Confederate Navy bell-bottom trouser.

[major bill]

Did most Confederate enlisted seamen wear bell-bottom trousers? I was wondering how common the typical bell-bottom, drop front naval trousers were for Confederate sailors. They served mostly on rivers and I am not sure they were needed naval trousers in the same way that sea going sailors needed them.

 

[Cpl. Smith]

Don't know, but I am quite interested in the answer.

 

[Patrick H]

I also think it's an interesting question. Every time something like this comes up, I'm reminded of how much I've never even pondered.

 

[major bill]

One of resident experts is @Klaudly.

I am leaning towards yes, but open to being shown I am mistaken. Most sailors, world wide, wore bell bottom trousers. Even merchant sailors did so. However, I am not sure that this was the same on river craft.

At times it might have been difficult to get bell bottom trousers to the small number of sailors on Confederate river craft and standard Confederate Army trousers might have been issued.

My next question is, were Confederate Army artillerymen been assigned to Confederate river craft? If so they may well have worn their Army uniforms for a while.

 

[Klaudly]

From "The Navy and Marine Living History Association":

The trousers of the enlisted sailor varied in pattern as much as the other articles of clothing. Clothing records indicate that the squadron issued blue trousers throughout the war. Gray trousers did not become an item for issue until 1863. The Confederate government issued trousers in three different patterns: fall front, seam pocket, and mule ear. Government records did not distinguish which type of trouser was issued. Fall front trousers were the "traditional" sailor pants with a seven to thirteen button, bib front closure. The legs and seat were full to allow free movement and the leg cuffs were open so that the pants could be rolled to the knee. Located on the waist band seam was a drawstring for size adjustment. There are no existing records, photographs, or drawings indicating Confederate sailors wore this type of trousers. It is unclear if this type of trouser was part of the captured stores from Norfolk. Clothing manifests do not identify the trouser type. Seam pocket trousers appear to be the most common trouser type. These trousers are characterized by a four button fly and seam pockets. The trouser cuff covers the top of the shoe and the waist had the same style drawstring adjustment as fall front trousers. Existing photographs of Confederate seamen show this style of trousers. Mule ear pocket trousers resemble the button fly trousers in every way except that the pockets, closed with a button, are sewn into the front of the trouser leg, much like modern blue jeans pockets. Land forces favored this type of trouser and they were a very common issue. The navy may have issued these trousers as well. Of the three types of trousers issued, most photographs show the seam pocket style of trouser. The drawing of a prisoner at Fort Norfolk is interesting because it illustrates a pair of trousers with no fly and apparently closed by a draw string".

In my research, they were rarely described in detail, but always "gray pants" for confederate seamen!



For the second question, I believe that the members of the Army (temporarily) assigned to the naval service wore uniforms of Confederate Army.

 

[major bill]

Bob Marrion illustrated them this way in his article The Confederate Southern Navy and Marine Corps 1861-1865. Our forum member @Klaudly does a better job, but remember Marrion only wrote a three page article with five uniform illustrations. I think Marrion went a bit too light on the color of the uniforms (the middle man wear white trousers).

 

[major bill]

Is the single breasted jacket with standing collar accurate for a Confederate petty officer.

 

[Cpl. Smith]

Is the single breasted jacket with standing collar accurate for a Confederate petty officer.

I would think so... at least later in the war. Here's a question: What about jean wool uniforms or army style uniforms? Call me nuts but eventually I would think they just stopped making different uniforms. Just my 2 cents.

Regards
Cpl. Smith

 

[Klaudly]

The posted table, excluding the light colors and the jacket of the petty-officer is quite accurate.
When I began to get interested in naval uniforms, I too was wrong to draw the seaman's jacket, because the description given by the regulation is minimal. In my old work, I think I drawing it like the one illustrated! Due to the fact that I did not have enough information.

 

[major bill]

There is a fair amount of uniform plates for CSN officers, but less so for enlisted men. There is not a book, that I am aware of, that I would call the definitive work on the subject. This forces us to find bits and pieces of information from several sources.

 

[RedRover]

Did most Confederate enlisted seamen wear bell-bottom trousers? I was wondering how common the typical bell-bottom, drop front naval trousers were for Confederate sailors. They served mostly on rivers and I am not sure they were needed naval trousers in the same way that sea going sailors needed them.

It would be an error to assume anything regarding CS sailor dress. Like their army comrades, what they were provided with varied by time/location/circumstances.

I recall reading about the excavation of the Confederate naval cemetery in Charleston, near a stadium, and the archaeologist reported the buttons o the pants were in a horizontal line (as in drop-front pants vs. a button-fly with them in a vertical row.)

That said, the CS Navy acquired a vast quantity of US Navy clothing at Gosport in 1861, and this was employed for quite a while. In the west, in May, 1861 at New Orleans, the Navy contracted for domestic seaman's clothing (blue flannel shirts, caps, trousers). That same month Navy Secretary Mallory ordered that clothing be procured in England was to be similar to that in use by the Royal Navy, though devoid of insignia. The imported goods were to include;

"For seamen.--Two thousand pairs pants, cloth or cassinette, 2,000 jumpers, 1,000 round jackets, 2,000 pairs duck pants, 2,000 blue flannel overshirts. 2,000 blue flannel undershirts, 2,000 blue flannel drawers, 2,000 pairs of shoes, 3,000 pairs of socks (woolen), 2,000 blankets. 2,000 blue cloth caps, 1,000 pea jackets, 2,000 barnesley shirting frocks, 2,000 black silk handkerchiefs, 1,000 yards of bunting divided into red, white, and blue. (To be similar to the clothing used in the British navy without any designating marks.)"

The blockade made supply tough, and after the fall of Vicksburg a large quantity of cloth and clothing for the Navy which was imported into the Trans-Mississippi West was trapped in that quarter. There is reference that from that point the Navy purchased "plain but substantial clothing" on the open market for the crews of the eastern squadrons...


Jesse Marshall,
Hernando, FL

 

[major bill]

It would be an error to assume anything regarding CS sailor dress. Like their army comrades, what they were provided with varied by time/location/circumstances.

I recall reading about the excavation of the Confederate naval cemetery in Charleston, near a stadium, and the archaeologist reported the buttons o the pants were in a horizontal line (as in drop-front pants vs. a button-fly with them in a vertical row.)

That said, the CS Navy acquired a vast quantity of US Navy clothing at Gosport in 1861, and this was employed for quite a while. In the west, in May, 1861 at New Orleans, the Navy contracted for domestic seaman's clothing (blue flannel shirts, caps, trousers). That same month Navy Secretary Mallory ordered that clothing be procured in England was to be similar to that in use by the Royal Navy, though devoid of insignia. The imported goods were to include;

"For seamen.--Two thousand pairs pants, cloth or cassinette, 2,000 jumpers, 1,000 round jackets, 2,000 pairs duck pants, 2,000 blue flannel overshirts. 2,000 blue flannel undershirts, 2,000 blue flannel drawers, 2,000 pairs of shoes, 3,000 pairs of socks (woolen), 2,000 blankets. 2,000 blue cloth caps, 1,000 pea jackets, 2,000 barnesley shirting frocks, 2,000 black silk handkerchiefs, 1,000 yards of bunting divided into red, white, and blue. (To be similar to the clothing used in the British navy without any designating marks.)"

The blockade made supply tough, and after the fall of Vicksburg a large quantity of cloth and clothing for the Navy which was imported into the Trans-Mississippi West was trapped in that quarter. There is reference that from that point the Navy purchased "plain but substantial clothing" on the open market for the crews of the eastern squadrons...


Jesse Marshall,
Hernando, FL

Thank you for posting this.