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Confederate uniform and clothing descriptions from fort donelson 1862

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  • Confederate uniform and clothing descriptions from fort donelson 1862

    This is for all of my Fort Donelson Historians ON THE MARCH! The following is just a small segment of articles available on the siege and Battle of Fort Donelson. There are two interesting quotes on the black stripe on the trousers and the carpet blankets. I don’t expect all who participate to sew stripes on their trousers and obtain carpet blankets—but some of you should—just because they did.

    A Visit to the Rebel Prisoners [Camp Douglas, Chicago].
    “As it was a chilly day, many of the prisoners were out on the sunny side of their quarters, conversing amongst themselves or with visitors. Their dress was a butternut colored jean, which gave a characteristic brown hue to every group. Except in this, and that some of the Companies were clothed in Negro cloth, a coarse dirty gray stuff, they wore no uniforms. They had all kinds of hats and caps and every imaginable sort of blankets, from a fiery red to a patched quilt, tattered and torn into shreds. So far as dress and cleanliness is concerned, they were about as hard looking set of men, as can well be imagined.”
    JANESVILLE, WI. DAILY GAZETTE. February 28, 1862.

    Arrival of Prisoners of War [Chicago].
    “Such a motley assemblage of humanity is seldom witnessed as that when those dressed and undressed prisoners were upon the principal parade ground this morning. Their uniform is the most un-uniform that can be imagined—dark gray, light gray, mixed, mottled and ragged--. Old blankets, pieces of carpeting, hearth rugs, etc. are worn in place of overcoats. The Regiments that have arrived, 20th Mississippi app. 400, 50th Tennessee, app. 1,000, 14th Mississippi, app. 500, and the 7th Texas, 333, for a total of 2,231, and [2,600 more in transit].”
    JANESVILLE, WI. WEEKLY GAZETTE AND FREE PRESS. FEBRUARY 28, 1862.

    “Soon after entering the Fort, we found that General Pillow had been in Command but, in company with General Floyd, had that morning made a precipitous retreat up the Cumberland River… The number of guns captured were about 146…There were also 10 to 15,000 stands of small arms, the largest part of which were shotguns, [civilian] rifles, and flint lock muskets. The troops were mainly in civilian clothes, their only insignia being black stripes on their pants. Many of the Officers wear the regular gray uniform, while others the Army blue, the only difference from the United States style being the great profusion of gold lace.”
    The NEW YORK TIMES. FEBRUARY 22, 1862.

    “There is some difference between whipping and being whipped, and after the fight we felt comfortable and the Rebels did not… They were generally clad in “Lindsey Woolsey”, un-uniformed, and by no means prepossessing. Most of their arms were inferior to ours…”
    SUNBURY AMERICAN. March 22, 1862.

    “Their appearance was grotesques in the extreme. Without uniformity in dress, few of them wore anything that could be called a uniform, unless it was a white or striped blanket, worn in the Indian fashion enveloping the whole person. Large numbers of them, instead of blankets, wore large pieces of carpeting in the form of a blanket. These I learned were the soldiers who [retreated] from Fort Henry in extreme haste and left their coats behind.”
    BURLINGTON FREE PRESS. FEBRUARY 28, 1862.

    CSuniforms
    Tom Arliskas
    Last edited by csuniforms; 12-07-2011, 11:33 AM.
    Tom Arliskas

  • #2
    Re: Confederate uniform and clothing descriptions from fort donelson 1862

    Would the hair have been longer?
    Seems I have seen some drawings of them and it was significantly longer than the summer months.
    Regards,
    John Raterink

    "If they carried short rifles and shot people far away, they had to be cool"

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    • #3
      Re: Confederate uniform and clothing descriptions from fort donelson 1862

      John, look at the sketches and photos of the Ft. Donelson prisoners. Folks have posted them here, and Tom's book has two well known sketches of the prisoners. That will probably help you out.

      Embrace art, design, and pop culture with Pop Art Machine. Explore fashion, photography, and the latest trends in a creative and captivating blog.


      American Civil War Picture Archives: Wartime Photos published during the United States Civil War from 1861 to 1865
      Herb Coats
      Armory Guards &
      WIG

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      • #4
        Re: Confederate uniform and clothing descriptions from fort donelson 1862

        Great quotes Tom, thanks.
        Scott Cross
        "Old and in the Way"

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        • #5
          Re: Confederate uniform and clothing descriptions from fort donelson 1862

          Hello, Thanks-- This is fun and what I enjoy! Merry Christmas to you and yours and will stay in touch--

          CSuniforms
          Tom Arlisask
          Tom Arliskas

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          • #6
            Re: Confederate uniform and clothing descriptions from fort donelson 1862

            Herb, the second picture you posted looks to be out of a book, there seems to be a "fold" in the middle of the image. Correct? Wonder if there is more to the picture or at least a little bit more that can't be seen. Saw it when I blew the image up. Noticed shoulders and other things weren't matching up.

            Tom, great information, oh and I like your new last name:)Has a certain ring to it. Back on subject, I was getting ready to start digging on this campaign today! Your post got me going...
            Kaelin R. Vernon
            SOUTH UNION GUARD


            "Do small things with great love" -Mother Teresa

            " Put your hands to work and your hearts to God" -Mother Ann Lee

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            • #7
              Re: Confederate uniform and clothing descriptions from fort donelson 1862

              Originally posted by kaelin View Post
              Herb, the second picture you posted looks to be out of a book, there seems to be a "fold" in the middle of the image. Correct? Wonder if there is more to the picture or at least a little bit more that can't be seen. Saw it when I blew the image up. Noticed shoulders and other things weren't matching up.

              Try this.... http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/10434.html

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              • #8
                Re: Confederate uniform and clothing descriptions from fort donelson 1862

                [QUOTE=kaelin;214146]Herb, the second picture you posted looks to be out of a book, there seems to be a "fold" in the middle of the image. Correct? Wonder if there is more to the picture or at least a little bit more that can't be seen. Saw it when I blew the image up. Noticed shoulders and other things weren't matching up.

                Tom, great information, oh and I like your new last name:)Has a certain ring to it. Back on subject, I was getting ready to start digging on this campaign today! Your post got me going...[/QUOTE

                Here You Go- T-O-M A-R-L-I-S-K-A-S
                CSiniforms
                Tom Arliskas
                Tom Arliskas

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                • #9
                  Re: Confederate uniform and clothing descriptions from fort donelson 1862

                  Thanks Herb.
                  I knew I had seen the one sketch before, just not sure where.
                  Long Hair & Flintlock, will travel (or trudge along in this case).
                  Regards,
                  John Raterink

                  "If they carried short rifles and shot people far away, they had to be cool"

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