing the regiment to the train station.

Uniforms are tricky. The piper on the far left is definetely in civilian costume. I have always defaulted with civilian clothes because of the overwhelming amount of primary sources refering to them as club pipers, not 79th pipers.

The triple breasted coat thing is inconsistant, many militias had triple breasted coats. (7th NY off the top of my head) Regulations for musicians in the antibellum military have only tape on the breast panels.

I know Im usually a downer and crash the highland party but I try and play things safe. I would rather be wrong about bagpipers wearing clothes worn by everyone in the NY club then assuming they wore loaner 79th uniforms.

Sorry I feel like Im rambling...Ill shut up and throw some collection pictures up.

Misc relics.


Poor ribbons from F. Judge's 1864 issue bonnet


Original silk Tiffany & Co. 100% hand embroired 79th Regimental flag in that box.....true story.