Battle Shirt

[Jeff_Hiseley]

I had a question about the so-called "Battle" or "Overshirts". Judging from early war photographs in all theaters, the shirts were quite common, and after the fall of Vicksburg the TMD was largely on their own, so I would assume there would be alot of home-spun, home-made overshirts in the '64-'65 years in the Trans-Mississippi theater as well. Am I correct in my assumptions?
How do you construct one? Can you just modify a regular civilian shirt pattern? What type of fabric? Jean? Flannel? What type of buttons? any help would be greatly appreciated.
-Jeff Hiseley

[tarwater_mess]

Thought this might help.

The Southern Banner [Athens, Ga.], August 6, 1862, p. 4, c. 7

Wanted!

1000 yards country Cotton Cloths, plain, striped and checked;
1000 yards Woolen Linsey for Overshirts;
500 yards " Jeans for Coats and Pants for all which the best market price will be paid in cash.
July 16. I. M. Kenney.

Dallas Herald, December 6, 1862, p. 2, c. 2
We have been shown a donation of 31 pairs worsted socks, 50 flannel overshirts, 2 undershirts, and 6 pair flannel drawers, for the soldiers, made by a lady and her two daughters, in Grimes county. The flannel was all of home manufacture, and the best article of the kind we have seen in many a long day. This donation is worth at least $75, probably $100.—Telegraph.
According to our calculations, the above articles would bring not less than $450.

[James Masson]

From the Florida State Archives:

http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/prints/pr01726.jpg

This is a picture of two Confederate soldiers from Florida. I came across this picture in some research I have been doing for a Florida Homeguard impression. Both soldiers appear to be wearing overshirts from a course, probably homespun, material. The soldier on the right appears to have a slit front type shirt instead of a placket front. This was a pre-war design that started to fade out around the 1840's or so. I don't know what type of buttons are on these shirts, but a good guess is either bone or agate glass (china) buttons. There is no trim on either shirt.

http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/prints/pr01678.jpg

This is another good example of an overshirt. This one is trimmed and the buttons look like they might be brass (it is hard to tell from this picture, this is only my guess).

http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/prints/pr01677.jpg

Yet another one of a Florida soldier. I believe this one is in the 1st Florida Infantry. The front piece of the placket is made out of a darker type of material. Again, the buttons appear to be brass, but that is just my best guess.

There is also the famous picture of the Mississippi cavalryman (1st Miss. Cav.?), in which he is wearing an overshirt. There is also the numerous pictures of soldiers in overshirts. There is an article on the Lone Jack Mess website (I think) that gives a good analysis on overshirts, as well as many pictures.

Any heavier material would work fine. Linsey Woolsey, wool jean, cotton jean, wool flannel, cotton cassimere, satinette, denim, wool. I thik there are a few picture of soldiers wearing overshirts made out a shirting type material. Trim, no trim, it's really your choice. Hope this helps you out.

James Masson

[srmitchell]

Jeff,
Here are two sites with material on the Trans.-Miss. theatre, and thier respective contact information is on both sites. The overshirts that I've seen produced for guys doing LH's at Mansfield have been made from Family Heirloom's undyed cotton jeans, from Child's Holladay shirt pattern. It's the same material that was produced by the penitentiary for the soldiers in this region. Any of the guys in either of these units will know much more than I however, so I'll direct you here;
15th TX Inf.:

http://www.geocities.com/Texasgroundhornets/

and the Lazy Jacks Mess:

http://www.lazyjacks.org.uk/

They will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
Hope this helps,

[markj]

Greetings,

Take a look at this image currently on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2211930268&category=13960

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[DougCooper]

Give Don Smith a call on the TMD battleshirts - best to call the Mansfield State Historic Site at 318 872-1474 where Don works as a ranger. Of note there is a photo of 5 members of the 21st MS (ANV) with their flag in the Courthouse Musuem in Jackson, MS all dressed in identical light colored untrimmed overshirts. We were pretty excited till we found out the photo was taken in Aug of 65 and was a commemorative veterans deal for them...but it does point to the popularity of the garment and the thought that it is at least thought of as being martial in appearance. Thousands of the so-called Monroe Depot overshirts were produced and as late as 1864 according to research by Fred Adolphus and Don Smith, and others. No surviving example exists (that we know of) so we are just going off of a description, just as we are on the undyed cotton jean and kersey jackets produced by Houston Depot and it's satelites.

