Shaker Town

[RyanBWeddle]

I am my unit's contact for Shakertown this Sept. and I am trying to dig up some info early on....

Can anyone provide here the link/reference on the documentation for the 48th Tennessee Reg't on Perryville campaign?

I know that there was an Ohio account, and also some other info on troops capturing Federal supplies at Richmond, KY.

Does anyone have that info they can share here? I know this was discussed prior to the '01 Pville event.

Thanks -

[trippcor]

Ryan,
I beleive, there are several folks currently working to get some information about the 48th Tn together for use with the event guidelines for the WIG event. This information will be posted on the WIG website with the event info.

[JCbluegrassrifles]

Shaker Village. Check out the WIG site for details on what your impression should look like. You can e-mail their commander or one of their boys that have the authenticity standards for Perryville. I DO know that they are stressing the rebs to be in fed sky blue trousers.

[trippcor]

Jim,
Those guidelines are not up yet. Shakervillage and the WIG are working on finalizing them. Once they are ready I will post them to the WIG website.

You are right about the pants. Actually there will be a heavy allowance for the use of Federal gear. The 48th had just captured a large amount of Federal gear just prior to the events we will be portraying at Shakervillage.

[ewtaylor]

Shaker Village. Check out the WIG site for details on what your impression should look like. You can e-mail their commander or one of their boys that have the authenticity standards for Perryville. I DO know that they are stressing the rebs to be in fed sky blue trousers.
Ryan,
I had them last week and have since lost them. One of our messmates has them tho. Email him at oldewalnut@aol.com . His name is Bob Swartz. I'm not sure if they will be exactly the same guidelines as this years event or not. That of course is up to the WIGS.
hope this helps,
ewtaylor
bluegrass rifles

[Travelin Cornfed]

Guys -

Here are the 2001 WIG guidelines for the 48th TN during the Perryville campaign:

"For this event we will be portraying the 48th Tennessee Infantry. This will give participants a unique opportunity with their impression. The 48th Tenn., being members of Cleburne’s Brigade during the 1862 Kentucky Campaign, were engaged heavily at the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky, prior to the action at Perryville. Richmond was a decisive Confederate victory, as Cleburne’s men captured many prisoners and scores of Federal supplies.

The 48th Tenn., being somewhat threadbare after the march into Kentucky, capitalized heavily on the captured Federal stores, primarily obtaining trousers. Cleburne’s report of the battle of Perryville states that his brigade was, almost to a man, wearing captured Federal blue trousers. With this information, along with what is known of the commutation clothing system in the South, the WIG impression for the event should be unique to say the least.

We will publish more information on the 48th Tennessee Infantry for first person research and general information at a later date.

UNIFORM

Officers-We strongly encourage you to wear strictly civilian attire. Please clear any exceptions with the battalion commander prior to the event.

Coat-
• Single breasted frock coat
• Commutation Jacket or battle shirt
• Period Civilian style sack coat
• Federal 4 button blouse
• Federal Frock

Pants - We request that everyone in the ranks wear Federal issue sky blue trousers-No Exceptions!

Shoes
• Civilian styles
• Federal issue bootees
• Boots

Headgear
• proper slouch hats
• kepis
• "new’ Hardee hats/new means recently acquired not one that has obviously campaigned for sometime

ACCOUTERMENTS

Cartridge box/cap box/belt/scabbard
• Early confederate manufacture
• 1855/1861 Federal issue
• Confederate style belts should dominate US issue, sheet brass, militia, and nondescript belt plates encouraged.

Haversacks
• Confederate manufacture
• Federal issue

Knapsacks
• Federal "early" double-bags
• Confederate Issue-Single Bag, Kibbler Style etc.
• Bed Roll

Canteens
• NO BULLSEYES!
• Confederate issue drum
• Confederate issue wooden canteen
• Federal issue 1858 smoothside – please leather slings only

Weapons
• Enfields (The 48th Tennessee was armed with Enfields at the battle of Perryville)
• ‘61 Springfield
• ‘42 Springfield (smoothbore or rifled)
• ‘55 Springfield


Bayonets
All men in the ranks shall carry a bayonet that fits their weapon. Bayonets must have a working locking ring. The bayonet scabbard shall be in good repair.

