the watchdog.

THE WATCHDOG.
I
- Y
Volume 9, NO. 4
UARTERLV QWVIEW FOR CIVIL WAR ENACTORS
Guarding your interests..
Comfort from the Past.
I strive for accurate material culture in my impressions. I
appreciate a setting and props that are accurate. I love to interact
with other appropriately dressed citizens. The whole experience
can last five minutes or several days. However, the level of fun.
personal satisfaction and self-education really depends on me. I
can also enjoy nineteenth-century social culture and moments
among friends when the material culture is that of the present
day. It has all got to do with "attitude." There is no one right
answer, but I get more enjoyment out of being out among the
folks with a similar appreciative attitude for accuracy.
Before September 1lth most of us thought that having an
authentic attitude pretty much applied to the weekend activities
among our community of pseudo-citizens of the 1860s. After
that morning the sense of not knowing what comes next, or that
from this moment life might be more dangerous than we can
imagine has become the norm. We became authentic ...
awestruck, angry, hurting, resolved, sad and numb and ready to
go to war. I am certain that in homes across our country in
April of 1861 similar feelings began to fill the hearts of many
citizens. Now, through this experience, we have another
personal link to the past as we anticipate the future.
We can gain comfort from the past. On the return m p home
from the Artifact Forum Glenna Jo and I stopped at the Valley
Forge historical park. It was a short visit, late on a fall afternoon.
.As I thought about the experience of the army camped there in
1'77 and their faith, I felt more confident that we would sunlive
our current trials, just as they and our young nation had. Take
heart friends. all will be well.
Artifact Forum.
The Artifact Forum in Philadelphia several weeks ago was
an outstanding success. Participation may have been slightly
diminished by reluctance to travel and the state of economy.
Those who attended and made presentations, however, shared
a wonderful exchange of information and had a chance to
examine some wonderful original items. How often does one
get to see a half dozen original Federal frock coats? Not only to
see them, but to photograph and carefully examine them. In
addition, there were CS officer's uniforms. bayonet scabbards
and other accoutrements, men and women's clothing and
accessories, gutta percha and hard rubber items, musical
instruments and Godey's books. The displays were linked to
ars at the
.
FALL 2001
the presentations. There also were lectures on shelter tents.
photography and winter quarters. The participants n.ere among
the most knowledgeable in the community. The Union Leasue
is a very comfortable and historically appropriate settins thar
encouraged interaction among presenters and attendee\.
Another Artifact Forum next year is planned.. .probabl>-in
a southern location like Charleston or Atlanta. The DOG will
be proud to assist in the sponsorship of future forums. Copies of
the proceedings of the 2001 forum are available. Illustrated
highlights of each presentation are included in this 130 page
document. Copies cost fifteen dollars from The Civil War
Artifact Forum. 1918 Wilson Lane, McLean. Virginia 22 102.
You can contact [email protected] for more details.
An Addition to our Staff.
The guard roster has a new name. Lee Rainey has been an
enactor for nine years. His interests include Hood's Texas
Brigade, the CS Quartermaster and Subsistence departments.
nineteenth-century basic industry (coal, iron. railroads1 and
agriculture. He claims ten relatives who senled in the .Lm! .\!
Northern Virginia, including a great grandfather u hi. u 2~ 2
commissary sergeant. At present Mr. Rainey lives in thc Paafii
Northwest and brings our coverage of the communlr? cozsr ro
coast. His articles usually make us hungry or want ro <ins.
Our Next Issue.
As this issue unfolded I realized that I would not ha1 e room
for several longer pieces. These have been held until the next
(WNTER 2002) issue. I have several articles in the works on
boots and shoes.. .looking at originals and reviews of products
from Mattimore Harness and Fugawee. Tom Mattimore is
offering new boots and civilian men's low shoes. Art and Nancy
Ayoette from Fugawee has provided us with information about
original shoe matching their "Victoria" model of women's shoes
(side elastic and faux buttons). We can now recommend these.
They also have provided a sample of their new men's boot. These
particular products from both sources score an ARF! I wanted
to make sure that they received an adequate presentation.
The next Issue will also contain details of our annual
preservation donations. Thanks to your support at se\ era1 e\ en[\
and shown by subscription renewals, we may be able to up :he
ante from last year.
Mr. Christen
nd.
THE VIGTLXST SOLDIER
Reenacting Myths 9ispelled: "Recover-ARMS."
A s p e c t e r is h a u n t i n g reenacting-the
s p e c t e r of
"reenactorisms." This "ghost of imagination present" rears its
head when Civil War hobbyists learn and perpetuate othenvise
well-meaning errors o r misinterpretations of historical fact.
These errors are not reflected in the historical record, yet are
reflected in the hobby, and emanate from the hobby. I have
devoted this article to the exorcism of a reasonably prevalent
"reenactorismv-the
m i s u s e of t h e i n f a n t r y c o m m a n d
"R~C~\~~~-ARMS."
Websrer 's D i c t i o n a n defines the tern1 as: "Recover a r m s
(,Mil. Drill), a command whereby the piece is brought from the
position of 'aim' to that of 'ready.'"
Apparently, some reenactor commanders have taken this
definition literally. That is. they use the command after the
weapons have been fired. to bring the unloaded muskets to the.
position o f "Ready" a n d then to t h e position of e i t h e r
"Shoulder-ARMS"
or "Order-ARMS.
Where did this use
come from? More importantly, is this interpretation correct'?
There is support for the use of "Recover Arms" immediately
after firing. The North-South Skirmish Association's National
Rules." Section 14. contains the following:
"CEASE FIRE! RECOVER ARMS!" - Should the
Announcer wish to interrupt the firing commands, he
shall command "CEASE FIRE! RECOVER ARMS!"
On this command, the competitor5 shall withdraw their
fingers from the triggers, then return their pieces to
position of "ready." remove c a p s a n d l o w e r the
hammers to the half-cock. Competitors shall then stand
at the "ready" position and await further orders.
According to "Firing Black Powder Rifles." published by
Vicksburg National Military Park. readers are informed:
After the weapon was discharged the soldiers would
wait for the command to RECOVER ARMS and bring
the weapon off the shoulder to either reload or cease
firing."
Hen. do the5e practice< published by the North-South Skirmish
.A.;qociation and a unit of the Sational Park Service compare to
the. tactical doctrines in place during the American Civil War?
Betore the Ci\.ii War General Winfield Scott emerged as
:hs rrsrminent author and practitioner of military tactics. His
i t ! , m r l r n . Tizc-rics. published in 1836, laid down the foundation
for American tactical thought that endured for nearly thirty years.
Regarding "Recover-ARMS,"
Scott wrote:
227. The squad being in the position of aitn [italics
original] the instructor. to habituate the recruits to wait
for the word fire [italics original], will sometimes
command:
Recover-ARMS.
One time a n d one motion.
228. Withdraw the finger from the trigger, throw up
smartly the muzzle. and retake the position of the fourth
motion of read! [italics original].
R!/le arid Liglzr Infantn Tactics, published in 1855 and
later by William J. Hardee. departed from the heavy infantry
doctrine advocated by Scott and elucidated a tactical format for
light infantry. armed with two-banded rifles. Today. Hardee's
Tactics is probably the drill manual used most often by modem
Civil War reenactors. In this manual. we find:
183. To accustom the recruits to wait for the command
fire, the instructor, when they are in the position of
aim, will command:
Recover-ARMS.
One tinre a n d one rtlotiori
184. At the first part of the command. u.ithdran the
finger from the trigger: at the command anuc. retake
the position of the third motion of read!:.
185. The recruits being in the position of ihe r h ~ r l !
motion of reacl\,, if the instructor should iiiih ro hring
them to it shoulder, he ~villcommand:
This process diverged from S c c : : ' ~ ..~riting.essentially
making the evolution a two-motion prccs;; rs-i.! a1 of the finger
from the trigger at the command "Rf:.: ,. s:" 17.j reiuming the
position of "the third position of "?,s:::."
1: :hs command
",4rms." Hardee continued his publii;lr;i.r - / Lx::nir,uals risk.:
up to the start of the Civil War. In 1861 j:~:::~:.! L[-:r Simc:.
. .
Cameron adopted US Infantn Tactics iesssnr::::. ;- :-.?:.lrlcr
of Hardee's Tactics for use with two-band n2: -r ::rsf--r:2
musket. but without Hardee's name.) It is nor i u q ~ . ; c ; :-.:I
the definition of "Recover-ARMS"
remained ident;;,: :
Hardee's other works:
Reco1,er-AR\I
One titne atxi one
5
,?I;:.
I-
At the first part of the command. ..\ :!;:.:
::: 57,s-r
from the trigger; at the comrnan, .:-;,::. ::::is
rhe
position of the third motion of rtc;<:..
.At about the same time ir, BA::.T.+:<
Gilh:ar~i published his ,bfo?i~tc7/ofi~!.i:~-:!!.
::('r!
\Inlor William
\+d~tnteers
-LIT- t,le
u11d ;Militia of the Utzited States. Regarding the movement
"Recover-ARMS."
Gilham essentially used verbiage from
Scott's Infantn Tactics:
The squad being in the position of aim, the instructor.
to habituate the soldiers to wait for the word fire,
sometimes commands:
Recover-ARMS.
One time and one motion.
112. Withdraw the finger from the trigger, throw up
the muzzle smartly, and retake the position of the fourth
motion of ready.
The men being in this position, if the instructor wishes
then1 to come to a shoulder, he commands:
At around the same time in Philadelphia, Colonel D. W. C.
Baxter published his Volunteer's Manual. In this book, B a t e r
used wording similar to Scott. but retained the two motion
movement advocated by Hardee:
RECOVER-ARMS. (From the aim-one motion.)
At the word recover, withdraw the finger from the
trigger; at the command a m . throw up smartly the
muzzle. and retake the position of the fourth motion
of ready.
Finally, Brigadier General Silas Casey published the drill
manual that Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton adopted in
1862 for the volunteer and Regular infantry of the United States.
This action superceded the use of US Infantry Tactics, and
essentially standardized the drill manual for regiments of United
States infantry that previously had drilled under five or more
different tactical compendiums. In Casey's Infantry Tactics, we
read:
!90. To accustom the recruits to wait for the command
fire. the instructor, when they are in the position of
aim. will command:
Recover-ARMS.
One time and one motion.
191. At the first part of the command, withdraw the
finger from the trigger; at the command arms. retake
the position of the third motion of ready.
192. The recruits, being at the position of the third
motion of ready, if the instructor should wish to bring
them to a shoulder. he will command:
Careful readers of the quotations of the major Civil War
tactics manuals we ha1.e examined will note a common thread.
The manuals instructed officers to use the command "RecoverARMS" to "accustom the recruits to wait for the command
fire"-that is. to teach the principles of fire control and waiting
for the voice commands of the leadership. Instructors used the
command from the position of "Aim." and in close association
with the load commands, aiming, and firing. This means that
officers instructed the recruits. and later the soldiers, in the use
of "Recover Arms" when the weapons were loaded.
This is not the general use of "Recover-ARMS" by many
enactor leaders! Nor is it the use of the command by the General
Rules of the N-SSA or units of the National Park Service. which
prescribe the use of the command in connection with unloaded
rifle-muskets. None of the antebellum and Civil War era drill
manuals examined in preparation for this article described the
use of the command "Recover-ARMS"
in connection u ith
unloaded weapons. It is clear from a reading of the manuals
that once the recruits had fired. and held their weapons at the
position of "Aim." the two appropriate commands of choice
were either "Load" or "Shoulder Arms."
