Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Culpepper Minute Battalion, Hunting Shirts and Duck Pouches

 Time to muse again. Maybe if I do, Kobuck will write another useful article that tells you how to do stuff. 

I've been throwing myself into some research of Culpepper Minute Battalion. I've been falling in with the recreated NWTA unit since I was a teenager and recently there has been a push within to try steering into some more updated research or rather, better interpretation of the research that has been there all along. So I've been enjoying looking through Greg Sandors amazing compendium "Journal of the Public Store at Williamsburg 1775-1776". 

 One of the real problems with these "militia" style battalions is we tend to think that "brought from home" means "anything I have laying around becomes fair game" or "wearing just a waistcoat works cause that's all I had. I'm just a poor farmer after all". Getting ourselves further away from this founders day pageant costume approach to living history where everything was homespun and your wife sat weaving her own cloth in the cabin and updating to a view of the incredible economy and vast resources of the 18th century even on the frontier is a struggle. 

 We know from the records they received a lot of oznaburg and linen for hunting shirts. Initially it was thought that these shirts were a pullover style smock. Original recreated Culpepper units would dye them or make them out of green linen or cotton and paint or stitch in big letters LIBERTY or DEATH on the front. It looked cool, but more recent scholarship on the hunting shirt seems to indicate a split front, caped shirt with Liberty or Death embroidered on the breast as a more likely option. 

 
Culpepper Minute Battalion 1996

"We encamped in Clayton's old field (at Catalpa, the home of Philip Clayton). Some had tents, and others huts of plank, &c. The whole regiment appeared according to orders in hunting shirts made of strong brown linen, dyed the color of the leaves of the trees, and on the breast was worked in large white letters the words, "Liberty or Death"! (Green, p.13)



The more plausible appearance of the Minute Battalion Hunting Shirt 

 Another thing we see in the records is a lot of cloth being purchased for leggings with Stroud being reserved for officers of the battalion. 

 Captain William McLanahans company received "49 yards of Blue thicks for Legings" while receiving "best blue stroud for officers".


 

 Another cool aspect that I've at present never seen anyone carry is the duck shot pouch. In October of 1775 the battalion received "88 yds of stout duck for pouches".

 This pouch would fit the bill and was probably a cheap source to get guys supplied with a way to carry ammunition. The following example was made by Adam HL based on an original. 



 There are so many cool details one could bring to this impression and I hope more effort will be made to dispense with the "brought from home" catch all militia impression to something a bit more representative of what we find in the sources. 

 This brought from home idea, the homespun etc should be contrasted with what we actually know about the availability of goods in the backcountry or at the edge of the frontier. In Virginia in the early 1770s, John Hooks store is a prime example. In her book "Buying in the the World of Goods", Ann Smart Martin writes the following :

"The quality, variety and fashionability of the items he stocked belie the pervasive currently held notions of rugged, self-sufficient, backcountry life ; his customers could thumb through the Spectator or  Johnsons Dictionary and handle Backgammon boards, china tea cups and feather plumes."

 She goes on to list an incredible amount of items and goods that certainly turn the homespun rugged frontiersman narrative on its head. It's not that in some places and in some cases this ruggedness didn't exist, we just need to be careful and specific about when, where, who and what when we are portraying something in history. 

In the case of Culpepper's, these men would have been aquanted with the "fashionability" of life in 1770s Virginia and it would reflect in their clothing and accouterments and items "brought from home".  






 

Monday, May 15, 2023

Did you come here in a wagon? And other fun reasons to justify your impression

   

         Just returned from a weekend of catching up with friends and making new ones at the newly formatted Martins Station spring event. There was a lot of great conversations and talks given about frontier life. Two of them that I really enjoyed was given by Nathan Kobuck of the Buffalo Trace 1765 blog and the other by Simeon England in which each talked about the gear of two particular occupations or limited occupations, that of the Longhunter/Market Hunter and the Militia man of the Revolutionary period. Both talks brought up two basic ideas, one, that I'll return to in another post and one that will be the focus of this post, being that as you dig into what makes your persona tic, it's important to go to sources and to understand the wider and broader context of the time period and how it relates to what you're trying to portray. To understand other industries and the economy that these people took for granted by virtue of living it everyday, and how we also take for granted our own time and the ways in which we interact with commerce and everyday commodities. 

