Participation is by invitation only. THERE WILL BE NO "WALK ONS" ACCEPTED.
While we are always limited to an extent, the intent of this event is to portray an accurate garrison life at Fort Union and what life is like between the Army and the civilians there from 1864 to 1865. You will be portraying members of the 30th Wisconsin Infantry, Company I. The intent is to strive for authenticity with the wear and equipage of the participants. The standards for this are high and you will need to submit pictures of you in your gear along with documentation if you are part of the military portion of this event. Leadership roles will be pre-determined by the coordinators of the event. Assume that you are going to be a private. Do not bring your own rank insignia unless specifically told to do so. The standards are as follows:
Clothing/Accouterments/Event Standards
1. Fatigue Blouse (or Sack Coat): The fatigue blouse's basic features include a indigo dyed wool flannel with a diagonal weave, a kidney shaped or square corner interior pocket, four 3/4 inch general service eagle buttons, small cuff vents, and a falling collar. Our fatigue blouses are either lined or unlined, but lined fatigue blouses (which were in the majority) are preferred. Wool flannel lining can be tan, gray, brown, or blue with corresponding cotton muslin sleeve lining and hand-sewn sleeves between body of the coat and sleeve lining. Unlined coats should have hand flat felled seams.
2. Trousers (Foot Pattern): Some basic features include a sky blue kersey wool, correct rise of trousers in the seat (back yoke), right side watch pocket, narrow tapered waistband, four or six stamped paper backed tin suspender buttons, five small paper back tin fly buttons, side seam pockets,
3. Head Gear:
A. Hardee Hat: Undecorated U.S. Pattern 1858 Dress Hat
B. Forage Cap: So- called Type 1 (typically a smaller curved brim) or so- called Type 2 (typically
a larger rectangular brim) patterns acceptable. Made of finely woven indigo dyed wool flannel,
with a polished cotton lining of black or dark brown, sewn sweatband, thin painted leather
black brim, chin strap, and two 5/8 inch general service eagle buttons attached on each side of
the chin strap. The forage cap is not to be worn like a baseball cap. Seek out period field
photographs for the correct way to push up your brim.
4. Civilian Hat: Documented pattern, construction, and materials only. Their use should be limited to a popular style of hat available to troops such as the plug, porkpie, or slouch. Correct brim edging, lining, and sweatband per original specimens. Please see period images when choosing a civilian hat. No “limp Billy” farmer hats will be allowed.
5. Foot Wear: U.S. Pattern Jefferson Bootees: Black dyed, semi roughed out leather, squared front, accompanied with leather shoelaces. Leather soles can be either pegged or sewn. Heel rims, inlet heel rims, and hobnails are all acceptable. Please note that no modern shoes will be accepted.
6. Shirts:
A. Civilian Shirt: Must be of period fabric and construction. Look for two to three colored woven
shirt patterns such as small plaids, checks, & stripes. The woven shirt patterns should be the
same on the reverse side of the shirting fabric. Civilian shirt fabrics should be of 100% cotton.
Look for small folding or banded collars, and three or four button plackets. Civilian shirts can
have square gussets as popular in the 1850's, or the rounded sleeves, which became stylish
during the 1860's. Correct buttons were comprised of bone, shell, china, milk glass, hard
rubber, or wood in two or four hole styles
B. Federal Issue Shirt: Made of domet wool flannel, rectangular body with square gussets. It is off
white or cream- colored flannel (wool on a cotton warp) with a reinforced slit front opening, a
squared collar closed by a single stamped sheet iron button, tapered sleeves with internally
faced cuffs formed as part of the sleeve and closed by single buttons, a reinforcing strap across
the top of the shoulder, and very full cut in the body. Also acceptable are the gray wool flannel
contract variant issue shirts, which may feature a three-button placket.
7. Drawers: Either Federal Issue pattern or civilian patterns acceptable. Federal issue drawers should be made of cotton flannel, with cotton tape ties in the rear and the ankles. Hand sewn paperback tin buttons, buttonholes, and tieback grommet holes. These should wear high on the waist. Other features include buttons, and tieback grommet holes. Buttons may be bone, china, or other documented compositions. Civilian drawers should also ride rather high on the waist. We highly recommend all members have at least one pair of drawers.
8. Socks: Either wool or cotton, hand knitted or period machine construction, with period tops and side seams, available in varying lengths. It is preferred members stick to dull colors such as gray, brown, cream, blue, dark green, tan, or dark red. MODERN SOCKS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED.
