1st South Carolina Volunteers - (Gregg's Regiment) Uniforms

[mnreb]

Hi.
I hope that this is the right place to post this. I have done extensive research on the uniforms of the 1st. I have read 4 books, Echoes of Glory, etc., and searched the web extensively. I have been trying to find out what type of uniforms they wore. Being from Mn. there are not a lot of places to go and look at Confederate uniforms. I have learned that they wore frock coats from 61-late 62, early 63. It is after that that it gets confusing. Does anyone know if they wore Rd2, or a 6 button shell jacket that was mentioned in my research. Were the uniforms made out of gray-blue kersey? I have seen that as well. Was there a Rd3 in there ranks or a 5 button shell. Color? I am looking for the most correct information on their uniforms to make my impression as accurate as possible for portraying a member of this unit. Any information that could be shared with me, or sights to go to that I have missed would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You,
Bill Feucthenberger
Co. H
1st South Carolina Volunteers

[Silas]

Re: 1st South Carolina Volunteers - (Gregg's Regiment) Uniforms

I am looking for the most correct information on their uniforms to make my impression as accurate as possible for portraying a member of this unit.

You're not likely to generate many responses because your question is overly broad and ambiguous. Four years of war is a long time. Which time and which location are you trying to portray? What works at one time and location doesn't necessarily work for another.

Your questions are similar to looking through the wrong side of a telescope. Don't start with the 1st SC Provisional and work your way up. Start from the top and work your way down. What was the ANV commonly receiving at the time you are trying to portray? In particular, see where the units of Gregg's/Perrin's/McGowan's Brigade were posted. If the brigade was separated from the ANV, they may have drawn different clothing than other units of the ANV. I haven't done any research on this brigade, so I don't claim to know it the brigade was constantly with the rest of the ANV or severed at any time during its service.

You might consider reading Caldwell's book about the brigade. You can read it online by following this link. Or you can order it from Pamplin park by following this link. It's likely available from the usual discount vendors.

[Silas]

Re: 1st South Carolina Volunteers - (Gregg's Regiment) Uniforms

I've been interested in reading Caldwell's book for a while so that's why I mentioned it. Here's a lcouple blurbs from the book about clothing :

And the quality was more to be complained of than the quantity. Most of the men rubbed out a jacket in two or three months—a pair of pantaloons in one. It was coarse, stiff and flimsy. Sometimes even cotton pants were offered us in mid-winter. Scarcely a particle of flannel was to be had. The cut was worst of all. Anybody could put on the clothing, but sarcely any object in nature, except a flour-barrel, would find a fit.
p. 70.

It's quotes like below which cause trouble with the idea that every unit of the ANV - attached to the ANV - was identically clothed :

Boxes of provisions and clothing, from friends at home, were now forwarded to us by the Central Association at Columbia.
P. 71

If you do a search for the word, clothing, on the google book link I provided, you'll also encounter the rags and tatters kind of remarks, also.

[sepoy1857]

Re: 1st South Carolina Volunteers - (Gregg's Regiment) Uniforms

I'll heartily second recommendation of Caldwell's book; definitely worth getting if you plan to do that impression. I used to do the 12th SC from McGowan's brigade in a very mainstream unit, but we had no idea back then what the unit wore originaly - worse no one cared! They wore whatever they liked.

[mnreb]

Re: 1st South Carolina Volunteers - (Gregg's Regiment) Uniforms

Thanks to both of you for you suggestions. The 1st did serve in the AVN through out the war. I have read Caldwell's book, along with Bensons, Haskells, and a few others. While they give a hint at the material, nothing to note the style. I do know that SC supplied uniforms the the SC troops in the ANV. I have not been able to find out who or how often. I guess if one goes by records, one can speculate as to whether the 1st wore RD2 from Richmond, or shell jackets from SC. At least I know that they wore frocks for the 1st part of the war, though not mentioned in Caldwell's book.
Again, thanks for the imput. We want to represent the 1st as close as possible.
Sincerely,
Bill Feucthenberger
Co.H
1st South Carolina Volunteers (Maxey Gregg's Brigade)

[jchristiansen]

Re: 1st South Carolina Volunteers - (Gregg's Regiment) Uniforms

Ron Field has written a series of unit histories on SC troops. Unfortunately, they're pretty rare. I know the University of South Carolina has many of them, as does the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

If I still worked at either of these places, I'd offer to photocopy the book for you. Since I don't, my next suggestion is to go to the USC and SCDAH library catalogs, search for books by Ron Field, find the one on Gregg's, copy all the LOC info (author, title, publisher, ISBN number), and then take this info to your local library and see if you can get an interlibrary loan.

Hope this helps. If you can get this book, it will have what you're looking for.

Also, you might try to contact Joe Long or Krissy Dunn of the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room, who are both members of this forum. You can look up contact info on the SCRR website. They probably have this book in their research library.

[Iron Scout]

Re: 1st South Carolina Volunteers - (Gregg's Regiment) Uniforms

Bill,

Good suggestions from everyone but I'll make it real simple for you.

Early-mid/late 1862-SC issue frocks (do as search as I posted a pic of one of these recently)

Late 1862-1865-Standard ANV issue uniforms and equipment.

Gregg's/McGowan's did receive clothing from the SC Aid Societies however these were usually shirts, drawers, socks, etc and not uniform clothing. I've pulled an number of the brigade officers' requests and everything is coming from the central clothing bureau in Richmond.

Hope this helps,

Neill Rose
PLHA

[Minieball577]

Re: 1st South Carolina Volunteers - (Gregg's Regiment) Uniforms

The Ron Field series I have seen on the regiment is focused on the 6 months regiment, and the early era of the Provisional army group.

Bill, didn't we exchange some e-mails concerning this a year or more back?

[mnreb]

Re: 1st South Carolina Volunteers - (Gregg's Regiment) Uniforms

I want to thank all of you that took the time to offer advise and information in this venture. All of what you have offered has been or is in the process of being pursued. It is people like you and others that make this forum a great place to come to and learn from. The vast assortment of knowledge that the people on this site have to offer is unequaled.
Sincerely,
Bill Feucthenberger
Co. H
1st South Carolina Volunteers

[sepoy1857]

Re: 1st South Carolina Volunteers - (Gregg's Regiment) Uniforms

Bill,

I dug out two books that may be of help or interest to you:

Brassy's History of Uniforms: American Civil War Confederate Army by Ron Field; copyright 1998 Brassy's (UK) LTD. ISBN 1-85753-218-X

Cadet Gray and Butternut Brown: Note on Confederate Uniforms by Thomas Arliskas; Thomas Publications, Gettysburg, PA ISBN 1-57747-122-9

Cadet Gray and Butternut Brown is an excellent book on Confederate uniforms east and west. Civil War Confederate Army has an early war photo and a line drawing of members of Gregg's regiment along with details of the early uniform. There is some other info on SC clothing in general. Not sure how accurate it is though.

Hope that may be of at least some help to you. I know what it's like to be up North and try to find good, reliable information.