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Basic Resources for Replicating Confederate Uniforms.
Chris Hubbard, 1st South Carolina

There are four basic steps to properly producing reproduction goods of any type. Contained in this brief article are some Confederate specific sources that will aid reproducing clothing and uniforms. Step 1 is to do the research. Step 2 is buying a correctly produced pattern. Step 3 is to buy the correctly reproduced materials, in our case, fabric. Step 4 is correctly reproducing the garments with correct construction techniques. The end result is going to be a historically correct, properly constructed garment that will satisfy whomever gets to wear the garment, and hopefully make the one "building" the garment happy. If these people are one in the same, the following should be even more pertanent.

Now for the legal notice: The information contained herein, and any endorsements of companies or individuals are the opinion of the author, and not NWT policy, or that of any other official type organization.

Step 1. Research

You couldn't build a car if you didn't know what one was, so you would have to do research to understand what you are going to build. In Educational jargon they call this building a "schema" for what is to be learned, a framework for knowledge. You especially would not be able to correctly build a reproduction 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang for example, or any other specific model of car. The same is so for military clothing. You cannot correctly "build" a "Richmond Depot Type II" jacket if you have no specific knowledge of that type of uniform. Below are some resources that will aid in researching Confederate clothing.

Cloth and Clothing Research Resources and Links.

The best research that can be done in terms of reproducing clothing of the era is actually examining original articles, and as many of them as possible. In order to correctly reproduce anything, a great detail of time and dedication is going to be required. Referring to my analogy of reproducing the Ford Mustang above, for example, someone who is going to put forth the effort required to properly reproduce the Mustang would likely be, and should be, inspecting, viewing, examining every known example they could find, whether is be at car shows, cruises, or in their neighbor's garage. The same is true for someone who wishes to reproduce historical garments. It is only through the first hand examination of original articles that a true respect and appreciation, as well as vital tangible characteristics such as texture and stitch, can be achieved.

It should go without saying that one should read any available source material about their specific regiment, brigade, corps, etc. as a guide in choosing which type of uniform to reproduce, that which the actual Regiment wore in whatever time period one wishes to portray. For instance, one researching the 7th Tennessee Infantry Regiment might find that during the Maryland/Sharpsburg campaign they were known to be wearing a great deal of Federal uniform materials, including fatigue blouses, captured at Harper's Ferry. The Federal unfiroms however, upon further research, one will find to not be everyday or common among the southern armies.

This being said, there are several basic sources, and several on-line sources that can aid in researching Confederate clothing. This is especially true when the following sources are used in conjunction with the actual examination of original garments, as mentioned above.

"Johnny Reb: The Uniform of the Confederate Army 1861-1865" by Les Jensen, for instance, is a good primer, is very inexpensive, and is available from a myriad of booksellers both on-line and off. Of note in this work is the amount of text Jensen has devoted to the study of the photographs of dead Confederate Soldiers. In deed, some of the best photographs of Confederate soldiers available, in terms of material culture, are those that were taken of fallen Confederates. More will be discussed about this in later sections.

Also by Les Jensen, and an absolute must read is his article written for The Company of Military Historians, "Survey of Confederate Quartermaster Issue Jackets", available in its entirety on the internet at http://company.military-historians.org/journal/confederate/confederate-1.htm. By reading all three parts of this excellent article, one can get an idea of the chronology and source of issue, as well as the standard typologies used in discussing Confederate Jackets.

Another great resource for people seeking to reproduce Confederate goods is "The Confederate Sketchbook", a publication listing a variety of uniform and accoutrement materials, as well as notes on construction. Currently, this publication is available from the Regimental Quartermaster at http://regtqm.com/books.htm, among other sources. It costs about 4 dollars.

In addition to the above, fellow skirmisher Charles Childs runs a business called County Cloth. The notes contained on his website are superb, and can be used as a starting point for material research. For a great number of people, it can be used as an end point as well, as it is an invaluable source of research. I would highly recommend reading through his notes, and perusing his offerings. http://crchilds.com

Additional excellent research can be found on Chris Daley's website, http://www.cjdaley.com. Chris updates his new article studies when available. Of particular note are the Confederate items listed in the, research section of his site. It should also be noted, however, that the Confederate uniforms contained in his research section are most often associated with the western theaters of the war.

Galla Rock Shirt and Pattern Company also has a good selection of photos of original Confederate clothing, available on-line at http://www.gallarock.com/index.html. The artifacts on this site as well are type most often associated with the Western Confederate.

Also, available from the Museum of the Confederacy, in Richmond VA, is the informative work called "A Catalogue of Uniforms." This small publication is a great source for learning about what real Confederate goods looked like. Additionally, the funds help support the Museum.

