The Fort Brooke Record

          
HERITAGE REPORT

June 20, 2001 Save your Confederate money, boys By STEVE OTTO

Ever wonder about that distinction between ignorance and stupidity? Sometimes I look in the mirror and wonder if somehow those two mated and I showed up.
I grew up at a time when the high school student body would rise as one at the first strains of ``Dixie.'' When I was a boy there were still water fountains and restrooms for ``Colored.'' There were a thousand indignities that happened out of sight and out of mind. I never stopped to wonder why it was that the movie audience was all white.
Of course, the South was more than that. It was a way of life. There was a sense of the individual and civility and of a way of life that was threatened by liberals and holier-than-thou types from the North.

Although the Civil War, or as my relatives called it, the War of Northern Aggression, was a century old, its wounds still hurt. Half in jest they would say, ``Save your Confederate money, boys, the South will rise again.''

Ultimately another war was fought. There were casualties, but this time it was fought in the courts and schools and lunch counters across the South.

And son of a gun if the South didn't only survive, but did rise again. Today, as the Rust Belt cities of the North struggle to restore themselves, it is the bold new cities of the South that have taken control of this high-tech country.
ON MONDAY I'D just dropped a son off at basketball camp and was cruising down North Boulevard when I saw the guy with the flag.

He was wearing what appeared to be a woolen uniform and from a distance appeared to be carrying a Confederate flag.

First of all, this was not the part of town where it was exactly a smart idea for a white guy to be carrying a Confederate flag. But that didn't matter because I figured he would die of heat stroke before he got wherever it was he was going.

A few blocks later as I approached Mother Trib, I saw them lined up. It was a scraggly band of maybe 20 or so men and women waving flags and holding up signs. Some of the signs said we needed to protect our heritage. The others suggested my colleague Dan Ruth apologize or go home. Then I remembered that Dan had written a piece months ago taking issue with a group called the League of the South.

Since Dan's style is sort of like Gen. Sherman's, I could see where these people might be just a little ticked off.
As for preserving their heritage, you have to ask yourself what heritage they are talking about. This group liked to babble about the Tenth Amendment and stressed that slavery was but a minor issue. That's a lie.
I've got ancestors who fought for the South. John Francis Asbury Barrett was a member of the First Georgia Infantry. William H. Pope was in Company C of the 38th North Carolina Volunteers. He was a private and died in West Virginia.

Part of my family is from Massachusetts. It's unlikely they fought for the Cause, but not unlikely they were involved.

Am I proud that they all fought in one of the most miserable conflicts there ever was? Not particularly. I've walked down Bloody Lane in Antietam and meandered across the hills of Gettysburg. I've been to Shiloh and Chickamauga and swatted mosquitoes in the swamp of the Andersonville cemetery. I stood in the box at Ford's Theater and stared at the room where the generals gathered at Appomattox Court House.

These are special places - places where brother fought against brother - that need to be preserved and remembered, as the stories need to be read and understood.

But there is a fine line between remembering and glorifying a lie, which I can only speculate was the ignorance at work as these sweltering souls stood out on Kennedy Boulevard across the river from where the skyscrapers of a New South suggested the country has moved on.

Mr. Woodlief,

I cannot express adequately how disturbed and deeply offended I was on reading Mr. Daniel Ruth’s article of April 22nd “The casual lifestyle of slavery”.

As an 11^th generation Southerner whose family arrived on these shores in the 1720’s I am deeply proud of my ancestors contributions, both militarily and civically, to the history and growth of this country. I have ancestors who fought with Washington in the great Colonial Secession from England (American Revolution), fought the British again in the war of 1812, and served in the war with Mexico, The War between the States and all modern wars. We have served this country with pride and perseverance.

It was interesting to learn from Mr. Ruth many aspects of my life I was unaware of. That I am only capable of signing my name with an “X”, I have vehicles on blocks in my yard, he droned on, and on. While I’ve grown used to this type of cultural bigotry in the media against my people I defiantly draw the line at being openly compared to a NAZI war criminal. I have never been so outraged as I was by this statement.

Being a Southerner is not a racial or religious thing; we are a people who have deep rooted ties to a region, a ‘place’, to the land.