This is not to say that there might have been an obscure
use of "Recover-ARMS" rendered in connection with unloaded
muskets, or in some other departure from the manuals. That
being said, one may conclude that the purpose and intent for
the command "Recover-ARMS" was for the general purpose
of teaching fire control to. or otherwise arresting of fire of.
soldiers with loaded rifle-muskets.
Mr. Braun
PU3LISHERS NOTE:
,411 rights reserved by the author. Nootheruse of h i s anicle. repnnnns. :y.:l; I:
otherwise saving or recovering from information itorage and reme: :; .:-.:-.- :.
permined without the express written permission of [he aurhor. Rotv- i?:-
WE STAND CORRECTED.
..
...
for "The Last Campaign."
Steve Dunfee's quarterly catalogue of original small penod it err.^
for soldier and civilian was mentioned in the last issue. The
street address is 3819 E. Calle Cortez, not Calle Court.
...
for The Civil War Seamstress.
The correct e-mail address for Eileen Herr, The Civil War
Seamstress, is [email protected], not "CWSeamstress."
...
about the Lorenz Wiper.
In the SPRWG 2001 issue we printed in regard to Ken Mink
who reprints Gilham's and Casey's manuals:
...If you need a fine steel reproduction of a "Y"
combination tool ...cleaning wiper for the Model 1851
Austrian Lorenz ...
According to Ken. "Something may have gotten 1?11\in:cr;.rs;s2
I have the combination tool and the jag. I do nor h ~ s \I . . ; : ~ . . ; . r '
Slr. Christen
FALL 2001
Corn Meal
F e u foods are as typical of American life before a n d during
the Civil War as corn meal and various breads made from it. In
this article we will examine the availability and utilization of
corn meal by civilians and soldiers before and during the \inar.
Corn meal. often referred to then as Indian meal. was
common simply because corn was so prevalent in e x l y American
agriculture. As one scholar has noted. among American farmers
in the colonial and antebellum period.
. . . probably
more than ninety percent of these depended
heavily upon corn for their sunival . . . The only major
crop grown in every colony and state, corn was the
great common denommator of agriculture.. . . [ I ]
Corn was preferred because it was one of the most reliable
of crops. As Prairie Fannir~g,a prewar agricultural handbook.
simply put it, ". . . it never fails.. . ." Corn also was remarkably
productive. Gentleman planter John Taylor of Caroline County.
Virginia argued:
The highest prodrrcr of Indian corn in the United
States is one hundred brr rhels to the acre. ~tshereasthe
highest product of 11 heat is ri\-t\.brrshels per acre. Fifr?
bushels of corn to the (1cr.e is irzvariably produced Oy
land ell manured, and \t,ell cnltivared; rc-hereas half
rhat crop of 1vheot is e.rtretne1~rare, and in disrricts
\t,here the at,erage crop of \c,heat is-fi~vebushels, [hat
of corn isfifieerl bushels to the acre.
As a result. the United States produced almost five times as
much corn per capita as wheat. Even allowing for the amount
of corn fed to livestock. this generated significant quantities for
human consumption. [ 2 ]
Corn meal was especially prevalent in the South. For
residents in the southwestern states prior to the war, cornbread
was an almost daily occurrence. A New Yorker, traveling west
to Texas in 1853, recalled later his first encounter with cornbread
at a Kentucky inn:
At this dinner I made the first practical acquaintance
with . . . corn-bread and bacon . . . without a thought
that for the next six months I should actually see
nothing else. [3]
Some >ears later another traveler, the famous British Lieutenant
C(-rlonel Arthur Fremantle, m a d e the s a m e observation.
remarking that on a journey from Hunts\.ille. Texas towards
the Mississippi in early 1863. "The food we get on the road is
sufficient. and good enough to sustain life; it consists of pork or
bacon. [and] bread made from Indian corn. . . ." [-I!
White or Yellow?
Much has been written in enactor publications about the
color of corn meal eaten at the time of the war. >Ian! liter,
4
niiert. for instance. that clnl!. white <corn meal n:as considered
fit for human consumption 111 the antebellum period. In fact.
this \.ieu. appears to reflect a misunderstanding of regional
differences.
The opinions of the sections certainly differed on the proper
type of corn to grind into meal. lMary Terhune, the southernborn author of a cookbook that enjoyed a national sale. declared:
There is a marked difference between the corn-meal
ground in the south and that which is Tent our from
Northern mills . . . The Southern meal is certaini! :curser
and the bread made from it is less compact. IItors>\er.
there is a partiality at the North for yello\.. :?I.;:.
?ich
the Southerners regard a s only fit f n r ch:iken and
cattlefeed. The yellow may be the <\x.efrf:. '-..i: I hax,e
never succeeded in making reall!. nice brs;; ::om it.
Her remarks must have raised a laugh from thl: publicist at
New York's Atlantic Dock Mills Company ("the largest
e s t a b l i s h m e n t in the world devoted exclusively t o the
manufacture of Indian corn") who stated confidently "Yellow
Corn contains far more nutriment than white Corn. and is used
in preference by a large majority of American consumers." [5]
The regional difference no doubt stemmed from a peculiarity
of pre-war corn culture. More than forty varieties of corn were
commonly grown in the Unites States at that time, producing
yellow. white, copper, brown, red, blue and speckled kernels.
However. the preferred types for the southern climate included
such varieties as the White Horse-tooth (a dent variety often
called simply the Southern White), and the Long White Flint,
common in the upper south. Another preference was the White
Gourd-seed. which a southern farmer declared. ". . . under the
long warm seasons of the Southern States . . . is grown in great
perfection and yields abundantly." By contrast. popular northern
varieties included New England's copper-colored Kiny Phillip
and its red and yellow derivatives, or the Dut:c:: .:f \Iar].land
and Sioux Flint of Pennsylvania. which u sr- 1 2 : : r .; .. i ~ e t i e s .
In fairness, though, this difference should :,: ' 5 - -.fri:ated, as
make
both botanical guides and agricultural r e p c r i :!~2
clear that, despite regional prejudice<. '5:::;5 . . - i-.L
white
!
.
corns were grown to some degree in all if;:. . -.
Corn Meal in Army Ratinm.
. Civil War armies, North and S?L:C. :T: . 1-1 :or the
issuance of a variety of breadstuff> :: :r:.:;5les of
. .
rations. Included in the regulations n e x ;;?I:: I-..
.- :.- ~ n t ~ t ~ e s
of bread. flour, hard bread or corn meal. ..< :.:r
- r:;
ro the
law could be issued interchangeabi). .\::I- :;.- :>rrhern
commissaries purchased and issued corn 3 2 ; : 2 i z n g the ivar.
it does not seem to have been as common a. In rhs Confederacy.
Indeed, it quickly became so prominent a pan of southern army
life that veterans after the war sometimes johngly referred to
themselves as the "Corn-feds." [ i ]
Wheat flour first seems to have become scarce in the
THE FVATCHDOG.
L:-
FALL 21
Confederacy's eastern army during the winter of 1862-63,
though hardtack reappeared during the summer campaign of
1863. When flour or wheat breads were unavailable, corn meal
was issued at the rate of 1.25 pounds per ration. Indeed, for
many months after January 1864 only corn meal was issued to
the Army of Northern Virginia. and the ration declined during
the summer of 1864 to a pound a day. An effort was made in the
fall of 1864 to increase the corn meal ration and to provide
forty percent of the bread rations a s flour. T h o u g h the
commissary succeeded in making some flour available even as
late as the evacuation of Richmond. the last recorded issues to
the army in Virginia were in many cases the familiar Indian
corn meal. [8]
With rations increasingly hard to come by, there is evidence
that the Southerners were willing to compromise on the regional
prejudice against yellow meal. The testimony comes from an
eyewitness account of the First Corps' forced march to save
Lee's army at the Wilderness. According to that soldier, as
Longstreet's leading units ran towards the battle line, ". . . Every
man stripped himself for the fight and I have never seen s o
much yellow corn meal thrown away in my life." [9]
in slices and fried in bacon or pork fat. and makes a good dish.. ."
[ 121
Corn meal and water could also be turned into a bread,
known by a variety of names. A Union publication. The Militan
Hond Book and Soldier Y: ,Manual, gives the basic recipe:
Hoe-Cake-Mix a stiff dough of Indian meal, a little
salt, and water (scalding water is best): flatten it on a
board, and tilt it up before the campfire until brown on
one side: turn and brown the other.. . . It can also be
baked in hot ashes. o r with hot stones, Southern
fashion.
Note that scalding water is just under the boiling point. Little
bubbles should form around the edge of the pan. but there should
be no rolling boil. [I31
Other writers confirm both the simplicity of the recipe and
the variety of cooking methods. Kautz wrote that, in the field.
". . . With a frying-pan, thin cakes can be rapidly baked. and are
an excellent diet.. . ." Better-equipped troops might follow [he
recommendation of a popular cookbook that the same dough be
baked ... in a Dutch oven on tin sheets . .." to produce corrl
dodgers. A young lady in Independence. Washington County.
Texas. tvritiny to a Texas newspaper in 1862. recommended
that the cook " . . . u.rap [the dough] up in corn .;bucks or a collard
leaf. and bake i t in hot ashes ... ." producing 3 dish she called
trsii con1 ccike. [[.hen e \ e n the collard leaf \ \ a \ lackinp. soldier\
baked their c7si1c.trkc~.sor potit \irnpl! h! Jroppinp rht. dough
into the ashe\. .As one 1-eteran rernarked nt'!i.!- !1-.i11; !hi\ 111~!hoij
.
,
at Chickamauga. " . . . Of courw. i t carnrl (?:I! o f !kc .::-L, ::,!If
done. but we ate it ravenousl>.. and i t t;!ilc~i ; i . \ ) i i
LVhen a griddle u,as available. the co(7k \\ ..!. :.: :
the same dough into Indin11 1t.nrcr c.iikc\ nit!: : t - . .. .. -.
method:
"
C o r n Meal a n d Water.
Let us turn now to an examination of how soldiers dealt
with corn meal in the field. The 5inlplest dishes ivere made of
onl! tor-n rneal and water. These drew on a long tradition of
~ o o k i n gboth nt home and in the field.
The rnost ha.;ic food made from corn meal duriny the u-ar
\\:I\ r~iirrl~
or- ,qt-rrrl. House\\.i\.es were adxised by popular
~ o o k h o o k xto make nlllsh in this fashion:
'.
Have read!, on the fire a pot of boiling water. Stir into
i t by degrees ( a handful at a time) sufficient Indian
meal to make i t very thick and then add a small portion
of salt . . . between every handful, stir \,cry hard . . . After
i t is wfficiently thick. keep it boiling for an hour longer.
ktirrins i t occasionally. Then cover the pot. and hang
11 hisher up the chimney. so as to simmer s l o w l j ~or
l ~ hot~ another
p
hour.. . . It is not too long to have it
~Irogetherthree or four hours over the fire . . . [ l o ]
Soldiers may have employed such deliberate procedures in
camp. where. according to the testimony of Frank Foote of the
Third Corps. Army of Northern Virginia. mush u.as a common
iiii;h in the latter part of the u.ar. But palatable mush can also be
a o k e d in the field by boiling water in a tin cup, stirring in a
handful of meal and giving it a final minute or two of boiling.
