Gents,
I have posted some "digitypes" that I took last October (2010) at the Chancellorsville visitor's center. As the thread title indicates, they are of the uniform William Hightower (Co. E 23rd VA INF) was wearing when he was wounded at Chancellorsville. I took these while on a photo documenting spree last year since we don't have much access to artifacts on the West Coast. But, I took special care to document this one for the sake of posterity because of a few pecularities that I thought interesting. Namely:
1. This appears to be a full "suit of clothes" from the same type of material (medium gray wool)
2. Double breasted enlisted frock, muck like John Lester's (10th GA)
3. NCO stripe down the legs. It is interesting to me that combat veterans would still request such things in a new uniform in the mid war time frame.
4. It looks pretty clean for a garment worn in combat by a man seriously wounded. Cleaned after the fact no doubt, which I am sure greatly added to its current state of preservation.
5. Looks strikingly the same as you would expect to see in 1861, not 1863. Much like his wartime image (see attachments).
6. The trouser leg seems to have been cut clean up to the waist band, then partially sewn back to the damaged section, which also appears to have been cleaned up. Am I wrong in this?
7. I thought the 1st SGT insignia was a nice touch, and added when it was made.
Ultimately, I knew that uniformity ebbed and flowed throughout the war, but this one really opened my eyes to what soldiers were still receiving. Question: Does anyone know if this was furnished from home, or issued through the depot?
Regards,
Dan Limb
The Pacific NorthWET
I have posted some "digitypes" that I took last October (2010) at the Chancellorsville visitor's center. As the thread title indicates, they are of the uniform William Hightower (Co. E 23rd VA INF) was wearing when he was wounded at Chancellorsville. I took these while on a photo documenting spree last year since we don't have much access to artifacts on the West Coast. But, I took special care to document this one for the sake of posterity because of a few pecularities that I thought interesting. Namely:
1. This appears to be a full "suit of clothes" from the same type of material (medium gray wool)
2. Double breasted enlisted frock, muck like John Lester's (10th GA)
3. NCO stripe down the legs. It is interesting to me that combat veterans would still request such things in a new uniform in the mid war time frame.
4. It looks pretty clean for a garment worn in combat by a man seriously wounded. Cleaned after the fact no doubt, which I am sure greatly added to its current state of preservation.
5. Looks strikingly the same as you would expect to see in 1861, not 1863. Much like his wartime image (see attachments).
6. The trouser leg seems to have been cut clean up to the waist band, then partially sewn back to the damaged section, which also appears to have been cleaned up. Am I wrong in this?
7. I thought the 1st SGT insignia was a nice touch, and added when it was made.
Ultimately, I knew that uniformity ebbed and flowed throughout the war, but this one really opened my eyes to what soldiers were still receiving. Question: Does anyone know if this was furnished from home, or issued through the depot?
Regards,
Dan Limb
The Pacific NorthWET
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