    When I was listening I was reminded of a comment made once and one I've heard as an argument to sort of say that theres no real reason to improve an impression. "Did you come here in a wagon? Well then you must not be that authentic." This comment is meant to suggest that if you're not able to completely recreate the conditions of 18th century life, to travel by horse to an event, catch a period disease or live in a cabin with no running water or electricity then somehow you shouldn't offer up any critiques or that since those conditions aren't possible to meet we should throw out all expectations and by extension justify all manner of items documentable or not. It's a line of logic I do not follow. 




    I would therefore like to discuss some things and admit to some things during this post that might help you. I very much tailor my level of immersion to the event. This past weekend at Martins I camped in a "modern" sun forger canvas tent. I kept a cooler behind the tent covered with a blanket that contained our food as well as cans of Coca Cola. Inside my tent was a plastic tub and a modern backpack and fiddle case. Typically at a public event, depending on the scenario, I will lessen the expectations on myself to be this uber authentic person.  HOWEVER, one thing I will not compromise on is what I carry and wear on my person. This is completely and totally under your control. Getting to an event in a wagon, or suddenly not having a modern food pallet is not exactly easy and in most cases impossible. I know after an event the first thing I do is go get fast food because I've been jonesing for it after a weekend of grazing on parched corn, bread and cheese. We are modern people and that is OKAY. But what is not okay, in my mind, is using my need for a cheeseburger after an event to justify wearing a giant antler handle knife made out of a file, or modern glasses or shoes.

    So here are some things to think about or rules of thumb that I use and questions I ask before attending an event. 

    What am I going to be doing at the event? What is my purpose for attending? What is my role in it? 

     If I'm with my unit or we're doing a special thing, I know to prepare for living out of a knapsack and probably sleeping on the ground or in a building with a whole bunch of other people. But if I'm going to be camping with just me and Eileen and we are just hanging for a weekend at a laid back public event like Martins or Vincennes in a couple weeks, we'll bring along some small comforts. What doesn't change though is what I wear and what gear I use. When I walk away from my modern sun forger wedge tent with a cooler of Coca Cola, what I have on my person is the important part. Our plan is though to eventually go from sun forger to a linen tent within the next year or two. Pacing yourself is a good thing. 

    And as a brief side tangent, don't let your gear and clothing not being up to snuff keep you from attending an event. There's great opportunities to learn and most people if you're willing to take the time and put in the effort are more than happy to help you. 

    My philosophy has morphed over the years. At one time I was basically campaigning at every event, not bringing a tent just roughing it every way I could possibly think. But at some point I felt like I needed to take an event by event approach about how "hardcore" I want to be with my camping situation. 

    What shouldn't change though is our commitment to nailing those things we can completely control and that is what we choose to put on and carry on our body to represent the people of the past. If you didn't show up to an event in a wagon, that doesn't make you a farb. But if you use not showing up in a wagon to justify wearing a sleeveless waistcoat over a long shirt, well....

    

Saturday, December 31, 2022

Why Hand Sewing should be the least of your worries

     Before I start this post, I should say that it's going rile a few folks. To the progressive types I might be preaching a heresy, and to the people who care less about what they wear and more about what they do, this might seem like I'm letting you off the hook. That I've finally seen the light and I don't care about the details anymore. Well, you're both wrong. So without further ado...

Michael Ramsey and Myself at Locust Grove. Micheal is one of the finest 18th century tailors in the hobby today. If you can afford his work, I highly recommend. 


There was and has been a major push in the last decade and a bit to move the hobby in the direction of hand sewn garments from head to toe. An admirable goal and I applaud those who make this commitment.         

    But, it is my opinion that hand sewing your clothes should be somewhat low on the priority list. 

    There's several reasons people list for not hand sewing their clothing. Money, time and not having the ability to sew. Money tends to be a bit more scary than it actually is. You can often find people in the hobby that will sew a garment for a reasonable price. Some folks will charge high prices, but the work is good so, I guess if you want that level of work, go for it. But suffice to say, it can be daunting. Not having the ability to sew and learning how can also be a daunting task when you're first starting out and of course theres the time aspect. Hand sewing takes a lot of time, and if you're not particularly efficient then sewing can take up huge chunks of it. 

    Now, stopping here, I just want to say. YOU SHOULD LEARN TO HAND SEW. At least so you can make some items or make repairs to clothing. But do you need to become the next bespoke tailor in the hobby?  No. 

    Theres a final aspect that I think is valid and that is, maybe you simply don't enjoy sewing. It might not be your thing. And that's okay. 

    So what should your priorities be? If it isn't hand sewn what should you be striving for? 

    First, the right materials. Choosing the correct materials. Correct materials will be the building block of the proper look. 

