Piedmont
Battle Shirts
Militia
Uniforms of Central Virginia, 1859-1862.
Uniform
Analysis by Rusty Hicks & Adam Scher
The uniform of the company will be made
in Virginia of Virginia goods, the cloth being manufactured at Staunton;
the suit made by our tailors; the caps by Sinzer..... Lynchburg Daily
Virginian, January 24, 1860
John Brown's raid
on Harper's Ferry in October, 1859 caught the citizens of Lynchburg,
Virginia unprepared. The city had been without organized militia since
the disbanding of the Rifle Guard a few years before. As with other
localities in the South, Brown's raid provided the spark for quick
action. Beginning in November, the city organized one company each
of infantry, riflemen, cavalry and artillery: the Lynchburg Home Guard,
Rifle Greys, Wise Troop and Latham's Battery, respectively. Around
the nucleus of these units, the city and surrounding counties formed
similar units which in April, 1861 went into state service as companies
of the 11th, 21st, and 42nd Regiments of Virginia Infantry and the
2nd Regiment of Virginia Cavalry, to name a few. Collectively, these
regiments participated in nearly every event associated with the history
of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. We choose to focus on the experiences
of the 11th Virginia Infantry because several of the images presented
are of soldiers of this regiment, and also because that regiment was
so closely identified with the citizens of Lynchburg .
Like most militia
units throughout the South, Lynchburg 's companies had armed and outfitted
themselves with contributions from its members and the community.
Although some southern states had uniform specifications for their
militia, most gave companies the prerogative of selecting their own
style of dress. As a result, many companies chose distinctive
uniforms which were worn even after they had been mustered into Confederate
service. Lynchburg's early war uniforms, including those worn by a
prewar contingent of cadets from the old Lynch-burg College,
appear from the photographic records to have made consonant use of
a short-waisted shirt or jacket with a fold down, colored collar (unobscured
or fashioned with a cravat), cuff facings, and a double breasted front
panel, commonly referred to today as a “fireman's shirt.”
The model could
have come from the uniforms of other localities, perhaps companies
such as Richmond 's distinguished Light Infantry Blues, the members
of which were wearing a somewhat similar uniform.
The Lynchburg
newspaper of the period gives occasional clues as to how these uniforms
were procured and manufactured. In the year and a half between Brown's
raid and the acceptance of the Lynchburg companies into Virginia (and
hence Confederate) service, the citizens became very adept at providing
for their volunteers. According to the following quotes from
the Lynchburg Daily Virginian, an effective cottage industry
emerged to outfit the companies:
Monday,
April 29, 1861 Such members of the Lynchburg Rfles as
have not had their measures taken for uniforms are requested to attend
the squad drill at Martin's Warehouse on Monday 29th inst., at 8p.m.
”
Wednesday,
May 1, 1861 The Lynchburg Rifles are progressing well
in their drills. They promise to make a fine company. Their uniforms
are being made and will soon be completed They are of gray goods trimmed
with blue and will look well. Capt. [James E.] Blankenship commands
the Lynchburg Rifles.
Thursday,
May 2, 1861 The ladies of Lynchburg have made themselves
very useful in the present emergency and deserve great praise for
their patriotic spirit. They have fitted out several companies
and parts of companies, and are now making up Uniforms for a company
recently organized in Nelson County . They are worthy descendants
of the matrons of the Revolution.
As the same newspaper
frequently reported, the ladies of Lynchburg were kept busy not only
in outfitting new companies, but also replacing worn uniforms after
the city's soldiers transferred to Richmond and Manassas . Serving
under Brigadier General James Longstreet, the men of the 11th Virginia
probably were wearing these unique uniforms in the first battle at
Manassas on July 21, 1861 .
Assigned to James
L. Kemper's brigade in 1862, the 11th saw action that May at Williamsburg
and again at Seven Pines. At some point, all of the 11th would have
been issued solid gray jackets, surely by the summer of 1862 and the
second battle at Manassas . During the Maryland Campaign the
following month, the regiment was engaged at South Mountain and Sharpsburg
. Among those killed on South Mountain on September 14th was Brigadier
General Samuel Garland, Jr., founder of the Lynchburg Home Guard,
who had since been promoted twice and was leading a brigade of North
Carolinians .
At Gettysburg
, the 11th Virginia assaulted Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863 with
Pickett's division and suffered high casualties in the charge. In
April 1864 the regiment took part in the attack on Fort Warren at
Plymouth , North Carolina , then returned to Virginia , where they
were engaged at Drewry's Bluff and Cold Harbor . They fought in the
trenches at Petersburg in the winter of 1864 and incurred grievous
losses at Five Forks and Sayler's Creek in the final campaign of Lee's
army. When the 11th surrendered at Appomattox on April 9, 1865 , they
were led by Sergeant John Adkinson of Company E, who commanded a mere
28 men.
Much remains to
be learned about the uniforms depicted in this article. Most of the
images are undated, yet were likely taken either in Lynchburg or Richmond
in the narrow span of time between when hostilities were imminent
and the units were mustered into Virginia service. Although these
pictures illustrate a continuity of style among companies formed in
the vicinity of Lynchburg , there is no doubt that, as was the case
throughout the South, variation was the rule rather than the exception.
The authors hope that the article will serve as a catalyst to help
uncover new images and data and a greater understanding of Lynchburg
's rich Civil War history.
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