Mr. Ruth stepped way over the line in this column, something he is increasing wanton to do in recent times. Had Mr. Ruth’s target been any other group, I have no doubts, he would be seeking employment elsewhere.

In response to this outrage against the Southern People, Mr. Ruth became one of the targets of a National Day of Protest on June 18^th by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Over 75 of us gathered beginning just after 8am on either side of Kennedy Blvd. opposite the Tampa Tribune building. As we waved our flags and held our protest signs we received a very warm welcome from the people of Tampa as they drove by. The number of honking horns, waving and thumbs up were very indicative of the true spirit and feeling of all the people of Tampa. I could count on one hand the negative responses to our presence. Many folks walking along the sidewalk, including Tribune employees, were very encouraging of our protest of Mr. Ruth.

As a member of this protest I can speak first hand to the column by Mr. Steve Otto on June 20th. I was approached by Mr. Otto, who did not introduce himself despite my doing so, who engaged me in general conversation about our protest. I recognized Mr. Otto so knew who he was. Several other Tribune reporters had stopped by and chatted, all of whom did identify themselves. As we chatted amicably, he indicated he has ancestors who fought in the War Between the States and understood the true nature of its causes. The principal of which was NOT slavery. He indicated sympathy towards out protesting Mr. Ruth indicating he has a peculiar sense of humor. None of us considered the column humorous and he said he understood.

Imagine my surprise when I read Mt. Otto’s column, on June 20^th, the central theme of which was “Southern Heritage equals racial bigotry but I out grew it” caught me quite off guard. While he very cleverly tried to cloak it in “I love the South too” he defiantly let his true motives show. The sole purpose of this column was to defend Mr. Ruth. I quote “A few blocks later as I approached Mother Trib, I saw them lined up. It was a scraggly band of maybe 20 or so men and women waving flags and holding up signs.” Mother Trib??? He would defend the paper over defending the truth??? “a scraggly band of maybe 20 or so men and women”, I was there and 20 does not equate to 75 plus and many of us were better dressed than Mr. Otto. Mr. Otto also failed to note the two black protestors among us, whom he spoke with, both of whom are very proud of there Southern Heritage and the contributions there families have made to the Southland.

“But there is a fine line between remembering and glorifying a lie, which I can only speculate was the ignorance at work as these sweltering souls stood out on Kennedy Boulevard across the river from where the skyscrapers of a New South suggested the country has moved on.” Indeed the “New South” has moved on from the post war ‘reconstruction’ period apparently Mr. Ruth and Mr. Otto have not. Mr. Otto has now added ignorance and lying to the Tampa Tribunes definition of proud Southerners.

As to lies, the Tribunes treatment of Southerners in these two columns rivals the ‘yellow journalism’ of the Hurst papers of the past. The journalistic ethics of the Tribune in recent time calls much into question. Perhaps the Tribune Companies current philosophy can be summed up with the following quote.

"To hell with the news. I'm no longer interested in news. I'm interested in causes. We don't print the truth. We don't pretend to print the truth..."

Ben Bradlee --former Washington Post executive editor

I thank you for your time and consideration,

Richard Warner
John T. Lesley Camp 1282, Tampa, Florida

Your editor being interviewed by Steve Otto.

The proud Scallywag

by Rich Warner, Editor

There is a new wind blowing in the Media. (Media = code word for the branch of the entertainment industry which portrays itself as the all knowing purveyors of ‘news and truth’ to the people) Oddly this new twist seems to coincide with the new activism of the SCV.

He is the proud scallywag.

And just who is this insidious creature? Where did he come from and what is he doing?

He is the Southern Media. The reporter or columnist with Southrern roots. He may have only recently discovered his heritage or having been raised properly has been aware of his heritage most of his life. He may even be a silent, suffering sympathizer who hid from his heritage to protect his employment. He is a most misguided and dangerous pawn of his superiors. Our history is filled with these creatures who have abandoned all personal and professional integrity, ethics and morality. These tortured, misguided souls need our help and our prayers desperately. He has always been there; he may even have done some positive reporting on the cause. His bosses know who he is and they know how to use him. He has been turned.

