Confederate tartan anachronisms

[auld argonian]

A good observation about how historical re-enactors tend to err on the side of the grand rather than the humble.

Interesting because i once heard the author of that book "Confederates In The Attic" talk about how obsessive Civil War re-enactors are about making sure that they have PRECISELY the same accoutrements as the people that they are portraying. I believe that the author went so far as to say the if a re-enactor found that the soldiers had lice, they would be sure that they themselves were infested by the same species of lice that their Union/Confederate heroes suffered from.

Any of us who have been to a Highland Games that have been crashed by the Ren Fair types know how it goes…I especially like the band of "barbarians" that usually show up at our local Games and are covered in furs, leather, little bits of armor and more edged weapons than any person who actually lived in the (imaginary) period that they are "portraying" could have possibly owned…they add a kilt to this preposterous outfit and suddenly they are dressed for the Highland Games. I'd love to point out to them that if they were really be accurate, their faces would be covered with smallpox scars and they'd be missing at least a few fingers…maybe missing an arm or a leg…but they're living the fantasy.

I'm guessing, OC, that these Civil War buffs have done their research but have made the conscious choice to bend the rules and toss on a kilt and an anachronistic sporran just to try to create an effect. They'll give you the old "I'm honoring my heritage" excuse but they KNOW that they're really fudging the accuracy of what they're representing. Whatever their motivation we can't really say but if you're going to try to do an HISTORICAL re-enacment, you better damn well be as accurate as you can and leave your fantasies about "how it should have been" in the parking lot….you're not doing anybody any favors by misrepresenting history because it's your fancy to wear a kilt.

Best,

AA

[Tarheel]

I believe you are looking onto a different areas with your post, so I'll try to help with a few.
I wear my Confederate Memorial only as a modern day outfit with modern accessories. For me, Memorial tartan is the key phrase.

I believe that full face sporrans of the local animals would have been more commonly used (raccoon, fox, groundhog) for the Southern enlisted or drafted soldier that wore kilts. (Easier to obtain and replace.) A substitute sporran may have been an ammunition (ball and cap bag) pouch that would be more uniform to an platoon, squad, company of troops.

My comments are based on my own military service obligations (presentation of unit) but also from what I know of family members that served in different CSA units from North Carolina (cavalry, "woodsmen" sharp-shooters and navy) No one in my family wore kilts during those war years. They considered themselves (then and still do) Ingram's of Carolina borne from Scottish blood (defenders of home) foremost and soldiers of the Southern cause second.

The gentlemen that you are observing may have trouble locating information on the precise style of sporrans worn by the men they wish to emulate. You're post may bring more attention to an overlooked area of attire during an era that needs clarification.

[BadenochWolf]

The Union Light Infantry from Charleston County, SC is the only Confederate Company I know of to use Highland dress --although mainly comprised of men of lowland descent! Even so, they appear only to have worn trews, except for the piper(s? Sources disagree on whether they had more than one at a time). It still nominally exists at Company C of the Washington Light Infantry. None of its regalia survived the war (nor did most of its members), and "reconstructed" uniforms have used whatever tartan suited the wearer. Recently, due to their affiliation with the Military Institute of South Carolina aka The Citadel, they've taken to wearing their Pipe & Drum Corps tartan, though it is just as ahistorical as the Confederate Memorial Tartan.

On the exceptionally rare occasion someone wore this "uniform" with full kilt rig, it seems to have been worn with a horsehair sporran, as there are two in WLI's Quartermaster's inventory. I may have seen a gent wearing this at the burial of the final C.S.S. Hunley crew in 2004, but my photographs of that day are inconclusive.

[OC Richard]

I'm guessing, OC, that these Civil War buffs have done their research but have made the conscious choice to bend the rules and toss on a kilt and an anachronistic sporran just to try to create an effect.

That's an interesting take on things. I was imagining that these people know a lot about Civil War uniforms, but know next to nothing about historical Highland Dress. They see various sporrans for sale and think that all the types of sporrans they see being worn today have always existed (Highland Dress being timeless somehow).

I'll give one example, a guy I ran into who spent much trouble putting together the modern full-dress uniform of The 48th Highlanders of Canada, but showed up with a huge 18th century style ___________ strapped across his back. (I'm not allowed to name the thing, but you know what it is.)

It's usually the sporrans and the _________ that are anachronistic.

