Picked up a nice NC sack coat from Richmond Depot and looking to complete the early war ensemble for NC troops. The 1861 NC regs state 1/2" black stripes on trowsers for enlisted and are completely vague on the fatigue forage cap other than it's NC Gray (like coat and trowsers) and of the French kepi style.
Has anyone seen or can otherwise comment on whether the trowsers stripes were plain wool kersey or the ribbed variety one sees from some of the sutlers? Anyone know a good source for this black fabric?
Also, I really need to know more about what the kepi looked like. Did it have the black wool kersey band (I am assuming so but wish to confirm)? Did it use NC state seal buttons like the coats? Was the visor leather or painted cloth? Was it McDowell style brim or a standard flat brim? etc. etc.
The regs also called for a grey hat for dress with side pinned up with an NC gilt button. Was this basically a grey Hardee or something entirely different?
On the sack coat, one source I saw (can't remember to cite it) said that even though the NC govt. switched over to first the cut down sack as a jacket (briefly) and then the familiar NC 6-button jacket w-o shoulder trim, that the sack coats were nonetheless manufactured through most or all of the war. Anyone able to comment on numbers of sack coats produced and duration?
Finally, on the NC state seal buttons, some sources I've seen suggest ALL buttons (brass or copper) had a thin silver wash that tended to wear off. Other sources of non-dug buttons like relicman show buttons without any evidence of ever having a silver wash. Is the ALL statement overstated, or was the wash so thin that one polishing would remove it basically?
Has anyone seen or can otherwise comment on whether the trowsers stripes were plain wool kersey or the ribbed variety one sees from some of the sutlers? Anyone know a good source for this black fabric?
Also, I really need to know more about what the kepi looked like. Did it have the black wool kersey band (I am assuming so but wish to confirm)? Did it use NC state seal buttons like the coats? Was the visor leather or painted cloth? Was it McDowell style brim or a standard flat brim? etc. etc.
The regs also called for a grey hat for dress with side pinned up with an NC gilt button. Was this basically a grey Hardee or something entirely different?
On the sack coat, one source I saw (can't remember to cite it) said that even though the NC govt. switched over to first the cut down sack as a jacket (briefly) and then the familiar NC 6-button jacket w-o shoulder trim, that the sack coats were nonetheless manufactured through most or all of the war. Anyone able to comment on numbers of sack coats produced and duration?
Finally, on the NC state seal buttons, some sources I've seen suggest ALL buttons (brass or copper) had a thin silver wash that tended to wear off. Other sources of non-dug buttons like relicman show buttons without any evidence of ever having a silver wash. Is the ALL statement overstated, or was the wash so thin that one polishing would remove it basically?
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