Not just another Confederate post...but

[NorCalPiper]

I personally don't like the whole Confederate thing (even though I too have relatives who foght on that side), and always get smug when I see posts, or people who want sooo bad for there to be a kilted Confederate unit, etc. You all know what I'm talking about. Anyway, I'm vacationing in Atlanta where I'm originally from and during this trip, I made a quick jaunt to see my cranky Scottish connection (grandpa) and grandmother in Nashville. While there, we passed some building and through the window of one was a display of some Civil War thing and there were MANY tin types displayed. Some of the pics were copies and blw ups of tin types, and 2 of these, the soldiers were wearing trews. I could not see in detail as both soldiers were sitting and the focus began to blur at the lap and knee, but there was tartan of that I'm sure. I don't have any info past what I saw. Is there any account of a unit wearing trews, or is this a case where people were wearing pants that they had in normal life that doubled as military pants?

[HeathBar]

Since I am from the middle TN area, can you tell me where in the NAshville area you saw these. Perhaps I could try to get more information on them.

[macwilkin]

I personally don't like the whole Confederate thing (even though I too have relatives who foght on that side), and always get smug when I see posts, or people who want sooo bad for there to be a kilted Confederate unit, etc. You all know what I'm talking about. Anyway, I'm vacationing in Atlanta where I'm originally from and during this trip, I made a quick jaunt to see my cranky Scottish connection (grandpa) and grandmother in Nashville. While there, we passed some building and through the window of one was a display of some Civil War thing and there were MANY tin types displayed. Some of the pics were copies and blw ups of tin types, and 2 of these, the soldiers were wearing trews. I could not see in detail as both soldiers were sitting and the focus began to blur at the lap and knee, but there was tartan of that I'm sure. I don't have any info past what I saw. Is there any account of a unit wearing trews, or is this a case where people were wearing pants that they had in normal life that doubled as military pants?

Most likely the latter. Plaid/tartan trousers were quite common in the mid 19th century. Also, remember that for most White Anglo-Celtic Protestant Americans, open displays of ethnicity really were not that common. My Scottish g-g-grandfather only carried a copy of Burns with him when he served with an Iowa infantry regiment. You really only see those sorts of displays in "ethnic" regiments, such as the German and Irish regiments in the Union Army, and a few in the South -- there were several Irish Confederate units (TN, LA and MO come to mind) and a German artillery battery from Memphis.

T.

[Woodsheal]

I agree with Todd. The images were probably of southern soldiers wearing plaid or checked civilian trousers, not representative of any unit's uniform....

[Pyper]

According to The Confederate Army 1861-65: South Carolina & Mississippi by Ron Field, 2005, the "Union Light Infantry" of Charleston wore Black Watch tartan trews.

In The Confederate Army 1861-65 (5): Tennessee & North Carolina Mr Field and Richard Hook reference the Highland Guard of Memphis, raised in 1860, who they say wore trews.

The 79th New York Militia wore trews in the Cameron Highlander tartan. They had kilts too, at least before the war.

It could easily be (perhaps most likely be) that these trews existed only in the lead up to the war, and that once the actual fighting started they used the same pants as everyone else.

So maybe these photos you saw were shot prior to the war. We have a photo like that of my Great Grandfather, as a young man (prior to emigrating from Scotland.) He signed up, and had his photo taken, and then went off to do whatever it is they had him do.

[ctbuchanan]

http://books.google.com/books?id=bGA...Memphis&f=true

Hopefully this link will help as well - the last paragraph on the page (lower right)

[macwilkin]

According to The Confederate Army 1861-65: South Carolina & Mississippi by Ron Field, 2005, the "Union Light Infantry" of Charleston wore Black Watch tartan trews.

In The Confederate Army 1861-65 (5): Tennessee & North Carolina Mr Field and Richard Hook reference the Highland Guard of Memphis, raised in 1860, who they say wore trews.

The 79th New York Militia wore trews in the Cameron Highlander tartan. They had kilts too, at least before the war.

It could easily be (perhaps most likely be) that these trews existed only in the lead up to the war, and that once the actual fighting started they used the same pants as everyone else.

So maybe these photos you saw were shot prior to the war. We have a photo like that of my Great Grandfather, as a young man (prior to emigrating from Scotland.) He signed up, and had his photo taken, and then went off to do whatever it is they had him do.

Until I see the photo positively identified as members from the above CS units (the 79th is well-documented in photos), I stand my speculation that they are simply plaid trousers. Your second paragraph is spot on in terms most militia uniforms.

One thing to remember about early war photographs -- much of what you see, especially in terms of weapons, are photographers props. The soldiers learned very quickly that a plethora of pistols, bowie knives, etc. was just dead weight on their backs on a 10 mile march.

T.

[macwilkin]

http://books.google.com/books?id=bGA...Memphis&f=true

Hopefully this link will help as well - the last paragraph on the page (lower right)

No source cited -- pity that. Field is a reliable writer, but it would have been nice to have seen the source. And again, this is merely pure speculation on all our parts.

T.