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I am interested in find out if anyone had additional information on the uniform of the 1st United State Lancer Regiment.
“We have seen the undress uniform of the Lancers. It consists of dark blue pants with an inch and a half gold stripe on either side; a green, tight fitting jacket with three rows of ornamental buttons running from either shoulder and the chin to a point at the waist; the cap is blue, and is surrounded with an inch and a half gold band. The full dress has not been decided upon. The uniform above described will be far the most showy of any yet.”A Drawing in an article in Harpers Weekly shows them in single breasted round-about jackets and trousers with light stripes. The article shows their pillbox caps which had arrived on November 7 1861.[ii] An article on the Detroit Daily Advertiser on January 13 1962 indicates the lancers are now receiving uniforms. It is possible that the green uniforms described above were those Coronal Rankin had originally planning to order from New York, he subsequently changed his mind, and ordered the uniforms from Samuel Sykes of Detroit. Sykes was to provide 250 suits in mid December 1861 to the 1st Lancers. Sykes was at this time using New York Army dark blue cloth to made uniforms for other Michigan regiments and the lancers uniforms may have been made from this cloth..
The Detroit Free Press of March 22 1862 has a letter from a discharged lancer which details what he was issued. He had received an overcoat, one jacket, one pair of shoddy pants, one cloth cap, one blanket, one pair of boots, two cotton shirts, two pairs of cotton drawers, and two pairs of socks.
William T. Carr
Company of Military Historians
46th MP Co
144th MP Co
146th MP Bn
200th MP Bn
177th MP Gp
177th MP Bn
“We have seen the undress uniform of the Lancers. It consists of dark blue pants with an inch and a half gold stripe on either side; a green, tight fitting jacket with three rows of ornamental buttons running from either shoulder and the chin to a point at the waist; the cap is blue, and is surrounded with an inch and a half gold band. The full dress has not been decided upon. The uniform above described will be far the most showy of any yet.”A Drawing in an article in Harpers Weekly shows them in single breasted round-about jackets and trousers with light stripes. The article shows their pillbox caps which had arrived on November 7 1861.[ii] An article on the Detroit Daily Advertiser on January 13 1962 indicates the lancers are now receiving uniforms. It is possible that the green uniforms described above were those Coronal Rankin had originally planning to order from New York, he subsequently changed his mind, and ordered the uniforms from Samuel Sykes of Detroit. Sykes was to provide 250 suits in mid December 1861 to the 1st Lancers. Sykes was at this time using New York Army dark blue cloth to made uniforms for other Michigan regiments and the lancers uniforms may have been made from this cloth..
The Detroit Free Press of March 22 1862 has a letter from a discharged lancer which details what he was issued. He had received an overcoat, one jacket, one pair of shoddy pants, one cloth cap, one blanket, one pair of boots, two cotton shirts, two pairs of cotton drawers, and two pairs of socks.
William T. Carr
Company of Military Historians
46th MP Co
144th MP Co
146th MP Bn
200th MP Bn
177th MP Gp
177th MP Bn