Altered Drawers

[wade03]

Hey,

I've heard about Federal soldiers cutting their issue drawers shorter during the summer, is this that common. I have a pair of older drawers that I'd like to cut down and was wondering if there was a specific length anyone has heard of. I searched around and couldn't find anything on this topic.

[Fritz]

Re: Altered Drawers

Never heard of cut-offs? Popular in the '60 (1960s) and today.

[Hank Trent]

Re: Altered Drawers

I see a practical problem...

The purpose of the ties is to hold the bottoms down, so when you pull on your pants, your drawers don't bunch up. I've forgotten to tie them, and it's not a good thing. With the bottoms cut off, wouldn't there be a bunching problem? How does that work?

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Andrew Kasmar]

Re: Altered Drawers

Hi,

You could remove the ties from the bottom of the drawers, and then re-attach them at the new length. I have done this on a pair of Federal issue ones, because they were too long, and I have had no problems with it.



Andrew

[AZReenactor]

Re: Altered Drawers

Wade, I'm curious where you heard about this practice since it is the first I've read of it. Is there any documentation regarding it and how widespread and prevalent the practice was.

[Micah Trent]

Re: Altered Drawers

I have never read nor heard of such a practice. I agree with Hank about the bunching issue. To me, they are a blessing underneath, especially when marching or going through fields and thickets. Helps from weeds and critters eating your legs up as bad, especially in the summer time.
I really don't know why you would want do it, unless you were doing it to stay cooler. I don't know...maybe I mis-interprited the whole thing.

[wade03]

Re: Altered Drawers

Well its not like I'm chomping at the bit to hack up my drawers. I was just wondering if anyone else had heard of it, to make sure I'm not just dreaming this up. For the life of me I cannot remember where I heard that, but do remember hearing/reading about that somewhere. Mostly it was to stay cool in warmer months.
I agree with those that were worried about them bunching since they wouldn't be tied down. I could see that getting painful.

[WoodenNutmeg]

Re: Altered Drawers

You'll have to excuse the lengthiness of getting there, but perhaps it does come to Wade's defense:

1. Go to: www.google.com and get a blank search bar up and ready.
2. Then enter "soldiers cutting drawers summer civil war" in the search field.
3. Scroll down to the the link entitled "Columbia Rifles Home Page" and take a look.

NOTE: While this is a dead link, you can still make out the neccessary info it once contained: "Soldiers also cut the legs off their issue drawers in warm weather..."

[Secesh]

Re: Altered Drawers

I would think that of the thousands who served, at least some of them had the idea and notion to cut their drawers down for a myriad of reasons. These people were not so much different than us, nor was the War that long ago. In fact, there is a gentleman here in Southern California named Woody Plugger, nearly 90 years old, who's FATHER was a member of a Virginia cavalry regiment (the unit escapes me) during the War. Woody was born around 1921 or so, the last of his father's 21 children...His father had married 5 times and outlived each wife. Woody's father passed when Woody was 18 years old. I had the pleasure of meeting him once at an event, and from what I understand he is still active in the SCV and is very popular at their conventions. Don Smith, I believe, is aware of the gent I am referring to....

[billmatt04]

Re: Altered Drawers

Cutting drawers is, I think, a pretty common mainstream occurence. I know of other reenactors who have done it, and when I got my first pair of drawers I did it, too. But, since this is the AC forum we need to back up a practice with verifiable documentation - and I have never seen any. From ecperience, however, even on the hottest of days I find that full-length drawers are more comfortable as they wick away sweat and protect your legs (similar to what a wool shirt does for you). If you're worried about the heat, you could always go without drawers.

[WoodenNutmeg]

Re: Altered Drawers

If you're worried about the heat, you could always go without drawers.

Wool chafing? Yowza! :tounge_sm

[Secesh]

Re: Altered Drawers

...And Petty Officer John Torrington, a member of the missing Franklin Arctic Expedition of 1846, and who's body was exhumed in the 1990's for autopsy, was found to not be wearing any drawers at all....

[wade03]

Re: Altered Drawers

Thanks! Thats what I saw, couldn't remember that for the life of me!

You'll have to excuse the lengthiness of getting there, but perhaps it does come to Wade's defense:

1. Go to: www.google.com and get a blank search bar up and ready.
2. Then enter "soldiers cutting drawers summer civil war" in the search field.
3. Scroll down to the the link entitled "Columbia Rifles Home Page" and take a look.

NOTE: While this is a dead link, you can still make out the neccessary info it once contained: "Soldiers also cut the legs off their issue drawers in warm weather..."

[Ltkris81]

Re: Altered Drawers

You actually can read the whole page if you click on the "cached" link on that search. Here is the whole paragraph but basically states what has been said: "1.6 Drawers
A. Summer-issue drawers should be canton flannel material (plain cotton is also acceptable, although canton flannel was most common). Issue drawers can be of the Schuylkill Arsenal or New York Depot pattern. Issue drawers should have two or three-piece tin-plated buttons. Ties would be visible at the cuffs, unless they have been removed. Soldiers also cut the legs off their issue drawers in warm weather. Drawer cuffs make great gun rags!
B. Civilian drawers may have bone, wood, mother-of-pearl, or paper backed tin buttons. [EOG/US page 127] "

Hope maybe this helps. God bless cached Google pages :P

[prestontoprail]

Re: Altered Drawers

I say if you want to try something different and want to earn some "tough" points.....go "commando"! And I think you guys know what that means, but the truth is that not all civilian soldiers back then were even accustomed to wearing drawers. I have read accounts of rural area guys looking at their newly issued drawers and not even knowing what they were. I believe that is why shirts were made with such long length in the 19th century was to have some cover for all the "protective property".

There was an account of some raw recruits in the federal army who asked the veterans what the "white pants" were for. The veterans then told them that they were their dress pants and had to be worn for dress parade and formal occasions. I wish I could have been there to share the laugh that must have ensued when these guys ran out in their drawers for inspection.

Whenever we have someone new in our group who hasn't acquired any drawers yet, we tell them that there is only one alternative. It's not so bad either, give it a shot sometime. You will become very acquainted with the feel of kersey. On that note I haven't read anything with regards to cutting down drawers. However I feel it is one of those things that would not be discussed and probably would not be documented in the letters home. After all, why do we think that they did not do this? Or could not do this?

As Hank and others mentioned, it gets a little tricky with the idea of keeping them held down. And essentially it seems your just going to make a pair of domet boxers in the end and we know that would not come into style for a very long time.