Dark Blue Trousers in late 1862

[bAcK88]

From History of the 14th Connecticut Vol. Infantry by Charles D. Page, Horton Printing Co., Meriden, Conn. 1906. Pg 66-67:

While in camp here some of the men strayed out into a garden in search of vegetables and met with a queer interruption and reception. A red-headed daughter of the "sunny South" rushed out and overturned five or six beehives which stood at one end of the garden. While "our boys" could sand before a storm of shot and bullets, they were not disposed to face this musketry of nature and beat a hasty retreat before the infuriated insects, but later returned an secured the honey, which would not have been distrubed in the ordinary course of events. Corporal Albert R. Crittenden writes of a further development of this incident. He says:--"After the bees were subdued and the contents of the hives fell into our hands, to some of us it proved an 'apple of Sodom' for we got only bee bread. The red-headed daughter of the South and an older female came into camp to identify some of the raiders. They lighted on us, not because they were sure it was us, but as the raiders had on dark blue trousers, we were taken to account. Some of the remnants of a honey box were found in one of the company streets and the captain was called on to explain. He said he did not know how the honey box came there, they had just moved into their position , and all hs men were present or accoutned for. Furthermore, he did not believe his men would be guilty of such actions as they were all pious men and good Baptists, indeed only about six weeks had passed since he had seen them all immersed in the Potomac. The captain was so positive in his statement of the 'facts' and so honest about it that the maidens appeared satisfied and took leave of us."

It should be noted that this event occured on November 1, 1862 and the 14th CVI had left Hartford for the front on August 25th and had fought in the battle of Antietam.

[poncho]

Re: Dark Blue Trousers in late 1862

Greetings,
This seems to be a" Connecticut thing "as the 27th CVI mustered in Oct. of '62 and fought at Fredricksburg in dark blue trousers. Actually the regulations for the state militia uniform prior to the war was identical to the US standards with the exception being the dark blue trousers.

[bAcK88]

Re: Dark Blue Trousers in late 1862

Yeah, after this quote and seeing multiple images of soldiers of the 16th CVI, I thought that the dark blue trousers could be Connecticut issue as well.

[roundshot]

Re: Dark Blue Trousers in late 1862

This also seems to be a "Department" thing. Dark blue trousers are commonly seen on many of the Federal troops investing Charleston in mid-1863, particularly among the artillery batteries. Appears somebody had to use up the old stocks.