He now serves “Those people”. He is most dangerous. He will tell you he has strong Confederate roots. He will tell you he “understands”. He may even tell you he sympathizes with “The Cause”. He will suck you in to believing he is your friend in the media. He will use you to his own ends.

Beware the Media Scallywag. You walk a way from the interview with a good feeling then you read the article or see the video report and WHAM they got ya.

The article will start out quite pleasant. He will tell the reader about his Confederate ancestors and that he is proud of there service. He will tell the reader that the South is a wonderful place to live. About how much he loves living here. Now he turns on you, he will tell the reader how enlightened he is. That he KNOWS the war was fought to free the slaves’ from those awful oppressors, our ancestors. And he has the out of context sound bites to prove it. He will show sympathy for those of us who are so misguided and in denial of the truth. That we are so wracked with guilt over our terrible past we will do or say anything to justify it. They will tell the reader we are to be pitied; we don’t even know we are racist.

What is the purpose of this? “Those people” know we wont be stopped and our ranks are growing. They desperately need to slow or stop “The Cause”, to keep our ranks from continuing to swell. So, they will attempt to keep the fence sitters, the unsure (as we once were), on the fence by playing on their worst fears. The fear of being publicly exposed as a racist. To induce guilt, to create uncertainty.

Will it work? NO. Why? Because we know the truth. Many of us have discovered it for our selves. We don’t rely on what others have told us. We have done our own digging into history. To many of us this was done out of a sense of uncertainty. The need to know if it was true what we had been taught in school about out heritage. To us it just didn’t seem to ring true. It conflicted with our sense of ‘self’, of being Southern. So we dug in to find out for ourselves. And we did.

We discovered the true nature of our ancestors. How they held true to the old Republic of Republics, founded by their fathers and grand fathers with the same determination they were about to give themselves to preserve it.

I would rather leave the union with the Constitution, than remain without it” – Jefferson Davis

And thus was born the Confederate States of America.

DEO VINDICE   
    

 Chaplain's Corner

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE

by Rev. Calvin Martin    

In recent days I have seen people of prominence and renown and may I say even people that have power "put there foot in their mouths". For instance the politician up there in Georgia who took our own Sally Raburn to task and in essence has sealed his own doom by even threatening her. (Boy! You don't want to mess with a true "Southern Belle" as our Sally is!!).  Remember our ladies know how to take care of themselves.  They're not some little shrinking violet like some would wish they would be.  But Sally, you have the backing of the whole SCV and from what I've seen on the internet multitudes of other people as well. Like the modern term some people use, we say "You Go Girl!!!"

Listening to a radio station last week I even heard of a home owners association taken to task a Korean War Veteran for flying the American flag in his yard. That's right folks, an American flag. Now folks I'm also a Veteran of the U.S. Air Force and I know many of us SCV members who are also veterans and we stand behind this man who wants to fly the American flag, just as well as the Confederate flag. This Home Owners Association has really put its foot in its mouth. From all of the callers who called in and voiced their outrage, it was a unanimous vote for the Korean Veteran to be allowed to fly his American Flag.

Remember folks, this is America, the land of the free and the land of the brave but we are treading very close to a socialist government. Beware of these people, because they are out to destroy what has taken a lot of veterans' lives to allow us to have these freedoms.

Let me give you a little lesson of someone who got what he deserved and you will see what I mean by putting their foot in their own mouth. It is recorded in II Chronicles 20:1 - 30. Jehoshaphat was the leader of Judah at that time and the Moabites and the Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat. So some of his men came and told Jehoshaphat that a vast army was coming against him from Edom. This so alarmed Jehoshaphat that he resolved to inquire of the Lord . So he declared a fast and had all of Judah to come together and seek the help of the Lord. So while all of the men of Judah with their wives and children and little ones stood before God, the Lord the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and Jahaziel told Jehoshaphat that the Lord said not to be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle is not his, but God’s.

