Uniforms, Equipment, and Arms of the Army of TennesseeWith particular reference to
|
| Colour & Cloth | Cut | Facings | Buttons | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grey wool kersey 'Cadet' grey |
Shell Jacket, 7 button front with two exterior slash pockets, cotton twill lining | black collar & cuffs | US Enlisted no backmarks |
24 Tenn |
| Grey wool kersey 'Cadet' grey |
Shell Jacket, 8 button front with one interior pocket on left breast, white cotton lining (sleeves and body). | none | US Staff 'Superior Quality' backmark |
3 Tenn |
| Grey wool kersey 'Dark' grey |
Shell Jacket, 10 button front with one interior pocket on left breast, brown & white striped cotton lining | none | US Eagle Cuff 'Waterbury' 'Extra Quality' backmark |
20 Tenn |
| Brown Jean | Civilian Tail Coat, 9 button front with two interior pockets [one on each breast], red & white striped calico cloth lining | 3/4" wide red band around collar | Brass Coin Buttons 'Warranted Rich Orange' backmark | 6 Tenn |
| Brown Jean 'Butternut' | Shell Jacket, 6 button front , no exterior pockets, white cotton lining | none | US Staff | 4 Tenn |
This listing deserves detailed comment. Beginning with fabrics, kersey was a type of medium weave wool cloth no longer produced in the west (thread count of 21 threads to the inch). Thus, most conventional wool cloth available to sutlers has a weave which is far too dense and 'pills' too easily. To approximate the looser weave look of kersey, many re-enactors wear different varieties of jeans cloth. The brown jean is self-explanatory, and in the examples pictured is of a darker tone.
Of the uniforms listed above, three are in fairly dark blue-grey or dark grey colours. For reasons of unit identity we have long worn butternut, although it is apparent that dress within units was both grey and brown. We may wish to consider whether some members (say 25 to 50%) might begin to choose to wear grey to more accurately reflect the visual impression of the Army of the Tennessee.
As to jacket types there seems to have been a wide variety of cuts of shell jackets, with everything from 6 to 9 buttons. Going on all surviving, shell jackets from all state units in the Army of the Tennessee, exterior pockets were most commonly single (usually on left, but sometimes on the right breast), next most commonly absent, and only occasionally double (Bassett et al. 1995; Editors of Time Life 1996). A common 'type' is without doubt the Columbus Depot jacket, but there were many different contractors and it does not appear to have been highly standardised in cut. White (n.d.) notes at least two variants: an early type with a 5 to 6 button front and no exterior pockets, and a later variety with a 6 to 7 button front and a single exterior pocket. He further asserts that all were of jeans cloth with medium to dark blue kersey or flannel facings on collar & cuffs but this is based on limited evidence. However, it can be stated with more confidence that belt loops and epaulettes are either rare or absent on surviving Army of the Tennessee shell jackets. White (1997) claims that a few late war Alabama Depot jackets are known to have had a single belt loop on the left hand side, but this is the only known occurrence of this feature. Epaulettes are visible in some early war portrait photos of Louisiana and Mississippi regiments -- but these features are early war and 'Gulf State' -- not Tennessee (see Daniel 1991; and Moneyhon & Roberts 1990). In these four examples the epaulettes are the same colour and cloth as the jacket.
Other documented Army of the Tennessee enlisted & NCO jacket types include sack coats, civilian coats (usually some shade of brown in colour), and single-breasted frock coats (Bassett et al. 1995; Editors of Time Life 1996). Most jackets were lined with either white cotton or striped cotton/calico material (except sack coats which were often left unlined). Single or double interior pockets in the lining were common.
Facings on all jacket types in the Army of the Tennessee were rare -- and became more rare as the war went on. We have made the following count on the basis of surviving uniforms and photos of enlisted infantry men's jackets (shell, sack & frock), Army of the Tennessee, all states:
| absent | 30 | or 61% |
| collar only black (or dark) | 4 | or 8% |
| collar only blue (or light) | 1 | or 2% |
| collar only red | 1 | or 2% |
| collar & cuffs black (or dark) | 5 | or 11% |
| collar & cuffs blue (or light) | 4 | or 8% |
| piped collar, cuffs & midline | 4 | or 8% |
It should be noted however that all photographs or examples of piping are known to be early war (Spring 1861 to Spring 1862), thus any such jackets present in 1863 would be rare survivals.
One of the greatest illusions perpetrated by sutlers is that I & CSA buttons were standard issue. They were in fact fairly rare, the latter much more so -- thus their extortionate price on the collectors market today versus Union buttons (say hundreds versus tens of dollars). Government issue buttons were even more rare outside of the Army of Northern Virginia. On surviving Army of the Tennessee enlisted & NCO jackets, the only Confederate-made buttons we have been able to document are Infantry I buttons (rare), and state buttons (although the Tennessee button available from sutlers today was never issued -- there was a different design featuring storm clouds, the sun, and a landscape which was locally made, and very rare). By far the most common buttons were standard US (Union) buttons -- enlisted men's, officers' & staff buttons (Bassett et al. 1995; Editors of Time Life 1996). These fell into Confederate hands in great quantity with Federal arsenals, and were also probably plucked from dead or captured Yanks. Also very common (but difficult to come by today) were flat brass 'coin buttons' -- essentially featureless solid 1p size brass discs with a loophole hook soldered to the back. Round wooden buttons are also documented, especially on sack coats. CSA buttons are not documented with the Army of the Tennessee and should not be worn.