[privstull]

when my unit did a bulk buy of battle shirts, we bought the material from ben tart. just ask ben what would be the best for whatever theater you would want it in. He also would probably carry the buttons. For patterns, I would contact Charlie Childs and ask him if he had one or could make up one for you. hope this helps. merry christmas to all!

[Yellowhammer]

Guys,

I know there are no extant TMD originals to work from, but there is a fair amount of undocumentable guesswork going on in this thread. I'm not bashing you. I would simply caution towards a little more scholarship and research before jumping to some of these assumptions.

As Mark Mason showed with his post, there is information out there. Sometimes, it can be as thin as a single reference to material, (linsey-woolsey in this case) but at least that's a starting point.

[paulcalloway]

I'd suggest an email to Pat Brown (fortyrounds@juno.com) as he's done a battleshirt Bully Buy in the past, and usually patterns his uniforms from extant originals.

[Jeff_Hiseley]

Thanks,
and I'll heed your warning and keep the guesswork to a minimum. The reason I was asking was because I wasn't sure if the battleshirt popularity was strictly an early war phenomena that curbed as the war progressed (because a majority of "battleshirt" photographs I've seen were taken in '61-'62), or if it remained a staple in the TMD for the duration of the war due to logistical reasons, and I haven't been able to find many mid-late war TMD images.
I was inquiring particularly for the Mansfield march. I've been wanting to construct a battleshirt for a while and took this as a great opportunity since it is one of the requirements. I'm wanting to do an authentic specific shirt, and found a gorgeous example in an old Confederate Calendar from '97. The picture was taken in the sring of '62 around Waco and it's of Pvt. Edwin Erath of the 15th Texas. I havn't been able to locate any fabric matching the material his overshirt is made of (his was probably home-spun anyway), the closest i've found is a rust/brown tiger stripe cotton jean from Family Heirloom, but it doesn't have the uniformity of the vertical stripes like the original fabric. It kind of looks like more of a Linsey Woolsy to me anyway, but it's hard to tell. I didn't know if one fabric was more common than others or if there was quite a variety. You can't see the buttons, as he has his sleeves rolled up, and he has a V-neck opening w/o a placket. So I was just going to take an educated guess >: ( on the cuff buttons.
Thanks guys! For Mansfield/Pleasant Hill, -Jeff Hiseley

[Dingus]

Here's another photo of a battleshirt, or guerrilla shirt as they came to be known in Missouri. They were frequently homespun of linsey-woolsey.

http://www.islandnet.com/~the-gang/jesse2.jpg

p.s. I'm currently on a quest to find 10 yards of linsey-woolsey, if anyone encouters a current source.

[K Bartsch]

James,
Charlie Childs makes and sells the linsey you seek. Three colors. Very nice stuff.

http://www.crchilds.com/id44.htm

Cordially,
K. Bartsch

[JustRob]

Has anyone seen documentation for wearing rank insignia on the sleeves of overshirts?

A unit with which I fall in from time to time wears overshirts on the field and their NCO's are having difficulty being identified. This isn't so much a problem within the group, but it does become an issue when falling in with others.

Would the situation change if the overshirt was sometimes worn under a jacket? I know the overshirt is typically worn in place of a jacket, but this is a situation where everyone would be wearing a distinctive regimental Garibaldi shirt that sometimes doubled as an overshirt.

If there is some documentation for the rank insignia, would it be done with regular chevrons or simply wool tape?

[hireddutchcutthroat]

I have HEARD (I cannot back this up so take it with a grain of salt!) That when the 1stMN Inf was first formed, that the enlisted ranks wore red shirts, NCOs Gray and the officers Blue. Other than that piece of campfire talk, I have not seen a photo of NCO stripes on an overshirt. What unit are you portraying?

[JimConley]

Robert,
That would be very interesting to note if that could be backed up somehow. Anyone? The proposed possible remedy to the post seems logical...it makes sense.