This is no doubt closer to the process used the evening of April
8. 1865. u,hen Lee's Texan remnants. under fire from hidden
Union sharpshooters. were witnessed by an officer "...digging
little holes in the ground and building fires of twigs in them.
o\.er which to cook their corn-meal gruel.. ." [ I I ]
A soldier who dined on mush before turning in after a long
march c o ~ l l dtake advantage of the cooled remainder the
follo\ving morning. As Union General August Kautz noted in
hi5 \tartime soldiers' manual, ". . . What is left over may be cut
c:.
Heat your griddle hot. clean and grea\rl !! .:. :
place i t over a bed of clear coals: then r::: - -. . - . .
cakes. make them small. thin and smooth. 'I:,
:rz
:
hastily, turn then1 o\,er as soon as the LI-U\: : - ..
brown. and m,hen they are done through. \ii.:.r
take but a \ . e n short time. split and butter rhc.:::. .:.
send them to the table immediately. [ I ? ]
C o r n hleal a n d Shortening.
A variet!. of recipes describe similar breads made m,ith corn
meal and some form of shortening. In the army. this shortening
could be either bacon grease or lard. saved from the ration pork
and beef.
The young lady from Independence described one such dish
in her recipe for corn crisp:
Take one pint of meal. one tablespoon of lard. a lirtle
and water. spread i t on a board thin. and bake i r hsf,:r: :?;
fire; turn it u i t h a string or knife. [ I ~ I
In making this dish. I like to use scalding
THE WATCHDOG.
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.:r:
.
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FALL 2001
:rt
1
shortening melted rather than cutting it in with a fork. Public
visitors in living history settings are allvays fascinated b!; the
process of making bread from corn meal and bacon grease, using
only a tin cup for mixing and a small, sheet iron frying pan as a
baking tool.
According to The Kentuck? House\\.[fe of 1839. J o h n n ~
cakes were made in a similar fashion, though a strict adherence
to the recipe requires cream that would have been scarce in the
field. This recipe also gives a good idea of the b a h n g procedure:
Take a thin dough of sifted Indian meal and lukewarm
water or sweet milk. adding a teaspoonful of salt, and
a large spoonful of butter to each quart of meal. Work
it well, as Indian meal, in whatever way it is prepared,
should be worked thoroughly. Having ready a piece of
board planed smooth, wet it uith water. and put on a
cake of the dough about three quarters of an inch thick,
make it smooth and even around the edges, brush it
over with sweet cream, and brown it lightly before a
clear fire, propping it on one edge by setting something
behind it, to support it. Then run the blade of a knife
or a sewing thread between the bread and the board, to
loose it, turn it over. brown the other side in the same
manner, first moistening it with sweet cream, and then
cut it across in small cakes, split them, lay a piece of
firm butter on one half of each piece, put them together
again, and send them immediately to the table. [171
Corn Meal and Molasses.
Molasses was frequently available to the troops via foraging
or civilian purchase. Late in the war molasses or sorghum even
became a part of the Confederate official ration, where it was
substituted for increasingly scarce meat at the rate of three gills
to the pound! [IS] Combined with issue corn meal, this would
have provided the materials for a dish known as Indian cake or
bannock.
The American Frugal Housewife, the most popular early
American cookbook, has a recipe for bannock in its 1833 edition:
Indian cake, or bannock, is sweet and cheap food. One quart
of sifted meal. two great spoonfuls of molasses, two teaspoonfuls
of salt. a bit of shortening half as big as hen's egg. stirred
together: make it pretty moist with scalding water, put it in a
~iell-greasedpan, smooth over the surface with a spoon. and
hake it brown on both sides, before a quick fire. A little stewed
pumpkin. scalded with the meal, improves the cake. Bannock
split and dipped in butter makes a very nice toast. [19]
Another cookbook. The Kenruck Houserr.ife of 1839 offered a
very similar approach:
Sift a quart of fine Indian meal. mix it with a saltspoonful of salt, two large spoonfuls of butter and a gill
of molasses; make it into a common dough with scalding
water, or hot sweet milk, mixing it well with a spoon:
put it in a well-buttered skillet, make it smooth. and
bake it rather briskly. When it is done, cut it in thin
smooth slices, toast them lightly, butter them. stack
them, and eat them warm. [ l o ]
To make this recipe, you need to know that a salt-spoon
was about the size of a modern eighth-teaspoon, and that a gill
is four fluid ounces. The skillet referred to was a cast iron. lidded
oven, akin to a modem Dutch oven. [21]
Corn Meal, Milk and Eggs.
When successful foraging had turned up some eggs and
milk, a particular delicacy would have been possible. This was
a bread associated with the state of Virginia. though known
throughout the South.
An 1847 cookbook, The [South] Carolinu Hoitse~t~fe,
gave
the following directions for Virginia egg brewti
A quart of meal, half pint of wheat flour. a pin1 and a
half of milk, two eggs, and a tablespoonful of b u ~ t s or
r
lard; mix all well together, and bake either in cups or a
tin pan. 1221
The young lady of Independence, Texas, knew this as Virginia
corn bread and made it thus:
Dissolve one tablespoonful of butter in 3 L/z pints of
boiling milk; into this scald one quart of corn meal:
when cold, add a half pint of wheat flour, a little sugar,
a teaspoonful of salt, and two eggs well beaten, mix
well together, and bake in two cakes: tins well greased
or buttered. [23]
If you choose to experiment with this first in a modem oven
before taking it into the field, bake it for twenty-five minutes at
four hundred degrees (F), or until a fork thrust in the center
comes out clean.
Corn Meal and Meat.
As a haversack ration, corn meal was decidedly inferior to
hardtack. As veteran Frank Foote explained.
. . . When cooked into pones [yet anothsr r.2-s for a
bread of meal and water], it readil! :::2-.:%-2 .i:?
soured; besides, it was bulk!. . . . E\:: :! .--rt: .. e
perforce, had to use it the best \ i s rr.2:.
A soldier in Kershaw's Di\.ision sx;:::r:i
that point on:
... Chip up bacon in fine partlcie-. ;:a:? in an oven
[skillet or spider] and fry to a cnsp. F::l the oven onethird or one-half full of branch uarsr. :hen take the
stale corn bread . . . rub it into fins crumbs, mix and
bring the whole to a boil, gently stirring uith a forked
stick. When cold, eat with fingers . . .
The resulting mixture was one of many versions of the classic
THE WATCHDC
-
::s :rxess from
FA1
01
Confederate meat-bread stea. known as cuslz. [71]
Corn Meal as Coffee.
Hou. can you be cure you have truly left the 2lst centuc
behind? Tr! corn meal coffee! Frank Foote tells us that:
. . . Coffee and sugar w,ere luxuries. and what little we
had was gotten from some victorious field. This we
eked out with parched corn meal and sweetened it
sometimes with "long sweetening." i.e.. sorghum
molasses. [zsl
Move over. Starbucks!
Enacting Applications.
The dishes described here are all practical reenacting food.
They can be prepared at home as haversack rations or can be
cooked in camp in period cookware. It should be noted that
these preparations in general do not take great skill--especially
if one is seeking to recreate the early war period! Virginian
John Worsham wrote thus of his first attempt to cook the army
rations:
We . . . made up our bread of meal . . . sliced our fat
meat. and commenced to cook. In about two minutes
both meat and bread were burned black on one side!
We took them off the fire. cooled them. tried again.
and finally succeeded very well in burning the other
qide,.. , 1261
If the old fellows went through this kind of learning experience
in the field. surely we owe it to them as reenactors to emulate
the process. Any bad results can of course be explained as a
faithful recreation of Worsham's documented period dining
experience!
Mr. Rainey
SOTES.
[ I ] Slcholas P. Hardeman. Shuck. Shockr, and Hominy Blocks: Corn a s a Way o f
Ljrt. ir! P:uneerAmerica (Baton Rouge: LSU Press. 1981). 3-4.
.' 2 '. Joiez Card. Prairie Farming in America (Sew York: D. Appleton & Co..
: iiq . S.7. Ed\vard Enfield. Indian Corn: Irs Value, Culrure and C'.ter ( S e u York:
2 Appleton R: Co.. 1866). 25.29.43.45: Jesse Buel. The Farmer i Companion
B;i<ron:,Marsh. 1839). 23: The Te.~aaAlmanacfor I871 (Galveston: Richardson
s Co.. 1870). 114-5, 138. 156-58: J. B. Killebrew. Tennessee: Irs.4gricul~rtral
aritl .Mineral \Vealrh (Nashville: Tavel. Eastman & Houell. 18761. 2 1-22; Poner
A Brou ne. ,411 Essay or1 Indian Corn (Phila: J . Thompson. 1837). 20-2 1.27-28.
'31 F L Olmiread,.4 Journe? 7 h m u g I 1 T e . m(Austin.
~
Universin of Texas Presi.
:Y-h. onsinally published 18571, 15.
141.A. J. L. Fremantle. Three Monrhs in rhe Sourhen1 Srarer (Lincoln: University
of Sebraska Press, 1991: originally published I864L 79.
[5] Marion Harland (pseud. for Mary Hawec Terhune). Common Sense in rhe
Household(Xew York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1871). 294-5: Atlantic Dock %fills
Co.. Remarks on Indian Corn: Irs Presennrion and rVanr!facrure. \r.irh Receiprs
.for Cooking, &c. (New York: William Van h'orden. 1850). l l
[6] Fearing Burr. Jr.. Garden Ve~erable.5arid Hob>.ro Culrrvare Them (Boston: J .
E Tilton & Co.. 1866). 170-76: Fearing Burr. Jr.. The Fieldand Garden Vegerables
oi.4merrca (Botton: J. E. Tilton & Co.. 1865l.591-597: Browne. 21-23; William
D Emcrqon. Hisron and lncidenrs o f Indian Corn and Irs Culrure (Cincinnati:
iisnghrion 8r Co.. 1878). 17: Illebrew. 95: J. D. B. De Bow. The Indusrrial
Rt ,, .drc e > , erc. of rlie So~rrhernand Wesrern Srares (Sew Orleans: De Bow's
R:.. .:A ' 553 1. 391-2.
.C --.:ic.rnte States. War Department. Regularions for rhe ilrmy o f rhe
7
Coritedart~rt.51[1re\IS63 (Richmond: J \\'. Randolph. I Sh?). 19 1 : Unired States.
IVar Depanmenr. Re! rsrd Re,qitlc~rronsjorrl~e.4r1ri1 of fire L'rirred S~1rt7rIS61
~Philadelphla:J. G. L. Brown. 1861 ). 213: Cnited Starc\. LVar Department.
Subi~\renceDepanmenr. .4nrnral Reporr for 1867 (Waihingron: Go\ernrnent
Pnnring 0fti.e. 1863 I.8-9 Though the pn\tu.ar Cnion Sub\iirence Depanmenr
rtpnn cnnfinn~rhc Lnlon I\ius (iicom inert1 during rhr. \tar. the re\ ~ \ e d\tale of
Un~onration.; author~red"dunn? rhe rebellion In the Southern State\" made n n
rnentlon 01 corn meal. General .Aufuir Kaut7, u ho tirote eten\i\el! on the 1.nion
ration. seemed to resrrr rh3t corn nical u a \ not morc \\idel! uied In rhc field. CI
August \: Kaurz. Ciicrorn~of'5c.n ice for.Vori-Cornrnissrc~neclOficurs and Soldirr\
[Ph~ladelph~a:
J B. Lippincort & Co.. 1864).258-59.
