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- Aug 25, 2012
I have been trying to do some research on the Civil War era battle shirts. There is some information, but research is at times confusing due to the terms used by the author. I an tying to come up with some sort of classification to help me sort out what was worn. Has anyone seen a good article on the various types of battle shirts with some type of classification? The following is a work in progress on the subject, but as you can see I still have plenty of work to do, perhaps someone has some insight for me:
Hunting Shirts: Early in the war many units wore various hunting shirts instead of coats or jackets this was particularly common in the Southern States but the Northern states also wore hunting shirts. The term 'battle shirt' is often used to describe the type with trim, but battle shirt is also a generic term for any shirt used as an outer garment.These were often made by hometown societies or even by a soldier's wife or girlfriend and of course varied to the point of being difficult to categorize. Some units like the 1st Rhode Island had large numbers of identical shirts. The issue is complicated by many photographs of soldiers being photographed without their jackets on, wearing civilian type shirts around camp. These shirts could be tucked in or worn out side the trousers
Type 1 Pullover Shirts a.k.a. Battle Shirt. This was the most common type of the southern soldier. It was made from a civilian shirt or made like a civilian shirt. Most had small collars with sleeve seams at the shoulder as opposed to drop shoulders. The cuffs were often gathered. These were trimmed in various ways. Type 1a, the most common were with colored collars and cuffs with a piece down the front to the end of the button holes. Some had shoulder straps. There were shirts with two slit pockets with strips of cloth. Some shirts lacked the colored collars. Type 1b, which was very common, had trim around the collar and down the front. Often there were large pockets with trim around them. Trim might be on the top or top and bottom of the cuffs. Some had a piece of trim vertical across the chest.
Type 2 Button to Waist Shirt. Type 2a was as type 1a above except the shirt buttoned for the full length. Type 2b was identical to Type 1b except it button all the way to the waist.
Type 3 Pleated Hunting Blouse. Type 3a A long pleated blouse type shirt with buttons part way down the front. Type 3b same as Type 3a but buttoned to the waist.
Type 4 Plastron Shirt. Type 4a the Fireman Shirt; was a shirt with a rectangular plastron. The usually shirt was red in color, but other colors are known. Period firemen wore this style of shirt. Type 4b Bib Plastron. Rectangular bib plastron. These were similar to period fireman shirts.
1. Sussex Light Dragoons Company H, 13th Virginia Cavalry. Gray shirt.
Type 4c Plastron Piedmont Shirt. This type had a removable front bib (plastron). The most common type had a tapered plastron thin at the top flaring out and the narrowing at the waist. Some had rectangular fronts the plastron was usually a different color. They might have trim on the lower edge of the collars. At least one example of this shirt had shawl type collars. There was often thin 'v' shaped tape on the cuffs and could have tape at the bottom of the collar. These often had tape trim down the buttons when the plastron was removed. The shirts often had drop shoulders and strait sleeves without cuff.
1. Lynchburg Rifles, 1tth Virginia Regiment Company E; A dark gray shirt with black plastron and cuffs. The shirt had black tape around the bottom of the collar.
2. Lynchburg Artillery.
3. Beauregard Rifles a.k.a. The Zouaves a.ka. Lynchburg Beauregard; Gray shirt trimmed black with green plastron.
4. Southern Guards, 11th Virginia Infantry Company B; Dark gray shirt and lighter plastron.
5. Lynchburg Rifle Grays; Gray shirt with dark blue or black plastron and cuffs
6. Appomattox Ranger, Company H, 2nd Virginia Cavalry; Gray shirt with light colored plastron.
Type 5 Fringed Shirt. This type of shirt had fringe around the chest cap and around the bottom. Some had fringe on the sleeves.
1. 179th regiment Virginia Militia; Blue flannel cloth hunting shirt with blue fringe to include sleeve fringe.
Type 6 Guerilla Shirt. A pull over shirt with a deep 'V' neck which exposed the shirt. These were often rather fancy and the "V" neck trimmed, often with elaborate print or fringe. The term is also used for a pullover shirt with a scalloped front trim. These scalloped shirts are more like battle shirts.