Early the next morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. And Jehoshaphat put at the head of the people men to sing praise to the Lord and praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out ahead of the army of Judah. (Boy!! Talk about a Praise Team!!) Mind you now, these men did not have any weapons. They were in front of the little army of Judah just singing praises to God. So, as the "Praise Team" began to sing the praises of the Lord, he set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah and they were defeated. The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men of Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Mount Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

So when the men of Judah came on up to the place that overlooks the desert they saw that that whole vast army was already destroyed. So Jehoshaphat and his army went to carry off the plunder from the fallen armies. There was so much plunder that it took them three days to carry it off.

So you see, God intervened for the people of Judah because they in one accord called upon Him and it was then that He fought their battle for them.

You know folks if we all will seek the Lord in our times of need He will help us too. He can cause our enemies to actually turn on themselves and it seems to me that that is exactly what is happening to some now.

So I implore you not to seek revenge on your own but to seek the Lord, for as you know "Vengeance is Mine, thus sayeth the Lord". And if you seek the Lord and His Holiness He will intervene for you. I still believe we people of the South will be vindicated.

One last note that I would like to leave you before closing for this month. I was very pleased with the way we received H.K. Edgerton and the Guests from St Pete at our meeting in June. Folks, I don't see how some can call we people of the South racists. For we have some very good African American people that belong to our camps and I for one am very proud of them and I'm proud of you for receiving our guests in a loving way. I just wish that more people could see how we all are working together in one accord.

May the God of all Peace bless you and Keep you.

I am yours in the service of the King of all Kings.

DEO VINDICE      

From the Daily Text’s of the
Moravian Church

Wednesday, June 27

Psalm 79:1-8 Isaiah 9:8-10:11; Galatians 5:7-15

You shall not join hands with the wicked to act as a malicious witness.

Exodus 23:1b

[Jesus Christ said:] "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:37

Lord Jesus, forgive us for those times when we have "joined hands with the wicked" in false witness against our neighbors and those times when our silence has allowed evil and injustice to flourish. Grant us the courage needed to be your faithful, truthful witnesses. Amen.         

A Glorious Girl

An incident was related to us the other day that spoke more eloquently than words of the spirit and devotion of our Southern women. Upon the arrival of the troops at Madison, sent to re-enforce our army in East Florida, the ladies attended at the depot with provisions and refreshments for the defenders of their homes and country. Among the brave war worn soldiers who were rushing to the defense of our State, there was in one of the Georgia regiments a soldier boy whose bare feet were bleeding from the exposure and fatigue of the march. One of the young ladies present, moved by the noble impulse of her sex, took the shoes off of her own feet, made the suffering hero put them on and walked home herself barefooted. Boys, do you hear that? Will you let the glorious girl be insulted and wronged by Yankee ruffians? Never. Wherever Southern soldiers are suffering and bleeding for their country's freedom, let this incident be told for a memorial of Lou Taylor, of Madison County. MOBILE REGISTER AND ADVERTISER, March 2, 1864, p. 1, c. 7

Confederate Uniforms and Equipment

Enlisted Uniforms

By Mike Clark

Last month we discussed officer's uniforms and their manufacture. While tailoring techniques are quite the same for enlisted uniforms, the way an enlisted man would go about obtaining a uniform is greatly different and in this article we'll discuss how the uniforms were made, and issued and what they would have looked like. In this article we'll talk about uniform jacket, and coats as well as trousers and shirts.

Early in the war, enlisted men like officers would have supplied their own uniforms. Some enlisted men were from families with means and in many cases were part of militia organizations before the war, so they may have had uniforms when the war broke out. We have discussed the type of uniforms they might have had and will concentrate on the ones that would have been supplied by or for new recruits. Now it is quite common knowledge that in the early days of the war, many new soldiers were not part of militia companies or military schools and did not have a uniform when they took to the field. Many new soldiers and even some officers simply wore civilian attire when they joined up and sometimes they modified it to look more like military clothing, others just wore what ever they had. Work clothes would have been the most common and in fact military shirts and trousers are based on work clothes anyway with the latter just being made of cloth suitable for military wear. So it was not uncommon at all to find men in a wild array of different types of clothing, form old and dirty farm hand's garb to the most splendid finery available and all in between. Top hats, large bow ties, double breasted frock coats, and so on were likely to be seen on men marching and drilling with their newly issued army belts, cartridge boxes, swords, pikes, bowie knives and just about any type of military hardware that they could acquire. This lasted for the most part for only the first few months of the war till the greatest majority of troops could be properly supplied. I would like to point out that there were always a good many civilian components used in CS uniforms through out the war. Civilian hats, caps, shoe, boots, trousers and shirts were always substituted when military issue items could not be had. In some cases, some small bands of CS irregular troops particularly in the west, never had uniforms and wore civilian clothes to the end of the war.