[S] Richard D. Goif. Cor(ederare S~ippl>(Durham. NC: Duke Univers~tyPress.
1969).78-80. 151, 155. 197-9:John C. West.4 Te.ran in Searrhofa Frghr (Waco:
~
1901). 120: A. V. Winkler. The
Texian Press 1969: o r i g ~ n a l lpublished
Confederare Capirol and Hooclj Te.ras B r i ~ a d e(Austin: Von Boeckmann. 1894).
147: J. B. Polley. Hoodk Te.ms B r i ~ a d e(Dayon. OH: Morningside Bookshop.
1976: originally published 1910). 113,214,237,246-9,275-6:Bell I. Wiley. The
Life of Johnnx Reb (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University. 1978). 91: Jno. W.
Stevens. Reminiscences of rhe Civil War (Hillsboro. TX: Hillsboro Mirror. 1902).
99: Mary Lasswell, ed.. Rags and Hope: The Memoirs of Val C. Giles ( S e n York:
Coward-McCann. 196 1 ). 184: Harold B. Simpson. Hood :c 7e.w.t Brrgude h e 'r
Grenadier Guard (Waco. TX: Texian Press, 1970). 191. 195.: J. Trac! Pousr.
Lee :r Miserables (Chapel Hill: U. of North Carolina. 1998). 73: Clifford Dou de!
and Louis H. Manarin, eds.. The Wanime Papers o f R . E. b e (Boston: L~trlr.
Brown & Co.. 1961). 773: United States. War Deparunent. Oficial Records ofriie
War of rhe Rebellion. series n!vol. 3.777.930-3 1 (hereafter cited as ORR'RI.
[9] Quoted in Cordon C. Rhea. 771e Barrle of rhe Wilderness (Baton Rouge:
Louisiana State University Press. 1994). 297.
[ l o ] Eliza Leslie. ,Miss Leslie? Cornplere C o o k e n : Direcrions f o r Cooken
(Philadelphia: Henn C. Baird. 1851. reprinted as .Wits Letliei Direcrions,for
Cooken. [Mineola. S Y Do\er Books. 19991). 301-01. .A recipe published in the
Auitin. Texas Srare Gazerre. 17 Sepr. 1862. reprinted In \.icb Berrs. "Firit You
Stan wirh Corn \leal . . . ." The Ciri:enc Corrrpnrrio~i3 I .\us.-Sept.. 19961. 28.
calls for a more reasonable I5 mlnures of final hrnlln:
[ I I I Frank H. Foote. "Recollect~on\of Arm! Llie u ~ r hGerleral [.re." S o ~ t r h ~ r n
Hi.tronca1 Socien Papers (SHSPI 7 1 i1903). 24 I : Pollc.>.2-6--[ 121 Kautz. 263.
[ 131 Louis Le Grand The Miliran Hand Book [r~i[i
Soit1rc.r \I.;), 1.. X:>.s l.~)rA
Beadle & Co.. 1861). 76: Roben S. Hill. The C o ( ~ k i t i i . i ~ i Hri ~.\! ~,. 1 H-?. ~ - r i .
145. Redcoat Pub. Co.. 1993). 16. For a mention oirht btvzi.;l ;-...-; -2:'
1 use in the field, see Foote. 24 I .
[I41 Kautz. 258-9; 13: Betts. 28: Sarah Rutledge, The C<;r . *-.. .L . - -(Columbia: University of South Carolina Press. 1979: ong~na::! ;--...-: 1
25-26: Carlron ~McCarthy."Derniled Minutia of Soldier L~fe".S H V - :.-177: John Coxe. "Chlckamauga." Confederare Vereran 30 i-;
-1I I - I
D. Augustus D~cken.Hisron of Ker.tiio\t.'( B r i ~ a d c(Ye\\+-.
! - - .
Co.. 1899). 291-2.
[I51 Lettlce Bryan. The KenrrrcL~Hor(se\t.ifP (Columb~a L: . :-. - . - . Carolina Press. 199 1 , originall!, published 18391. 315
1161 Betts. 28
[I71 Bryan. 315.
[IS] West. 133: Footc. 2-10: ORII'R. series 4. vol. 3. 77'
1191 Xlrs. Child. Tiie,-trneri(.o~~
Frrrgul Holisewife (Bosron: C3nc.r. H
:-::. :, 1
18331.75.
[ l o ]Bqan. 313.
[21] Mary Randolph. The Virginia Hoirse-yfe (Colurnbla: Cnl\er<~r!or SLTLL:
Carol~naPress. 1984, originallq published IS24), 298. See the discussion of penLd
cookuare in Lee Ralneq's. "Dining Out In Wartime Virginia." The Itiiri Ir(l'(~e1 9 1
W I S E R 200 I ). 13- 11.
1221 Rutledge. 23
1231 Betts. 28.
1241 Foote. 21 I ; Dicken. 291-2. For other recipes for cush or coosh, see Foote.
14 I : Carlton McCanhy. Derailed .Minuriae of Soldier Lije in rhe An?,: of.Vorrheni
I4yirrio. 1861-1x65 (Lincoln: U. of Nebraska Press. 1993). 59: Jame? I Robenson.
Jr.. Soldierc Ellie and Gn7y (Columbia: University of South Carolina Prcr.. !QYS
68: Wiley. IW.
..[25] Foote. 240-1 I . Dunng the war, this was not just a field c.\pcd:cn~ Fr;.:-,mentions drinking corn meal coffee at civilian hostelne\ I n T?\L.. - 4
[26] John H. Worsham. Orrc, o f Jackson :t Foor C C riln
I ~ \\:::-i.~:g.. - X C
Broadfcmt Pub. Co.. 19871.5
.-.--
'G.
FALL 2001
Honlespun Patterns Civilian Pants and Cij-ilian
This pattern re\-ieu co\.er\ the Homecpun Patterns Ci\ ilian
Sack Coat 41-020 and Civilian Pants YI-023 patterns. The re\-iew
process invol\:ed using the patterns to construct the garment>.
Phillipa Burgess Gay created the Homespun Patterns line. S o n .
James Country Mercantile (Jean and Del Warren) is the owner
of the Homespun brand. The Honlespun offerings include
ci~rilianand military garments.
Civilian Pants .\I-023.
"High waisted pants with front waistband and back darts.
Buckle at back. From a private collection."
Issues that Surfaced During the Review.
Pattern pieces A and B were incorrectly marked.
In sewing the backs together. directions call for se~vingto
the "dot." The dot was not indicated on the pattern.
Directions called for ironing under the seam allowance of
the waistband, but did not indicate how much.
Directions for placing the suspender buttons said to place
them on the waistband where shown on the pattern pieces.
Placement was not indicated on the pattern piece. The fly piece
did not indicate button or buttonhole placement.
LVho Stole My Pocket?
When cutting out the pattern. 1 somehow lost the pattern
piece for the pants pocket. The illustrations and direction for
pants pocket were detailed enough that a simple rectangle of
fabric made an adequate pocket.
Conclusion.
I would recommend this pattern.
Civilian Sack Coat M-020.
"A loose coat with no waist seam, front and back body pieces.
Short coat with short back vent. exterior slit pockets (from
The Handbook of Practical Crtm'ng."
.An> problems encountered in working with this pattern
\\ere minor and ne\.er really affected the construction of the
carrnent.
Pockets.
There \\.ere two pocket options for the sack coat: pocket
flap or external pockets. This was problematic because this reall!.
is not a choice between two pocket styles. A pocket flap is a
design element. not a type of pocket. The choices should ha\.?
been between the style choices of a set-in pocket, a discreet
'"lrrlle~ll
pocket that is reached through a slit in the body of the =,
or a patch pocket. a square or rectangular piece of fabric v\\11
to the garment. A patch pocket can sometimes become a ds\igi:
element if it is of contrasting material or placed at an odd ;in<!<
5ait
on the garnielir boil> ::-. - _ . :. : - : : !.,: rile tlap (think of
the fold o\-er par1
::. - .
.,: ::,I\ i. been added to
either pocket choi~,c
Howe\er. tht Ifrr :.: :.
I- .;.:.. ':.r:on \\ a< confusing, not
for its direction\. h!:: c.',. ..;. . :. . : , . : ~
:!. ~srrninolopy.The
uonderfull) itten ten Jir2;.
;. 2:;. : :1 .: pocket stand and not
for a pocket flap. Po\>1+li .. --I:-:,,:
Y;.:.:;i.
~ L I not
I
when a pocket
stand and a pocbcr r ' - . .:-.
~
2 ffcrerir design elements.
Besitieq. I :\oiil~i ~ ~ ~ i e ~ :!:'
: ; . ~.:"
.:
a pocket flap as an
appropriate d e \ i g ~ ie:clr:ier:r :,:r .: i.rr.:i,r pocket.
De\piti' thr. opti~r:i i < \ ' : r ~ p t l o ~i,,ut.\.
l
the pockets turned
out tine bec;~~l\rl
rhe J ~ r c . i r i o n\\;.rrl
~ \tr! good.
Facings.
The only other. bit of confusion I had \ \ a > in joining the
facings of bl and G.The directions said to s e n G to M at side
seams. but the pattern pieces had no side seams marked.
Conclusion.
The rest of the constnlction process \\as uneventful and
resulted in a quality piece of clothing. I 'i\,ould highly recommend
this pattern.
Homespun Patterns: Civilian Sack Coat 31-020 and Civilian
Pants kf-023 (patterns are $10 each plus shipping)? James
Country Mercantile. 1 l S o n h Main, Liberty. Missouri 64068
and (816) 781-9473 and [email protected] and
wuw.sft.org.jamescntry
General Homespun Pattern Improvement Suggestions.
Even though I have recommended these patterns, there are
some things I think would make these patterns even more user
friendly.
Expand the historic notes. Describe the original garment
in detail. fabric, buttons. lining. etc. What \\.as known about
the original owner? Was the gannent part of special set of clothes
for a wedding or other special e\,ent?
Provide more detailed fabric recommendations. What kind
of u:ool. flannel. worsted or gabardine'?
Include a size chart on e\,ery pattern. One must refer to the
distributor's catalog to choose the correct <ire on a multi-sized
pattern.
Provide a key denoting the right and \\ronp sides of the
fabric, also the lining and interfacing.
Provide notches on the pattern pieces.
3lrs. Soszynski
Editor's Note: Mrs. Soszynski will be spending time in winter
quarters compiling reports on all the patterns available for
:i\.ilian clothing. Your experiences and comments on working
\$itti a\.ailable patterns from all sources are welcome. Please
\uhmit them by land mail or e-mail.
THE WATCHDOG.
FALL 2
>ILSIC REVIEW
Above the Clouds - A Different Sort of Review
The name of the CD is The Camp Chase Fifes and Drums
- Above the Clouds. When it was given to me I was asked to
complete a review of the work. N o other directions were
specified. Immediately I thought about several different types
of re\!iews: a technical review of the quality of the work, a review
of the historical context of the music, a comparison to other
works and the list goes on. I was on my way out after a Sunday
afternoon visit. I took the disk and tossed it in the back seat
knowing I would get to it soon enough.
The day I was given this request was Sunday, September 9.
