Federal First Lieutenant

[SixthMississippi]

Would there have been instances where an officer would have put shoulder boards on a fatigue blouse instead of getting an officer sack coat?

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Federal First Lieutenant

Hallo!

While there were regulations for dress for officer grades, the regs were relaxed during the War. Plus, federal uniform regs... as with enlisted regs.. were bypassed or overlooked by volunteer state units based on intent or supply.

Officers purchased their own uniforms out of their own money, so some opted to go as low cost, inconspicuous, and comfortable as possible.

I forget now the name of a newly minted federal lieutenant who wrote complaining that the cost of getting kitted out was more than his monthly pay.

At times, in reenacting, this can sometimes get seen as a negative as too many lads just add shoulder insignia to their private's kit. Sometimes it works, some times it does not. One of my captains once did that but added a $39.95 Pakistani cavalry sword. IMHO it was not a very Believable Image in his case.

IMHO, go through original images, find officers, and craft your impression after what you research.

Curt

[SixthMississippi]

Re: Federal First Lieutenant

Thanks a lot, Curt. I will continue to search for pictures but if none are found I will get a Officers Sack Coat.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Federal First Lieutenant

Hallo!

I will start you out with one...

"AC Vincent" furthest on viewer's right:



Vincent, again third on right:



Curt

[SixthMississippi]

Re: Federal First Lieutenant

Vielen Dank, Kurt!

[CompanyWag]

Re: Federal First Lieutenant

A.C. Vincent looks like he was cut from one image and pasted into the other...or he had only one pose in his play book.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Federal First Lieutenant

Hallo!

Yes, all four men have a certain Photo Shop quality about/around them.

In the first picture, it looks at first glance like the second man in is wearing a bold 1940's print neck tie. :) And some lads use the seated officer in the center as evidence of the use of "stampede strings" for hats. :)

Vincent is interesting. Way back in the 1970's (?) Imrie-Risley military miniature company out of NY did a 54mm of that pose for their artillery line.

Curt

[LeftCoastYank]

Re: Federal First Lieutenant

Hopefully I'm not putting words in anyone's mouth, but the photos posted by Herr Schmidt illustrate what (I think) he implied in his initial post: while not unheard of during the period, the use of enlisted fatigue blouses for officer impressions is often used as an "easy out" and is over-represented in reenacting.

In other words, looking at these (and generally all other) group photos, officers wearing enlisted fatigue blouses seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

- - - Updated - - -

But here's another one for you. Captain James Young, 60th New York Volunteer Infantry:

[CompanyWag]

Re: Federal First Lieutenant

Too often, reenactor officers look like shoulder straps added to a private's impression rather than a private's blouse added to an officer's impression. At least reinforce the appearance of being an officer by wearing a nice, folded-leather officer's belt (rather than a cavalry belt), a foot officer's sword, an officer's haversack, finer footwear, etc.

[SixthMississippi]

Re: Federal First Lieutenant

I'm planning on getting by with a fatigue blouse until I can get a roundabout or an officer sack coat. I'm also wearing a officers haversack, sword belt, 1850 Foot Officers Sword, and '51 Navy

[CompanyWag]

Re: Federal First Lieutenant

It sounds like you're moving forward in the right direction with an eye to tweaking the impression when able. Bully!

[SixthMississippi]

Re: Federal First Lieutenant

Thanks Paul. I just want to represent the rank and the men who wore the rank properly!

[john duffer]

Re: Federal First Lieutenant

Thanks Paul. I just want to represent the rank and the men who wore the rank properly!

Then my humble suggestion is for every hour spent studying the uniform spend four hours studying drill and learning bugle calls. :D

[SixthMississippi]

Re: Federal First Lieutenant

Thanks Johns. I study drill but have not started Bugle Calls. Thank you for advice.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Federal First Lieutenant

A.C. Vincent looks like he was cut from one image and pasted into the other...or he had only one pose in his play book.

He is the epitome of the mid-19th Century meaning of the word "dude"!