Description of "Blue Miners shirt" ? 1st Michigan Infantry 3 months

[Bill52]

Re: Description of "Blue Miners shirt" ? 1st Michigan Infantry 3 months

Jeremy, I must respectfully disagree. The 1st Three Month Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment received dark-blue 9-button roundabouts. These had tall standing collars with welting to keep them upright, epaulets and a low set pocket on the right side. The new uniforms ordered for the 5th to 7th Infantry Regiments were to be blouses instead of jackets, made after the style of the regular army pattern sack coats (Detroit Daily Advertiser Aug. 10 1861). These were dark-blue 5-button sack coats with standing collars, epaulets and a high set pocket on the left side. Many photographs of this ‘Michigan’ sack coat can be found. The Officers and NCOs of the 5-7th Infantry Regiments were sent to a School of Instruction prior to them receiving these blue uniforms. NCOs attending the School of Instruction were issued gray 9-button roundabouts with black trim, standing collars and epaulets, gray trousers and blue caps.In your research please do not confuse these gray uniforms with the 3rd Michigan Infantry who were issued gray 10-button roundabouts and the 4th Michigan Infantry who were issued gray 9-button roundabouts. Both appear to have worn these during the First Bull Run campaign.

Respectfully

William T. Carr

[Thomas Alleman]

Re: Description of "Blue Miners shirt" ? 1st Michigan Infantry 3 months

I have a picture, if I can find it of a 7th MI, officers jacket and it was grey wool, now faded and had 9 buttons, maybe 10 and two small pockets. It is very similar to my 1812 roundabout, as in tight fitted body and sleeves. This Jacket is at the collections at Ft. Wayne, if you want to find it.

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: Description of "Blue Miners shirt" ? 1st Michigan Infantry 3 months

William, you should disagree with me as I was wrong. After I posted that I went and looked at pictures side by side. For the first time the differences piped out at me. I then realized there was a Michigan jacket and blouse. The article in the Freep from Aug 10th discuss the update in uniform coat between the 1-2 and the new contracts for the 5-7.

Inhale been wanting to create a list of what all the regiments in Michigan first left the state with. I still have plenty of holes. Would you be willing to share some info off the board?

Are either of these coats known to exist today?

[Bill52]

Re: Description of "Blue Miners shirt" ? 1st Michigan Infantry 3 months

Jeremy

That is an ambitious goal and good luck with it. Michigan issued uniforms are not well covered in books. I would be glad to hear from you at carrwilliam57@yahoo.com. My primary interest is Michigan Militia uniforms ca 1855-61, but I do have a fair amount of information on Michigan issued uniforms. Were you aware that the Federal Government sent Michigan a large number of black pants in 1861?

Respectfully,

William T. Carr

Company of Military Historians