Private North Carolina Infantry CSA
for blue as the infantry color, these infantrymen are wearing black shoulder strips. The trousers are of matching gray cloth, with black stripes down the seams. Some North Carolinan soldiers were equipped with single or double crossbelts, and, while weaponry varied, most carried the 1842 musket. Only because North Carolina could produce its own textiles and had ports for blockade-run items, could the State arm and equip its men so effectively. The troops from the State of North Carolina were...
Distinctive Unit Flags of the
Although the Confederate States of America had three National Flags and a battleflag authorized by law, flags extant today indicate usage of a great variety of patterns. Companies within regiments carried their own flags early in the war, while commanders of larger units adopted their own patterns, and military area commanders devised peculiar patterns for their areas. States also issued flags, usually bearing some form of the State Seal. Some flags bore slogans, such as Victory or Death others...
The Supply Train and the SixMule Army Wagon
Troops and artillery had priority of movement on the march, while ammunition wagons took precedence over other supply vehicles. Keeping the wagons rolling was a priority for the staff of every army. For this reason, as seen in this example, the unit insignia and contents were usually displayed on the canvas top, which, among other reasons, was designed to aid the easy movement of wagons, because of the strict rule of precedence on the road. This box wagon itself was the workhorse conveyance of...
istinctive State Flags of the Confederacy
Southern state flags are visual evidence of the strong feeling of sir rights among individual mfederate states, and the addition patriotic slogans was quite mmonplace. A large number of ch flags, captured during the war, re returned to their states of origin the Federal Government in the rly decades of the twentieth ntury and they now usually reside their respective state capitols. iny of these flags, oil-painted on or embroidered, are really works art, and need professional care yv, if future...
Union Zouave and Rifle Officers Uniforms and Equipment
Nowhere was the approach to infantry uniforms more starkly demonstrated than in the uniforms of the rifle regiments also known as sharpshooters and the zouaves. Rifle uniforms were designed to be as inconspicuous as possible, the color of the uniforms being usually a dark green or a dark blue. The branch insignia had a green background, and the piping was also green. These elite units were few in number and surviving equipment is correspondingly very rare The known individual owners of the...
Enlisted Men 4th Texas Volunteer Infantry CSA
Few Rebel units achieved the reputation of the gallant Texans of Hood's Brigade, among them the 4th Texas Volunteer Infantry, Tough and rugged fighters, they became the shock troops of the Army of Northern Virginia when they came North to fight the Union's Army of the Potomac. The basic uniform shown here has some variations from the regulation Confederate pattern, the most noticeable being the black insignia of rank and the black piping, rather than the more customary blue although this is the...
Union Musicians Equipment
n armies of both sides, military bands existed at regimental level and above, and they served two distinct purposes. First, they provided music on the march and on the parade ground and general entertainment in camp, which was very important when life was dangerous and short and there were few other diversions. The various bugle-calls also signaled the various events of the day, from meal times to taps at the end of the day The second function was to provide communications in battle, with drums...
Full Dress Uniform of General William T Sherman
William T. Sherman remains a controversial figure in U. S. history, even though over a century and a quarter has passed since the campaigns for which he made his name, although his place among America's commanders remains secure. He had little use for the finery of the army and was rarely seen in his full dress uniform, seen here. The coat is regulation blue with the correct black velvet cuffs and collar, but the sash is rather broader and brighter than that worn by most other officers. County...
Union Sailors Seabag
Soldiers had foot lookers and beds in barracks, but sailors had to make do with a sea-bag and a hammock. Inevitably, sailors had long spells of idleness aboard and a traditional past-time was embroidering their property with a mixture of simple decorations and patriotic emblems. The Union sailor was issued with adequate supplies of well-made personal equipment, unlike his opponent in the South, who had to make do with whatever he could get his hands on. The items shown here are all made of good...
Union Infantry Officers Uniforms and Equipment
Regulations concerning officers' uniforms allowed considerable latitude and therefore articles of uniform, accoutrements and accessories depended as much on the individual officer's taste and financial resources as on military requirements. Further differences arose because, while Regular Army officers were issued with many regulation articles of uniform and equipment, the volunteer officer was left to his own resources. There were, however, several regulations that were observed with some...
