Soldiers wearing English accoutrements

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: Soldiers wearing English accoutrements

What I think is remarkable to point-out is that the two soldiers in the pic on this thread are wearing the English cap pouch on their waistbelt, not on the cartridge box belt as it was intended. It is also apparrent that they do not have Enfield cartridge boxes on, just the ball bags as seemingly ersatz cartridge boxes. Looks to me to be done just for the photograph and perhaps not for field issue/use, but this is speculative without any corroborating evidence I am aware of.

Never seen that done at quality events and it is the first I've seen in an image. Thanks for posting.

[Andrew Kasmar]

Re: Soldiers wearing English accoutrements

I have seen several others with the English cap box on the waist belt. Will see if I can find them again and post them.

[DBURT]

Re: Soldiers wearing English accoutrements

If you can find them and post them that would be great Andrew, thank you.

Dave Burt

[GenuineInformation]

Re: Soldiers wearing English accoutrements

For the folks who haven't seen it yet, the images in Arliskas' Cadet Gray and Butternut Brown mentioned in the first post of this thread are two images of Georgians wearing full English equipage.

The first, on p. 42, is of Private William G. Howard of Co. K, 35th Georgia Infantry. He wears a suit and vest of course jeans with epaulets but also civilian-style lapels. Visible in the picture are a snake buckle waistbelt and angled cap pouch. Presumably he also has the Enfield style cartridge box because the cartridge box belt is visible, and the cap pouch is properly suspended from it, as intended--not worn on the waistbelt. He is armed with an Enfield rifle of the medium length (P56/58/60) and sword bayonet.

The other, on p. 66, is identified as Sgt. Henry T. Wright, Co. E, 61st Georgia Infantry. He is wearing the same kind of coat with the black trim as seen in the picture of two soldiers of the same regiment posted earlier in this thread.
He is wearing the snake buckle belt, cartridge box, and cap pouch--worn on his waistbelt. He also is armed with an Enfield rifle of the medium length, fixed with a sword bayonet.

[DBURT]

Re: Soldiers wearing English accoutrements

Hi Joseph,

I have been doing some research on those two men, and all is not as it appears. Firstly it is not Henry T. Wright, but Hilary T. Wright of the 61st Georgia. There is no mention of a 'Henry' in the regimental roster only a Sgt 'Hilary T. Wright'. Secondly, Howard belonged to the 38th Georgia, again no William G. Howard in the 35th GA, but he is in the 38th. Superb images though, and I would love a name for the soldier I originally posted?

Dave Burt

[roundshot]

Re: Soldiers wearing English accoutrements

G. W. Nichols's "A Soldiers Story of His Regiment (61st GA)" comfirms that the 61st GA (formerly 7th GA Bttn.) and the 38th Georgia (Wright's Legion) received Enfield Rifles and did duty around Savannah in the war's early months before being sent to Virginia. Their proximity to this vital port might account for their receiving English accouterments. This book has been recently reprinted and available from a number of sources if you haven't already checked.

[David Fox]

Re: Soldiers wearing English accoutrements

The fellow in comrade Kasmar's image attachment (above) of an artilleryman wearing a 'snake' buckle might not be an officer but, instead, be an uncommon picture of a private wearing the regulation 1861 C.S. uniform frock or tunic of Austrian length.

[DBURT]

Re: Soldiers wearing English accoutrements

David,

It does appear to be an ordinary snake buckle belt to me, there do not appear to be any sword hangers on it. Bob, that is great information. The infomation I have is that the 38th GA were indeed issued Enfield rifles in 1861 to replace the 0.69 cal they already had... Could they have been issued English accoutrements to go with them? Looks increasingly likely. The 8th Louisiana Infantry was issued "Enfield rifle muskets and British type accoutrements" in 1861.

Dave Burt

[roundshot]

Re: Soldiers wearing English accoutrements

Oh, and don't forget Hugh Lawson Duncan who served in the 39th Georgia. I'm certain you have seen this before in EOG.

[DBURT]

Re: Soldiers wearing English accoutrements

Bob, yes his Tait jacket is legendary and is on the cover of our book on Tait. Just been looking through my notes and two blockade runners entered Savannah in 1861; one was the Bermuda and the other the Fingal. The Fingal carried thousands of pounds worth of British equipment and Enfield rifles sent by both Huse and Anderson. Anderson himself was on board her.
Has to be increasingly likely that the 61st and 38th were issued equipment and rifles from these shipments

Dave Burt

[Marc29thGA]

Re: Soldiers wearing English accoutrements

Another solider I am sre you have seen before is William G. Howard from Co. K, 35th Georgia on pg. 42 oh "Cadet Grey and Butternut Brown."

[DBURT]

Re: Soldiers wearing English accoutrements

Marc, yes we were talking about him earlier in the thread. It appears he was with the 38th Georgia, and not the 35th.

Dave Burt

[Marc29thGA]

Re: Soldiers wearing English accoutrements

Sorry Dave, I completely missed that page as I was brousing through this morning. :-(

[roundshot]

Re: Soldiers wearing English accoutrements

According to the OR, Series I, Vol. 6, pp. 320-323, the Fingal contained 9000 arms for the CS government and 1100 for the State of Georgia. 4500 of these were sent to A.S. Johnston's army, the rest retained locally by the department "for the defense of Charleston and Savannah." On 11/13 61, Sec'y of War Judah Benjamin wrote to General A. R. Lawton commanding at Savannah: " Order to Savannah all the unarmed troops offered for the war . . . so that I may arm them with rifles from the Fingal as far as I can possibly spare them." The 61st and 38th Ga. were under Lawton and went with him to VA later.

It is also interesting that on 11/15/61 Governor Pickens of South Carolina wrote Benjamin about the Fingal cargo stating: "I am deeply obliged for the arms divided between us [South Carolina] and Georgia."
You may know all this already Dave but thought I'd throw it out there for what it is worth. This is interesting stuff.

[DBURT]

Re: Soldiers wearing English accoutrements

No, I didn't have that Bob, many thanks. I do know that the Fingal carried at least 2,000 sets of accoutrements ordered off S. Isaac Cambell & Co by Huse and Anderson. (Anderson's diary) It also contained at least £10,000 worth of goods from Alex Ross & Co of London, including accoutrements and knapsacks. Surely a set of accoutrements for one rifle? And if the GA troops were armed with rifles from the Fingal, surely issued corresponding English accoutrements?
Fascinating.

Dave Burt