duck pants?

[GUNNY]

Has anyone ever heard of "duck" pants? These were requisitioned and received by the 16th Tennessee Infantry the last day of August 1863. Are these perhaps 100% cotton pants? They recieved cotton pants in Nov. 1864 prior to the Tenn. Campaign.

Can anyone help me out?

Jamie Gillum

[Army30th]

Re: duck pants?

I had a pair of these and sold them. The one's I had were made to a military pattern, but were made from light-weight duck canvas.

[GreencoatCross]

Re: duck pants?

I've seen an original pair of blue-line duck trousers at a local Michigan antique show. They were nearly identical in pattern to "Richmond Depot" trousers, very poorly machine and hand-sewn, and had stippled brass buttons. Linings and pocketing were also duck. The material itself was about in the 7-8 oz. weight.

[CSchneider]

Re: duck pants?

I've noticed a decent number of receipts for "duck trousers" in AOT unit files in the summer of 1863 through the early months of 1864. While I've never seen an original pair with military provenance, mid 19th Century white canvas (both duck and drill) pants are not too terribly hard to find today. Like the pair Brian notes, the ones I've seen all seem to be cheap ready-made garments. Having portrayed a company of the 16th Tennessee at an October 1863 scenario event a few years ago and having noted the receipts showing about 1/3 of the company with such trousers, several of us decided to copy a particular pair of surviving period duck trousers to use at the event.

-Craig Schneider