Early war NC issue uniforms

[Ian M.]

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?

[27thNCdrummer]

Re: Early war NC issue uniforms

While the NC regulations from 1861 call for black tape down the seem of the trousers, it is not always the case that troops had it. If you look in Greg Masts' book State Troops and Volunteers it seems that most men have tape but not all. One that does is Pvt. Alfred Turner (no relation) who is standing in his photo. But, the majority of soldiers are sitting and their trousers cannot be seen So, I would say that you would be more accurate to go with tape but you do not have to. But if you insist on tape I would use plain wool kersey, not the ribbed variety. Also, another accurate option for a NC impression would be civilian trousers.

As to the kepi. It is basically just a normal Confederate kepi made of jean cloth or satinette. For the brim there was both leather and painted cloth varieties. For buttons NC state seal are accurate but also good choices would be NC sunburst or Federal eagle buttons.

I have never seen any image of a soldier wearing a gray dress hat as called for in the regulations except for maybe an officer or one enlisted man. The kepi would be better for an early war impression because it was so common.

Also represented in NC ranks was the Mcdowell cap which would have civilian flower buttons or Federal eagle buttons.



As to the production of sack coats, I don't know where you got that they were produced through the war. The NC depot jacket was being issued as early as the spring of 1862 and was the staple jacket of NC production.

For the state seal buttons I think all is an overstatement. If the silver wash just came right off and all the buttons we see have had the wash scraped off I would be surprised because some buttons would never strike me as having been silver washed.

Hope This Helps,

[Ian M.]

Re: Early war NC issue uniforms

Thanks Andrew. Very helpful. Your point about NC seal, NC sunburst and Federal Eagle buttons I assume is limited to my question re: kepi chinstrap buttons. Can you confirm? Also, were sunburst buttons later in the war or throughout?

2 more thoughts on kepis: was the black wool band around the base common for NC troops early war? Also, I have some plain brass dome buttons and was wondering if these would have been common early war NC kepi chinstrap buttons?

I have the book you mentioned on order so will check that when it arrives.

[27thNCdrummer]

Re: Early war NC issue uniforms

Yes it is for the kepi buttons. For sack coats I mostly see NC state seal. Not to say that sun burst or Federal eagles weren't used occasionally.

I don't think I have seen that many black bands around the bases of kepis. I do not think they were that common so I would say steer clear of the black band.

The plain brass dome buttons I think would be fine as civilian buttons were also used during the war.

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: Early war NC issue uniforms

If your'e putting together a North Carolina Impression...I highly recommend you refer to the following group from the Old North State:

http://www.northstaterifles.com/

These men have done quite a bit of research on the soldiers from the this area throughout the war...their website provides several primary sources...and many of their members can provide you with more information.

Additionally consider talking directly with Scott Hanes, Ben Tart and Mickey Black...as each of these gentlemen are also in tune with the look of the NC soldier.

Paul B.

[Jimmayo]

Re: Early war NC issue uniforms

I believe Micky Black has the coat that Scott based his on. He would be a very good person to talk to.

The NC state buttons came in gold and silver wash with gold seeming to be the most common. Very thin wash and it is unusual to find one with gilt still on unless it is in very good ground. Try William Leigh's web site. He usually has some NC buttons on it.

http://www.civilwarbuttons.com/cwcol.htm

Harry Ridgeway also has some. http://www.relicman.com/ButtonConStates.htm

There were some very good sunburst buttons found in Williamsburg. They were not the more common sunburst found in mid to late war but very good qualitity with good gold gilt . I don't think anyone makes reproductions of those.

The NC regiments around the Blackwater River during the Suffolk campaign must have been using state seals because that's what is found in that area. I can't remember anyone finding sunburst.

Hope this helps some.

[Canebrake Rifle Guards]

Re: Early war NC issue uniforms

For early war North Carolina the two types of caps you see most often are a dark blue forage cap (with a "McDowell" visor) and a gray forage cap, also with a McDowell visor. Regulations called for one or the other, but you see both colors.

