Red Flannel Shirts

[guad42]

Folks,

I have a question about red flannel issue shirts. Were they common in the ranks of US Regulars and Volunteers as early as the 1840s? A friend of mine and I got into some debate on this. Numerous sources (among them George Ballentine and Raphael Semmes) indicate flannel and even red flannel in the ranks (and on some officers), but I'd like some more information.

Regards,

Sam Dolan

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: Red Flannel Shirts

Folks,

I have a question about red flannel issue shirts. Were they common in the ranks of US Regulars and Volunteers as early as the 1840s? A friend of mine and I got into some debate on this. Numerous sources (among them George Ballentine and Raphael Semmes) indicate flannel and even red flannel in the ranks (and on some officers), but I'd like some more information.

Regards,

Sam Dolan

According to my shelf copy of Military Dress of North America, 1665-1970, Jefferson Davis's First Mississippi Volunteers wore red flannel shirts in lieu of a coat during the Mexican War.

And I'm not certain about red flannel, but some irregularity in the dress of regulars occurred during the same period. Sherman, in his Memoirs (p. 49), mentions supplying some impoverished dragoons in Los Angeles from "a store-box full of socks, drawers, and calico shirts, of which I had laid in a three years' supply."

These were "issue" shirts only in the sense that Sherman had them, and issued them. Red flannel might have been similarly procured, but I think it more likely that soldiers would have acquired them by private purchase, like the "boiled shirts" that Augustus Meyers says he wore into town in Carlisle in the '50s.

But in any case, "common" is kind of a subjective term, and I don't know any source that would provide a definitive response for the prewar army, which saw some pretty far flung operations.

[Spongebucket]

Re: Red Flannel Shirts

You'll find references to Red flannel shirts being issued to the Corps of Discovery (Lewis and Clark) and the US Marines at the time were issed red flannel shirts up til the 1859 regulations when they went to dark blue (and that's not the pull-over fatigue shirt either). And there are some accounts in the Utha Expedition and fighting the Commanche that units would get flannel shirts (red, green , blue, etc). However, from what I've found, they were "ready mades"/ mercantile garments.
Neat question and anxious to see if there are others with a little more info who can add to this.
Cheers,
Joe Blunt

[Blair]

Re: Red Flannel Shirts

M A,

I would tend to agree with you.
One of the problems is many have read and understood the term "Flannel" as meaning "Cotton" Flannel as is most common in the modern definition.

Raphael Semmes mentions the purchasing of several bolts of cloth for use, by the crew, aboard the CSS Alabama, when he took Command. Blue-black broad cloth for making the round hats and round Jackets. "Red (wool) Flannel" for the making of the crews undershirts. Trousers that were brought on board were of the pattern of the English Merchant service (Blue-black Broad cloth, fall front or button fronts? The report does not specific.)
I will have to search for the source of this information in case there are those who wish a specific citation to this reference. I don't remember where I've read it off hand.

[guad42]

Re: Red Flannel Shirts

I really appreciate the responses to my post. George Ballentine referred to flannel shirts as being issued to the 1st Artillery in 1845. He did not mention color. Richard Bruce Winders describes red shirts in his excellent "Mr. Polks Army", and not simply those worn by Davis' Mississippians. Have to keep digging.

-Sam Dolan

[Iceman]

Re: Red Flannel Shirts

The State of Louisiana in late 1861 to mid 1862 were issuing to its volunteers red wool flannel undershirts and under drawers. The shirts were typical undershirts; i.e. no collar and no cuffs.

[guad42]

Re: Red Flannel Shirts

The paintings of James Walker, who followed Scott's army into Central Mexico in 1847, illustrated numerous soldiers in red flannel shirts; presumably regulars or volunteers, with a few fellows here and there in red shirts. This may have been done to add "color" to art? Chamberlain's "My Confession" also shows troops other than the Miss. Rifles in the occasional red shirt. Still researching. According to Winders a Volunteer officer suggested red shirts for those purchasing their own clothing. Perhaps these are not "issue".
-Sam Dolan

[The Egyptian Homeguard]

Re: Red Flannel Shirts

There is an 1861 refrence to being issued the "inevitable" red shirt, cap and boots in the Stephen A. Forbes Papers at University of Illinois... He served in the 7th Illinois Cavalry... TEH

[Iceman]

Re: Red Flannel Shirts

The Tiger Rifles, Co. B of the 1st Special Battalion (Wheat) went off to war wearing red flannel shirts and white canvas pants and straw hats. This uniform was inspired by those uniforms worn by Walkers filibusters who went to Nicaragua in the 1850s. Once the Tiger Rifles were in Virginia, that's when a wealthy Virginian paid to have this company uniformed their famous zouave uniforms.