[tmdreb]

In Morgan Wolfe Merrick's illustrated diary, published as From Desert to Bayou, he drew several artillery crewmen wearing overshirts, one of them wearing red corporal's stripes on the sleeve. So, at least for artillerymen operating in Louisiana, there is documentation for this practice.

[Blum]

«*Would the situation change if the overshirt was sometimes worn under a jacket?*»

I sadly can not post it but I know at least one picture where a CS soldier wearing a trimmed overshirt under a shell jacket.

I don’t know if it is very common however.

[acwillen]

I have HEARD (I cannot back this up so take it with a grain of salt!) That when the 1stMN Inf was first formed, that the enlisted ranks wore red shirts, NCOs Gray and the officers Blue. Other than that piece of campfire talk, I have not seen a photo of NCO stripes on an overshirt. What unit are you portraying?


I knew we had the docs somewhere, I finally picked them up from Fort Snelling last night.

"...[Minnesota Governor Ramsay] obligated himself to friends in Philadelphia for money to furnish the First Regiment with clothes, which consisted of a change of underwear, a red shirt, a pair of blue woolen pants and a black felt hat. That was the dress of the private soldier. The non-commissioned officers were furnished with blue shirts, and had the chevron sewed on the sleeve of their shirts, to designate their rank. At that time a company consisted of 103 men, rank and file; three commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, five sergeants and eight corporals. The commissioned officers had to furnish their own uniforms, rations, etc. The officers were required to have servants actively employed; otherwise they would be prevented from drawing their allowance."

pp7-8, Memoirs of Christopher B. Heffelfinger, by Lucia L. Peavey Heffelfinger
Santa Barbara, CA 1915, Minneapolis, MN, 1922

As I remember, the entire regiment was issued this uniform while at Fort Snelling. One company (A, I believe - the books are at home right now) also received a regulation uniform including frock coats, and Co. K of Winona also had a gray uniform made by the ladies of that town for them. However, they received orders to all wear the red shirt when they started off for the First Battle of Bull Run, and did not all receive regulation uniforms until after that battle. This is all in Last Full Measure and No More Gallant a Deed, whcih I can get details on when I get home, if anyone needs it.

[mnreb]

Hi.
Would battleshirts, or overshirts have been made out of cotton? My unit has ran out of the color we need in wool and have thought about cotton, but wanted to be sure that it would still be authentic.
Thanks.
Bill Feucthenberger

[Shockoe Hill Cats]

Bill,

Let me start from the beginning; overshirts were sometimes worn as a substitute for proper uniforms and were common and favourable garments of the 19th Century. Documented colours of overshirts haved ranged widely (i.e. Red, Blue, White, Gray, Striped flannel, etc.). It can be noted that many laborers have been associated with overshirts, like sailors or firemen for instance.

Not to be a stickler, but when I think of the word "battleshirt," I think more of overshirts that were specifically trimmed or decorated. Overshirts weren't necessarily decorated as simply or elaborately as battleshirts.

Take this example, in my hometown of Charlottesville, Va. there were two miltias comprised of University of Virginia students known as the Southern Guard and the Sons of Liberty. The uniform of the Sons of Liberty was, "a red flannel shirt, conspicuously trimmed with black velvet and bespangled with brass buttons [...]" (The Magizine of Albemarle County History). As an aside, check out this link on "Piedmont Battleshirts:"

http://www.historicsandusky.org/uniforms.htm

As to your original question, of all the examples I'm posting, none appear to be constructed of cotton. Doesn't mean that cotton overshirts or battleshirts weren't produced. But the majority of my examples don't seem to be. To be most historically correct, I would check out your unit's standards again and see what they originally wore.

Hope this helps,

Jason.

[roundshot]

An excellent post, Jason!

[mnreb]

Hi again.
Thank you for the feedback and the site. Through my research I had not seen or heard of any being made out of cotton. I had to ask in case anyone else had more information on the subject. Again, thank you very much for the reply.
Sincerly,
Bill Feucthenberger

[aaron1stvirginia]

Gents,
I was wandering about the proper, if they're such a thing, way to wear a battle shirt or over shirt. I've seen a picture of two fellows from North Carolina I believe and they had the collars tucked in the shirt and the cuffs rolled in. I've seen a picture or two of plaid shirts with trim around the collar and buttons and cuffs. Would these be apropriate to wear into battle or more of a flannel shirt like Richmond Depot sells? Also I've wandered because I can't recollect seeing how a battle/overshirt is worn as far as tucked or untucked and over the braces. The reason I ask is I want to improve my early war/home guard empressions. I'm fairly new to the authentic way of life and doing the small shows we always had to wear a jacket and never saw a battle shirt when I think they would've been very apropriate to wear.