[Benning Boy]

I went through a re-enactment phase, so I think I can see things from both sides. I've always felt the first thing the overwhelming majority of re-enactors need to do, before striving to be accurate in the smallest of details, is to pay attention to the greatest of details, and loose 100-150 pounds.

I'm still not clear, perplexed really, about kilt wearing in the Confederate Army. Was it really done at all, and if done, done by more than an infinitesimally small number?


Thanks OCRichard for the lesson. I'm always grateful when you share your teaching.

[OC Richard]

Of course the way which I might expect a recent, modern tartan like Confederate Memorial to be worn is with modern Highland Dress, as it appears as a pipe band uniform here, where the modern 20th century sporrans are idiomatic



Nice American-made pipes there by the way!

[AFS1970]

Even if we ignore for the moment the vintage of the tartan, I think the reason you will see modern accessories with a purportedly historic uniform is two fold.

First, since there is little if any record of confederate kilted units, there is little if any source material to work with. No drawings or photos from the period that would guide you down the right path. So you can find a great deal of stuff about jackets, you can find a great deal of stuff about kilts in other settings, but the two do not come together in any sort of educational resource. I can not explain why someone would not look at a non confederate picture of highland wear from the same period but I can understand how it happens.

The second is a matter of availability. For the casual kilt wearer, with little more than the internet and maybe a few festivals to go on, one will not find a historic sporran. In the USA unless you see a touring band the only source material you have for kilted uniforms are generally pipe bands, and they are wearing modern accessories for the most part. I know that I did not come across anything other than a few pictures in books that would show the correct time period until reading about the issue in various threads here on XMTS. I doubt many of the kilted confederates are reading through various non confederate threads on a kilt forum. Even if they did, finding one of these period correct sporrans for sale can be a daunting task. Not many of the well known (or lesser known for that matter) kilt shops carry such an item.

[ShaunMaxwell]

Even if they did, finding one of these period correct sporrans for sale can be a daunting task. Not many of the well known (or lesser known for that matter) kilt shops carry such an item.

I dunno... I just did a Google search for "Civil War era sporran" and immediately found two (reputable) vendors selling a reproduction of the 79th New York Civil War sporran. (The Scottish Trading Company and Burnett's & Struth) Now, I know that's the wrong army, but certainly the right era.

The cost of the sporran, however, did make my eyes water. I suspect it would less expensive to have Artificer make one!

Cheers,

SM

[AFS1970]

I think at that price a custom made one would definitely be worth it.

Now having a look at that one, which is relatively plain looking compared to some horsehair ones I have seen, I could probably also get a modern one that was similar for quite a bit less, and it would probably (while still being anachronistic) look better than wearing a modern civilian sporran.

As for the one from the 79th being the wrong army, since it has no crest on it, who is to say the same type would not have been worn by both armies?

[OC Richard]

I just did a Google search for "Civil War era sporran" and immediately found two (reputable) vendors selling a reproduction of the 79th New York Civil War sporran. (The Scottish Trading Company and Burnett's & Struth) Now, I know that's the wrong army, but certainly the right era.

I'll wager that neither is Civil War era. The 79th New York sporrans made by L&M and copied in India aren't Civil War era, but in fact the type worn by that regiment in the 1870s.

Yes that design is a fairly typical mid-19th century sporran and would be fine for a Civil War period civilian. But it should not be worn as part of the Civil War era uniform of the 79th New York.

Thing is, the 79th had two almost completely different Full Dress uniforms. One was worn from 1858 to 1861. When the regiment was mobilized for war service Full Dress was discontinued. After the war Full Dress was revived but with a different Glengarry, jacket, sporran, and hose. Spats were introduced post-war.

I had L&M make me a reproduction of the genuine 1858-1861 79th NY sporran, and explained and sent them numerous photos proving that it was the only style worn pre-war, and that the style L&M was making was post-war and thus incorrect for the Civil War period. They made my one, but still continue to make the 1870s style and sell it as a Civil War sporran. They know better.

Here are some 79th NY members after the war. Only the man on the right is wearing the 1858 model sporran, and it is the only type correct for the Civil War era. (However the badge is a later addition.) He's also wearing the 1858 model Glengarry, with two rows of red/white/blue dicing. (Oddly, their post-war uniform used the Glengarry of the 93rd Highlanders, not the 79th.)



Back to Confederate tartans, I've come across two variants. I wonder why.





If the yellow/red/blue portion is intended to reflect the major branches of the Army, the blue should be a sky blue as in the upper version.

I'm guessing that the red/white/blue portion is intended to reflect the various Confederate flags.