Smith & Cartwright (1994) made an admirable survey of the belt plates and buckles of the Army of the Tennessee to go along with a Carter House Museum Exhibition on this same theme. Their findings, based upon extensive knowledge gleaned from surviving pieces and dug relics is worthy of summary here. The principal manufacturers of metalwork for the Army of Tennessee were the manufactories of Memphis & Nashville (early war), and Selma, Columbus and Macon (mid to late war). The overwhelmingly most common belt buckle type was the open frame buckle or 'Georgia frame buckle' as it was simple to make and sparing of brass -- as well as highly durable. The most common of these were the 'two-toothed' variety, but variants such as the 'forked tongue' and 'u-tongue' were also produced. Roller buckles were more uncommon, but also occurred in the ranks. Imported British 'Snake Buckles' also occurred (with other imported British Enfield 'kit'), but it is hard to estimate their quantity. They were, however, certainly more rare than locally produced types.
In general enlisted men were most likely to wear the frame buckle, more elaborate types being more often worn by officers or NCO's. The most common decorative plates worn by members of the Army of Tennessee were the "CS" oval shaped (especially common with Tennessee regiments; Editors of Time-Life 1996), the CSA rectangular, the CS clipped corner and sardine lid styles. Pewter (as opposed to CSA rectangular plates were unique to the Army of the Tennessee. Two piece wreath buckles were usually reserved for officers & NCO's.
Otherwise decorative metalwork was kept to a minimum in the Army of Tennessee: cartridge box plates never occurred except as a few early war prototypes, and cartridge belt plates were never manufactured.
With the exception of Texas, Mississippi and Florida regiments, which often affected a metal star pin on their hats or kepis, the wearing of brass ornaments on hats was a rare, early war phenomenon. Such ornaments as are visible on period portraits and camp photos are at the most company letters (never regimental numbers). Since these are almost non-existent as duo relics it is doubtful they were much in use.
| Regiment | Men | Knapsacks | Haversacks | Canteens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Tenn | 326 | 141 | N/A | 326 |
| 13 Ark | 236 | 187 | 220 | 236 |
| 31 Tenn | 305 | 223 | 287 | 304 |
| 33 Tenn | 239 | 143 | 238 | 220 |
| 4 Term | 253 | 235 | 226 | 253 |
This official record gives the lie to notions that soldiers discarded canteens in favour of tin cups, and that haversacks (back-packs) were tossed away at the first opportunity. These regiments were already veterans of a year's campaigning and the battles of New Madrid & Shiloh when this inventory was taken. Basically from it we can see that more than half of the brigade carried knapsacks, and that most all men carried haversacks and canteens.
No Army of Tennessee haversacks or knapsacks are illustrated in Echoes of Glory and they are not the sort of items that show up in portrait photos -- so it is hard to speculate on types. Concerning knapsacks Confederate issues were usually soft-packs, whilst Union issue (or arsenal captures) were more often hardpacks.
Canteens were highly variable and included wooden Gardner-Pattern canteens, tin drum canteens (some "CS" embossed from New Orleans), and a variety of Union captures. Most were issued with corks but as these wore out they were replaced with carved wooden or corncob stoppers.
We have no information on what exact cartridge boxes would have been carried by Tennessee regiments, although we believe they would have varied within units due to different issue times (often incomplete) or replacement times and battlefield captures. Cartridge box types which would normally have been available to the Army of Tennessee would have included: MacGee & George, New Orleans (brown or black, belt or sling suspension) and Baton Rouge Arsenal (black, belt suspension only) both 1861 or 1862 issue; Blivens (black, belt or sling suspension), Selma (brown or black, belt or sling suspension) -- mid to late war. Additionally there would have been some Enfield Cartridge box imports from Britain and some Union M1842 captures (including 1861 depot captures) -- both these types were black and sling suspension only. Later in the war as leather became more scarce with the closing of Mississippi traffic, cloth slings and cartridge boxes (painted black) were experimented with.
Regarding firearms, it is instructive to note from Daniels ( 1991: 45-46) that an April 1863 quartermaster's report for the Army of the Tennessee stated that: 44% (16,570) of Bragg's infantry were armed with .69 cal smoothbores (the mainstay of the army during 1861 & 62 campaigns), 37% were armed with Enfields, 14% with rifled Springfields (all captures), and the remaining 5% with a miscellany of rifled and unrifled weapons (including 450 .70 cal Belgian rifles). Efforts were made to equip companies similarly, but even this was not always the case. The main lesson here is to allow for some variability -- and the continued numerical dominance of old smoothbores even in the mid-war period.