2001. Yes, two days before that fateful day. Like most Americans
and most of the world, I spent much of that first week watching
or listening to the news. And like most Americans, my shock
and horror, my fears. were mixed with an ovenvhelrnin,0 sense
QC pride and patriotism. First for the heroes of the day. the firemen
;r.d cops and the many other bra\.e souls. Then for S e n . York
C:r! 2nd the entire country as it pulled together and stood strong
.
7-r.;nd our President and each other. Finally, pride in our heroes
:s :>ne - our soldiers, sailors and airmen that would a\.enge
I ;r IC>SS and defend our freedoms.
\!-ho has not looked at our flag with renewed respect? Who
..:-..'. - \ oiced support for our war effort and pride in our
.
- - . . .:smen? Who has not sung our sacred songs with heightened
,
2-.
'
:.:L?!?
\\-irhin a few weeks of the attack, I again came across Abo1.e
:,:iC . ' ~ i i c iThis
~ . time there was no question as to my approach.
.-\ithough I have dabbled in the use of meter and form, I am not
J musician so a technical review would certainly end up lacking.
\i'hile a civil war enactor for many years in my youth. a study
of hou. the songs fit into the historical framework would also
come up short. I knew I needed to describe what the music
meant to me, how it made me feel. With flags flying off the
shel\,es,professional sports canceled and womes of more attacks.
I looked to the music to keep my spirits up. Knowing a little
about The Camp Chase Fifes and Drums and having heard them
perform on occasion years ago. I believed the music would
inspire. I was not disappointed.
The work opens softly u:ith "Drummer's Call and Chester."
The thing that really conies to mind here is the richness of the
music. The multitudes of sounds produced out of so few
instruments are amazing. \\.hen "Chester" roll\ from open fife
to thundering drum !oil are ensrzized to motion. You feel the
cadences from the in5idct out. T h s "Harriott" and "York's
Fusiliers" are a few of m>.fa\ onre.. It i i hard to sit still listening
to the heats, making finger or toe tapping a must.
This patriotic music is nor iolcl>- for enactors or those
interested in history. It is for .Arner~cans.Our heritage is in the
tunes and the connection between pzqt and present is undeniable.
I ec\ ision music of this type perfomled to in\-igorate our troops
\iherier they sit around a campfire in the I'irginia countryside
cr .-.r::he deck of the USS Throrlorc Rr~oce\pirin the middle of
t:7~-\r:?:an Sea. The motivational efi-c:? are timeless.
9
THE
It is easy to see how the "Duke of York's Slow March."
"March in Cymon" and others started out as marching cadences
and duty calls. They are hypnotic in a way. I suspect that long
marches passed much easier with energy derived from the music.
I can imagine myself passing long car drives in much the same
way. There is also something to be said for music with no lyrics.
I don't know what it is but I've always felt many songs in many
types of music were spoiled by words. This is particularly true
for the base nature of the fifes and drums. Fell: words could
infuse meaning like the shrill of the fife or the crescendo of the
bass.
The jacket does a great job of outlining the origins ot the
songs. There are Irish. British. Turkish. Prussian and other
influences. Dates and context are included in just about c\.tlfi
case. Twenty-eight tunes. well packaged. make the full \.olume
(third in the series). Order information can he ohtilined t'rorn
the group's web site at http://campchase.20rnegsfree.com.
Whether it is laughing alongside "The Rt~sus'\J1;iri.h" as
~ t c a m p tor gro<<
you imagine a soldier being drummed i l ~ ot
misconduct. or singing along with [tic ! L ~ n i"Goliisn
~ ~ i ~ ~
Slippers. " the music is captivating.
The last third of the CD hits hor;;~ 1 1 :~:t .taplei 5uch a i
"When Johnn). Comes Xlarching Honic." Fi:::iss;in.\ \\':tke"
and finally "Tramp. Tramp. Tramp." w e ' \ e :-:.A
:: ;1- v. irti :he.;?
songs: \ve'\.e knoivn them forexr. Song- : : i -.-:-:
~
. . Y,J;.\
- - - . -- . . - ,
.
. .. .
not matter how man?' times you hear I!.,-:: ;-;
defines a classic.
.
I did not verify the historical nccura:!
-. . . .~ - .
. - do not know if there were mistakes in ths @ST: - - r - - '.'. - .
-.
do know is that listening to this nlusii !n.:,s - -- ~
- - -:
;:made me proud.
'
Volume IIIAhove the Clouds CD. Camp Cha*s F : : s - 1 -- Inc.. PO Box 4496 1 . Columbus. OH 13201. Th- CI - , '
a cassette tape is available for S I 0 (,Ohioresidsnr. 22,: - -- - - - - sales tax). Orderinp infonnation on other CD. :in2 :..;:- - - - :
n e b site.
:
L
-
~
Jeffrey M. Kalil (former Mudsill musician
I
Interested in Bayonets?
Check out the Society of American Bayonet Collectors.
Annual membership dues are $30 ($40 outside the Cnited States
payable in US currency). The DOG'S best friend. Fred Gaede.
publishes the society's journal. For anyone interested in long
pointy things used at the end of rifle and musket barrel, oi an?
era I suggest you take a look at what the SABC offer\.
SABC, John H. Spanpler. Secretary. PO Box 7 I 1282. Salr L z i s
City. UT 84 17 1
7HDOG.
FALL 2001
--..--:r:: ; m e from the
Faithful subscriber and contributor. Fred Gaede. ient u b thii mittsn pattern. He states thai 13: - 4
- : .; \ingle sheet of
National Archii.es and that he has no other notes on i t in his files. The DOG suggests that > . o u trait :::. :. --.-5
:I:
:I:' nard "Seam"
paper and \\.ill not have to remo\,r the page. The joint line for the two hal\-es of the pattern run, t r - s ::: -1:
do\\.nu.ard to the straight line (a.ith 3 dot in the center! under the \,ord "Ye\!. h r k . " A pencil lini. .!r..-.;. -- .;:I-.
::-/ J;J ;I \traisht edge
between these tu.0 points should help in alisning the t u n pages for tracing.
10
THE K-ITCHDOG.
FALL 2001
11
THE WATCHDOG.
FALL 2001
PRODUCT REVIEW OR LOOKING AT ORIGINALS?
More Slat Bonnet Observations
Mrs. Kalil's Preface.
In the SUMMER 2000 number (8.3) Glenna Jo Christen
discussed the attributes of the common slat bonnet (popular and
universal headwear for many American ladies of the 1860s). In
an effort to review several reproductions and at the same time
compare them to originals I proposed a "blind" examination of
six slat bonnets. Two kno\vledgeable members of the community
were drafted to be the examining panel.
Anne Musselman has been reenacting for nine years and is
a member of The Friends of Camp Dennison. She worked for
several years as an interpreter at the Ohio Village. She is a
member of MOMCC and ALFAM. Currently she is working on
cataloging the textile collection of the Union County Historical
Society. Beth Crabb has been reenacting for eleven years and is
Slat Ronnet .A.
This bonnet is on the small side and
[night be for a child or young girl. The fabric
is dark blue with n very small \r.hite flower
print. It is well worn and in places is so faded
the flowers are hard to discern. The back of
the crown is gathered to the top uith a srliall
bow. The curtain edges are rountleti in front.
I t is entirely rnachine 3titched. No slats are
included.
a member of the Friends of Camp Dennison. She is also a
member of MOMCC and is sewing as Chairman of the Planning
Committee for the March 2002 Conference. Currently she is
working on cataloging the textile collection of the Union County
Historical Society.
The source of each slat bonnet is identified at the end of
the article.
The Review.
We ha1.e been asked to re\ Is\<an2 2-;..:c?s .:\ slat bonnets.
This is a blind examination in rhzr ..ie i: ri.1 k n o n who made
them or when. and if the! art f,\r ,212 T?.:iollou.ing details our
examination and our obssr\zrions. ?.ABLE .A located at the end
of the article summarizsk each sl~itbonnet.; critical dimensions.
b
Slat Ronnet R.
This is a hl-own and cream (originally
\\hits?l check bonnet. pocsibllj homespun.
Entirel! machine xtitched. it appears to be \!ell
worn and has sex.eral small holes. This slat
bonnet is very l i k e l ~ .an original. but not
necessarilg. to the 1860s. Back of cr0n.n is
gathered to the top with a bow. The curtain
is gathered internally. with further gathering
provided by back ties. The internal middle
seam is the selvage edge. but other internal
seams have no seam finishing. No slats are
i n c l u d e d . In m a n y p l a c e s the m a c h i n e
stitching is rough and uneven. In front the
curtain has straight edges with a narrow added
fabric facing.
12
THE WATCHDOG.
FALL 2(
Slat Bonnet C.
Thii sm~111bonnct appear, to be
child ri7e and ne\.er n o r n . It is
gathered in the back u.ith long tie^.
I t is mostly machine stitched with
some handwork. S o seam tinishes
on internal seams. The curtain has
a hand rolled hem with a straisht
bottom. The fabric is a yellou. and
green wo\.en plaid. The crolvn is
znthered to the top with a bow.
-
,,.
Slat Bonnet D.
T h i s is a c r e a m cotton with
small black print. It is a full size
a d u l t b o n n e t w i t h nice s t u r d y
pasteboard slats. It h a s internal
g a t h e r i n g that is e n h a n c e d b y
e x t e r n a l ties. E n t i r e l y m a c h i n e
stitched. The crown is gathered to
the top with a bow. There is no
internal seam finishing. The curtain
has straight edges with a narrow
facing. The slats at the cheek area
are shorter at seven inches than the
rest of the slats, which are nine
inches. The bonnet ties are extremely
short and d o not allow for a nice bow.
Both authors feel longer ties are
necessary, especially if this were to
fit a person of larger proportions.
[These ties are now much longer. Ed.]
~
-
Slat Bonnet E.
Infant bonnet of cream and blue
check print. The back of the crown
is g a t h e r e d o n a t h r e a d , u , i t h
additional gathering provided by
back ties. The curtain has rounded
edges in front and is given extra
fullness by a V-shaped panel in the
back. Entirely hand stitched. this
appears to be an exact c o p of an
o r i g i n a l . All s e a m s a r e u.hip
finished. The edges are trimmed \s.ith
a narrow bias cut blue print fabric.
This is a very nice bonnet. which
both authors admired.
13
THE WATCHDOG.
FALL 2001
Slat Bonnet F.
This black and beige Lvoven
check bonnet is entirely hand
sti~ched.The bonnet slopes from the
crown. The curtain is very full with
a rounded back and rounded front
edges. It is gathered on a dra\srstring.
a l l o x i n g for adjustment in the
fullness. External ties further
enhance the gathering. Thin paste
board slats. Both the internal and
external ties are long, allowing ease
in making a bow. This bonnet was
declared the favorite of both
reviewers.
Ln
1
t Pocke 1
ength
Inside Tie
Length
: Pocket
ChAside ?Fe
Le x g h
-
.-
Outside Tie
Width
Slat A
15 112 inches
1 112 k h e s
6 112 inches
8 112 inches
Slat B
22 314 mches
2 inches
9 112 inches
18 114 inches
Slat C
14 112 inches
2 inches
8 inches
8 khes
Slat D
20 inches
2 inches
9 314 inches
12 inches
12 inches
I inch
Slat E
9 314 inches
314 inch
5 inches
9 114 inches
15 314 inches
1 114 inch
Slat F
19 inches
3 inches
7 114 mches
26 inches
18 314 inches
114 inch
Reviewed Slat Bonnet Sources.