Now, let's talk about recognizable military uniforms. In the first months of the war, one of the more common types of uniform items would have been the battle shirt. This was an inexpensive and easily made pull-over type shirt which would have been made oversized to fit on top of a standard civilian shirt. Generally these battle shirts would have had one or more pockets in the breast, they were almost always made of heavy wool or wool/cotton jean though cotton shirts are known too. They were generally trimmed in some fashion and many times rank insignia was installed. Other times insignia, and or embroidery and other embellishments of state or unit affiliation would have been present. To me battle shirts are one of the more practical types of garments used in combat and there are examples of them used in certain federal units as well. It should also be pointed out that modern armies of the 20^th century, such as Russian/Soviet, German, Austrian and even US used uniforms that were very similar in appearance to Confederate Battle shirts. In the case of the Soviets, these shirts remained in use till the mid 1960s and in fact the Soviet enlisted foot soldier is most recognized by these pull over shirts with big chest pockets and bloused sleeves and tails. The CS battle shirt saw widespread use throughout the war especially in the summer. It should be noted too that many officers and even some Generals used these and they are told about in many letters and other period writings. These shirts could have been seen in any color including purple, blue, green, orange, and even red, though the most common would have been gray or gray brown.

Battle shirts were supplied by the local governments and even by some counties and states. There are very few exiting examples but there are quite a few photos. One in particular shoes a company of Texas troops, all apparently wearing the same shirts. There are several individual photos of Mississippi Cavalry men who have the same shirts. If it were possible to compare the 1000s of surviving images of CS soldiers that were taken during the period, it would be very possible to develop an opinion of certain patterns that were common to specific units and states. North Carolina and Georgia also supplied shirts to them men early on and records show that these were of specific patterns and colors with service trim and so on.

Most shirts would have been made at home or otherwise obtained by private sources so these shirts would have been unique. There are just as many photos showing men who were in the same units and even some photos of men who were related such as brothers and fathers and sons, each wearing shirts with unique patterns and trim. I should be noted that any large hunting shirt ( from which battle shirts are patterned on) could be taken and trimmed to look military. Also, firemen, mariners and other groups including baseball players wore shirts like these and in many cases, volunteer fireman and yes, even baseball teams joined the service as a group and wore their uniforms. There are photos of men wearing shirts with shield shaped plastrons (buttoned on fronts of the shirts), with numbers sewn on them. These were generally fire brigade numbers but some times were regimental designations as well. I have seen photos of men wearing shirts like these in full military regalia and armed to the teeth, so they were surely not posing as firemen. I have seen shirts with name's like "Adam's Avengers" and "Rutledge Battery" sewn or embroidered on the front.

Early enlisted men were subject to the provisions under what is known as a "Commutation Program". Among other things, their uniforms could be supplied by themselves and a small measure of compensation would have been afforded to them for doing so. In may cases this was not paid and the recruit was just simply in his own for a uniform. For this reason, many self supplied uniforms were of the battle shirt variety. There are a great number of surviving jackets and frock coats, which are known to have been part of this type of supply as well. Individuals could go and find an approved pattern which were available at any depot or recruiter and in some cases even published in the local paper. They could buy suitable cloth and other tailoring needs at the dry goods store, then take it to a wife, sister, mother, and if they had the means, even a tailor and have one made. The home made uniforms that I have seen are generally very crudely done. They may be made of a high quality fabric but will have very loosely done stitching, uneven cuts of the panels and may even be rather sloppy over all. It is known that some plantations took to involving field hands in the making of uniforms of this type and many of these hands my have had no experience in sewing at all. Any number of issue items such as shirts, jackets, trousers, shoes, caps and vests could have been made by any number of individuals with no discernable skills. In fact it is a well known fact by all collectors of CS memorabilia that most of the southern made issue gear was of sub standard quality. Cartridge boxes, cap boxes, rifle slings and even pistols, swords, muskets and cannon which were made in the south will show signs of being hastily made of substandard materials by unskilled labor. In many instances since items such as these are not maker marked, these details are what collectors use to distinguish federal issue items from CS issue. CS issue items are worth many times more to a collector and it is these sloppy details that collectors focus on when paying such high prices to acquire a genuine CS artifact. This is not a rule of thumb when looking at southern uniforms and equipment. Many CS items which can be dated to every phase of the war are of the highest quality. It is just one of many details to look at when judging, It is odd that in modern times, collectors love to see an oddly made sloppily sewn uniform and will gladly pay premium for it. During the war this is the exact thing that many CS troops complained about and evidence of this can be found in letters and documents written by the lowest private to the highest ranking general.

