Western Theater Early War soldiers

[Spewy]

Re: Western Theater Early War soldiers

According to some information Kip found Missouri issued the same pattern of jacket as issued by the State of Illinois. In that case it would look very much like the "State Jacket" Chris Daley makes. That being said it is my opinion then that the Jackets the 24th were issued had a nine button front, shoulder straps (epaulets), and were cut strait across the front. Jeff Patrick, the Librarian at Wilsons Creek has found several images of soldiers identified as members of the 24th MO that are wearing Jackets. I can email them to you or you can contact Jeff directly. Kip and I have discussed the Pea Ridge event and I have come to the conclusion that the Carlie Childs Ohio Jacket Kit may be the best way to go in order to get a proper Jacket before March. I hope this helps and I look forward to seeing you there but please leave the "Old Overcoat" at home!

[Old Overholt]

Re: Western Theater Early War soldiers

Thanks, Bob - I'll get in touch with Jeff to check on the images. No piping, huh? Some of the images identified as 23rd MO soldiers clearly show piping - check out the postings at http://members.aol.com/twentythirdmo/veteranphotos.html on garments that have to be jackets due the presence of the epaullettes.

Are you joining us for Winter Quarters at Lexington? I will have to bring the Old Overcoat in order help you live up to the "Spewy" moniker, yes?

[Spewy]

Re: Western Theater Early War soldiers

There is no piping that I can see but the pics aren't very clear either.
Jeff and I are planning to come to Lexington for the "Winter Quarters Firewood Chopping and One-Legged Race to the Emergency Room Contest". I plan to give the Reigning Champion (Kip) a run or rather limp for his money this year. If you bring the Overholt bring your pistol as well and we'll take turns.

[Shotgun Messiah]

Re: Western Theater Early War soldiers

I think the pics of the 23rd Missouri are Frock coats not jackets.
I don't understand the need to compare the 23rd and 24th Missouri, they (23rd ) were not in arkansas at Pea Ridge, they were in ST Louis preparing to take Corinth, at that paticular juncture. They were not organized at the same place,Trenton and NW Missouri for the 23rd, and Rolla and Central and SW Missouri for the Lyon Legion. Why would they be uniformed the same?

[Old Overholt]

Re: Western Theater Early War soldiers

I actualy think a better question to ask is why wouldn't they be uniformed the same, and it seems to me that a comparison is useful to the question of whether there was a "standard" look to infantry jackets issued early in the war to Missouri Federals. Dyer's notes that the 23rd was stationed in Macon City in October '61, Chillicothe from November through February '62 (both located in the north-central part of the state, not far from St. Louis and the Missouri River), and St. Louis itself until April 1st. The 24th was first posted at Rolla, the end of the rail line from St. Louis, in January 1862 after completing organization on December 28th. Could there be any other conceivable source of uniforms prior to April 1862 for either of these regiments than St. Louis?

Quoting Charles Hoskins' recent research:

"The Missouri Historical Society has three boxes of quartermaster records regarding the 24th. Although few of the records deal directly with Co. B, there are receipts for clothing received by Co. F, D, and C on January 10, 1862. They are small requisitions rather than a complete reissue to the entire company. They include 26 jackets and only 1 blouse; twelve hats w/ cords and no caps. The QM "Invoice of Clothing, Camp Garrison Equipage" transferred at Rolla on March 20, 1862, includes among other things, 4,890 infantry jackets, 7,578 infantry overcoats, 2,674 caps, 2,811 infantry hats, 509 hats (undressed?), 1,951 blouses, 16 dress coats, 2,817 cap letters, 2,500 cap numbers, 385 Eagles, 140 Bugles (for hats),74 Cross Cannon, 107 Cross Sabers, 453 feathers, 731 Cords & tassels Infantry, 12 Sergeants sashes, 79 Sibley tents (complete), 172 wall tents (53 unfit for service), 167 wall tent flies, 1,131 common tents (407 unfit for service), 24 Fremont tents, 193 Sibley tent stoves, 945 camp kettles, 2000 mess pans. The invoice appears to be for the whole post, not just the 24th Mo...The Robert Fyan papers at the SHS-WHMC lists clothing issued to Co. B at the beginning of the 2nd quarter, May 2, 1862. The return lists hats with cords & tassels, jackets, five blouses and no caps or dress coats. The quarter ending Sept. 30, 1863, however, shows them still with hats with cords & tassels, but also with dress coats - no jackets or blouses are listed. Thus it appears that the issues immediately before and after Pea Ridge support the theory that infantry jacket was being widely issued to the Army of the Southwest in general and the 24th Missouri specifically. As an aside, items turned in to the QM at Rolla on March 24, 1862 by the 12th Missouri Volunteers included 246 infantry jackets, 150 infantry caps, 129 hats, 114 cords & tassels, 113 Bugles, 113 Eagles, 119 feathers. The 12th Missouri went into the Leetown fight with about 360 men."