Personal Effects and Decorations of Major General Galusha Pennypacker
The personal effects of any ranking general officer of the Civil War are extremely rare. In Major General Pennypacker, we are fortunate that his career began so early in his life. Many of the decorations on show were awarded to him long after the war between the states had finished. Most other generals' uniforms are held in institutional collections, but this particular selection of artifacts is held by Chester County Historical Society in Pennsylvania. The youngest general in American history,...
US Navy Cutlasses
Two types of Ames cutlasses are shown. The two Ames brothers, Oakes and Nathan, each owned his own sword-making foundry, but instead of cooperating they fought each other viciously for U.S. Government contracts. Oakes Ames, of Chicopee, Mass., produced the Model 1860 navy cutlass shown in the center, with its copper-riveted leather scabbard above it. His brother, Nathan P. Ames of Springfield, Mass., produced the Model 1842 cutlass at the bottom note the fish-scaled brass hilt reminiscent of...
Sergeant 79th New York Infantry Highlanders 186061
Few Yankee regiments of the war wore quite such a distinctive dress or one which gave rise to such mirth - as the famed 79th New York Infantry, known as the Highlanders. When the initial core of four companies was raised in 1859 it was composed entirely of Scots immigrants and the regiment modeled itself on the British Army's 79th Regiment of Foot, the famed Cameron Highlanders. In full-dress the men wore a black Glengarry cap with a checkered border, a kilt in the Cameron tartan, a doublet,...
Union Rockets
Rocket launchers were not a new idea, and the Congreve rocket had been used by the British during the Napoleonic Wars. They also used it against the Americans in the War of 1812, an action which is immortalized in the Star Spangled Banner's reference to the rockets' red glare. The weapon seem here is the Hale rocket launcher, which was invented by British civil engineer William Hale in 1844 as a much lighter and more mobile successor to the Congreve system. Following testing and approval by...
Union Cavalry Carbines
Arrtacts counesv o' The Cnnl IV,j- itti'aiy ,ml Museum Philadelphia. Pa Almost all Union carbines were breech-loading and fired special ammunition peculiar to each weapon, with calibers varying from .36 to .69. While great advances in small arms were made during the war, the lack of standardization created major problems. Most companies manufacturing these arms ceased to exist after hostilities came to an end. The Sharps carbine 1 was one of a relatively small number of capping breech loaders,...
Swords
The presentation of ornate, deluxe swords to prominent politicians and local favorite sons, and, in particular, to war heroes was a recognized tribute in the 1860s. The majority of such presentation swords were enhanced models of swords then in current issue to the Army, but there were exceptions where no expense was spared. In the latter case, the result was a sword of exquisite quality and craftsmanship, such as those shown here. Some were even made by jewelers, such as Bailey and Co., of...
Union Naval Officers Insignia
An officer was recognized by the insignia on his tunic, and that in the Union Navy derived chiefly from prewar usage, which in turn owed much to Army insignia. The shoulder strap markings were the most direct and reliable, and usually could be counted on to depict the officer's correct current rating. The sleeve or cuff stripes, on the other hand, took more time and effort to alter with promotions, and therefore were often ignored. As a result, there were many officers of all ranks whose cuffs...
Csa
Though hardly as showy as the Yankee General Custer, Confederate Major General Jeb Stuart represented much of what was most dashing in the bold cavaliers of the South. His short jacket, buttoned back in the Revolutionary War style to show its buff facings, the ostrich plume in his hat, the gleaming black high-topped boots were all the trademark of the officer that friends called Beauty. Most elegant of all were his whiskers, and the merry twinkle in his eyes that everyone around him noted....
Uniforms of the US Marine Corps
Every vessel of the U.S. Navy carried a few Marines, who were as smart then as they are today, as demonstrated by these uniforms. On the left is a sergeant's field frock coat, with his badges of rank in gold braid on each sleeve and a white belt, with bayonet frog and cartridge pouch. On the right is a full-dress, double-breasted coat with collar and cuff embellishments and the shoulder-scales, which were mandatory at all times in this order of dress.
Drummer Co F 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Iron Brigade
Hardly any other unit of the Civil War would achieve such lasting fame as the so-called Iron Brigade of Wisconsin and Indiana. Its three Wisconsin and one Indiana regiments fought with a ferocity that made them stand out from other units, and suffered losses hardly equaled in any other unit. Indeed, so heavy were its causalities that the unit existed for only two years. The Second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry was mustered into United States service on June 11, 1861, for three years or during...