So now, we talked about uniforms supplied by folks at home. These do represent a large portion of what was available but by far, the most uniforms came from the depots. There were clothing depots in Richmond, Atlanta, New Orleans, Columbus, Corinth and many locations that have been forgotten by now. The most recognizable are those from Richmond, Atlanta and Columbus and since they were known to have been issued to troops from Florida, I am going to focus on them a bit.

The Richmond jacket as we have discussed before came in 3 basic types and was made available in a variety of colors and types of material. The one thing that is common to all of them is they will almost always have a nine button front, a shirt stand up collar and very distinct ballooned sleeves. They are nearly always entirely hand sewn. They will generally have lining made of off white cotton Osnaburg. Many are seen with imported English buttons with regulation branch of service devices. (I for infantry, C for cavalry and so on). Some will have buttons of wood, or bone, others will have state buttons and still others will have the Federal General Issue or even staff buttons installed. These are the most desirable jackets for collectors, they are the most common type still surviving and also by far the most common of any of the known patterns to be found in period photos. They saw widespread use in the Army of Northern Virginia and could have been issued to troops from any state with troops in that theater. Most of the known examples are attributed to men from VA and MD but as mentioned above they were known to have been issued to men from FL as well, particularly the 2^nd FL.

The so called "Columbus Depot" jacket is another recognizable pattern and also associated with FL troops that fought in the west. I say "So Called" because it has never been proven that these coats came from that depot as is the case with the Richmond coats that are absolutely identified as having originated there. The Columbus coats are not generally quite as nicely made as the ANV counter[art from Richmond. They cone in several varieties but none seem to be of any chronological transition. Some are made with 5 button fronts, some have six. Some have pockets on the outside, some do not. Some will have a point or tail in the back, some will not. They are always made of a lower grade of wool/cotton jean cloth but in a variety of colors. The common detail is, they will always have the cuffs and collar trimmed in dark blue wool kersey. They all have one piece, rather slender sleeves. The collars are not real tall but taller than those of the ANV coat. There are a few examples still existing and quite a few period photos. Oddly most of the existing coats as well as the better part of the photos are known to be of Kentucky troops. Being that the coat is attributed to a depot in GA, it might be thought that Georgia men would have been the most common wearers of this type coat. It may be that they were but the examples that have survived are KY. It should be pointed out that even though all the coats were blue trimmed, they were issued to infantry, cavalry and artillery alike. While the south did have regulations for branch of service, it was not closely observed.

A last coat that I would like to focus on is the Atlanta depot jacket. It also saw widespread use in the west and even some in the ANV. This is not true with the Columbus jacket. They are only know in the west and ANV jackets only in the east. FL Troops in the west were issued Atlanta jackets. These are quite rare in period photos and existing examples are more scarce than other depot jackets. They are generally of a higher grade of manufacture like the Richmond jacket. They have a six button front and are known to had had regulation buttons installed as well as state buttons. The features that distinguish them are slender one piece sleeves, a slight point at the back, and an unusual feature in which the collar in installed on the jacket in an offset manner so that when it is buttoned, the front panels overlap in such a way so as to cause the opening in the collar to fit closer. To my knowledge this is one of the only type coats that are made this way. I have never seen one that was trimmed in any way.