Greg Starbuck

[Private Longshanks]

Re: Early war NC issue uniforms

On February 10, 1862, Assistant Quartermaster Major John Devereux wrote to a firm (Garrett) with which the state of NC had contracts, "I will be obliged ...if you will cut no more coats but cut all jackets, a sample will be sent you in a few days." Hence, the sack coat was modified by removing the skirts and turning it into a six button jacket. The falling collar and shoulder trim were retained on this garment. The next stage in the modification of the state jacket occured during the spring/summer of 1862 with the elimination of the colored shoulder trim and the replacement of the fall collar by a more orthodox standing collar, making a "second pattern" plain six-button jacket. This type was issued until the end of the war. Thus, between September 30, 1861 and September 30, 1862, Garrett had manufactured for the NC QM department, the following: 5,979 overcoats, 49,093 jackets, 5,954 coats, 68,364 pants, 61,275 shirts.

Regarding headgear, General officers and staff were originally prescribed black felt hats, whilst Commissioned officers and other ranks were to acquire gray felt hats with branch of service insignia. Also, forage caps were to be worn by all ranks "when off duty or on fatigue duty". Those for officers were to be of the "French" pattern, while enlisted men's were gray. During the year ending September 30, 1862, slightly fewer than 9,000 hats were issued, compared with 60,000 caps. Supply problems inevitably affected the type and color of both hats and caps available. Some blue caps were supplied via Marshall Parks, North Carolina's purchasing agent in Norfolk, Virginia, under the state's first cap contract. On June 1, 1861, QM General Lawrence O'Bryan Branch wrote to Parks, "If gray can be had, please require the maker to furnish only that color. I will not object to different shades of gray, provided they are packed in different cases so that my assistants can put an entire Regiment in the same shade"�. Whatever the color, Parks acquired caps from W.H.S. Lovitt of Virginia. Some brown caps may have also been issued in early 1862, since Deveraux wrote to a supplier on January 17, instructing him to "cut no more caps out of the brown kerseys sent you. Gen. Martin objects to a variegated color". While infantry were supplied with gray caps with black bands and plain gray caps, red and yellow bands were put on the caps supplied to the 1st Artillery and Second Cavalry, judging by Devereux's instructions to another contractor in December 1861 to "bind 1,000 caps with red for artillery", and in February 1862, to send "1,000 caps bound with yellow for cavalry".

If you add this up, that's a LOT of clothing in a year!! Jackets way outnumber coats. Also, it seems to me that concerning headgear it's either a gray kepi, possibly brown, with or without a black band, or a "French" pattern or "McDowell" type of gray or blue for the earliest NC impression. There is only ONE surviving NC sack, and Mickey Black owns it. I think it's still in the NCMOH, but I don't think it's on display. I don't think the sack was made for very long, and especially not after the early summer of 1862. There may have been a few surviving before/during South Mountain and Sharpsburg, but they weren't issued after about June of '62 and would have reached the end of their life by Sept '62. They saved a lot of cloth by going to the shell, and there's two out there to check out. One is the MacCrae (NCMOH) and the other a Tucker (MOC). Both 6 button front. Here's a link to the MacRae jacket:
http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/MOH/vfp...ABASE=38502249,

Hope this helps you. I'm researching early war NC uniforms right now, so if I come up with anything I'll post it. If you have the source where it said the NC sacks were produced throughout the war, I'd like to see it if possible. Never seen that one...

Regards,

[Enfilade]

Re: Early war NC issue uniforms

Tim,

Don't forget the Williamson jacket in EOG Arms & Equipment of the Confederacy on page 145. But there are others too. The NC jacket in the Texas Museum in Dallas and the Ogburn jacket that is on display at the High Point Museum of History also survive. Ogburn was in the 57th NCT and wounded at Fredericksburg. The "jacket" he was wearing at "FREDERICKSBURG" is the one on display at High Point! Also, the sketch of Robert Ransom's 24th NCT on the firing line at Fredericksburg has those men in what appear to be short waisted jackets with no visible epaulets on the shoulders.(see EOG Illustrated Atlas page 97).

For uniform guidance we have the 1861 regulations of uniform posted on our website as well as some uniform examples under the impressions page. You can find them here...

http://www.northstaterifles.com

When can you wear a NC sack coat? I saw one at High Tide, but that wasn't correct as Tim mentioned they would have been well worn out by fall of 1862. The NC "jacket" could be worn for the rest of the war.

Mark Berrier
North State Rifles

[Ian M.]

Re: Early war NC issue uniforms

Thanks Pards -- some impressive research brought to bear. I suppose it would be near impossible to determine from available records Tim the details of those Virginia contractor caps -- material, buttons, kepi or forage-style, type of brim and such. But to know would be oh so sweet.