Union Officers Camp Equipment
The individual officer could exert a major influence over the degree of discomfort he suffered when on campaign, and, as in all armies, officers could enjoy comforts not available or not permitted to the troops. Nevertheless, all is not quite as it appears at first sight Thus, among the personal items shown here, those that stand out as lavish - and thus potentially divisive between the commissioned ranks and the soldiers - is the silver service of a Ma . Cassals, which includes two silver...
Uniform of Major General George G Meade
Meade was given command of one of the Pennsylvania brigades and promoted brigadier general. He fought under General McClellan during the Peninsula Campaign and was severely wounded at the Battle of Glendale June 30, 1862 . Barely recovered, he fought at Second Manassas, South Mountain, and Antietam. Meade commanded a division during the failure at Fredericksburg, performed well at Chancellorsville the following spring, and was placed in charge of the Army of the Potomac actually while on the...
Union Officers Headgear Epaulettes and Sash
As in any army, the officers' dress and accouterments were to a higher standard than those of the enlisted men Shown here are the epaulettes and waist sash of a first lieutenant of the 143rd Infantry Regiment, together with his forage cap, which carries the corps badge. The album contains photographs of other officers, probably cartes-de-visite of fellow officers of his own regiment.
US Navy Gunnery Accessories
The wooden tompion, on the left, was used to plug the muzzle of a 9 inch 229mm gun when not in use, its prime function being to keep out corrosive sea-spray. As was customary, the face of the tompion has been painted, in this case red, with the ring-pull backed by a Union star both are made of brass, and would have been highly polished during the war, The leather pass-box right , with strap and lid, was used to carry the projectile from the magazine or ready-use rack to the gun.
Artillery Pieces
The artillery pieces of both combatants were quite similar. The more popular types were the Ordnance rifle 1 , Parrott rifle and the smoothbore Napoleon 3 , which were fabricated by both sides in various configurations. The Confederate artillery also used many obsolete pieces updated by binding the barrel to strengthen it and by rifling. 1 A full service history exists for this piece the 3-inch Ordnance Rifle, Muzzle-loading, No. 1, which was made by the Phoenix Iron Company of Phoenixville,...
Confederate Unit Flags Variant Patterns
With such a large number of different patterns and variations, the study of Confederate flags has developed into a field of its own. Of particular interest are western theater flags that would not even be identified as Confederate by the layman. To have any grasp of the subject, the reader is referred to the definitive source on the subject The Battleflags of the Army of the Tennessee, by Howard Michael M. Madaus and Robert D. Needham. Fine specimens exist in the Tennessee, Mississippi and...
Union Naval Ensign
Naval ensigns are normally very large and thus difficult both to collect and to display, Thus, those few that do remain are usually to be found in the larger collections at places such as the United States Navy Museum at the Washington Navy Yard and the United States Naval Academy Museum, Annapolis, Md, although this particular example comes from The Civil War Library and Museum in Philadelphia, Pa. the USS San Jacinto, a 2,200 ton screw corvette sloop, armed with twelve 8-inch 203mm and four...
Confederate Medical Equipment
The Confederate Medical Department fought a hopeless battle against disease and infection in a war in which twice as many soldiers died of disease as became battlefield casualties, and commonplace childhood illnesses became fatal epidemics, incapacitating whole regiments. On the surgical side, amputation was the accepted procedure for wounds affecting the arms and legs, while body wounds were considered inoperable, and usually fatal given the high incidence of infection. Fighting for a cause in...
Brigadier General Joseph William Hoffman
Joseph William Hoffman was an otherwise good match for the South's General John H. Winder. For Hoffman, prison man-agement was a matter of efficiency, reducing the human component of men behind bars and walls to an accountant's sort of calculation on food and fuel per man ratios. Proudly at war's end he turned back to the War Department hundreds of thousands of dollars that he had saved at the expense of the health, nourishment, and comfort of his prisoners. Like Winder, Hoffman was a regular...
Equipment
The branch-of-service color in the Confederate cavalry was yellow, as in the old Federal cavalry, and also the same as its Federal counterpart during the Civil War. The same branch-of-service insignia, the crossed sabers, was also utilized. There was a striking similarity in uniforms between the two sides, except for the color and the rank device, especially the elaborate gold braiding on the sleeves, as seen on the frock coats- 3 and 5 . 1 Uniform trousers of Capi W H Cleaver, Steele's Texas...