It should be noted that any of the jackets mentioned here including commutation jackets could have been worn by officers. I have personally handled one Richmond jacket which was drawn from the depot by a Lt. From MD, then taken to a tailor to be trimmed and fitted with Lt. Collar insignia.

Let's take a brief look at trousers. All of the depots issued some type of trousers. Trousers were in short supply in the south for some reason and most of the trousers known to have been issued even from the depots were just civilian trousers. Mostly work trousers. The Richmond depot trousers are the most recognizable and while they are not marked they are generally made of a darker gray all wool kersey and many of the jackets are. The have a very high waist, have more slender legs than average work trousers of the time. They will almost always have pocket flaps, some times called dog ears. These flaps may have had button holes sewn in the very points so they could be buttoned shut. Not all are noted to be this way. Some will have trim down the side for branch or unit colors. Some will have trim for officers and NCOs. I have seen trousers which were attributed to a private which were also trimmed so again this was a matter of choice. All will have a cinch belt made of cloth which goes across the back and generally fastened by a small wire clasp buckle. The Richmond type trousers were very much issued to enlisted men and officers and are by far the most common. They also tend to be very well made as opposed to the types sent from home which could be of varying quality.

Trousers from other depots will be similar jn design to the Richmond type but of less quality. As with the Richmond issue they are based on work trousers. Some will have pocket flaps like those described above but others will have slit pockets which are just set into the side seams of the trouser legs. There are a number of trousers known as broad fall or broad breach trousers that have one or two buttons at the waste and then several across to the sides. Navy trousers were made like this well in to the 20^th century and nearly all men's trousers were made like this to the early 1840s. Most will have a cinch belt like the Richmond trousers with a wire buckle. Others will fasten with a button on the belt and some have no belt but rather a series of grommets or eyelets that a cord will be used to tie. NO trousers of the period will have loops of a waist belt. Most will have suspender buttons on the waist band and very few will have back pockets of any type.

It should be noted that trousers were imported from England and issued to CS troops. The were British army trousers and were very well made of the highest quality materials. They are similar to the Richmond trousers but made of a dark blue wool and most are marked with size marks and a broad arrow inspection stamp. These would have been highly prized by CS troops.

Also light blue federal issue trousers would have been used by CS troops. For one thing it is known that quite a few CS troops "Traded" with union prisoners. It is also know that quite a few supplies of union uniforms were raided by southerners and issued. It is a documented fact that most of the CS troops engaged at the battle of Perryville were wearing US issue trousers. These were very high quality all wool trousers of sky blue kersey. They mostly had slit pockets in the side seams and lace up backs with no cinch belts.

As for materials, there would have been every conceivable type of material and color. Mostly 100% wool but also jean cloth was common. I have seen stripped bed ticking used to make trousers and coats too for that matter. Also 100% cotton jean or dungaree material just like modern blue jeans were very common. I have seen them made from materials EXACTLY like Levi jeans. Faded and all!

Shirts were not standard issue at all and from what I can tell there was no regulation shirt of any kind. There were shirts that were mass produced then purchased and supplied to the troops but no set regulation. Most shirts that are known to have been used by CS troops will be of cotton. Like the battle shirts described above they will be made in a wide variety of patterns but always of the pull over type. I know of no shirt of the period that was buttoned all the way down. Most would have some kind of pockets on the front but not all. Most would have been woven in designs like checks or stripes but some would even have been printed in all sorts of designs like polka dots and flowers and even paisley. There is one shirt that was printed with Confederate battle flags set on poles and crossed! Shirts which can be attributed to a CS soldier are extremely rare. Most would have been made of very light material in order to be comfortable. They would have been saturated with sweat and grime and would have literally fallen apart on the body of the wearer, repaired as much as possible then thrown away when a new one came available.

As with trousers, one common type known to have been in fairly wide spread issue is the British army issue shirt. There are several known to have been worn by CS troops which survive. The British had a regulation pattern and may were shipped over here like the trousers mentioned above. They tend to be well made, of good cotton bed ticking. They have no collars and no pockets. They are re-enforced at the shoulders with strips of folded cloth. They are of the pull over type and were marked with size and broad arrow issue stamp.

