How dirty should we be?

[Pennvolunteer]

Re: How dirty should we be?

I think I agree with Huntdaw and Justrob both. It does depend on the scenario and current conditions, but if in camp, at least for the Federals, Saturday was a day set aside for cleaning gear and equipment. Like today, soldiers were expected to take care of the government's equipment. They blacked their accoutrements, burnished muskets, and mended clothes, all in preparation for those grand parades. Much as Catton describes in "Mr. Lincoln's Army" after McClellan returned to the Army just before Antietam. There is also a passage in there of a LT who accidentally walks in to a tent where the President was visiting and appalled that his uniform trousers were torn in the field and he saw the President. If you read the letters from "Lincoln's Loyalists" I believe you see accounts of soldiers talking about parades with burnished arms and white gloves around Washington for the President. Granted most of this is in camp, but lots of time was spent in camp and the Army emphasized equipment care.
While if you are marching on campaign, you will sleep on the ground, cross streams and get muddy or dusty, your gear, at least for a Federal should have been fairly well maintained, however.
Just as an aside, not from re-enacting but from personal experience in 25 years of modern Army combat arms service, I also have to agree that field hygiene depends on the individual. I personally always try to find chances to clean up if that even meant using a hot canteen cup of water. Even over in the desert I have taken sponge baths next to a hummer and shook out my clothes. Other guys are like Pigpen from Peanuts and dirt just clings to them.
So, if you look at soldier accounts, especially of Federals, if not on campaign, equipment and uniform maintenance was common in camp life. On campaign, individuals differ, but field dirt doesn't mean trashed gear, especially accoutrements and weapons.

[M_Kupsch]

Re: How dirty should we be?

Frank,

Well gear gets trashed during hard fought campaigns, and as we all know, much of what was provided was not the best quality, hence shoes falling apart after several weeks of hard marching, same as with clothing. If portraying troops that have been actively on hard campaign, you are going to definitely not only see dirt, but trashed gear..tis the nature of the beast.

[GeraldDuval]

Re: How dirty should we be?

Now coming from a band-box paper collar soldier, I can tell you that even in garrison one gets very dirty on a day to day basis. At Fort Delaware, I try to remain as clean as one can in between Sunday cleanings, but even light garrison work quickly renders my clothing stained and soot ridden in a day or less.

Ash, gunpowder, rust, dirt and grease (especially grease) gives even the most pristine of us Heavies a spotty filthy look. Polishing brass and brushing clothes can only get so much off. After a week or two of daily use, the knees, thighs, collars and cuffs are always permanantly stained on new clothing. While I'm sure it's different for the infantry, Redlegs IMHO should be fairly well stained.

I blame the grease.

[susquehannarifles61]

Re: How dirty should we be?

Combat Impressions
Article from the Hard Case Boys forum


Well, to kick up some conversation I thought I would start off by talking about "combat impressions" in the authentic side of the hobby and what we can do to improve it.

After reading so many accounts from soldiers on both sides about their experiences of battle action, whether lasting 1 day or up to a 3 month siege seem to indicate that they were not in their finest appearance. Veterans talk of their uniforms and equipment getting "clipped" by minie balls flying all around them, dirt flying in every direction, smoke and black powder caking their face, their clothes getting torn off by dirt debri, ears bleeding from concussion of cannon and rifles, teeth grimed with black powder from tearing cartridges, ect ect.

Therefore, since we have decided to portray infantrymen on "the front lines"...it would be in our best interest to adhere to this description when we are portraying combat tactical or re-enactments. With living histories aside, I think that we are losing that certain "look" by being too clean and average during a battle scenario weekend. There are many methods to encourage this look within your kit:
1. Don't clean your uniform when you get home. If you fell or marched in mud during the weekend, LEAVE IT!

2. Let your jacket and pants sit out in the sun for a few days to fade off the bright shine of new cloth.

3. I know that this might sound like heresy to some, and others would call it foolish....however I have tried this many times with superior results. If you have, say a confederate uniform and it is littered with tiny synthetic strands sticking out, take a portable blow torch and lightly spread it around the garment with the flame about 3 inches from the fabric. This burns off all of the synthetic material and leaves it in black burnt fashion. Simply brush off the burnt debris and you now have a jacket with a faded , worn in look. Some materials are too thin for this trick to work, so make sure it is jean cloth or thick kersey material...you will be surprised with the results.