Union Officers Swords
n a universal military tradition stretching back many centuries the sword was both the officers' weapon of choice and an official indication of his status, and it is very unlikely that any officer on the Union side did not have his own sword. Nevertheless, as with the cavalry and their sabers described on the previous pages, so Union officers in general began to question the value of an implement which was cumbersome and heavy to carry, but which they almost never used in battle. As a result,...
Union Rifles
Although the rifle-musket was the primary shoulder weapon of the Union soldier, substantial numbers of rifles, both muzzle- and breech-loading, were issued to troops in the field. Of primary significance in firearms development were the magazine-fed Spencer 7 and Henry 8 . There was a frenzy of invention in the North, spurred on by the war and lucrative government contracts, but only a few of the newly invented and patented guns ever saw as much service as the single-shot Springfield. The...
Headquarters Pennant Army of the Potomac July 1863
Flags that are documented as having actually been present at a crucial moment in history are very rare, but Brig. Gen. Webb's Headquarters Pennant is one of them. This was the flag flown at the Headquarters of 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, commanded by Brig. Gen. Alexander Stewart Webb. The brigade, numbering some 1,220 men, was made up of four Pennsylvania infantry regiments the 69th, 71st, 72nd, and 106th. On July 3, 1863, the third day of the Battle of...
US Midshipman in Service Dress 1862 and West Point Cadet
Representing long-held traditions when the Civil War broke out, the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, and the United Stat es Military Academy at West Point, New York, both offered a small but steady supply of educated and trained young officers for the Union war effort. The midshipman at left displays the traditional Naval Academy dress of short blue jacket and blue trousers, with naval cap- and collar-badges. Next to him stands a cadet sergeant from West Point, considerably...
Infantry CSA
The 11th Mississippi Infantry presented one of the handsomer variations on the standard gray uniform of the Confederacy. The regiment was made up chiefly of prewar volunteer militia companies, many of which wore entirely different garb. Most eventually wore slight variations of the state militia dress, the mid-thigh length gray blouse with red collar and red frogging on the breast, red cuffs and trouser stripes. Their headgear was predominantly the Hardee-style hat, as worn by this enlisted...
Union Drums and Bugle
from New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts regiments, together with a regulation bugle. As explained earlier, such instruments had a purpose that was as much military as entertainment. All union drummers had distinctive white support straps that made them instantly recognizable. A drum and band major was entitled to wear a white baldrick. This ran from the right shoulder to the left hip and was about twice as wide as a support strap. During postwar decades, civilian musicians adopted the...
Cartridges
The war created the need for millions of cartridges for an enormous variety of different calibered weapons. 1 12-shot load of buckshot for a 58 rifle 14 7mm or musket 2 .69 caliber 17.5mm ball cartridge 3 .69 caliber 17 5mm buck and ball cartridge 4 69 caliber 17 5mm Mini cartridge with wooden plug 5 .58 caliber 14.7mm Mime cartridge 8 A 6-sided cardboard Whitworth cartridge 9 Metal-cased Maynard cartridge 10 Metal-cased Burnside carbine cartridge 11 Metal-cased Henry repeating rifle cartridge...
Union Zouave Uniforms and Equipment
Aiti'acts courtesy tit ikjn tromru. mifltiry 'Tisr Zouave uniforms originated among native North African troops recruited to serve in the French Army in the 1830s and the superb esprit de corps and elite status among these units, and their distinctive dress, soon came to the notice of foreign military observers. Elmer E. Ellsworth, a young amateur soldier is credited with raising the United States Zouave Cadets in Chicago in August 1859, his mentor being a former French surgeon and veteran of...
Sergeant 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry Rushs Lancers
Oddly enough, the state of Pennsylvania attained a degree of notoriety during the Civil War for some of its unruly cavalry regiments. Arguably the worst disciplined regiment in the Union army was the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry, which had rather more than its fair share of courts-martial, desertions, insubordinate enlisted men, and incompetent officers, although the last-named may well have been the root cause of the other problems. Perhaps it was in reaction to such a poor reputation that the 6th...
Union Heavy Artillery Projectiles
With the advent of armored vessels, projectiles capable of penetrating or crushing such armor had to be developed. The breaking of masonry forts was also accomplished by the use of similar projectiles fired from large bore rifled guns. Many of these projectiles had specially hardened noses designed to punch through armor Excellent examples are to be seen at West Point and the Washington Navy Yard. The result of bombardment by such projectiles can be seen at Fort Sumter, Charleston, and Fort...