I hope this gives you an idea of what an enlisted soldier from the CS might be dressed like. There are an infinite variety of uniforms and most we can only see in period photos and guess what they were really like in detail.

Next month : Head Gear

Mrs. Bart (Lunelle) Siegel Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You have quiet taken the Cause of our Confederacy to heart and your exemplary and singular action has been and is being noticed. The contribution of the 100 (“Do Not Trash Our Heritage”) signs for the Day of Protest was a Godsend. Your funding of the airline ticket to H. K. Edgerton made a great opportunity a reality. You opening your home for four days to our guest, H. K. Edgerton, was truly benevolent. Your ordering and paying for 500 beautiful nylon Confederate flags to pass out at the Brandon 4th of July Parade was just too generous. Your motivation on bringing the parade float up to a high standard was the catalyst for success. And all that just in the past two weeks. To Lunelle, The Best Rebmaster Ever, We Love You

 NEWS LETTER

30th Signal Battalion Association

February 2001 Phillipsburg, NJ Volume XVI Issue I

COMMENTARY 

By Cookie

Whether or not you were a “gung ho” military type I believe that each of you will have had the same thrill run down your spine, as I did, when at a military funeral, or the last thing at night, was heard the sounding of taps. it has a haunting sound, sort of indescribable. It has words, in fact three stanza’s. Here is how it came about, and the words:

It was in 1862 during the Civil War. Union Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his men near Harrison’s Landing in Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land. During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay mortally wounded on the field. Not knowing if jt was a Union or Confederate soldier, the Captain decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention. Crawling on his stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment. When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead. The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It was his own son.

The boy had been studying music in the South when the war broke out. Without telling his father, he had enlisted in the Confederate Army.

The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked permission of his superiors to give his son a full military burial despite his enemy status. His request was only partially granted. The Captain had asked if he could have a group of Army band members play a funeral dirge for his son at the funeral. The request was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate, but, out of respect for the father they did say they could give him only one musician. The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the bugler to play a series of musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the dead youth’s uniform. This wish was granted.

The haunting melody we now know as “Taps” used at military funerals was born. The words:

Day is done		Fading light		Thanks and praise
Gone the sun		Dims the sight		For our days
From the lakes		And a star		'Neath the sun
From the hills		Gems the sky		'Neath the stars
From the sky		Gleaming bright		'Neath the sky
All is well		From afar		As we go
Safely rest		Drawing nigh		This we know
God is nigh.		Falls the night.		God is nigh.

General Robert E. Lee's Farewell Order

After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage and fortitude, the Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources.  I need not tell the survivors of so many hard-fought battles, who have remained steadfast to the last, that I have consented to this result from no distrust in them;  but, feeling that valor and devotion could accomplish nothing that could compensate for the loss that would attended the continuation of the contest, I have determined to avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose past services have endeared them to their countrymen.  By the terms of the agreement, officers, and men can return to their homes, and remain there until exchanged.

You will take with you the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed; and I earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you his blessing and protection.  With an unceasing admiration of your constancy and devotion to your Country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and generous consideration of myself, I bid you and affectionate farewell.

From the Adjutant’s Desk:

Saturday June 30^th, Sara Jean Buie Brown was joined in wedlock with Dale MacKenzie Gross, a revered member of our camp. The bride’s gorgeous attire and the groom’s Prince Charlie (the Scottish tux) and kilt highlighted the resplendent Scottish ceremony. This followed by lasses performing both Scottish and Irish dancing. The piper was in attendance throughout the entire afternoon.

Most of the well wishers wore their clan tartan or insignia including Past Adjutant Jim Armitiage, his wife Kristin (Past President, Tampa Chapter 113, UDC), and this author. Commander James Hayward and his missis, Rosa (Past Chaplain, Tampa Chapter 113, UDC) were present for the wedding held at the Central Christian Church in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The 1841 Mississippi .54 CAL Rifle has been delivered and donation tickets will be mailed to you in the near future.

If you have any questions concerning camp business or to process membership paperwork, please do not hesitate in contacting me.

Adjutant Dwight Tetrick
19126 Amelia Circle
Lutz, FL 33549
(813) 949-4746