Slat Bonnet A, an original in blue cotton
Slat Bonnet B, an orjginal in brown check cotton
Slat Bonnet C. a reproduction in goldlnavy plaid
cotton. from Mrs. Christen's Miscellanea
S l a t B o n n e t D. yellow print cotton, from Mrs.
Christen's Miscellanea
Slat Bonnet E. a child's slat bonnet in blue cotton
from Past Reflections
Slat Ronnet F. a reproduction in navylcream plaid
cotton froni Past Reflections
The reproduction bonnets are courtesy of Mrs. Christen's
Miscellanea and Past Reflections. The original bonnets are from
the collection of Glenna Jo Christen.
.
TLX\
2 inches
1- .
: 4 m-;ks
I inch
10 314 i ~ ~ h e s
I inch
Mrs. Kalil's Notes.
Price5 for reproductions from both merchants vary
depending on materials and time involved (for example, handstitched bonnets usually are more expensive than machine
stitched) in construction.
If you know of other merchants producing slat bonnets.
please forward that source information. suggest to them that
they submit bonnets for review, or rend the DOG your own
review. Any submitted bonnet(s) \i.ill be sent on to Anne and
Beth for review. If you know of oriyinali that can be examined,
let us know that also
Anne Musselman and Beth Crabb
P a s t R e f l e c t i o n s , Jackie Wakeling, 2436 West Road,
Brownstown Township. MI 48134 and (734) 675-4159 and
pastreflections [email protected] or [email protected] and
www.pastreflections.net
EDITOR'S NOTE: This little gem provides an enormous
education in hat making in relation to its price (four dollars!)
and is a "must" for your reference libraq.). It is a wonderfully
concise. but detailed monograph. M y COP! was purchased during
a recent visit to Old Sturbridge Village ( l Old Sturbridge Village
Rd.. Strubridge, MA 01566). Mr. Christen
Mrs. Christen's Miscellanea, Glenna Jo Christen. 28073
Universal Dr., Warren. MI 48092-2430 and (586) 558-5285 and
[email protected] and wwur.rusLneU-gwjchris/gcatalo~
Felt. Silk & Straw' Handmade Hatr. Tools ond Processes b!
\?ary Elizabeth hlcclellan (The Bucks County Historica
Society. Doylestown. Pennsylvania. 1977)
THE WATCHDOG.
IN THE FIELD
First Manassas 140th : A Trawl through the Canvas Mall
As might be expected for an event of its genre, First
Manassas 140th was somewhat authenticity-challenged. On the
other hand, if you looked at it primarily as a giant canvas enactor
mall, the pickings for the discriminating civilian shopper were
better than usual.
The hodgepodge of goods on merchant's row can be
confusing to "newbies" who can easily make an expensive
mistake. The best policy is: when in doubt. shop with a mentor.
Following my informal review of civilian shopping at this
year's Gettysburg event, the DOG'S publisher asked me to check
out the offerings at First Manassas. If you already read the DOG
you probably already have a pretty good idea of what you are
looking for, but I hope that this might serve as a guide for which
haystacks have the best needles in them.
A highlight of First Manassas was the number of quality
merchants, who do not normally come to big events, deciding
to take the plunge and attend. I was especially pleased to see
Pat Nine (Family Heirloom Weavers) at his first ever event.
As well as a wide range of hand loomed fabrics for military
uniforms, Pat also carries many textiles suitable for civilian
use. His homespun shirtings are similar in "hand" to fabrics in
the original homespun dresses studied by Vicki Betts in her
excellent research. At Manassas Pat had several discontinued
homespun checks on sale for only six dollars a yard - less for
a real hand-woven homespun than you would pay for some
calicos. His regular price is a bargain too, in the eight dollar
per yard range. He also had ingrain carpet remnants at discount
prices. I bought some of his excellent logwood dyed cassimere
for a civilian sack coat.
Also in the fabric department, it was good to see Ben Tart.
Many of his uniform fabrics, such as his kersey, are appropriate
for civilian clothing. I ordered a couple of yards of his excellent
canton flannel to make some warm drawers for the winter.
Timeless Textiles was also there. Their calico range was
good, but limited. They had some good roller-printed sheer
cottons and good plain silks and woolens. Their display was
confusing, as they also brought some of their non-period
inventory. Wish they would just bring the period-correct stuff.
For footwear, there were a couple of good choices. Glad to
see Robert Land make the trek from Canada. By the time I had
stopped by his tent on Saturday afternoon he had already sold
out of women's boots, but had a large stock of military brogans.
Next time, Robert, bring more shoes for the ladies!
A pleasant surprise was meeting Mr. Mattimore from
Mattimore Harness. I spent over an hour with him tapping
into his extensive knowledge of boot and shoe manufacturing
in the 1850s and 60s, including learning why two-piece fronts
on men's boots are usually (but not always) incorrect. He has
started making a men's civilian patterned oxford based on an
original in the Aurora Collection. [ I ] He also does women's
lower-cut front lacing boots that are similar in design. At
Eighty-five dollars, that is a bargain for a hand-stitched boot.
He is now on the web at uww.Civil\l~arBoots.com.The
women's slippers he offers look good, but the low. wedge heel
looks dubious. I would like to see the documentation on his
women's shoes before committing further. The workmanship
and prices are very good.
For ready-made women's clothing, the pickings were much
slimmer. Unfortunately, the vast majority of offerings ranged
from the merely incorrect to the downright ghastly.
In the midst of all this, it was good to see Joy Melcher
(Civil War Lady). Joy is one of the few merchants who carries
a large inventory of decently made ready to wear cotton dresses.
They are well constructed with hem facings and the calicos uisd
are good. While they use modem hook and eye tape. \\hiih
looks nothing like the period version, this does not shoa on the
outside of the garment and the tape is used in a period
documented way. It is also easy to upgrade, even if you do not
sew. Her prices are reasonable (around $150). I wish she would
expand her line to include more gathered bodice dresses.
Photographic evidence might suggest that fitted bodice cottons
did exist. There are few, if any, surviving originals. making a
gathered bodice considerably more correct and sadly
underrepresented in the hobby.
This summer she also had a number of sheer cotton dresses,
with gathered bodices and the characteristic low-cut bodice
lining. These are very well constructed. some using amazing
roller prints that look like she climbed into a time machine to
do her fabric shopping. More of these. please!
Joy also carries slat bonnets in good, document-2 z i ~ z n . ;
and a large line of evening dresses. Shop earl!. for rh? ::r:tr 2.
the silk ones are often sold out by Sunday. l e a ~ i n g,::.
rrs
acetate taffetas (my synthetic fabric phobia is a-ell kc::..; .: -: :
will not go into detail here). She also sells antique
$4no cut-rate bargains here, but some lovely pieces.
Gala Rock Mercantile also has cotton calico dress-; :hzr
could be a plausible second choice for ladies who do r.~: -1-:.
and need something they could wear off the rack. .\la;. : k : r
dresses are also fitted bodice instead of gathered. hloreo~er.
they use a peculiar construction method, which involves putting
the bodice boning under little dart-shaped patches of fabric sewn
on top of the bodice. Is this documented? If it is, it was certainly
not the norm. Done in a contrasting fabric, it looks terrible. In
the same fabric, it is not so noticeable. On the other hand they
do use some good reproduction calicos. You can always remove
those funny dart thingies on the front and put the boning inside
where it belongs when you get home -much easier than making
a dress from scratch.
Susanne Isaacson (The Stevenson House) is the place to
go for jewelry. belt buckles and other such sundrie!. She doe.
not always have a large in\.entop, but she has a ~\onderiul:! t..
as she studies and pi1.e~excellent lecture%on jeii-:n. :=m?s
and belt buckles of the era. The Ste\enson H ~ T L : ~::ic
. t-.-sr>
attractive and well documented stran honlsri. ila: 50n3er..
'G.
FALL 2001
bonnet veils. plain white collars. gentlemen's "cheater" neckties.
sleepinglsmoking c a p s and other miscellaneous items at
reasonable prices. She is also one of the few suppliers of correct
flat elastic garters instead of those incorrect round ones that
most sutlers carry and the only merchant I know of who routinely
stocks plain white collars, an important staple for those who do
not sew.
A n o t h e r p o t e n t i a l s o u r c e for w o m e n ' s c l o t h i n g is
Abraham's Lady. This is a great place for all sorts of sewing
"findings" - hem tape, boning, antique and repro china and
jet glass buttons, mother-of-pearl belt buckles. vintagelantique
lace, ostrich plumes, etc. They also c a n y Fugawee ladies' boots.
Be care of the clothing on consignment there as quality varies.
Some is among the best in the hobby, and they also have some
antiques, paisley shawls. etc. However, some of the consignment
stuff is awful - someone else's "non-B.I.R.D." clothes cast off
as they upgraded their impressions. They are good for staples
like stockings, hairpieces and a wide range of books on topics
of interest to civilians. male and female. Be wary of the bonnets,
however.
On the subject of sewing notions. Wooded Hamlet was
also at Manassas. They cater to both the Revolutionary MJar
and Civil War liiing historian markets. Items they carry include
a wide range of silk ribbons. mohair braid and xoolen hem
tape in a wide variety o f color-s. soutache hmid. <ilk and linen
thread. authentic rc.productic>n bras5 pin\. reproduction
neectle\\-ork scissors and c.ci.i.lli.r~thandm;ide reproduction hook<
and eye5 in either plain or i ~ r p a n n e dh r a \ i . Perhapi a hit
espencive at ninety-fiie cent< per pair. but the!. art. a pain to
make. so u,orth e i , e n penn!.
.A cheaper alternative. \\hen you can find them. are antique
hooks and eyes. I cleaned out John Zaharias' suppl! of originals
at Gettysburg - a mega-bargain at tu.enty-fi1.e cents per pair.
Keep youreyes peeled. He will probabl!. ha\.e more in the future.
He is also the definitive source for all manner of antique and
reproduction buttons and useful accessories like reproductions
of Frank Leslie's magazine. (Useful not only for period reading
at ei.ents. but also if you do reproduction bandboses).
While you're lookinp for scwinp supplies. James Country
J l e r c a n t i l e is a prime place for patterns (Past Patterns. their
0n.n Homespun Putterns line and. for the more experienced.
Period Impression.;.) Other pood buy\ from James Country are
their cherni~esand drawers. These are reaconabl!. priced and
not badly made -great shortcut if you do not seiv. Look for the
regular cotton ones instead of the unbleached muslin. Also James
Country has a great assortment of books and sewing notions
like walnut and birch knitting needles.
A prime example of a field merchant with a very mixed
in\entor!. is Cindy Hopes' Heirloom E m p o r i u m . She carries
.;el-era1 great or good items. but also a lot of tourist souvenirs
like incorrect early twentieth-century sunbonnets. Friends are
constantly trying to persuade her to ditch the souvenirs or at
least label them as such. But apparently that is where the profit
margin comes from. thereby cross-subsidizins the authentic end
of the inventory.
One very good thing that Cindy Hopes does is to pro\-ids
"guest merchant" space for people like Grape Hill Sutler!
16
(excellent handmade shoes). [?I At Manassas, she also hosted
Sue Shano of Victorian Millinery, who was selling bonnet forms.
