Pants

[hardtack61]

Hey,
Brian Swartz, i thank you for pointing out that paper back is better that pewter buttons. and the fact that soldiers did wear the strange reenactor item!!!! The Waist Belt....haha Thank you man!

[johan_steele]

Young Josh, Pewter, bone, wood, shell and even lead buttons were not uncommon in the era of the civil war and could have easily found their way into a "Housewife" sent from home. And those of us who have done route marches, slept out campaign style etc know how necessary replacement buttons can be.

My own trouser buttons are paper backed tin and w/ one exception always have been. The one pewter button in my kit is on a shirt and that button is quite neat to me as it is a Civil War button I bought in Charleston, SC back in 1996. It is in fact one of the original items I own. Along w/ my original musket tool it is the only original item I carry onto the field.

After Brian mentioned using a sling as a waist belt I did a little searching and asking questions of collectors that I know. I was suprised to discover how a length of rope was probably the most consistant belt. I was suprised to hear of a set of braces made from a CS musket sling. Een more suprisong considering the documentation put the trousers as those of a Union man. An interesting use for a bit of battlefield scrounging.

[hardtack61]

Shane,
"And those of us who have done route marches, slept out campaign style etc know how necessary replacement buttons can be."
Sounds like a put down to josh... Us Steady campaigners know a good lengthy "route march"! Probly more so than a mainstream/ progressive would.. Not putting u down of course.! If u havent done so i would get an account with www.authentic-campaigner.com ! you all might learn something.. i do everyday! And u cant really assume that most waist belts were of rope.. Just the same amount were leather!

[johan_steele]

Waylon... It is not a put down, anyone who has been out and about marching through the woods or in ditches I think will agree replacement buttons are a necessity. I've been re-enacting on and off for ten years, I have seven years in the military behind my back and did a LOT of cross country hiking before that. In short these feet have felt a good bit of rough terrain under them over the years.

"Of 62 photos and 29 original trousers: 43 of the photos were rope of varying size & type the rest being of unknown material, probably harness leather. Of those originals I have studied and others which I can positively id only five have evidence that they were not worn with suspenders, I cannot hazard a guess as to the use of rifle slings, harness leather vs rope but I do know that rope was considerably less expensive than leather."

That is a cut and paste off of an email from a collector that was sent me after I asked the question among collectors, it isn't by gosh and by golly it's study of original photos and existing original gear by an individual w/ a lot more knowledge than I.