9. Suspenders: Since the Federal Army did not issue these, soldiers had to either purchase a pair from a merchant, have them sent from home, or simply went without them. They were made out of cotton drill or linen, with differing degrees of sophistication. Common styles ranged from simple straps with sewn buttonholes (poorboys), to sewn straps with two or three tined brass adjustments, featuring leather ends on each side.
10. Spectacles: For those individuals who need vision correction, you MUST have a set of period eyeglasses filled with your prescription, wear contact lenses, or go without. Period spectacles of the mid-19th century had features such as oval or rectangular frames, arch or crank bridges, and straight or sliding temple pieces with a small teardrop final. Frames were commonly made out of brass, silver, or gold. Lenses were invariably made out of glass.
11. Cartridge Box: U.S. Pattern of 1855, 1857, & 1861 .58 caliber cartridge boxes are all acceptable.
12. Cartridge Box Belt: Made of bridle leather, dyed black, and should be shortened so the top of the cartridge box is no lower than the bottom of the waist belt. The round eagle cartridge box belt plate (breastplate) should be attached using a small piece of leather.
13. U.S. Pattern Waist belt:Made of bridle leather, dyed black, with the brass or leather belt keeper.
14. U.S. Pattern Cap Box: Made of bridle leather, dyed black, has an outer flap with latching tab, wool strip sewn to the back of the inner flap.
15. U.S. Pattern Bayonet Scabbard: For this impression we prefer the late war pattern 1863 seven rivet bayonet scabbard. These bayonet scabbards were made of black dyed bridle leather and featured attached frogs of either bridle or buff leather. All bayonet scabbards must have a secure brass tip.
16. U.S. Pattern Haversack: Some basic features include machine sewn construction, black tarred exterior coating that seeps into the interior, cotton or linen inner bag attached by three hand sewn 5/8 inch tin buttons, hand sewn inner bag button holes, black 5/8 inch roller buckle, and a one piece shoulder strap of 40 to 45 inches in length. Haversacks should ride at the small of the back, with the top of the haversack no lower than the waist belt.
17. U.S. Pattern 1855 Double bag Knapsack: Sewn linen body tarred black with a glossy appearance, black dyed shoulder straps, blackened buckles, hand sewn buckles & keepers, reinforcements of split leather, and overcoat straps. Wartime documented contract versions are also acceptable.
18. Canteen: 1858 or 1861 (bullseye) pattern.
19. Rifle-Musket:The M1863 Springfield rifle or the M1861 Springfield rifle-musket.
19. Bayonet: Individuals MUST possess a corresponding pattern bayonet for your rifle-musket. Ensure compatibility with your rifle-musket before signing on for events. We will be having bayonette drills.
20. Mess Furniture: A soldiers mess items should consist of a tin cup or fruit can boiler, knife, fork, & spoon (or combination set), and a plate/canteen half. All equipage must be of documented patterns, construction, and materials based on original artifacts.
21. Shelter Half: Federal issue
22. Other/Personal/Optional Items - These items should be of the type researched for authenticity. Store personal items in blanket roll, saddlebags, haversack, pockets, etc. Medicines should be stowed in a period container as best as possible not only to hide it, but to protect it.
- Issue tin cup, boiler, mucket - no speckleware or stainless.
- Folding pocket knife
- Personal hygiene items.
- Tooth brush.
- Small looking glass (mirror).
- Comb.
- Shaving equipment.
- Cotton or Linen ration & poke bags.
- Small bottles or flasks.
- Spoon and/or a fork - no stainless.
- Plate (not a pie tin), small sheet metal skillet, canteen half - no cast iron.
- Pipe & tobacco pouch.
- Housewife (needles, thread, thimbles, buttons, patch cloth)
- Pencil and paper.
- Hard candy like lemon drops.
- Lucifers (matches).
- Handkerchief.
- Wallet.
A company street will be formed outside the north wall of the fort. You will need a federal shelter half tent to sleep in. There will be period rations issued to be prepared in messes. There will likely be one meal prepared by the 30th Wisconsin for all the Living Historians. KP duty will be assigned to assist the civilian cook. We will drill several times a day for the public to see. There will be guard duty several times throughout the day of the fort itself as well as supplies within it. Saturday evening both the 30th Wisconsin and the civilian Living Historians will participate in the Last Bell Tours, a multi station evening even that helps tell about the history of the site. Conversations had with the public should be limited the discussion of the war between the states, frustrations with being sent "out west" instead of to relieve troops fighting and the experiences they've had thus far at Fort Union. Be sure to check out the resource list on our website.