Personal Possessions and Memorabilia of Maj Gen J E B Stuart CSA
A West Point graduate in the class of 1854, Stuart served in the U.S. Cavalry until his resignation and appointment as colonel of the 1st Virginia Cavalry in 1861. By mid-1862 Stuart had risen to become a maior general and commander of the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia. It seemed as if he led a charmed life and could not fail, until the Battle of Brandy Station June 1863 , where Confederate cavalry realized that the Federal cavalry had become a force to be reckoned with. From that...
Confederate Battleflags Western Variants
Variations of the St. Andrew's Cross were used as the battleflag of many units serving in the western theater. In general these flags were rectangular in shape, unlike those of the Army of Northern Virginia, which were generally square. Such flags are avidly sought, but few are in private hands. The premier collection is to be found at the Museum of the Confederacy. Flag of the 1 st and 3rd combined Regiments, Florida Volunteer Infantry, issued to the unit in 1864 Flag of the 57th Regiment....
Confederate Cavalry Artifacts
No soldier of the war caught more of the dash and the flair of the era than the cavalryman, and especially the Confederate trooper, whose exploits were celebrated in both song and legend. He became the beau sabreur, the knightly paladin riding through the smoke of battle in daring raids against hopeless odds, to defend his country, home, hearth and honor. Indeed, at the beginning of the conflict, the Confederate cavalry was considerably superior to its Union counterpart, primarily due to the...
Trooper 1 st Virginia Cavalry Regiment CSA 18612
The 1st Virginia Cavalry began the war as a group of independent companies of horse from the Shenandoah Valley, organized into a regiment by J. E. B. Stuart, later of course to become a major general. At the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861, they achieved renown as the dreaded Black Horse Cavalry, though the origin of the sobriquet is obscure. For the remainder of the war they performed outstanding service with the Cavalry Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia. Stuart's horsemen wore...
Union Camp Colors and Field Markers
Field or flank markers were necessary to designate the extremities of a unit's position on the field, particularly in the early stages of establishing a battle line. Constructed of both silk and bunting, a surprising number have survived. The small size of these colors, usually less than 2 feet by 3 feet 61 x 91cm , made them excellent souvenirs at the time of the Civil War, and has made them equally as popular with present-day collectors. The state capital in Harrisburg, and I the Civil War...
Confederate Telegraphy Equipment
Attiloct courtesy ut The Museum ot the Cootedeiacy. Richmond, Ml At the outbreak of war, the Confederates became the first into the field with their own corps of signalers. They also became adept practitioners of telegraphy. Indeed, so handy did some Rebs become with the telegraph key that they were perhaps the first in peace or war to wire tap. Some former railroad telegraphers riding with Rebel partisans learned how to throw a wire across telegraph transmission lines, cut one, and tap into...
Union Coehorn Mortar with Projectile
The Coehorn mortar was a light siege weapon, used mostly in trench warfare, and designed to be carried in battle by four men. Its name derives from the seventeenth century Dutch soldier and siege engineer, Baron van Coehorn, who first developed the weapon in 1674, and it is a sad comment on the state of artillery development that such a design had been in use, virtually unchanged, for some two hundred years. These light, mobile mortars were an integral part of siege operations, and the Federal...
Confederate Rank Insignia
Uniform insignia for Confederate officers was less precise than that of their foes, largely because the Rebel Congress authorized new grades of commissions without getting around to specifying suitable badges of rank. Badges of rank were worn on the collar and, in comparison with the Union forces, the Confederates used one bar for a second lieutenant, two bars for a first lieutenant and three bars for a captain, but then used stars for field officers one star - major two stars -lieutenant...
i
The Richmond Arsenal was the most productive in the Confederacy, and fabricated a wide variety of ammunition and explosives. In general, however, the Confederate ordnance facilities were never able to master the manufacture of metallic cartridges, which seriously hindered their war effort, while the lack of standardization and the wide variety of calibers as witnessed in these pages wasted a lot of manufacturing effort. Surviving examples of Confederate small arms ammunition are extremely...
Union Field Artillery Projectiles
As with small arms, there were great technological advances in artillery. Smoothbore pieces were becoming obsolete as rifling increasingly became the norm which greatly increased both range and accuracy. Similarly, improvements in the time and percussion fuses resulted in a more devastating terminal effect. It is worth sparing a thought for the artillerymen working the big batteries who had to spend their war carrying 1001b 45kg shot to their guns, although in field artillery the projectiles...