Uniform and Equipment
Standards
February 2008
The following list outlines the
approved uniforms and equipment used by Company D, 27th
NCT. Since these items are essential to our company-issued North
Carolina Troops impression, do not deviate from this list when making
uniform and equipment purchases. Check
with our Uniform Committee for a list of approved sources.
Please note that the below descriptions are meant to only give prospective members a general idea of our requirements. For complete descriptions of the below items and what is expected of new members, please contact the uniform committee.
Compiled by Abraham Wiles, Uniform Committee Member, Company D 27th NCT
·Bayonet:
Model appropriate for your rifle.
·Bayonet Scabbard:
Black CS scabbard with belt frog. All sewn construction. No rivets. Finial tip.
·Bed Sacks:
Bed sacks were akin to long pillowcases the length of a person. N.C. Confederate soldiers stuffed them with straw, leaves, etc… to make field mattresses. In fact, the U.S. Army still ordered them as late as WWI. They would be a welcome and comfortable addition to our camp. Also, a bed sack lends itself to being used as a sleeping bag cover.
·Blanket:
NC, Confederate or Federal
·Canteen:
Confederate tin drum or Federal patterns.
·Cap box:
Single loop holder belt attachment. Black leather finish with no markings. All sewn construction. NO rivets!
·Cartridge Box:
Plain (no CS, NC or maker's mark) black leather finish. Both leather and stitching dyed. Sewn construction. NO rivets!
·Cartridge box belt:
Very commonly found in the QM records. A must for your impression. "Tarred" cloth strap with the double helix top stitch.
·Tent:
Members may choose between either a common tent (often referred to as an ‘A’ tent by re-enactors) or a two-man shelter tent (often referred to as a dog tent).
·Drawers:
Cotton flannel under drawers.
· Eyeglasses:
They need to be of a period design.
·Groundcloth:
(Preferred)
Canvas treated with a waterproofing, blacking compound. Period writings mention
freshly made NC issued groundcloths drying on fence rails at
Other: Rubberized groundcloth with Federal Makers Marks.
·Hat Cord:
A proper blue infantry hat cord of either cotton or worsted wool is acceptable for wear with the slouch hat.
·Haversack:
Canvas
with half oval flap trimmed with twill tape. Single button closure.
Shoulder strap made from drill. Body made from duck.
Issued Confederate cap (kepi). No "bummer" caps! Wool or gray jeans material with simple black chin strap with no buckle. No hat brass!
Privately purchased slouch or "plug" hat. Black, gray or brown felt hat with sweatband, taped brim and crown, rolled (turned up) edges.
·Knapsack:
This is another widely documented item. It was as common to field soldiers as shirts and shoes. 1. Issac and Campbell pattern, 2. CS :Kibbler" pattern, 3. Federal "double-bag" can be used as a captured item only.
·Lantern:
Although we have used wooden lanterns in the past, the 27th is moving away from them. Since we do a field impression, the uniform committee prefers that you purchase a tin lantern that could have been carried in the knapsack.
·Mess Gear:
Tin cup, tin plate, spoon (period handle), knife (period handle and shape) and fork (period handle with correct number of tines).
·NC Sack Coat:
Gray
jeans with sewn down black epaulets. A N.C. sack coat is good to have for
either the
·NC Depot Jacket:
Second Pattern M1862 NC gray jeans depot jacket. Features six button, rounded front, four-piece body, and one piece bellow sleeves. No trim. Buttons may be either block or script infantry ‘I’; N.C. sunburst; or period NC State seal. We do not use C.S. or C.S.A. buttons.
·Overcoat:
Gray
jeans or wool.
Corncob pipes are prohibited. Briarwood, meerschaum, or clay pipes are among the most acceptable examples.
Those who choose to smoke a briarwood pipe may choose a Peterson two-piece pipe. One may also find nice briarwoods in the Tinderbox bargain bin if the Peterson is too pricey. Those “bargain box” pipes may only have small imperfections in the woods that prevent them from being top shelf pipes. They are fine for what we do.
Also, a nice carved meerschaum is fine. The “ball and claw” or “dog and pheasant” meerschaum patterns are among the most acceptable for our time period. They are available at the Tinderbox.
Finally, the venerable clay pipe is fit for use.
·Pocket Watch:
The general characteristics of a proper pocket watch for the time period are:
Roman numerals instead of Arabic.
The case should be plain and devoid of hunting scenes, trains, etc…
The dials should be fairly plain
Key Wound Watches are preferred. Although key wound watches are preferable, stem wound pocket watches are more easily obtained.
·Rifle:
3 band P1853 Enfield (recommended model)
3 band M42 Springfields
3 band M1861 Springfields
·Rifle Sling:
Either linen or leather
·Shirt:
Cotton with varying conservative designs. Gussets, flat-feld seams, scalloped cuffs, padding and correct stitching is a must.
·Shoes:
Confederate, Federal, certain civilian patterns, and English imports are acceptable. Our enlisted personnel do not wear boots.
·Skillet:
No cast iron. Steel body with an attached handle.
·Socks:
We encourage our personnel to predominately wear cotton socks. Since NC was a major cotton producing state before and during the war, she made an ample supply of cotton goods.
·Suspenders:
Made of cotton webbing, leather tabs, and steel or brass buckles.
·Trousers:
Gray jeans trousers with either french pockets (dog ear) like the Hightower pattern or side seam pockets like the MacCrae pattern. Our trousers need to have the back adjustment strap with buckle instead of the sometimes used twine or leather cord. No stripes, vents, or flared cuffs. We don't portray Brady Bunch extras or hillbillies.
·Vest:
Civilian or military pattern.
·Waist belt and buckle:
Black leather of approved design with common roller buckle. No oval NC or CS buckles.