Hope this helps,

[trippcor]

Abner,
That is great. Though everyone needs to remember the actual shaker guidelines may be slightly different. But this is certainly a good start.

[RyanBWeddle]

This is nice. However, I really am looking for the period documentation that supports the guidelines. Not the guidelines themselves...

[Travelin Cornfed]

Tripp-

Note in the header I say these are the 2001 Perryville guidelines. Yes, Shaker Village may be different.

Weddle -

Contact Pat Craddock directly and I'm sure he can answer your question in a more expedient fashion than what you'll get trolling out here.

Abner

[RyanBWeddle]

""As we ascended the hill we were fired into by our own artillery in the rear. Several of our men were killed amid wounded, and we had to fall back. I sent an aide to stop this battery. I can only account for this blunder from the fact that most of our men had on blue Federal pants.""

From:
October 8, 1862 - Battle of Perryville, or Chaplin Hills, Ky.
Report of Brig. Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne, C.S. Army, commanding brigade.
OR: Series 1 - Volume 52 (Part I) p. 51-52

[adamandnicole]

Does anyone know if they had Columbus Depot jackets by that time in 1862?

Thanks,

Adam Dickerson

[BobDenton37thVA]

No, they did not, at least not jackets that were issued by the Confederate Central Supply Depots (in this case, specifically the Columbus Depot). Now there were probably jackets similar to the type currently referred to as the "Columbus Depot" in existence. Without doubt the Depot attempted to emulate some style that was either popular, and/or complied with the Confederate "regulation" (i.e. a gray jacket with broad cuff and collar trim in the service branch colors).

Its good to keep in mind that the Perryville Campaign has often been referred to as the "Antietam of the West", and similar to the Sharpsburg Campaign, it was the probably the most severe of all the "supply ebbs" of the AoT. It took place near the end of a campaign with dangerously stretched supply lines. Compounding that, the clothing supply system had only just started to function with anything even approaching efficiency. Consistent clothing issues would only really start to appear (as recorded in the CSRs) in early 1863, and by mid-63 the system was up and running. But in October 1862, in Kentucky, it was "catch as catch can".

The Confederates at Perryville (and hence seen at the Pleasant Hill Shakertown) would have been equipped in a confusing mix of civilian clothes, cast off or salvaged Federal clothes, and various commutation pieces in all states of wear. In fact, one eye witness to Bragg's Army noticed that the only thing seemingly "uniform" about them was that they all wore a "cockade", hat cords, or some other "device" in their hats that gave them a "military appearance". Most of the rank and file were relatively ragged, deeply tanned, unshaven, extremely dirty (due to dusty marches in drought conditions), barefooted or nearly so, and totally "variform" as opposed to uniform. They were described by another eyewitness as the "bipeds of pandemonium..." (an allusion to their seeming resemblance to Satan's helpers).

Be that as it may, there are very specific clothing and equipment regulations regarding the guiding impression for the 2004 Shaker Village Event (the unit is the 48th TN Inf.). They are listed earlier in this string. I'd strongly suggest you adhere to those guidelines when structuring your impression as per the sponsoring unit's request.

Regards,
Bob Denton
Co.K, 37th VA Inf.
(aka the "bipeds of pandemonium")

[adamandnicole]

Bob,

Thanks for the good reply. I have a civilian sack coat on order, so I should be in good shape.

Regards,

Adam Dickerson

[Bushrod Carter]

Answers to all Military standards for this event can be found at:

www.westernindependentgrays.org

Look in "Upcoming Campaigns" for 2004 and all the Shaker Village event info will be found there.