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: Red Flannel Shirts

And it's good for you, at least according to Volume 19 of the St. Louis Medical and Surgical Journal: http://books.google.com/books?id=7wB...nel%22&f=false

Virtues of Red Flannel.—Prof. Pepper, as reported in the Medical and Surgical Reporter says : "A very excellent, gentle counter-irritant is the wearing of the ordinary, very coarse, thick, red flannel next to the skin. The popular belief of the warming properties of this kind of flannel is not without foundation; for it is asserted by competent persons that in the red dye stuffs which are used in coloring this flannel poisonous species of sumach enter largely ; and this explains the peculiar cutaneous eruption which is so often seen in persons wearing this coarse flannel, especially when new. Thus it may serve two purposes—protecting the body against cold and changes of temperature, while it acts at the same time as a counter irritant."

[OldKingCrow]

Re: Red Flannel Shirts

M A,


Raphael Semmes mentions the purchasing of several bolts of cloth for use, by the crew, aboard the CSS Alabama, when he took Command. Blue-black broad cloth for making the round hats and round Jackets. "Red (wool) Flannel" for the making of the crews undershirts. Trousers that were brought on board were of the pattern of the English Merchant service (Blue-black Broad cloth, fall front or button fronts? The report does not specific.)


I will have to search for the source of this information in case there are those who wish a specific citation to this reference. I don't remember where I've read it off hand.

Yes would love to see it.

I have searched:

-The Official Records of the War Between the States

-THE CRUISE OF THE ALABAMA AND SUMTER FROM THE PRIVATE JOURNALS AND OTHER PAPERS OF COMMANDER R.K. SEMMES CSN AND OTHER OFFICERS IN TWO VOLUMES

-Two Years on the Alabama by Lt. Arthur Sinclair, CSN

and there is no indication of this. In all of my considerable naval research and that of Steve Hesson, I have never come across this level of color / material specific detail in CSN uniforms.

Semmes does refer to red flannel in: SERVICE AFLOAT AID ASHORE DURING THE MEXICAN WAR BY LIEUT RAPHAEL SEMMES, USN, LATE FLAG LIEUTENANT OF THE HOME SQUADRON AND AID DE CAMP OF GENERAL WORTH IN THE BATTLES OF THE VALLEY OF MEXICO

"The costumes of our soldiers were as various as the corps to which they belonged and almost as various as the individuals of the corps. With their usual independence they seemed to set all rules of uniformity at defiance. Caps hats of straw or felt white or black coats of all colors and jackets and trowsers to match were assumed or thrown off at the pleasure of the individual wearer. I noticed one fellow fancifully dressed or rather undressed in a red flannel shirt and drawers with a kinky white felt hat stuck jauntily on one side of his head."

CJ Rideout
Tampa, Florida

[PvtShot]

Re: Red Flannel Shirts

I think I remember reading that the 1st Minnesota was issued Red Flannel shirts at Fort Snelling. Darn books at home or I would double check... Remember thinking while I was reading that It would be cool to do a muster event for the 1st MN.

Have a great day!

[Blair]

Re: Red Flannel Shirts

C J,
You may wish to reread some publised citations, "Four Years in the Confederate Navy", the career of Captain John Low, on the CSS , Finagle, Florida, Alabama, Tuscaloosa, & Ajax, by William Stanley Hoole.
Page 52, paragraph III, May give you some reason to investigate the additional documentation into the Bulloch/Semmes Papers and correspondence regarding the transfer of Supplies to "290/Enrica" on August 18 th of 1862.
You may also want to look into the transferrer of cargo from the "Agrippina", and it's manifest, dated August 18 to the "Enrica" in the Azorres.

[OldKingCrow]

Re: Red Flannel Shirts

C J,
You may wish to reread some publised citations, "Four Years in the Confederate Navy", the career of Captain John Low, on the CSS , Finagle, Florida, Alabama, Tuscaloosa, & Ajax, by William Stanley Hoole.
Page 52, paragraph III, May give you some reason to investigate the additional documentation into the Bulloch/Semmes Papers and correspondence regarding the transfer of Supplies to "290/Enrica" on August 18 th of 1862.
You may also want to look into the transferrer of cargo from the "Agrippina", and it's manifest, dated August 18 to the "Enrica" in the Azorres.

This is like an episode of "Histories Mysteries".......

Notwithstanding the detail of your initial post....Hull 290 under British flag as the Enrica sailed from Laird Yards and made fast to the Azores (Terceira Island) on July 29, 1862. Semmes didnt arrive until August 20, 1862.

I am reading the reference you posted details that Semmes, through Bulloch, bought the aforestated garments / cloth and had them shipped on the Aggrippinna and offloaded to Hull 290 on Aug 18, 1862 ?

CJ Rideout
Tampa, Florida

[Becky Morgan]

Re: Red Flannel Shirts

General Cox referred to red flannel shirts and blue pants as the first uniform of the Ohio volunteer units he commanded at Camp Dennison in 1861. I don't have his Memoirs here in front of me, but it's in Volume One (available at Project Gutenberg.)
Also, there is a reference in the part of General Gordon's memoirs that deals with Appomattox. Custer's forces were firing on his troops. Gordon tried to send his aide out with a flag of truce, but the aide said he couldn't find any white cloth because both of them were wearing colored shirts. Once again, I don't have the memoir in front of me, but it's also at Project Gutenberg.