Sketch of A Clinch Rifleman & Oglethorpe Infantryman

[SCTiger]

Found this descriptive sketch on the Clinch Rifleman and a Oglethorpe Infantryman on the LOC. There were numerous Oglethorpe Units, but this could be the Co. D, Oglethorpe Infantry or Oglethorpe Guards Richmond County, THe CR's were from Augusta.

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/.../~ammem_QKAK::

On the CR, the description could also include "L Sabre Bayonet" since this group carried the 1841 Mississippi Rifle with the Sabre Bayonet.

Co. A, 5th Georgia is not to be confused with Co. G, 50th GA, Clinch County, Osteen's Company, which it often is. They are often cited in these famous series of camp photos.



Compare the sketch to the Troiani painting.




The CR's have been the subject of many paintings, plates, miniature figures and other barely researched renditions. There was a surviving uniform in the Dekalb History Center for Major Ansley, 3 years ago, I will try to retrieve the images tomorrow, but that uniform was very similar to the sketch.

http://www.dekalbhistory.org/02_history/02_b.html

Maybe some of you Georgia folks can sort it out, but there seems to be several versions of the CR uniform. The fascination with the "green" uniform could be one factor. Interestingly, the sketch describes the uniform as "Dark Green."

[SCTiger]

Re: Sketch of A Clinch Rifleman & Oglethorpe Infantryman

Attached are some of the photos I took of the David Ansley uniform I took, (no flash, had permission) at the Dekalb History Center back in October, 2004. If anyone has a high tech photo editor and could clean up the photos, I would appreciate it. I had a real primitive digital camera back then.

[lambrew]

Re: Sketch of A Clinch Rifleman & Oglethorpe Infantryman

Wow, it looks a lot like the British or French sharpshooter uniforms of the Napoleonic era. I tried to find a good example to post here, but no luck. The green is for camouflage you might say. Thaks for sharing.

Respectfully....
Sean Collicott

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Sketch of A Clinch Rifleman & Oglethorpe Infantryman

I believe that the Clinch Rifles did indeed change the style of their uniform from time to time; starting first with a "claw-hammer" style dress coat and later adopting a full skirted dress/frock coat later. I read this somewhere, may have been in one of Troiani's books, and I will check for the reference.

I'd love to see an original Clinch Rifles coat in person and compare the cloth, shade, hue, absorption/reflection to that of the two identified U.S.S.S. frocks I've examined. Both of these frocks were made from slightly varying shades of green cloth, of slightly different quality, and the internal pieces of one are cut from two OTHER shades of green cloth. Replicating the "right" color of dark green cloth is a true pain.

Just gotta ask though....

When you saw Ansley's uniform coat, did you notice if the cloth has a blue hue to it, or was it yellowish (i.e. "olive green"). Did it appear black at a distance and rich green up close?

[SCTiger]

Re: Sketch of A Clinch Rifleman & Oglethorpe Infantryman

Brian,

Sections of the shako, the tails of the coat and the trim of the coat were dark, indigo blue, the green was dark enough. The Clinch Rifles have also been depicted in "blue" uniforms, but could have been the result of the capture of of Federal gear in Oct 13, 1861 at the battle of Santa Rosa Island, Florida. How much they captured and modified still needs to be studied.

There has been much debate concerning militia uniforms. Some contend that they were "parade ground" quality and were soon worn out on the campaign. Some of the uniforms were extremely well made and the uniforms lasted from Summer- Fall 1861 to 1862. After a year of constant infantry campaigning, I doubt that even the best made uniforms would last longer than a year.

I do know that these uniforms were made on Broad St. in Augusta, several tailors and uniforms producers, like "Thomas F. Walker" at 253 Broad St. were in business. There is one Officer CR Frock in the Augusta Museum. Broad St. also produced a number of CS naval uniforms. Charles A. Platt, the captain of Co. A was a furniture, and carpet maker along with his brother Jacob; they made flags, camp chests, tents and almost anything to do with fabrics. It could be that he produced the uniforms as well. It's also one reason that the CR's appear well equipped! There is still a Platt's Funeral Home business in Augusta to this day, and I always wanted to ask the descendants if they still possessed anything.

In a letter to Governor Brown on January 10th, 1860, Platt describes the dress uniform as "a coat of dark green broad cloth, with gilt rifle buttons, and trimmed with gold lace and cord; pants of the same material...one or two shades darker with a gold cord on the outside seams; cap of dark green with the letters "CR" surrounded by a gold wreath, light green pompon; wings of brass, army style."




It's very likely that a quick transition from the shako/short coat to the kepi/frock, to the captured Federal uniforms, could have happened. Resulting in several reports and the modern confusion over which uniform they wore. The 1860 letter matches the sketch I first submitted in my opinion.

[SCTiger]

Re: Sketch of A Clinch Rifleman & Oglethorpe Infantryman

I would also theorize that one of the biggest reasons for the switch from the shako to the kepi and the French Zouave style uniform by U.S. militia in 1860 rests squarely with one super-star, parade ground soldier namely, Elmer Ellsworth & his U.S. Zouave Cadets.

Not content to rest on his laurels, Ellsworth issued a blanket challenge to the State Militias of a dozen states: That his Zouaves would compete against them in drill competition for the prize of a specially commissioned flag. On July 2, 1860, Ellsworth and 50 of his best men embarked on a six-week tour that took them to 20 cities, including Detroit, Cleveland, Boston, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. The Zouaves humbled their competitors and awed thousands of spectators who came to watch their superbly choreographed exhibitions, while the handsome commander became an overnight celebrity. Newspapers described Ellsworth as "the most talked-of man in the country."

