Samuel J. Reader Sketches of Confederate Soldiers Trans-Miss. 1864

[csuniforms]

Attached are sketches from the Samuel J. Reader collection showing two Confederate soldiers from Price's 1864 invasion of Missouri. What is interesting is that he shows them wearing field signs for identification, blue ribbons, on their hats. The majority of Price's forces were in civilian or "indifferent" clothing during this campaign. The Union side, according to Reader, also had some type of red device or badge on their hats to designate them as Union Militia.

Does anyone remember reading about this practice maybe in General Orders, letters or diaries of participants? I am still looking myself.

Tom Arliskas
CSuniforms

[roundshot]

Re: Samuel J. Reader Sketches of Confederate Soldiers Trans-Miss. 1864

Reader's diary describes the Kansan's badge as a piece of one inch square red flannel: http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/206900. What has always been interesting to me is that some of the Rebs are depicted in his illustrations as wearing rectangular "CSA" belt plates. Artistic license? Anyway, his words and drawings are wonderful insight into this neglected area of the war. The "impression" possibilities are endless.

[csuniforms]

Re: Samuel J. Reader Sketches of Confederate Soldiers Trans-Miss. 1864

Reader's diary describes the Kansan's badge as a piece of one inch square red flannel: http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/206900. What has always been interesting to me is that some of the Rebs are depicted in his illustrations as wearing rectangular "CSA" belt plates. Artistic license? Anyway, his words and drawings are wonderful insight into this neglected area of the war. The "impression" possibilities are endless.

Thank You! I have not read his entire diary or memoirs yet. AWESOME!!!!!!y

I saw your CSA buckle query somewhere else. I do not know. A study of Battlefield finds might be the place.

CSuniforms
Tom Arliskas

[roundshot]

Re: Samuel J. Reader Sketches of Confederate Soldiers Trans-Miss. 1864

Glad to help. Note that in several of his illustrations Price's men are shown wearing a distinctive blue bow on their headgear.

Also, while not the period you are researching, you might enjoy Reader's pre-war diary: http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/90315
I have always thought Reader's diary and Eugene Ware's " The Lyon Campaign" to be two classics of their time for this theater. Ware gives many uniform descriptions as well for early war Federals in the west. Ware's "Lyon Campaign" is in hardback but his " Indian Wars of 1864" may also be useful to you and is on line here: http://www.kancoll.org/books/ware/