trousers to match jacket

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

OK...I am having a RD II jacket made in FHMs sheeps gray satinet. I know that pants and jackets didn't always match exactly, but I am looking for an authentic impression for a virginia soldier. Recomendations of material and color for trousers?

Thanks,

Paul B. Boulden Jr.

RAH VA MIL '04

[delawaric]

Re: trousers to match jacket

Maybe this article will help answer your question.

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/8577/unfrm.html

[JCbluegrassrifles]

Re: trousers to match jacket

Check out the article advised above. My two cents is not to match jackets and trousers. I have an itch about that. It just appears silly. My suggestion is to pick a shade that is not the same, but also not completely opposite. Pick a shade of jeans that is a couple shades lighter or a couple shades darker. That's just my personal preference and it seems to show with many in the living history field.

[markj]

Re: trousers to match jacket

Hi,

I've posted the below item previously but here it is again. I would strongly suggest you also examine well-known images of Confederate dead at Antietam, Gettysburg, and Spotsylvania C.H. (available at the "American Memory" section of the Library of Congress website) since these provide good evidence of what types of clothing were worn in the field.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

Source: 8 September 1863 Richmond VA semi-weekly "Enquirer."

HQRS. JONES' BRIGADE,
Aug. 20th, 1863.

$180 REWARD.--Deserted from the 42d Virginia Regiment, Johnson's Division, at camp near Orange Court House, on the night of the 18th August (inst[ant]) [1863] the following named soldiers:

Privates Robert Anderson, Co. A; James Compton, Co. F; [G?] O. Gregory, Co. F; Samuel H. Peay, Co. F; Tyler C. Stultz, Co. F[;] and Geo. K. Eggleton, Co. F[.]
All of the above men are from Henry county, Va.

Anderson is 25 years old, about 5 feet 8 inches high, auburn hair[,] fair complexion, hazel eyes, and at the time he left had on grey Confederate jacket and pants and black wool hat.
Compton is about 6 feet high, 45 years of age, auburn hair, blue eyes, dark complexion, thin visage, and rather rough features; had on when he left blue army pants, pale checked shirt, black wool hat and cloth shoes.
Gregory is about 27 years old, dark hair, red goatee and moustache, hazel eyes, red complexion and rather fleshy; had on when he left grey jacket and pants, white wool hat and cloth shoes.
Peay is about 6 feet high 28 years old, auburn hair, blue eyes, pale complexion; had on when he left grey jacket and pants, broad brim straw hat covered with black cloth, and cloth shoes.
Stultz is 5 feet 9 inches high, 25 years old, auburn hair, blue eyes, red, healthy complexion, dark side whiskers and moustache; had on when he left black pants, grey jacket and black wool hat.
Eggleton is 5 feet 9 inches high[,] 24 years old, light hair, thin and short, pale, sallow complexion, face bloated, and pale blue eyes; had on when he left grey jacket and pants, and black wool hat.
The reward of $180 each will be paid for the apprehension and delivery of the above named deserters to the commandant of the nearest post where arrested, or to their regiment.
Information must be forwarded to the commanding officer of Jones' Brigade, Johson's Division, 2d Corps, A. N. Va.
By order of Col. BRADLEY T. JOHNSON, com'g Brigade.

JAMES BRUCE,
Major and Q. M.
se1-c4w

[RyanBWeddle]

Re: trousers to match jacket

It really depends on the impression you are trying to achieve.

For early war Virginia Impressions, a matching "suit of clothes" for a militia or commutation uniform is not out of the question, and the term frequently shows up in diary/period accounts.

Now if you are trying to portray a Virginian in the ANV 'post commutation' system, i.e. Maryland Campaign. Then I would say that you probably don't want to match your trowsers and jacket. This would hold up through the end of the war. As long as a soldier was in the field there was no guarantee as to uniform issues, in regards to "matching" garments.

The exception though, would be a later war impression, and in that case you might find more documentatable issues of matching "suits of clothes" made from imported kerseys of domestic manufacture, or imported finished goods.

So basically, if you are doing a generic impression mid-late war then the answer is Naaaaaaaah. If something else, then possibly.

[Jimmayo]

Re: trousers to match jacket

I can't speak for all Confederate soldiers but from evidence I have uncovered ALL members of the 17th GA had uniformity in their lower dress during the Antietam campaign. The evidence comes from a letter written by a member of that regiment (V.A.S. Parks) about fording the Potomac river and goes as follows:

" Preparatory to wading the stream, the army officers and all bared their legs and waded over! While every variety, color and style of coat could be seen, there was perfect uniformity in the lower dress! At a distance it was an amusing sight."

I'll bet it was!

[bigreb18611865]

Re: trousers to match jacket

Hi,

I've posted the below item previously but here it is again. I would strongly suggest you also examine well-known images of Confederate dead at Antietam, Gettysburg, and Spotsylvania C.H. (available at the "American Memory" section of the Library of Congress website) since these provide good evidence of what types of clothing were worn in the field.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

Source: 8 September 1863 Richmond VA semi-weekly "Enquirer."

HQRS. JONES' BRIGADE,
Aug. 20th, 1863.

$180 REWARD.--Deserted from the 42d Virginia Regiment, Johnson's Division, at camp near Orange Court House, on the night of the 18th August (inst[ant]) [1863] the following named soldiers:

Privates Robert Anderson, Co. A; James Compton, Co. F; [G?] O. Gregory, Co. F; Samuel H. Peay, Co. F; Tyler C. Stultz, Co. F[;] and Geo. K. Eggleton, Co. F[.]
All of the above men are from Henry county, Va.

Anderson is 25 years old, about 5 feet 8 inches high, auburn hair[,] fair complexion, hazel eyes, and at the time he left had on grey Confederate jacket and pants and black wool hat.
Compton is about 6 feet high, 45 years of age, auburn hair, blue eyes, dark complexion, thin visage, and rather rough features; had on when he left blue army pants, pale checked shirt, black wool hat and cloth shoes.
Gregory is about 27 years old, dark hair, red goatee and moustache, hazel eyes, red complexion and rather fleshy; had on when he left grey jacket and pants, white wool hat and cloth shoes.
Peay is about 6 feet high 28 years old, auburn hair, blue eyes, pale complexion; had on when he left grey jacket and pants, broad brim straw hat covered with black cloth, and cloth shoes.
Stultz is 5 feet 9 inches high, 25 years old, auburn hair, blue eyes, red, healthy complexion, dark side whiskers and moustache; had on when he left black pants, grey jacket and black wool hat.
Eggleton is 5 feet 9 inches high[,] 24 years old, light hair, thin and short, pale, sallow complexion, face bloated, and pale blue eyes; had on when he left grey jacket and pants, and black wool hat.
The reward of $180 each will be paid for the apprehension and delivery of the above named deserters to the commandant of the nearest post where arrested, or to their regiment.
Information must be forwarded to the commanding officer of Jones' Brigade, Johson's Division, 2d Corps, A. N. Va.
By order of Col. BRADLEY T. JOHNSON, com'g Brigade.

JAMES BRUCE,
Major and Q. M.
se1-c4w

Gentelmen,
What I am about to post I know does not have much to do with the origional post, but in an earlier discussion some one had a question about Confederate Soliders wearing canvas shoe, there was a big debate about this. I notice in the above post that two of the soliders wore cloth shoes, by saying cloth shoes are they talking about canvas.
I am sorry for the change of direction of the post.