4. It doesn't hurt to "apply" dust and dirt to your hat from time to time to make sure that the grime settles in. Some re-enactors just say to "wear your stuff till it looks good"....however considering that we only wear our equipment up to possibly 20 days a year.......the outfit will take forever to settle on the appearance that soldiers had within marching and living with mother nature for 3 months into their enlistment. But I see way too many hats in the ranks these days which have plenty of "character" to their brim and crown, yet appear spotless as if just worn the day of purchase. And in most situations, this is the case with reenactors.

5. Don't be afraid to use ashes, dirt, and grease grime to smother on your facial whiskers or face and hands to get the "battle worn" haze on your appearance. If you were in a campaign involving dirt, mud, dust, powder, blood, smoke, dehydration and fatigue....there is NO way your staying clean. I know that soldiers would try to keep clean during long marches or possibly AFTER conflicts. But this is intended for active combat impressions.

Daniel McCartney and I were at a local reenactment last year in Columbus, KY and decided to dirty ourselves up before we fell in to fight for the spectators. On our way to the line people stopped to take pictures and mentioned how real we looked. However, when we fell into the line some of the other "progressive" guys looked at us and stated "Ha, you would never get threw inspection looking like that." And although that wasn't the point AT ALL for why we were doing that, it made things clear to me as to why other reeanctors, even authentic stay clean for the event. They obviously want to portray soldiers on inspection and in the drill field with brushed uniforms and bright polished brogans. Well, that is not our intentions and does little justice to the combat veteran. My intention is to portray the soldier in a realistic fashion so the public can see how gritty and terrifying the war was, not to show them toy soldiers stumbling around a grassy field.

NOW, I am completely aware that rifles, muskets and accoutrements were to be kept VERY clean and polished at any given time and that the soldiers made a good practice of keeping their weapon as pristine as possible. However, soldiers were not worrying about the brightness of their barrel while they were in the thick of the fight.

Even at most authentic events, the majority of men look like commercial adds for authentic vendors in the hobby with bright , shiny blue coats and pants, pristine knapsacks, haversacks and even shoes! I can understand if you don't have time to wear in your equipment before jumping out to an event, however I have shown ways of fabricating the appearance. And considering that EVERYTHING we do in the hobby is a fabrication anyway, I don't see anything wrong with it at all. Therefore, at living histories we will obtain the average looking of a camping soldier, but with "campaign impressions" we need to exercise a little more detail in appearance.

[Johnny Lloyd]

Hmmm... lessee-

Take a bunch of guys together for a long period of time + no washing for awhile = no one cares about how each other smells really.

I know this from practical experience- 2 months without bathing in wartime since we had no running water and the Iraqi water smelled of sewage.

For a Civil War soldier, you'd jump into a creek/river/lake whenever you could (or the ocean if in proximity), but that wasn't your primary concern- staying alive was. In war, you can be physically dirty-as-heck, but if you are dead, you lose all-around.

Whatever the scenario calls for, I feel, is best to go with as far as 'bedraggled versus cleaner' look.

But, strangely... it's seemingly always the guys that wear no shoes, have grease/dirt in their hair, have dirt/holes in their clothes, etc. seem to have 'the look' that 90% of people think of when they think of 'Civil War Soldier'- especially Confederate. Most people (reenactor as well as spec-tater if there are any... also hollyweird directors post-Gone Wit' da Wind) think bedraggled and dirty are the way things should go always... This is a reenactorism/hollyweirdism, of course, but difficult to get out of people's minds nonetheless. Now most people think you don't look 'authentic' if you don't have more grease on your body than Al Sharpton's hair. :confused_

Yes, even civilian hygene standards were different back then compared to today and people naturally lived around the outdoors/smoke/fire/soot/dirt/animal feces, etc generally more than now (except over in Iraq- they still live that way ), but that doesn't mean they didn't enjoy cleaning-up as a civilian on a bi-monthly basis if they could. Soldiers, being of a dirtier lifestyle (morally as well as physically- ha!:p) were (still kinda are) an entirely different story... garrison or campaign, fresh-fish or seasoned veteran?