    Second, patterns and the right cut are crucial to achieving a period look. 

    Machine sewing, while frowned upon in some circles, will help you get in the field quickly and save you a lot of time. Machine sewn interiors will never be visible to the public or your fellow reenactors, however, anything visible should be hand sewn. I think this is a happy compromise to make. 


My shirt is hand sewn, but my jacket and trousers are machined on the inside with hand finishing 

    My kit is about 60-40 Machine to Hand Sewing. And I'm okay with it. Hand sewing has never been my cup of tea. I get really frustrated with it. So I usually buy second hand, order a machine sewn/hand finished garment, or if the price is right, something entirely hand-sewn. 

    So, what am I saying? Learn to sew. That's the best option. But if it's not your thing, it's okay. There's options. A completely hand sewn kit is cool and admirable, but I usually don't like being told someones kit is hand sewn. Feels like an invitation to stroke an ego. That's cool, your kit is hand sewn, but can you build this fire in the rain so we can stay warm? No. Also fine, but let's not act like anyone is cooler than anyone else here. 

    At the same time, not being able to hand sew yourself is not an excuse for making up whatever fantasy garment or ill fitting thing you can find wear because "People did with what they had" or "Out on the frontier they didn't know about the latest fashions" . Again, cut and fit are the key. 



    


Monday, December 19, 2022

Christmas Gambols

 


A few passages relating to the festivities around this time of year. 


Christmas is come, hang on the pot,

Let spits turn round, and ovens be hot;

Beef, pork, and poultry, now provide

To feast thy neighbors at this tide; 

Then wash all down with good wine and beer, 

And so with mirth conclude the Year.

-Virginia Almanac (Royle) 1765


 Our boy Nick Creswell writes of a twelfth night party : 

"There was about 37 Ladys Dressed and Powdered to the like, some of them very handsom, and as much Vanity as is necessary. All of them fond of Dancing. But I do not think they perform it with the greatest elleganse. Betwixt the Country Dances they have What I call everlasting Jiggs.

A Couple gets up, and begins to dance a Jig (to some Negro tune) others comes and cuts them out, these dances allways last as long as the Fiddler can play. This is social but I think it looks more like a Bacchanalian dance than one in a polite Assembly. Old Women, Young Wifes with young Children on the Laps, Widows, Maids, and Girls come promsciously to these Assemblys which generally continue til morning. A Cold supper, Punch, Wine, Coffee, and Chocolate, But no Tea. This is a forbidden herb. The men chiefly Scotch and Irish. I went home about Two Oclock, but part of the Company stayd got Drunk and had a fight."

 Also from Phillip Vickers Fithian in 1773 : 

"Guns are fired this Evening in the Neighbourhood, and the Negroes seem to be inspired with new Life."

 In 1772, the Virginia Almanac observed :

"This Month much Meat will be roasted in rich Mens Kitchens, the Cooks sweating in making of minced Pies and other Christmas Cheer, and whole Rivers of Punch, Toddy, Wine, Beer, and Cider consumed with drinking. Cards and Dice will be greatly used, to drive away the Tediousness of the long cold Nights; and much Money will be lost at Whist Cribbage and All fours"


If you have anymore quotes, please leave some comments! Hope everyone has the merriest of Christmas feasts, warm drink and good company. 

 

Friday, December 9, 2022

Off the Rack or Putting together an impression when sewing isn't your strength

       There was a time in this hobby when the only real option for correctly made clothing was to purchase the wool or linen, pattern it yourself or purchase a pattern and do some slight altering. But, thankfully some vendors are really upping the game on what is available off the rack. 

    I thought I would post here to highlight some of those items that I think are being well made and completely legit options for putting together your 18th century kit. 

    South Union mills is offering an excellent ready made trouser for a decent price. 

Click to go to South Union Mills Store 

    They also make an excellent waist coat and frock coat. Kobuck did a product review that you can check out here. They also offer blankets, knit caps, socks, and shoes. Making one big purchase from them can take you a long way and outfit you for your first event or replace a lot of gear that is maybe not quite up to snuff. 

    William Booth, Draper sells market wallets and knit caps that are ready made. 

    M Brenckle is an excellent hat maker. He is on Facebook and is easy to communicate with. 

    William Caldwell isn't exactly an off the rack sutler, but his hunting shirts have been very popular and he is usually very quick with his turnaround. 

