The Western Brigade

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A note about Mill Springs

This is part of a message sent by General Dolive, and pertains to Mill Springs. It seems a good way to practice using this.

2 Responses to “A note about Mill Springs”

1. Clerk Says:
   January 28th, 2007 at 12:34 am

   Excellent Colonel! Nicely done!

2. jmoffet Says:
   February 8th, 2007 at 4:13 am

   Uniforms of the Second Minnesota Volunteer Infantry

   October 1861 through January 1862

   In September the Western Brigade will have a rare opportunity to accurately re-create the appearance of a regiment that helped win the Union’s first victory in the west at Mill Springs. The Second Minnesota Volunteer Infantry was heavily engaged, including hand-to-hand combat, and suffered a number of casualties. A team led by Stephen Osman has researched in the Minnesota Historical Society archives and compiled information to improve our impression of this famous regiment at Mill Springs.

   This essay presents four primary sources. First is a photograph of several companies of the regiment at Fort Snelling, taken prior to their departure in mid October 1861. Keep in mind that this is a “staged” photo of a newly formed regiment in garrison, intended to show off their best appearance.

   [When I can post the photo - it will be available to you all to view!]

   A detailed analysis of the photo shows:

   • The vast majority wear dark blue trousers. One platoon (possibly a company, but where are the other 80 men?) wear light colored trousers. Perhaps these are sky-blue, though that cannot be documented. One fellow in the second company seems to wear the same light colored trousers. The regiment departed Fort Snelling 14 October 1861; General Order #108, authorizing sky-blue trousers, was not issued until two months later. No records of issues of new uniforms between December 1861 and January 1862 have been found.
   • Almost everyone is wearing a frock coat. No shoulder scales are worn.
   • Most men wear regulation style forage caps. Some men wear felt hats: a few appear to be the regulation 1858 dress hats; a few others are clearly round topped civilian hats. Of the 111 ‘distinguishable’ heads in the photo, the breakdown is 3 ‘Hardee’ hats; 3 civilian felt hats, and all the rest forage caps.
   • There are 11 officers in front of the battalion. 7 wear dark blue trousers; 1 i light (sky-blue?) trousers (in front of the enlisted men with light colored trousers); and 3 ‘French’ blue trousers (visibly lighter than the dark blue, and still darker than the lightest trousers). All wear either forage caps or kepis; none wear felt hats of any form. All wear frock coats, with the possible exception of the officer in ‘light’ trousers who may have an officer’s sack coat.
   • The field music is comprised of 1 principal musician (w/ mace); 2 snare drums, 1 bass drum, and 2 fifers. All wear frock coats. One fifer may wear a regulation musician’s frock (with ‘birdcage’ breast trim); none of the others have this trim. Hheadgear is varied: 3 forage caps, one probable Model 1858 dress hat, one clearly round topped and light colored civilian hat, and one that is unidentified. All wear dark blue trousers.

   A second important source is a letter written by Private Timothy Pendergast of Company K shortly after the regiment arrived in Kentucky and assuring his family that the army had supplied him with plenty of clothing:

   “Camp Henderson
   November 8, 1861
   Dear Brothers and Sisters,

   ….To satisfy you that I am not suffering for want of clothes I will tell you what I have with me, one heavy woolen overcoat with cape which has kept me dry when standing two hours in a hard rain, one dress coat, one blouse or kind of short jacket, 1 hat, 1 cap, three pairs shoes, 1 of which I have not worn and another have no holes in them, four pairs socks, two pairs drawers, two pairs of pants, and draw another pr. today, and four shirts. I think I am provided for the present. I have a blanket also and have no fear of freezing. I dant how but what the first Regt. had reason to complain of their clothing but I do know that the 2nd has had none…

   T. H. Pendergast”

   Alpha Harrington and Merrill Family Papers. (Timothy Pendergast, K, 2nd) Minnesota Historical Society

   Sounds like a pretty full issue!

   What did the Second Minnesota wear at Mill Springs on 19 January 1861? We know that most had dark blue trousers before that date. Assuming Company K’s issue was not unique, once in the field the entire regiment could have worn frocks or blouses, depending on the situation or their orders. On the morning of the battle, police guard drummer William Bircher sounded the alarm. He recorded:

   “Sergeant of the Guards Pomeroy poked his head into the guard tent and ordered me to beat the long roll. I beat that long roll standing in front of the guard tent in the rain. I was only about half dressed. Some of the men were so excited they did not pull on their shoes. ‘They fought in their stocking feet all day.”

   Several letters / journals describe the near-panic to get out of their tents so that they would not “miss the war.” Lt. Jeremiah Donahower wrote:

   “Roll call usually occurred fifteen minutes after reveille, after which we returned to our tents, and while engaged in a strenuous effort to put my foot into my wet boot, that significant sound of the snare drum - omen of danger, the long roll, came from our guard tent; a monotonous beating on the drum that puts action into men and brings them into line quicker than will any other call, not excepting even the bugle call to breakfast.
   And when the rattle of the drum reached my ears I tugged and pulled the harder, and it yielded and both boots were on and grasping my sword and belt, but forgetting my haversack and giving no thought to my over coat, took my place in rear of the first platoon.
   Things nessesary [sic] to personal comforts were not remembered under the excitement produced by the startling sounds of the “long roll,” and possibly if I had not gotten my foot fast in the leg of my second boot, I might have gone into line wearing a boot on one foot and a shoe on the other, so gleefully did I hear the danger call. I missed the over coat, but being wet was not a new condition to be in, but to be hungry for breakfast, and dinner and for supper, with nothing to eat since six o’clock on Saturday evening, and all the knawing in the stomach due to my haste and thoughtlessness in not slinging the little bag containing my coffee, bacon and crackers on my shoulder before leaving the tent, was an oversight I during that day promised myself not again to be chargeable with, and I kept that promise. But I did succeed in getting into my boots, and it was well for me I did.”
   It can be argued that while on campaign, and in inclement weather, the men would have worn fatigue blouses. When the alarm sounded some may have remembered their great coats. Since the regiment formed in quite a rush, it seems unlikely that there was much concern as to ‘uniform discipline.’ Men were probably wearing whichever hat or coat they could grab in a hurry.

   This is not to suggest a total hodge-podge of uniforms for wear at the event in September 2007, though while reenacting the battle it might be accurate. But at other times, when the Western Brigade is representing the Second Minnesota Volunteers in their camp at Logan’s Crossroads, uniformity of dress would have been the norm. Dress parades, guard mounts and other ceremonial functions would most likely have been in frock coats, with headgear as uniform as possible – probably forage caps (based on the photograph above). In inclement weather, great coats would have been worn.

   Stephen Osman has also documented the ordnance of Minnesota volunteer regiments. The Second Regiment left Fort Snelling armed with percussion conversion Model 1816 .69 calibre muskets and Model 1855 58 calibre rifle muskets.

   Mill Springs 2007 offers a great opportunity to improve our early war Federal impression. Minnesota companies of the Western Brigade have elected to wear dark blue trousers for the event and recommend that all who are able should wear frock coats and Model 1858 army hats.

   We sincerely recommend that other companies do the same.
   ______________________

   Jim Moffet

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