See, it goes back to that dad-blane 'scenario sets the tone' thingee...

Question answered? -Johnny Lloyd

[Charles Heath]

Re: How dirty should we be?

I washed my federal issue trousers this year. Hardly anyone recognizes me now.

[lukegilly13]

Re: How dirty should we be?

I think that in this particular circumstance, it is very appropriate to look at the modern military. There are certain things that never have and will never change! When you put a bunch of young guys together, with guns, no maternal supervision, and worse...the occasional drink...you will get the same results. After staying alive there were two things on these guys mind.
1. Girls
2. Food
If you are a guy...think about it! What's the two things that make you get all spiffed up now? You either are going to eat (either setting down at the table or going out), or you have a date (or for some the wife sniffing and looking at you as you both park it on the coach). Same situation....boys will be boys...and these boys had a lack of the two major cleanliness inspirations. My opinion, when the Sgt. is not breathing down the neck, there's almost no reason to get cleaned up. I mean this to a point of personal health. Surely there were only a few men that would just remain entirely nasty and filthy, muddy hands, greasy faces and arms, etc...but I think most probably wiped their face, hands, put on some crotch powder (if available) and suited up. Occassional change of socks and underclothes.
Since I have no military experience I have to imagine my highschool and college football teams. With no girls around or dinners to clean up for..............shewwwwww!

[Dale Beasley]

Re: How dirty should we be?

Do I talk preventive medicine with this crew, 'nah waste of time. However fact, your body will start to break down if you don't clean it and take care of it. If if makes you feel better not to bath for an event, fine. But if I walked by that stream at Picketts Mill one more time I was getting in and clean my butt.

[Possum Stew]

Re: How dirty should we be?

As was said before and I think is the standard for all living history, its all imprssion specific. If you are portraying men that were just issued equipment and had spent months in a static camp, then yes, hygine standards will be quite high. On the other hand I do not think some folks grasp the concept of how dirty one can get while 'on campaign'. I think it may in part be because of modern hyper-cleanliness. The longest most living historians have ever experienced being in the field is 2-3 days. 5 if you went to BGR. But 5 days isn't even a week! Try a month or 2. Sure dirt can be brushed off, leathers can be polished and hands and faces can be washed; but wear and tear adds up very fast and some dirt never comes off. My experience with long-time wear comes from A LOT of backpacking and hiking across the U.S. Granted I never experience combat or fatigue duty, which I think would probably double the grime factor. So as far as how dirty should we be? It depends on the impression. If you are portraying garrison, yeah you should be clean. They would have had time to clean up and polish. But if your impression is anything over a few weeks of active campaigning and fighting, letting if happen 'naturally' just ain't gonna cut it. No matter which side you're on.

[Charles Heath]

Re: How dirty should we be?

Do I talk preventive medicine, 'nah waste of time.

Dale,

You are old enough to have heard the phrase 3F often enough, as in "feet, face, and fanny." All the crotch rot jokes aside, salt is an abrasive.

[Dale Beasley]

Re: How dirty should we be?

Charles,
I am with you man, there are just too many cowboys in regards to preventive medicine. We are lucky in this hobby, we get to go home on Sunday afternoon. Take an event like Pickets Mill, well... if we had continiued under those conditions with-out taking care of our bodies, half would not had made it the following week. Charles remember the classes...fecal to mouth?

Can't help but think that the first chance a CW Soldier had to clean his butt, he did.

[AZReenactor]

Re: How dirty should we be?

TJ,
While I agree that nothing can quite compare to authentic campaigner funk that is earned from much more than 2-5 days in the field, the problem I see is that that funk is not something that cannot be faked and certainly cannot be put on in the parking lot before an event. Real dirt and grime isn't on the face and hands or on the outside of the uniform where most pretenders apply it but underneath the clothing and deep down in cracks and crevices, in the grain of the skin and beneath the fingernails. Cosmetically applied dirt in no way replicates the authentic experience of being in the field and being truly dirty despite one's best efforts to keep clean under the circumstances.