    Something to think about is this. Would it be great if we all had sewing skills and we handmade every single piece of clothing? That would be ideal. Often times a lack of sewing skill or time is used as an excuse to wear sub par clothing, clothing that doesn't fit or isn't made incredibly correctly. The good news is there are better alternatives now and those excuses are quickly becoming obsolete. Fit is more important than the stitching in my opinion, at least the interior. A hand finished, machine stitched item will serve you well and look great. The real thing that makes all the difference is the tailoring. 

    This is a really great and exciting time to be in the hobby. Lots of awesome stuff going on. I see it all the time. I couldn't have dreamed of some of it happening back a couple decades ago. Wether it's the 13th Virginia, Davis and the boys at Frontier Culture museum with Crocketts Western Battalion, the Jersey Grays, David McClanahan and Will Manire. You can go on and on. A lot of good fervor right now. I love seeing Ethan Yazel using his podcast to highlight some of the great people in this hobby doing cool stuff. There's so much good stuff happening. The hobby isn't dying, it's just finding a new trail. Follow it. You'll have a good time. The off the rack clothing is just one aspect of improvement the hobby has seen over the last several years.  Don't let hand sewing or not knowing how hold you back from getting involved! 




Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Musings...again. It's Kobucks fault

 

    I'm glad that Kobuck is writing prolifically again, because it pushes me to muse. Sometimes I muse on here more than I think I should instead of just sticking to primary sources and putting the information in front of people and letting them decide what to do with it. 

    Why does it matter so much to get this stuff "right". Especially when for a lot of this we aren't even necessarily doing it in front of the public. Private events, backyard camps and hunting trips. Who cares if you're wearing the right clothes. It's the spirit of it, right? 

    I think sometimes because of the modern world we live in, it causes us to want to experience another time. And we then go about romantically concocting notions of rugged individuals living off the land in some kind of bushcrafter survival paradise. "Out here they're beholden to none, not living by another's leave". Cool story bro, but that's just our James Fenimore Cooper, Davy Crockett King of the Wild Frontier cultural mythos at play and it's VERY HARD to escape from it. 

    I think sometimes the fight is no longer, hey guys lets do this better, its become more so lets call a spade a spade and quit pretending like this bushcraft weekend in historically inspired outfits has anything to do with what guys in the 1760s backcountry were doing. Let's admit that there's two hobbies going on within this larger hobby and stop conflating them. Maybe your group shouldn't go on YouTube and claim to be portraying long hunters of the 1760s. Maybe just say "We are historically inspired bush crafters using some of the skills of the past to have some fun and get away from the modern hustle and bustle for a weekend." Who knows, maybe we all need to admit that's what we're doing wether our clothes can be documented down to the stitch or not. 

    I don't know what the answer is. We all do this hobby for different reasons, I just really have a hard time with disinformation. So put a disclaimer up or something. Or not. Probably doesn't matter. Shoot flintlocks, build fires, make a shelter and have fun. Oh and read some primary sources and try to do that too.    

    In other news, I think we're gonna do some Tshirts again, and I've got new Shirttail Mess "Liberty or Death" stickers. Stay tuned for that. Go read Kobuck's new
blog post
about aping the savage. It'll make you rethink some things. 

Saturday, November 19, 2022

Waterproofing Gear...or Not

    

A common thing we see in the hobby is the notion of waterproofing. While we do see the military knapsacks of the era being waterproofed to some degree with paint, is this a common thing men of the backcountry were doing when hunting etc? 

    Nicholas Cresswell is one of the greatest resources for understanding some of these conundrums we face as reenactors. He talks about having to stay shut in during heavy rains, or that heavy rains prevented them from an activity. But he never mentions waterproofing gear. Two quotes give some insight into what was to be done in a rain. 

    Monday, May 8th, 1775. Heavy rain this morning which obliged us to make a sort of awning with our tent cloths and blankets

    and

    Tuesday, June 27th, 1775. Very stiff current all day, heavy showers and very sultry. It is a custom with our company, as soon as it begins to rain to strip naked and secure their clothes from the wet. I have attempted it twice to-day, but the drops of rain are so disagreeable to my skin, that it obliged me to put on my shirt.

    Now, Cresswell and his company were on an extended hunting trip. Most people who farmed and hunted from their cabin would simply stay indoors during a heavy rain. Our modern time constraints make it difficult sometimes to avoid the rain. But here are some period methods that I think inform us as to how they dealt with it. 

    If you have any documentation for waterproofing that I don't know about, I'd love to see it. Or if you're reading this and want to try the above methods mentioned by Cresswell, I'd love to hear about your experience. Next warm weather rain shower, I'm gonna go out and try my luck.