20th TN Co D uniform - Event Guidelines

[coastaltrash]

Gents,
While I know there is 10 months between now and the event there are a few things I would like to imply for Co. C. I would like everyone who requests to be in Company C to make ever effort to pick up a well made CS frock. This does not mean if you do not have one, not to sign up, but in an effort to have a uniformed appearance try and make an effort. If you are a size 40 and are in need of one and see no sign you can get one by the event, feel free to email or PM me through this site.

Hope to see many in Company C

[JLHurst]

I'll hop on that one. I need a reason to buy a frock anyhow. Perfect oppertunity!
Now to convince the Mrs. of that. :sarcastic

[Iceman]

This image comes from the SCV Tennessee website. This photo is of a man in the 20th TN, Co. D. It is of my opinion, as well as a friend of mine who is in the business of authentic clothing that this frock is blue/gray jean with black trim.

Nic Clark

[coastaltrash]

Nic,
Not doubting you, but what is your proof behind that, because it resembles lighter-medium gray frocks I have seen in images.

[GreencoatCross]

If we're talking about Tennessee state issue frock coats then I submit a quote from "Don Troiani's Regiments And Uniforms Of The Civil War":

"An August 31, 1861 article, in the Nashville Union and American stated that the Quartermaster Department was making 2,000 garments per day and had on hand 14,000 suits of clothing. In Memphis, a smilar manufacturing depot employed 300 women making up piecework clothing for the Tennessee soldiers. In April and May 1861, to provide uniforms for the Tennessee Volunteers, the Tennessee State and Financial Board had purchased some 30,000 yards of gray satinette material; 25,000 yards of mixed red, gray, and blue flannel cloth; Kentucky jean cloth; 25,000 yards of red flannel; and metal coat buttons."

"Nashville was evacuated in February 1862, following the battle and capture of Fort Donelson. Some $5 million of much-needed quartermaster goods were abandoned or destroyed in what has been called the Nashville Panic. It appears that the Tennesee pattern frock coat was also lost to the enemy."

The image of the 20th Tennessee soldier may show him wearing a variation of a more common style of frock produced for Tennessee soldiers. The "more common" style I speak of has medium to tall pointed cuff facings with two or three buttons on them with the facings being made from red, light blue, dark blue, or black cloth. The 20th Tenn. soldier image may date from fairly early in the war if he is wearing a state issued frock coat.

So for Outpost I'm guessing that Co. C participants are not going to want a trimmed frock coat but something plain.

Brian White
Wambaugh, White, & Co.

[WestTN_reb]

You beat me to it Mr. White. Because of my portrayal as the 12th Tennessee, this issue is special to my heart. Mr. Troiani's work also states that the "typical" Tennessee frock was seen on members of the 6th, 12th, 22nd, 29th, 31st, 55th, and 3rd Tennessee Battalions. I sent Mr. Wambaugh several pictures I found of soldiers from these groups, and the uniforms are very similar on all of them. The higher cuff trim and buttons being universal on all.

[jamie gillum]

I would have to agree with Brian, and add that this period of operations lasted about six months - during the time frame that Arthur Freemantle of the British Army visited the Army of Tennessee and noted their clothing.

He stated there was no "attempt at uniformity in color or cut; but nearly all were dressed either in gray or brown coats and felt hats. I was told that even if a regiment was clothed in proper uniform by the government, it would become parti-colored again in a week, as the soldiers preferred wearing the coarse home-spun jackets and trousers made by their mothers and sisters at home. The generals very wisely allow them to please themselves in this respect, and insist only upon their arms and accouterments being kept in proper order. Most of the officers were dressed in uniform which is neat and seviceable--viz., a bluish-gray frock coat of a color similar to Austrian yagers."

Safe to say - probably - that by this point in the war, most of the uniformity had diminished on a large scale.

Jamie Gillum

[Joe Walker]

According to a passage in "Confederate Industry", until April of 1862, one-half of the Huntsville, Texas penn. production was dedicated to the needs of the Memphis and Nashville uniform mfg efforts. I thought this interesting and may answer some questions for those of you who have studied the Huntsville cloth. This tidbit may stir up further ideas on the frock coat discussion.

Joe Walker

[buckandball]

Aside from the guidelines for arms on the event website, is there a known musket or rifled musket that was the majority of arms for the 20th Tn? Pat, any desire for uniformity in that effort (just asking, not expecting). Who knows, if I can actually make it, I hope six months is enough time for Joe to make me a CS frock...

[DougCooper]

While Fremantle was an observant man, I wonder if his observations are a bit suspect due to the world and the army he comes from, where uniformity was a staple. He notes that everyone was in brown or gray coats and felt hats. To those of us accustomed to great variety, this sounds pretty uniform to me. On the subject of refusing "proper" uniforms for their homespun garb I wonder if the words "I was told" really means "I did not see."

[webbguard]

Gentlemen
The Twentieth Tennessee was issued Enfields prior to Shiloh so would have been carrying those during the time frame for the outpost event.
Best regards to all,
Steven Whaley

[Dale Beasley]

I am going to dress Warm.

[coastaltrash]

The guidelines for events are simply that GUIDELINES. If people want to get more in depth with their research then by all means go right ahead and dive in. Before any guidelines are written there is some time put into studying original images and any information we can get. But why reinvent the wheel everytime your event has a different portrayal. Should we buy jackets for each event? Certainly not. While adopting a generic guideline may seem ridiculous to some of the people on this forum it boils down to serving the most people while sticking to historic detail. By no means have we "farbed" out but I'm not going to research 4 times a year to come up with the exact same information I have for similar units serving in a stones throw of each other. Its a uniform requirement and if individuals feel like going above those requirements then so be it (my example is what started this thread- I want primarily frocks in the co at Outpost, but other items are allowed because they were present) Company D was actually from Williamson County (where the event took place) which further fuels the request. Simple truth- it's requirements or guidelines to attend an event, the minimum bar if you will, and if you can't meet that then better try to borrow or buy something.

[paulcalloway]

This thread was wandering from its original intent of Event Guidelines for Patrick Landrum's company at the upcoming Outpost III event.

I've moved some of the posts into a separate thread in the Authenticity folder (http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?p=73290#post73290).

[LejeuneMarine]

Pat,
I will be able to make Outpost! I will be good to go with a frock. Talk to you soon.
Mike Pretus