The 12th MO was organized in St. Louis in August '61 and was on duty at Springfield, Jefferson City, Sedalia and Rolla until taking part in the Pea Ridge campaign. It would seem more likely than not that all of these early regiments were being similarly uniformed by the state and federal authorities if at all possible. Certainly the record of the time for the 12th and 24th indicate they were heavily issued jackets at this time, and from what other source than St. Louis, which also had to be the source of the uniforms of the 23rd? Unless there is another known source for the uniforms going to the 23rd or their quartermaster returns can be located, I think it proper to assume they also were wearing some number of jackets at this time.

The photographic evidence for the 23rd MO supports this. I can only rely admittedly on images identified by others as belonging to soldiers of the 23rd and I have not seen any of them dated. However, the images are interesting: Sgt. John Carter of Co. F - Dress coat most likely but due to matte on image hard to tell; Pvt. Edward Cooper of Co. C - definitely a 9-button jacket with collar and cuff piping and shoulder epaulettes; Pvt. John Simmons of Co. F - definitely a jacket due to presence of shoulder epaulettes, also with piping on collar (and dated between Nov. '61 and Oct. '62) due to his service record); Pvt. John Vandike of Co. H - hard to tell as 1) collar has piping but no epaulettes visible, however wide spacing of buttons would not indicate a dress coat, and 2) Vandike had prior service in a miitia unit and this could be an earlier image; Pvt. George Leslie of Co. B - has to be a jacket due to clear presence of shoulder epaulettes, but number of buttons is 8 or 9 and no piping is visible, also appears to be wearing dark blue trousers; Pvt. Joshua Lovett of Co. C appears to be wearing a dress coat with a slash pocket and Cpl. Levi Hunsacker appears in an image in a 12-button (or more) shell jacket with collar and cuff piping, both in undated images.

At least three identified 23rd MO soldiers wearing jackets in photographs, and QM records indicating that the 12th MO and 24th MO both were issued jackets makes a compelling argument in my mind that there was a common source for these garments (via St. Louis) and that the comparison is valid among those units that drew jackets. I have no basis to say that all Missouri Federals were issued jackets in the early months of the war. My suggestion is simply that for those jackets that were issued, there may have been a high degree of uniformity to their construction and appearance. Obviously if Jeff Patrick, Steve Black at Pea Ridge or anyone else has documented images of the 24th and they are wearing jackets, we can answer both the question of what the 24th's jackets looked like, and were they similar to those sported by soldiers in the 23rd and other regiments with documented images showing jackets.

[OldKingCrow]

Re: Western Theater Early War soldiers

http://cgi.ebay.com/rare-Confederate-Civil-War-soldier-tintype-CDV-photo_W0QQitemZ110211650311QQihZ001QQcategoryZ36039QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Seller claims this ole boy is a Mossura troop....

[Old Overholt]

Re: Western Theater Early War soldiers

Can't be an early war Missouri soldier if the patent date reference on the CDV is any indication - March 7, 1865. Besides, what self-respecting guerrilla operating on a fleet horse in the brush of the Sni Hills or the Ozarks would wear such a ridiculously tall hat! Maybe this boy was on his way south in the waning days of the war and liked the look of this hat for his image to be struck in. He's a handsome feller, though.

[MissouriStateGuard]

Re: Western Theater Early War soldiers

Here's a "heads-up" for everyone interested in wartime appearances of Missouri troops:

Dr. William Garrett Piston and Dr. Thomas P. Sweeney are finishing their work on Portraits of Conflict: Missouri for the University of Arkansas Press.

Almost everyone is familiar with the Portraits of Conflict series as they relate to the Southern states; "Missouri" will finish the Trans-Mississippi states.

Dr. Piston is noted for his biographical work on Longstreet and the definative work on Wilson's Creek. Dr. Sweeney amassed the single greatest collection of Trans-Mississippi artifacts and images in existance (and if he didn't have it, he knew who did!)

Keep your eyes open for later announcements.

V/R,
Kip