Saddly, I've actually been at back country events with guys who, despite the fact that clean flowing water was available and opportunity afforded itself, did not wash up because they thought being dirty was more authentic somehow. I their efforts to look kewl they totally missed out on the authentic experience of doing what they did.

In the pursuit of authentically living history our goal should not be to figure out out to put on and strut about in a really good fake funk for our role playing, but rather to emulate what of their actual experiences we can. Aside from being homeless with only a single pair of clothes for a time, or using ones vacation time for a a lengthy backpacking trip instead of reenacting you cannot experience I don't think it possible to authentically replicate that campaigner funk at most events due to the limited time and opportunity available.

Next weekend I'll be doing a three day event where in a fifteen mile circular route we'll be dropping over 1500 feet in elevation, hiking through a rugged rapine wilderness with no roads and not much more than game trails through it before finishing the circuit back to where we started from with or without an opposition force out there facing us. Despite the fact that I'll bathe in the stream every chance I get to beat the 100+ degree temperatures, by the time we get back to the cars after the climb out of the canyon you can be certain we'll have a funk on would keep us out of most homeless shelters and there won't be anything about it that will be fake.

If you are portraying garrison, yeah you should be clean. They would have had time to clean up and polish. But if your impression is anything over a few weeks of active campaigning and fighting, letting if happen 'naturally' just ain't gonna cut it. No matter which side you're on.

[JustRob]

Re: How dirty should we be?

TJ,
Real dirt and grime isn't on the face and hands or on the outside of the uniform where most pretenders apply it but underneath the clothing and deep down in cracks and crevices, in the grain of the skin and beneath the fingernails. Cosmetically applied dirt in no way replicates the authentic experience of being in the field and being truly dirty despite one's best efforts to keep clean under the circumstances.

I would certainly agree. You can tell who tried to get dirty in the parking lot, because they're dirty in places most people could wash.

My fingernails were black after BGR and W'64, despite frequent handwashing and not firing a musket. Shirt and drawer cuffs were brown/black. Trouser cuffs may or may not get clean, unless you trapse through a stream. Knees will darken.

You should not, however, look as though a wagon splashed a mud puddle on you. At least some of the folks in the field would want to spruce up once that happened.

As for not looking good for food & women, some folks have a inherent sense of bearing that won't tolerate dirt. The earlier reference to Hancock's white shirts also comes to mind. I am also reminded of Patton's Third Army, who insisted on ties being worn at all times, even if it was "chickensh*t".

The true dirt will come with time. Dust will settle in places and work its way into fabric. Clothing will stain, often in places you'd never imagine.

The "Level 10 Stank On" will come naturally as well. As for your private areas, Fromunda cheese, Frominda cheese, and Fromoutta cheese always need attention. Swamp a$$ and Alligator a$$ are not fun.

[Chad Wrinn]

Re: How dirty should we be?

In THE LIFE OF JOHNNY REB is say that some of the men before/during/after the Atlanta Campaign did not remove their shirts in 5 to 6 months.

[Possum Stew]

Re: How dirty should we be?

In the pursuit of authentically living history our goal should not be to figure out out to put on and strut about in a really good fake funk for our role playing, but rather to emulate what of their actual experiences we can.

I'm sorry. I really have to disagree with this statement. There is no way, no matter how much we trick ourselves or think that we are "doing it right", will we ever emulate what those men went through. To think that by playing soldier for a couple days or marching 5 miles a day in anyway shape or form comes close to it, you are sadly mistaken. We ARE playing roles. This is a hobby in which we try to look like Civil War soldiers. We are pretending. This is dress up for men and women who want to look like folks from back when. Do not fool yourselves, it is all makeup. Underneath that $200 coat you bought, is not a Civil War veteran. So I will continue to dirty myself up prior to events, in my effort to LOOK LIKE a veteran.

15 miles in 3 days? Try 15 miles a day.