In addition to the excellent sources above, there are a great deal of lesser works such as the Time Life "Echoes of Glory" series. Since these are acceptable picture references they should be used largely as such, rather than as concrete factual research. Along the same vein are the many "resources", similar to "Echoes of Glory", which are marketed largely at the general public, and thus are weak on research.

The above is by no means definitive, but is a listing of some starting points for researching Confederate clothing, as well as general clothing of the period. There are many, more scholarly, publications and monographs that will answer many questions about specific articles, and lend themselves well to the material culture junkie.

Step 2. Buying Correct Patterns

Just as you could not build that Ford Mustang if you bought the blueprints for a Ford Escort, you cannot "build" that correct "Richmond Depot Jacket" from a pattern for a "Pea coat", or "Confederate Costume". Likewise, you could not reproduce that Mustang by looking at a picture of it. Thus the necessity of a proper pattern for the garment you wish to reproduce. "Simplicity Patterns", and the like, available at the local fabric store are not going to be an aid here, but rather would be a hindrance.

Good Sources for Patterns

As mentioned before, Charles Childs' website, www.crchilds.com is an excellent source for materials. Especially so for his patterns. All of the patterns carried by County Cloth are drawn from extant artifacts, actual garments produced during the Civil War.

Past Patterns has been one of the leading sources for accurate patterns for a long while. Applicable here are their 1850-60's era patterns, available online at www.pastpatterns.com/1850.html . Of particular note is their pattern for the Union Issue trousers, which contain extensive notes on original garments.

Also, Galla Rock Shirt and Pattern Company has a decent reputation and carry a fairly large selection of patterns for a variety of Confederate goods. The direct link to their men's patterns is www.gallarock.com/menspattern.html. The patterns they construct are not bad, and can produce quality goods. The "Homespun Patterns" they carry however have a not-so-good reputation.

Step 3. Buying the Proper Cloth and Trim.

Just as you would not reproduce that Mustang out of plastic, you should not reproduce those Confederate trousers out of polyester. Buying the correct material will yield a much more pleasing, and long lasting, result.

Cloth, and clothing in general, is the subject of one of the most widely spread, and irritating, myths concerning the Confederacy, that of the "Ragged Rebel", propagated partially by conquered Confederates in the post war years. It is an insult to the Confederate Quartermaster Department, and Confederate people in general, to perpetuate this myth. Evidence shows that the Confederate soldier was largely well supplied, and well clothed. They were certainly times when clothing was scarce, a commonality held with their Union counterparts, but the image of the Confederate Army marching to and fro without shoes and with trousers-a-shamble is simply false. If one considers one of the staples of the southern economy, cotton, it can be understood that of all things, cloth was something the South had covered.

The bulk of Confederate uniforms were originally produced using a material woven with both cotton and wool, called Jean Cloth. Commonly known today as "Confederate Jean Cloth" it was actually a staple in American culture since the mid 18th Century (www.crchilds.com). Confederate Uniforms were also produced from Kerseys, Satinettes, and other period textiles. They did not contain polyester, nor nylon. To avoid the polyester, one should make efforts to stay away from "Woolrich" wool and other such materials that contain some level of polyester or nylon, and often are of an inappropriate weight for garment reproduction.

Another note on Confederate cloth is the "myth" or common misuse of the term "Butternut", a somewhat derogatory term in the 19th century. One common myth about "Butternut", and its presence in the Confederate Army, is that the color is resultant of bleaching captured Federal dark blue goods. This is highly unlikely, and certainly would not have been common. Another common myth concerning "Butternut" which has been widespread is that this color was a purposely-achieved result of dying wool brown. As a result, a nasty (baby poop) brown “wool” material has been widely used to replicate "Butternut", unfortunately. Jensen, in "Johnny Reb" is surely correct concerning the "butternut" issue when he states that this term is certainly a result of the look for Jean Cloth, often undyed, or dyed with inferior materials that faded. Anyone who has seen natural Jean cloth will quickly realize the truth of this statement.

With all of this in mind, there are several excellent sources for proper cloth, jean cloth of otherwise, for the purpose of reproducing Confederate goods.

Family Heirloom Weavers was an outstanding and fairly economical source for Confederate Jean cloth, however they have recently stopped all retail sales, and possibly production. There is some talk that Chris Daley will be offering cloth produced by them in the near future. Often their material can be purchased on an after-market basis, from people who may have it on hand, or through e-bay.com

Ben Tart, or Tart,Brantley and Benjamin, is another outstanding source for material. Tart, from North Carolina, weaves his own jeans, and then dyes them in period correct dyes. His dying process replicates that of the period, and so do the results, the colors achieved often fade to more mellow shades. A fine source for cloth, he also a great source for Confederate socks!

Additionally, County Cloth, long the industry standard is still a fantastic source for reproduction cloth, furnishings, and patterns, as mentioned before. Those who have constructed garments with Charlie Childs' material will attest to its great quality, and the fact that it does not ravel, or come apart as one sews the peices together. A very fine source for material.

