The Raid on Bledsoe's Station - Impressions of the Middle Ground

      As we prepare for the September event at Bledsoe's Station, I get inquiring messages from folks wishing to attend and I've been giving some feedback on what we want to see at this event. I thought I might offer some thoughts to give folks an idea of what it is we are trying to achieve. 

    Unlike a lot of the events centered around the frontier forts, this event is not a market fair, or a tactical with merchants and vendors. This is a semi immersive experience, and to that end it will not include many of the things folks are used to. Those who would like to attend need to follow the guidelines. Fortunately, we are more than willing to work with folks who are willing to work with us. I wanted to discuss the clothing and some of the rational behind our event standards. 

    In his History of Middle Tennessee, admittedly published long after the fact, Edward Albright writes the following about the middle ground in 1783 : 

Every kind of garment for the wear of med and boys was made of dressed skins.. We do not assert that they all wore such, and " nothing else." What we do mean, however, is, that no man was ashamed to wear leather breeches or a leather hunting-shirt or far cap. Most of them were very well contented to be thus clothed. Some were satisfied, or under necessity, of wholy dispensing with every article made of wool, cotton, or f a r . Like "the said Hood," they could say that "from tho skin out" ther were dressed in skin--moccasins, pants, shirts, cap, and gloves all of dressed or undressed skins. Almost out of the world, but "in the fashion."

In a rainy day, or an evening's recreation, the men assisted in " cutting out, in spinning the thread, and in sewing up garments." The process of making the thread or leather strings was often skilfully managed, in cutting a delicate thread or a stouter "whang." A shoemaker's awl was "the needle of that day." Men were usefal sewing-machines, and "the women loved to have it so." And thus men and women helped each other, clothed themselves comfortably and genteelly in the fashion, and were as useful and happy as happy could be. 

    I've highlighted a few key phrases. First, that he does not assert that they ALL wore leather and buckskin. But that many of them did. And the last phrase I have highlighted which is absolutely crucial to our understanding of what these garments may have looked like, "IN THE FASHION". What does this curious phrase mean? It means, that these garments weren't just crudely sewn together. It means that they tried their best to create garments based on what was fashionable at the time. A leather hunting shirt then would look not that much different from a linen hunting shirt in construction an design. Leather breeches look like their linen or wool counterpart, etc. 

    If we compare that with other information we have from actual period sources we can start to get a clearer picture. 

  The oft quoted description of a hunting shirt by Doddridge and Smythe are still the best out there: 

"There whole dress is very singular, and not very materially different from that of the Indians; being a hunting shirt, somewhat resembling a waggoner’s frock, ornamented with a great many fringes, tied around the middle with a broad belt, much decorated also…Their hunting or rifle shirts, they have also died in variety of colors, some yellow, others red, some brown, and many wear them quite white” (Smyth 179-180)

The hunting shirt was universally worn. This was a kind of loose frock, reaching halfway down the thighs, with large sleeves, open before, and so wide as to lap a foot or more when belted. The cape was large and sometimes handsomely fringed with a ravelled piece of cloth of a different color from that of the hunting shirt its self. The bosom of this dress served as a wallet to hold a chunk of bread, cakes, jerk, tow for wiping the barrel of the rifle, and any other necessary for hunter or warrior… The hunting shirt was generally made of linsey, sometimes of coarse linen, and few of dressed deerskins. These last being very cold and uncomfortable in wet weather. (doddridge 91)"

    So, here we have some great detailed descriptions and even a reference that sometimes they were made of deerskin. 

Let's now start to look at the extant record that exists, namely original garments and paintings and then we will take a lot at plausible recreations that would fit into the world of 1780s Colonial America. 

 

 

Photo by Neal Hurst 

    

    We can see common threads in all of these images and in this original. Capes, fringe...and a "fashion" begins to appear.

    As we look towards what a recreation of some of these silhouettes might look like, I think a common idea is that people preferred, generally speaking, to conform to the standards set by society. Cresswell upon returning to a more "civilized" area comments on how out of place he is in his ragged appearance and how the people are even distressed by his appearance. So, the common silhouette should be the goal of any impression, even in the backwoods. 

 Let's look at a few impressions that have opted for a leather hunting shirt since Albright has claimed that this was somewhat common in the middle ground during the year 1783. 

Micheal Agee, pictured above, is sporting a woolen waistcoat, fit correctly, a cocked hat, leather breeches and a leather hunting shirt made very much in keeping with what we see in the original images above. It's fit is that of a jacket "in the fashion". 

    Next, we see an impression from Anthony of the Deerskin Diary. He is sporting a look that is very consistent with Albright's description. Nearly head to toe in buckskins. But notice the details. We see a shirt that is cut very much "in the fashion", leggings that resemble what we see in period images of woolen leggings like this image of a Native American from the 1770s: 

   

Here we see some more impressions, three different looks that give you a variety. One has adopted some of the Indian dress, a breechclout and garters on his leggings, but is wearing a  hunting shirt and hat. The middle fellow has adopted the leggings, wears a pair of buckskins breeches, a dark colored hunting shirt and finger woven sash and moccasins. The other gentleman is still wearing his linen breeches, and aside from his hunting shirt, native strap and buck tail, wears nothing that would necessarily denote him as being on the frontier in our collective imagination of what a "frontiersman" would look like. 

    All of these approaches show you the variety of ways you can follow the historical record and create a correct silhouette while also expressing individual taste. I hope this gives everyone a good direction. 

 I would also like to direct you to an article Kobuck did over on his blog about common fashion. It has some excellent primary source material and will help fill in some blanks. You can read that HERE