1 have sometimes had issues with the workmanship on Sue's
bonnets and would rate her output as well abo\-e merchant row
quality, but below that of Christine Ballard. Linda Gray and
Kay Gnapey. On the other hand her high croa ned bpoon bonnet
form is one of the most authentically shaped nnss 1 hai.e seen.
Good things to buy from Heirloom Eniy~~r...:~!
include Lynne
Doddington's fabulous corded petticoar.: ..r2 +s.utiful white
work collars made by Beth Miller Hz:..
.- 7-.:of the last
remaining stock of her late lamented B.--''I--::? Heirloom
Emporium is also a great place for h;-r.i.; - - :::ins repro
fake gutta percha brooches and all sop, .:f r:-.:- ~t r L-.sr> do
not seem to carry; such as those little fak: :- 7- :-e -re..kairpins,
r e g u l a r "lunch lady" ( n o n - s n o o ? :
\-intage
handkerchiefs of the right size (eightre: ::;f.s>
square) and
miscellaneous sewing items.
~ i Manassas
Amid the sellers of reproduction ~ t e :~ Fir51
were two excellent antique dealers. \lac'< Antiques and Betty
Loba's James River E m p o r i u m . Jam?, Riier is a Richmond,
Virginia. based antique dealer specializing in the Civil War era.
She canies a fabulous range of original jei\elry. mostly at prices
to match. as well as a wide range of intere<ting items: cartes de
\.kite. cased ambrot!,pes and daguerreot! pe5. picces of antique
lace. antique rihhonc. paisley shaivls and a number of accessories
and sewing items. Sothins to fear authenticit!-\\.ice here. they
are a11 antique5.
The treasure t r o w that you ivill find at Mac's Antiques is
matched onl!. by the treasure trove of information you will find
in the brain of the proprietor. Bill "Mac" McIntosh. He is happy
to brief customers on all sorts of interesting arcana. producing
examples thereof for study and potential purchase -everythin,.
from period cuff buttons to folding furniture to cuch funky items
as e x spoons (ever wondered what people used before Q-tips?).
He also carries period jewelry and a wide range of china and
India rubber buttons. an excellent alternnti\.e cource to John
Zaharias.
T h e Jeweler's Daughter is another potential source for
antique j e a , e l n . They also sell reproduction\. but sadly most
reproductions d o not look \-el! cc7ni i n c ~ n ; up :t_rainst the
originals. Occasionally they ha1.c \om<pret!! rhirlpc that are
later nineteenth centuq. so aqk for ail\ i ~ i . hr..? \hoppin: here.
Jlike and Virginia Mescher's Ragged Soldier Sutler! is
the place to buy period reproductio~lti)!. :i, fi t I I a \ \like and
Virginia's oivn excellent booklet\ on top^^. !iAc psriod Fames.
laundry techniques and period f ~ 7 0 d \ t ~ t :7i .h 1 !tar'\
~
must-buy
from Ragged Soldier u,as the store leclzsr C D - R 0 5 1 , the
culmination of years of painstakinp reisarch [ranscribing an
1860s store ledger from rural Virginia and an equi\.alent ledger
from the Midwest. This is an excellent resource for researching
what people actually bought. [i]
In a d d i t i o n to t h e s u t l e r s that s p e c i a l i z e in l a d i e s
merchandise, a number of good things could be gleaned from
other places. Tim Sheads' S&S Sutler is usually is only seller
of good read),-made uniform jackets that comes to events.
H o w \ - e r .he also canies some useful civilian items such as men's
\hist\. iwistcoats and suspenders. Surprisingly. in the midst of
THE Wl4TCHDOG.
\I.
FALL 2001
a11 these itenls for men are some escellent hand knitted sontap5
!bosom buddies) at the extremely reasonable price of fik dollars.
Some of the mass market sutlers also have the occasional
item for discriminating civilian reenactors, including staples
such as toothbrushes and combs. toothpowder, lye soap, matches.
cotton stockings. scissors and the like. Both Regimental
Quartermaster and Fall Creek Suttlery, although mainstream
sutlers, are at least run by people friendly to the progressive
side of the hobby and are good sources for these sort of items.
For example, Regimental Quartermaster sometimes hosts
authentic merchants in the same way that Heirloom Emporium
does, and are therefore worthy of support. Both they and Fall
Creek carry a wide range of books. Fall Creek carries the Heidi
Marsh "In the Era of the Hoop" series of reprints from Godey's
and Peterson's magazine and also carries Fugawee footwear.
With the vast profusion of field merchants at First Manassas,
it was quite an effort visit all of them. There were several I did
not get to until they were paclung up. Others were purely r n i l i t q
in nature. Still more carry items of equal interest to military
and civilian enactors, worth a separate review on their own.
Unfortunately, there were also a number of specialist ladies
clothing places that we did visit but cannot recommend as we
could not find anything remotely authentic there - purveyors
of "reenactorisms" like the dreaded calico "camp skirt" and
matching "triangle thingie." Places of this sort to avoid include
"Teacups and Lace," "The Lady in Black" and others
unfortunately too numerous to mention.. .strictly Scarlett
O'Hara-wear. If a merchant you are considering is not reviewed
in this article, it does not mean that they are necessarily in this
category. It might be that they were not at there, or perhaps I
did not get to their tent in time to do an adequate review. [4]
While events like First Manassas might be so-so at best
from an enactment standpoint, instead of carpe eventum (seize
the event and make the best of it), perhaps a more useful Latin
phrase should be crr\.rar empror (buyer beware). There are a lot
of sood thinps to buy interspersed among the usual offsrings of
merchant's ro\v. With a hit of intelligent ferreting around you
can come LIP with a surprising number of good buys and save
shipping costs and time in the process.
The First ,Manassas event was notable for having a \vide
range of worthwhile shops to visit in its vast canvas mall, and
especially worthwhile in attracting a number of merchants who
do not normally go to the big eastern events. I hope that this
starts a trend. I have a long list of those who were not there
whom I hope come to future events. For reviews on these and
other merchants, I will be embarking on a more comprehensive
review for the DOG'S Merchant and Supplier Database disk. qo
watch this space! [s]
Kathryn Coomhs
K a t h n n Coombs is a member of the Atlantic Guard Soldiers .lid Soc:i.t! 2nd I.
civilian moderator for the Authentic Campaigner on-line forum.
EDITOR'S NOTES:
[ I ] Shoes and boots from Matimore Harness and Fugawee will be the wbject of
detailed examination in the next (WSTER 1002) issue. Onginal men's boots and
will also be examined.
[2] The DOG is aware of reports of \ , e n slow delivery of their dancing slippers.
[?] See item on the ledgers in the S L X M E R 2001 (9.3) issue.
i-21 Mr. Chnsten made the rounds of merchant's r o v and can verify that K a t h ~ n
omitted only one merchant or supplier ofcivilian g o d s \?orthy of note in her repon.
That is The Finishing Touch6 (3010 Woods Road. Picayune. MS 39466 and
(601 ) ?89-2846and gotoom@ fnhop.com and www.carnpchair.net. The Finistung
Touche f o k s exhibited a very nice mahogany foldins camp chair iasse~nhledand
ready for finishing at Sl40, shipping included).
[ 5 ]Over the coming winter Kathryn and our editors \vill be adding cornmsntan
similar to t h ~ sarticle for each merchant and supplier ;;sled :n the d n t ~ b r s s n z u
well over four hundred entries). We will keep you poqtsd ahen 11 i , a! L;::,?:? ;-2
subscribers can get it at half price. Personc who alread! our: 1 ;'-:. .i . : gr. ..
replacement update. The current database without annotation 1 In \15 1% :r; - .- -'
and 98 ExcelTM format) is available for S5 to subscribers and 5: : - r subscribers.
~
~
QUERLES FROM FRIENDS AND SUBSCRIBERS (for which we do not always have answers; perhaps you do! t
Subject: Socks
I recommend Evergreen Acres for accurate wool socks. The
delivery time does vary, but worth the wait. Lorrie Lee
(920) 893-0683 and evergreenacresfarm@hotmail com and
www.evergreenacresfarm.com
We have not had a chance to inspect a pair. The socks look
OK over the telegraph, but the heel and the top construction
need to be examined. Here is what I found at their web site:
Subject: Snare Drum Slings
I'm looking for a rope tension snare drum sling. I had always
bought them from Tim Foultz at the Red Dragon, but I have
been told that he no longer sells military music supplies. Where
else could I purchase a sling?
Civil War Era 1 0 0 9 Wool Socks.. .We raise our own sheep to supply the wool for
our 100% wool socks (weight = 1 pound). They are great for reenactors and anyone
who has cold feet!" Natural (off-white) and gray at SI 1 and dyed (Forest Green.
Garner Red and Navy Blue) at S12. Our socks are knitted on a "period" hand
cranked sock knitting machine that was invented in the 1840s. Perfect for Civil
War reenactors striving for that 'authentic' impression, down to their toes! They
are made from 100% pure wool and available in sizes medium (fits women 6 to 8).
large (fits 9 - I I ) and extra large (fits I I - 13). S11 a pair. We're sorry - we are
temporarily out of gray cocks. We are expecting another shipment late this summer
of gray socks. White is still available.
Evergreen Acres F a r m , N2784 Camp Riversite Road.
Sheboygan Falls. Wisconsin 53085 and (920) 564-3101 or
Carroll Drums West (maker of rope tension drums) is based
in Washington state). No web site yet. E-mail Nathan Carroll
for catalog and pricing at [email protected]
Cooperman Fife 8: Drum Company, Essex Industrial Park.
PO BOX276. Centerbrook, CT 06409-0276 and (860) 767- 1-'9
and [email protected] and wuw.cooperman.com
Fall Creek Suttlery also sells them. but we do not knon r5sir
source.
MR. YINGLING'S MEMORANDA OF INTELLIGENCE
Sack Coat News
The Dan Wambaugh Sack Coat.
If you are looking for a new authentic sack coat but do not
want the J.T. Martin coat that many manufacturers make we
have found an alternative for you. This is a Schuylkill Arsenal
blouse based on an original in the Srnithsonian Institution's
collection and is being produced by Dan Wambaugh.
The project to recreate this blouse has taken almost a year
of planning, studying the original, drafting a pattern and trying
to find the correct materials to assemble the coat. Originally
Dan had planned to make this a one hundred percent hand sewn
coat as per the original. but settled on about seventy-five percent
being hand sewn. The decision to machine sew certain parts
was made due to a cost consideration. Dan felt that the cost of a
completely hand sewn garment would have to be in the 5300
plus range due to the amount of time it would take. Dan ended
up with a blouse where the hidden seams are machine sewn and
everything else is done by hand.
The most distinguishable features of this coat are a twopiece body (no side seams), one-piece sleeve and a pointed collar.
The front pocket has a flat bottom as opposed to the more
rounded on most other sack coats. Only where a seam is exposed
is it flat felled per original. Dan has also used a different shade
of material on the inside facing to show a willingness of the
arsenal tailor to use scrap material for interior pieces. The coat
also features a single row of topstitching on the cuffs and facing
another detail of the original.
Only the best materials such as those from Family Heirloom
Weavers, County Cloth and the Military Warehouse are used in
the making of Dan's sack coats. The thread used was logwooddyed cotton, which Dan says, "will most definitely fade to brown
as seen on original garments". This blouse is of excellent
construction and detail and well worth a look at if you are in
the market for a new blouse. The reproduced sack coat is
currently being offered only through two retailers, S&S Sutler
of Gettysburg and Skillet Licker Products. The coat is selling
between $225 and 9260. Dan also offers an eighteen month
warranty where he will make repair. Jus ro any defect in
workmanship.