Often period clothing, particularly jackets and “Confederate Battle shirts” call for some sort of trim, either worsted wool tape, twill tape of some sort, silk, etc. The best source for trimmings such as these, along with buttons etc., is The Wooded Hamlet, available on-line at www.thewoodedhamlet.com/index.html.

Armed with the proper materials, you should be able to faithfully reproduce garments from the era.

Part 4. Proper Construction.

Reverting again to my (maybe not-so-fitting) analogy of the Ford Mustang, you would not want to reproduce a Mustang by gluing the body panels on, and soldering the trunk to its hinges. Likewise, you should not use "fusible" iron-on stitching material, serging or ("zig-zag") stitching, or other improper stitching techniques, pinking shears etc. Many modern industrial sewing practices are wholly incorrect for the mid-19th Century.

The area of construction too is full of myth. Some falsely say that all garments were entirely hand sewn. Some say that the only sewing machines used were those of the chain stitch type, not the lockstitch type we commonly use now. Some believe, falsely, that due to superior manufacturing in the North, Union uniforms were mostly machine sewn, while the agrarian South’s were hand sewn.

All of this is false. Both machines producing the chain stitch, commonly seen in leatherwork (such as on Federal Knapsacks), and the lockstitch were in use, and Singer's (lock stitch) sewing machine was as popular then as now. For a brief history of sewing machines, and the large amounts of money earned by Singer and others during the war, refer to http://inventors.about.com/linrary/inventors/blsewing_machine.htm Hand sewing, however, was very prevalent, and commonly seen on uniforms, and equipage, of both sides.

Also, a review of Confederate jackets still in existence shows the use of lock stitch sewing machines. One example of this that sticks out in my mind is a "Columbus Depot" Jacket mentioned in Jeffrey Walden’s article "Columbus Depot Jackets: The Material Evidence" in which the jacket has two different colored threads in its machine top-stitching, one on each side of the fabric, proof of a machine using two sources or thread (lockstitch). Walden's well-researched article can be found online at www.geocities.com/pentagon/quarters/1864/cd/cdjacket.htm.

Some myths now being dispelled, there are some guidelines to use in sewing period garments, and Confederate garments in particular.

One stitch to avoid is the machine zig-zag stitch, not developed until 1873, commonly used to finish the interior seams in lesser reproduction clothing, and in the textile industry today. It is better to either fell the seams in reproductions, overcast them, or finish them in some other period fashion. Other machine forms of serging seams are also inappropriate.

Topstitching: "Topstitching" is the visible stitches in period garments that bind all layers of a garment together. Topstitching adds to the life of the garment, and also presents a neat appearance. In Confederate garments in particular, a row, or on some jackets two rows, of topstitching runs around the outer edge of the garment. Topstitching was typically sewn with a full or half backstitch, a short variation of the running stitch commonly called the "pucker stitch", or a normal running stitch in some instances. The topstitching, in addition to adding to the strength of garments, acts much like trim, a final detail that adds to the correct look of the clothing. Finally, it was one the original jackets, and thus should be one the reproduction ones as well.

Buttonholes: Even if every other stitch in a garment is machine sewn, the buttonholes should be done by hand. The buttonhole machine was not in use at the time, and buttonholes are very visible on a garment. As such, use either a hand buttonhole stitch, or blanket stitch. Do not overcast or whipstitch buttonholes, as it will not give the proper appearance and will not hold up well. For a guide on hand sewing buttonholes, visit www.ushist.com/general-information/stitch.htm Simply doing the buttonholes with a proper hand stitch adds greatly to the finished product. Machine sewn buttonholes, commonly used by dubious garment "reproducers", on a period garment are the equivalent of hubcaps from a 2004 Mustang on that 1965 Mustang, it looks silly, and sticks out.

In general, if you buy a quality pattern, and follow the correct directions contained within, or in the included notes, you should end up with a proper garment. However, one of the most important aspects of reproducing anything is the acceptance of the community to which the reproduction is going to be used. Without this "peer approval", a reproduction will fall short of the mark.

Conclusion

The above guidelines and resources should be a good start in the correct direction toward making your own uniforms. The best aid in this, however, is research, and particularly research of actual period garments. Researching reproduction garments, especially from "mainstream" "sutlers", many of whom either produce incorrect garments and are happy with this injustice, or import their wares from overseas, is actually a step backwards in many cases. Nothing will replace first hand knowledge gained from viewing original artifacts. This can be accomplished in several ways, by viewing private collections of fellow skirmishers etc, by going to museums even if you can only view them "through the glass", and by going to a reputable "Civil War" show, such as that held annually in Mansfield OH, and observing the variety of materials for sale there. Even if you don't buy anything, you will certainly learn some things!