Maryland, My Maryland
September 7 - 9, 2012


Dear Participant,

The final event schedule has been updated on the website, www.marylandmymaryland.org/schedule.

This week we will focus on how to look "1862". One aspect of the hobby we sometimes forget is that troops at a battle in September 1862 looked considerably different than troops at a Spring of 1863 or even 1862 action.

On the web site at www.marylandmymaryland.org we have listed under each side guidelines to look the part at the event.

I have also included them here- take a look, these are not "required" but highly encouraged in order to give the spectators and your fellow living historians a better "picture into the past" and " Look September 1862"


Confederate
Infantry Impressions
One aspect of the hobby that will increase both your knowledge and enjoyment of an event, is tailoring your impression to the specific event. This allows you to learn more about the material culture as well as giving the public a better vision of the troops of the period.

The Common CS soldier during this campaign traveled light and looked hard. They still would have been covered in road dust, and their clothing and equipment would be coming to the end of its useful life span. The Commutation System was still in effect, though stumbling badly, and the Central Government Issue system was not fully functional yet. And the common soldier paid for this.

This is the event for the worn and torn and terribly dirty impression. Trousers with worn seats, or none, covered with cooking grease, and the legs threadbare are common, as well as jackets with elbows worn out, shoulders threadbare from carrying a musket and Knapsack. Shoes worn through, and in some cases barefoot. Hats with tuff's of hair sticking through. If you enjoy being a ragged rebel, now is the time to go full out.

Keep in mind the clothing a NC Soldier wore during this period, may or may not have differed from that which a VA private wore. The individual states did equip many a regiment, but there is no hard rule that says if you are from South Carolina you would have been wearing a South Carolina Frock Coat. But it is a detail grossly under represented in our hobby.


Head Gear
There are many choices, and your decision would be based upon what unit you are depicting:

Jean Cloth Kepi with a black or blue band, sometimes rising into a peak at the front. You can see good examples of these in the Confederate Version of Echoes of Glory. Havelocks were not worn by this period.

CS Jean "McDowell" caps: Properly blocked and lined Civilian Hats, perhaps folded into a "tri-corn", seen on troops from many states in early war photos.


Coat
There are several options for this as well. State Issued clothing, such as:

NC Jean "Regimental" Coat
NC Jean Shell Jacket
GA Issue Shell Jacket
South Carolina Issue Frock Coat
Richmond Depot I
Commutation Jackets
Over shirts (battle shirts)
Civilian Frock or Sack coats

If all you own is a Richmond Depot II or III style jacket, you can do a "quick fix" and make these jackets appear as Early War by stitching some black or blue tape trim to the collar and/or cuffs and/or epaulets. On many originals I have found, the stitching is very poorly done, so you do not have to be a master tailor to pull it off! Remember there is a general acceptance that the Richmond Depot Pattern Jackets were based off of earlier patterns, with cost cutting measures.

A few dollars in black or blue tape trim, and about ½ an hour, and you now have a jacket that is much more period for this timeframe.


Trousers
As with Coats there are many state variations you could wear. Basic CS or Civilian trousers will suffice, perhaps you might want to add a black or blue tape stripe to the out side seam of the trousers, as was often seen in this period.

As with coats, most of the trousers worn during this period would be state issued or commutation pattern. They do not differ greatly from standard Richmond Pattern Foot Trousers, but were often seen with tape trim on the legs, once again black or blue, and were sometimes lined 8 inches up from the bottom, allowing the trouser to fall naturally over a pair of boots. Notice I said over a pair, not tucked in, except for mounted officers.


Footwear
At this point in the War, CS or Civilian Shoes would prove to be the most common, as the number of Federal Shoes worn by CS troops has been highly over estimated.


Canteen / Knapsack / Haversacks
This is one other area in which you can "appear 1862"

The most common canteen would have been the plain tin drum, with cloth or leather strap. This is an inexpensive purchase, and the whole unit would look "uniform" buy carrying these, as well as common white CS issue Haversacks.

Also, the wearing of Militia Pattern Knapsacks, such as the Kibler Pack in EoG is another way to look 1862. As with shoes, the number of CS troops carrying captured Federal Gea