Thanks in advance for the help,

[Secesh]

Hello,
My advice to you, as to the best way, is researc early War period photographs, as the photos can give you a far more accurate photo than anyone here could. I have in my possession an original Early-War tintype of Joshua Whaley, Co. G, 34th Alabama Infantry...he is wearing an overshirt / battleshirt open at the throat, with a white shirt and plaid tie underneath it...He has the shirt tucked into his trowsers. Best regards, Tom

[mightyreb]

Hello, I have a friend who made up a number of battle shirts for some us who were intrested at the time & she did quite a bit of searching through known photograghs for just that. she found that most were tucked with no braces holding up the trousers, acouple having shirts underneath the battleshirts. i'll have to rummage through my books to see if they were wearing belts, hope it helps...
steve hutton

[ewtaylor]

Aaron,
This is one of those subjects asked about frequently. Here is the last thread on Battleshirts:
http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11347&highlight=battle+shirts

maybe it will answer some of your questions or if not you can search the other dozens of threads on the subject by using the "search" function at the top of the page.
see ya at Mill Springs,
everett taylor

[YoungCampaigner]

Hello All. I am looking to make or buy myself a battle shirt for my early-war Confederate impression. Can anyone tell me what the most authentic color and material would be for one? Also, where could I buy a hand-sewn one in a size 38 or smaller?

Sincerely,
William Chapman
40th Va. Inf., Co. B
and
Signal Corps of the James
http://www.theyoungcampaigner.com

[Csayankee]

Hello Welcome to the forum.

First things first, make sure you sign your full name to each and every post this is a requirement of the board. If you go to the User CP you can create a signature that will appear on every post and you don't have to worry about it.

If you are looking into buying a good made shirt, several of the approved vendors on this site can provide you with one.

As in color and material I know several will make the statement of what does the research say. I know mine made a good vendor is of a wool flannel and blue. There was a great post about a year or so ago on material, color and fabric suppliers. However after performing a search I am scared it is lost in one of the previous crashes. If Matt Caldwell can chime in, he was part of that post.

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Question on clarification...

Are you looking for information on a shirt to be worn for extra warmth, providing an extra layer of clothing...or are you looking for information on an outer/overshirt being worn in place of a jacket?

You mentioned "early-war Confederate", so I'm assuming you mean the later;
Are you trying to portray a specific unit?

Many of these early style "uniforms" had such great variance, it may not be possible to definitively say what is "most-common"...units such as the Liberty Hall Volunteers from Washington College (Washington & Lee University), had their telltale grey-wool flannel overshirts with black trim...while other units such as the 1tth VA Infantry out of Lynchburg/Bedford VA had a great variance in "battle-shirts" within their single regiment both in material and construction.

Medium weight wool flannels work very well for the construction of these "uniform" shirts. You may want to start with one of the Charlie Childs/Country Cloth patterns (such as the Louisiana Shirt), although again...such great variance, the shirt would really be more unit dependant.

Paul

[YoungCampaigner]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Yes, I am looking for a shirt to be worn in place of a jacket.

Sincerely,
William Chapman
40th Va. Infantry, Co. B
and
Signal Corps of the James
http://www.theyoungcampaigner.com

[Shockoe Hill Cats]

A'hoy William,

Check out this thread I wrote a while back for another curious comrade:

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11347

Don't forget to use that seach button and see if there are any more threads! Also, look through the "Approved Vendors" tab above to see the vendors I'd recommend. Off the top of my head, Kara Bartels and Brian Merrick of Corner Clothiers make a good overshirt.

Hope this helps,

[roundman]

For those interested in Mississippi troops, H. Grady Howell Jr. works at the MS Dept of Archives and History had compiled a picture book of MS troops. 290 pages. There are some photos that are of wives and reunion photos but in it are 50 or so pics of different battle shirts. Also a large variety of jackets.
Robert Myers