From the Fifth New York site:
http://www.webcom.com/kepi/craze.html

Copyright © 1996-2000 All Rights Reserved.
Company A, 5th Regiment, New York State Volunteers Duryee Zouaves, Inc.

[1stMaine]

Re: Sketch of A Clinch Rifleman & Oglethorpe Infantryman

Greg,

Not to hijack this thread, but on a 2-part tangent...

1.) The Bath City Greys Had a uniform very close to that of the 7th New York, except that they wore 18" bearskin shakos until 1858-59, when they also switched over to the kepi. To the best of our knowleadge, they used Scott's tactics for drill, as they carried converted <1816 muskets. They became Co. A, 3rd Maine Infantry, and their company national colour is still on display in the Bath City Hall.

2.) By way of Ellsworth's influence, a close acquaintance of his was Thomas W. Hyde, another in a long line of Bowdoin College graduates. he had gone to Chicago to take a teaching position at the University, and while there, became fast freinds with Elmer. He learned the Zouave drill under Ellsworth's tutelage. Hyde met Lincoln, and Lincoild asked Hyde initially to establish and command a body guard for the trip to Washington. Hyde, believing himself to be too young for the popsition, instead suggested Ellsworth as the most capable man for the job, and the rest there is history.

However, Hyde returned to Bowdoin college, where he took a job instructing the Corps of Cadets in Ellsworth's new drill. His maneuvering and fancy drill caught the eye of a Professor named Chamberlain, with the result that he ultimately joined up as well, with the accomplishments we are all familiar with. Hyde himself recruited a company from Bath which became Co. D, 7th Maine Infantry, later became it's Major and eventually transferred to Sedgewick's staff of 6th Corps, where he bacame fast friends with Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Talk about a circle of luminaries.....

Anyway, thought I'd toss that into the mix as it seemed to bear at least slightly on the subject of kepis and drill..... :)

[SCTiger]

Re: Sketch of A Clinch Rifleman & Oglethorpe Infantryman

Tim:

It's on track and not hijacking in the least! Studying the Clinch Rifles, Ellworth's Zouave's, The Bath City Grey's and other festooned but well drilled units; gives us the necessary background knowledge we need. Many of the ranking ACW soldiers were caught up in this "militia fever" and couple this with the political situation (John Brown's raid, Missouri-Kansas, The Utah war, Uncle Tom's Cabin and the 1860 election. ) You then have a cultural Molotov cocktail that's just ripe for war. The Antebellum situation is more complex than most ACW historians give credit to. We get myopic about the period 1861-65, but for me the period 1857-60 should also be included.

In reading about Ellsworth, I chuckled at the way he thought. He organized and maneuvered himself, similar to what we do in the hobby. He transformed a group of militia into well drilled soldiers, put on events and shows and he was infatuated with military culture. He was similar to a reenactor, but he didn't have a war yet. Of all the people from the ACW, I think he would approve of our hobby the most.

One other thought, I believe the early war soldiers were slaves to fashion and the change in 1860 explains why so many shako's and early militia gear survives, it was simply out-of-style.

[1stMaine]

Re: Sketch of A Clinch Rifleman & Oglethorpe Infantryman

Greg,

The fashion part is entirely correct, in my opinion.

To return to the Bath Vity Grets, they were entirely made up of the top of the covial starta locally. The only items they drew from the state were weapons and accoutrements, and camp equipage. The state issued them with M1816 muskets, in flint, in the 1835 daye range. I used to own one of them if'd to the unit. The Greys wanted the very best, so they had the muskets converted to percussion bia the "Belgian" method, at their own expense. They wore a grey swallow-rail jacket, tripple breated, with buttons made for them by a company in Vermont. I'll attacj a pic of one of the buttons below. Their accoutrements were black, but the belts and slings were of white buff leather. Uniforms were trimmed in black as well.

When the Greys enlisted in masse in 1861, they turned their equipment in to the state in anticipation of new issue. The Adjutant General was stuneed to see the good condition of everything, and remarked that the arms and equipments were in better condition than when issued. In fact, rather than return some damged tentage, the unit purchased NEW tents and returned those to the state.

The Greys also travelled around the east coast for drill competitions and also hosted other units for similar events. It was quite the racket.

You are also correct inthat, to understand the first couple years of the war, we need to also look at the pre-war militia scene.

[TheColorBearer]

Re: Sketch of A Clinch Rifleman & Oglethorpe Infantryman

Myself and a couple other fella's portray this unit. Nathan Gober is one of the people, and he has made us all uniforms right down too the pom pom's. We will be portraying the CR's @ chickamauga this year.



Todd Burnett

[handy.harris]

Re: Sketch of A Clinch Rifleman & Oglethorpe Infantryman

Hy guys!

I am living in Austria, which doesn't make research any easier, but I so far do know the following (some of it still has to be veryfied):
1861 the C.R. started out with green Uniforms but those soon where replaced by a dark blue frock coat and lighter blue pants. Even later - maybe about 1863 or so, they where issued the standard gray of the confederacy.
Even though they where a true rifle company, they did wear blue infantry collars.

As I said, we are from Austria and just started out to portait the C.R.
if you want to take a look: cr.wcc.at

regards
Handy