Not yet added to any classification: Waumpu or wamuss the loose-fitting frock worn in Iowa
Hunting Shirts: Early in the war many units wore various hunting shirts instead of coats or jackets this was particularly common in the Southern States but the Northern states also wore hunting shirts. The term 'battle shirt' is often used to describe the type with trim, but battle shirt is also a generic term for any shirt used as an outer garment.These were often made by hometown societies or even by a soldier's wife or girlfriend and of course varied to the point of being difficult to categorize. Some units like the 1st Rhode Island had large numbers of identical shirts. The issue is complicated by many photographs of soldiers being photographed without their jackets on, wearing civilian type shirts around camp. These shirts could be tucked in or worn out side the trousers
Type 1 Pullover Shirts a.k.a. Battle Shirt. This was the most common type of the southern soldier. It was made from a civilian shirt or made like a civilian shirt. Most had small collars with sleeve seams at the shoulder as opposed to drop shoulders. The cuffs were often gathered. These were trimmed in various ways. Type 1a, the most common were with colored collars and cuffs with a piece down the front to the end of the button holes. Some had shoulder straps. There were shirts with two slit pockets with strips of cloth. Some shirts lacked the colored collars. Type 1b, which was very common, had trim around the collar and down the front. Often there were large pockets with trim around them. Trim might be on the top or top and bottom of the cuffs. Some had a piece of trim vertical across the chest.
Type 2 Button to Waist Shirt. Type 2a was as type 1a above except the shirt buttoned for the full length. Type 2b was identical to Type 1b except it button all the way to the waist.
Type 3 Pleated Hunting Blouse. Type 3a A long pleated blouse type shirt with buttons part way down the front. Type 3b same as Type 3a but buttoned to the waist.
Type 4 Plastron Shirt. Type 4a the Fireman Shirt; was a shirt with a rectangular plastron. The usually shirt was red in color, but other colors are known. Period firemen wore this style of shirt. Type 4b Bib Plastron. Rectangular bib plastron. These were similar to period fireman shirts.
1. Sussex Light Dragoons Company H, 13th Virginia Cavalry. Gray shirt.
Type 4c Plastron Piedmont Shirt. This type had a removable front bib (plastron). The most common type had a tapered plastron thin at the top flaring out and the narrowing at the waist. Some had rectangular fronts the plastron was usually a different color. They might have trim on the lower edge of the collars. At least one example of this shirt had shawl type collars. There was often thin 'v' shaped tape on the cuffs and could have tape at the bottom of the collar. These often had tape trim down the buttons when the plastron was removed. The shirts often had drop shoulders and strait sleeves without cuff.
1. Lynchburg Rifles, 1tth Virginia Regiment Company E; A dark gray shirt with black plastron and cuffs. The shirt had black tape around the bottom of the collar.
2. Lynchburg Artillery.
3. Beauregard Rifles a.k.a. The Zouaves a.ka. Lynchburg Beauregard; Gray shirt trimmed black with green plastron.
4. Southern Guards, 11th Virginia Infantry Company B; Dark gray shirt and lighter plastron.
5. Lynchburg Rifle Grays; Gray shirt with dark blue or black plastron and cuffs
6. Appomattox Ranger, Company H, 2nd Virginia Cavalry; Gray shirt with light colored plastron.
Type 5 Fringed Shirt. This type of shirt had fringe around the chest cap and around the bottom. Some had fringe on the sleeves.
1. 179th regiment Virginia Militia; Blue flannel cloth hunting shirt with blue fringe to include sleeve fringe.
Type 6 Guerilla Shirt. A pull over shirt with a deep 'V' neck which exposed the shirt. These were often rather fancy and the "V" neck trimmed, often with elaborate print or fringe. The term is also used for a pullover shirt with a scalloped front trim. These scalloped shirts are more like battle shirts.
Not yet added to any classification: Waumpu or wamuss the loose-fitting frock worn in Iowa
Bringing the