Dan Wambaugh can be contacted uith an! questions at
colstou,[email protected]
S & S Sutler, Tim & Debbie Sheads. PO BIT\ :: c . Bsndersville,
PA 17306 and (717) 338-1990 and -heci2. 2 I:;.:;n.net and
www.ss-sutler.com
Jersey Skillet Licker Products. Joe H v i - z . r . i .;-:inston Pl.,
Fairlawn, NJ, 07410-3506 and \t.inpsric~l- :$:: corn and
w~vw.skilletlicker.com
The Matt Caldwell Sack Coat.
Matt Caldwell of the Slakerz Saloon >Is..
also making
sack coats. I had a chance to \ien a couple at Perryville in
October but he did not have a coat aLallahle for a thorough
review. Upon initial inspection it looked just as good if not better
than some of the top makers. These coats are selling between
5 165.00 (sizes 42,44 and 46) and $175.00 (for size 48) directly
through Matt and for 9245 through the Skillet Licker's website.
He will not take orders for the coats but will list them on his
web site once he has some finished. Hopefully, the DOG will
soon receive one to review.
Matt can be contacted through his web site at
http:Nsackcoats.tripod.comlsackcoatsunlimited
Also in Limited Supply a t the Skillet Licker.
Sergeant Edmands' Fatigue Blouse.. .copied from an original
in a private collection. In the collar is a tag with the notation
"Sergt. F. Edmands, Co. L, 1st Regt. MVM." It is representative of the average mass produced fatigue blouse produced by
contract companies and issued to Federal soldiers in both the
Eastern and Western theatres. It is an unlined coat made by
from Goldberg Textile ($160 plus 9 10 S&H). He has only five
on hand.
CS Cavalry Resource
We came across Ken Kopp's CS cavalry web site at
www.confederatesaddles.com and found notices of found two
books They are Confederate Saddles and Horse Equipment
(539.95 + S5.00 shipping) and Made in the C.S.A., Saddle
Makers of the Confederacy (new, available in 2002). The later
contains production details for 260 CS contractors and
government arsenals. Includes new artifact photos and
appendices listing arsenal contractors. CS Ordnance Manual
leather and hardware dimensions. various General Orders and
numbers on imported saddlery, etc. They are available from
Confederate Saddles. P.O. Box 1322, Hattiesburg, Miss 39403
Since this is ground unplowed by the DOG we would like
some feedback on the information provided by 1Mr. Kopp. His
web site offers information on "Horse equipment in the Civil
War, "Major Confederate Horse Equipment Producing Depots,
Products and Issues," "British Equipment Imported by the
Confederacy." "Confederate Spanish hloss Blanket,"
"Confederate Halters." Richmond Arsenal Officer's Bit" and
"Federal Saddle Contractors & Makers." The site features
photographs of mounted Confederates (at present, these fifteen
are all that are known), artifact photographs and drawings and
a feature artifact of the month (at present two saddlebags are
from a state museum archives collection with Confederate
provenance.
Mr. Yingling, Mr. Christen and Ryan Conroy
I
1
THE WATCHDOG.
FEEDBACK AND FOLLOW-UP
Radishes.
Relative to the inquiry about radishes in the SChf>lER 2001
(9.3) issue. I believe you have misinterpreted hrlrs. Clagg's reply.
I am certain she indicated that Round Black Spanish and China
Rose are two varieties of radishes grown in the 1860s that are
still extant today, not, as you interpolated, that they were the
only varieties grown during the war. [ I ]
Radishes must have been relatively widely available in
nineteenth-century America. Thomas Jefferson, for example,
reported that during his presidency in the first decade of the
century, radishes were available in the Washington, DC markets
from late March to late May and again from mid-September to
mid-December. The pre-war edition of Gardeningfor the South
indicated they were commonly sown under glass from November
through March and in the open from February through May or
June. [:I
The most comprehensive period listing of radish varieties
enumerated thirty-eight summer and eleven autumn varieties
supposedly grown to some extent in the United States. Gardening
for the Solrth listed six as especially recommended for the south
in its 1856 edition, and ten in the post-war edition. As an
indication of what was actually available in common practice,
the publisher of Turner's North Carolina Almanac, who also
ran a mail order seed business, advertised ten varieties in his
1852 catalog listing. [3]
Radishes, then as now, were classified in "spindle-rooted"
and "globular or turnip-rooted" varieties. The color range was
much wider than is usually seen today. Period accounts mention
scarlet, crimson, salmon, red, rose, purple, olive, w h t e , gray.
brown, yellow, and black varieties, as well as one that was white
with a purple top, like a turnip. [4]
In reply to Mr. Maddox's original question. I have yet to
run across a reference to soldiers eating radishes in the field,
though we read of Confederate soldiers purchasing vegetables
from civilians as late as September 1864. However, it is well to
remember that, in this instance as in others, the absence of
evidence is not evidence of absence! [5] Mr. Rainey
NOTES:
[ I ] Lee Rainey. "The Reenactor's Garden." Cirizens Companion 6 (JuneiJuly
19991.27.
[2] Mary Randolph, The Mrginia Housewife (Columbia. SC: L'.of South Carolina
Press. 1984. originally published 1824). 256; William N.White. Gardenin9 For
The Sourh ( S e w York: Orange. Judd & Co.. 1856). 252.
131 Fearins Burr, Field and Garden Venembles ofAmerica (Chillicothe. IL:
American Botanist Booksellers, 1990, olginally published 1863). 67-76: White.
Gardening ( I 856). 250-57: William N. !-Chile. Gardening for rhe Sourh. rev. ed.
(New York: Orange. Judd & Co. 1868). 287-88: Turner S h'orrh Camlino Alrnanac
for 1852 (Raleigh: H e n n D. Turner. 1852). 35.
[ 3 ]Ibid.
[5]J. B. Polley. Hoodj Texas B r i ~ a d e( D a ~ t o nOH:
. \lorrungside Bookshop, 1976,
originally published 1910). 249.
~
match 'ir ibe i:! tront'~'Fr.onl ;he example. I ' \ < studied. some
ieem to make an ff'fort not to match. If you use Xlinister's 1853
guide and cut on the fold. bou can match on the horizontal. hilt
not the \.ertical. Is this n nutt). question'? Did i t e \ e n rnatrer'?
Jim Miller
This is not a nutty question at all. Beadle '\ Diiur Gilic't~ ! I )
Dressnlakirlg arid ,Milli~lendoes caution purchasers to ekarnlne
plaids to make sure they are woven with "tolerable" regulant!
s o they are likely to match. I'm going to conclude that niatchlng
plaid was important. I am sure some tailors and searnstresse.;
followed this ad\.ice and some did not.
Some plaids are easier to match than others. E \ e n plaids
repeat their design on both the lengthivise and the c r o s i u i w
stripes. They are identical in color, right and left and LIP and
down. They are easier to match then an une\.en plaid. T h e w
plaids are uneven in the lengthwise or cross\\.ise directloll. or
in both. Sometimes the match is marginal at best.
Xs far as adi.ising to cut on "the" fold. I found that
sometimes I readjust the pattern piece to cut on "a" fold. I avoid
the fold that runs parallel to the selvage and use a scrap of
folded material to match the plaid. Mrs. Soszynski
Night/sleep attire
What did the volunteers wear for sleeping and n hat nould
be the most practical for us hardcore reenacturz' Dan Ge?er
I have not seen anything in soldier'\ i~rythandacic.Jllls
that explore this clothing question be>.ond ,leepins In c.n:'\
uniform. One could assume that a soldier ni~ghtha\ s ri.:ni-,\ f d
any number of clothing items until none \\ e r t i;.? I!] .~,n-.: ..:';'\
a clean (or at least dry) shirt might be chansyd :arc1 :: ,:-: . .available. In some cases a nightshirt ( s e n t iri7:n; : , .L.?
purchased) might find its way into a soldier's ini~.;<i. . r
bedroll. Officers might have more room in a trunk it.? .ii:
luxury. In case you do want a nightshirt, I see that T?.?F!;. Ins
Turtle Mercantile offers one.
1860Tailored Slen's Sightshm - T h s nightshin is an i t r n rnndr in ~ l uc.i.r:l-:..r
for civilian use. It is bated on the French yoke rhirt st) le and patterned iro-. -1
original. It has an elongated placard Lvith four buttons, a fold down collar and i&e
cuffs on the sleeves. The h n o m is slightly flared out lo provide added cornion. and
the bottom edge is double hemmed. The length reaches half way between the knee
and the ankle. This is a fine reproduction for anyone interested in doing a civil~an
impression, and I must say. iris es~renielycomfortable to sleep in. Made from fine
unbleached muslin. Send rneasurementc as for any ofthe tailored ihirt5, and add
the total length desired Price per Sightshin ic fifty buck\.
~
Matching Plaids?
Nancy Eddins recommended that I contact you n.ith my
question. Do you have any ideas on hen important i t \vat in the
mid-19th Century for the plaid pattern in n pair of pantc to
The Flying Turtle Mercantile. J a s o n A n d e n o n ,
2 2 2 2 M e l r o s e Drive. N o . 125. Wooster. O H 4 4 6 9 1 and
(330) 264-5977 and jandersonOflyingturtlemercantile.com
and ww~v.flyingturtlemercantile.com
I might add that the Flying Turtle sets up a\ a ~ ~ i i o d
merchant to the soldiers (wagon and all) at selected e\ en[\ HI.
goods are accurate along with his attitude. You r n ~ ~ 3.k
h t rh~it
your nightshirt be made from fine cotton shirting. ris that 1s
closer to 1860s muslin. JIr. Christen
THE W ~ T G H D O ~ :
THE WATCHDOG.
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FALL 2001 [9.4]
H i l l Christen, Publisher & Ilditor-at-Fault
L y n n Kalil, Assistanl E d i t o r
Roh Hraun, Assnciate E d i t o r
C h a r l i e McCulloh, Associatc E d i t o r
M i k e Murlcy. Associate E d i t o r
Lee Kainey, Associate E d i t o r
R i c k Simmons, Associate E d i t o r
.lomane Soszynski, A s s c ~ i a t eE d i t o r
.john Yingling, Assnciate E d i t o r
I.arry See. Weh Sitc F A i t o r
IN THIS ISSUE..
n
'l'l~crcis ;I nulllhcr after your n;llnc OII your ;~tltlrcsslahcl thar Itwks
I I ~ LX. Y ( X = vollllnc. Y = i\\uc. lor cx;~llll)lc:~ h I'AI.1,
c
2001 issue
I \ ( ' 1 .I) 'I'III\ 11u111hcr ~ I I ~ I < ; I ~ (IIC
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( 'ON'l'A("I'
.
Enacting My ths Dislpelled: "RecoverCcTrn Meal
Civilian Pants and Sack Coat Pattern Review (Homespun Piattern'1
Camp Chase Fife a~ndDrums new CD review
Original Pattern tor Army Knit Mittens
Slat Bonnet Reviews and Observations
nong the Field Merchants
pping at First R
Sack Coat from Wambaugh and Caldwell
and the usual small, but import;ant st1lff
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web 511c( I ~ \ I by
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