Heavy Artillery on Parade

[mtvernon]

Re: Heavy Artillery on Parade

I thought heavy artillery units typically wore dark blue trousers, but I'm no expert.

My GGG served in the 10th NYHA, and here's his portrait. No dark blue here!

[Mutt]

Re: Heavy Artillery on Parade

Dark blue trousers on HA. Now THERE'S a debate I've been having with several people for a good many years. haha

While at Ft. DE I portrayed a fella in Young's Independent Battery G (Pittsburgh Heavy Artillery). We have several images of small groups of them (10-12) all in sky blue trousers. They were smattered with a mix of dress coats, mounted jackets and fatigue blouses, however. Great stuff!


In regards to the cross training of heavy artillery with infantry, I agree with what has been said already and late war battles atest enough to it. To add a bit to it, the boys of Battery G had the lovely task (along with others) of guarding thousands of Confederate prisioners. Therefore, they were adorned with all the necassary accoutrements of an infantryman (old muskets 42 and converted 1816s) and had inspections of their quarters and knapsacks. There are a few sketches of the men in arty jackets and infantry accoutrements as well.

Szabo toook a great image of me and some of my buds at the Fort several years back. We're mimicing one of those sketches. Check it out in his Gallery section of his site. It's called "Wearing the Barrel".

Best,

[mtvernon]

Re: Heavy Artillery on Parade

There are numerous images of heavy units in the ring forts of DC wearing cartridge boxes.

I just acquired orders from Col. Alexander Piper of the 10th NYHA. Of interest to this thread is his order to keep 20 cartridges in their cartridge boxes at all times. This is during the period when they were occupying the defenses of Washington, D.C. and not when acting as infantry in '64.