Federal Navy impressions

[Rusk County Avengers]

This is not an impression I've ever seen done well, but plenty of times done horribly!

Yesterday while metal detecting near an old CS Powder Magazine, where a reenactment is held, (Its aggravating and hilarious when repro buttons are found near original ones!), the landowner and organizer of the reenactment was telling me at the next one he wants fights over cotton, and to burn bales and such in line with the Red River Campaign, (VERY loosely unfortunately).

I tell him he can't have Federal Army for that, as that was the Navy's schtick, and now it looks like I need to put together a new impression...

What can folks suggest? I can get a number of fellow reenactors that make less money than me, and they buy stuff from the Port Columbus Museum, but I want to do it right. I know where insignia can be found, I know what they looked like versus what they didn't look like, but I'd appreciate some guidance. Especially since I'm leery of one sutler that offers naval goods and can't find proper patterns of uniforms and gear.

 

[Bentonville]

I'm getting uniform of a confederate Sailor. Its not as daunting as uniform regulations were a little more loose. For instance officers in sack coats with nothing but straps on shoulders in Mobile.

You might was to contact the US Naval Landing Party (USNLP.ORG). They have a handbook for around $20 that is full of information that I didn't know. You can glean quite a bit. They have dues but it also pays insurance too.

I'm sure if you contact them they can put you on the right path. And the book is good too. They're even accepting me as a member of the group. I kinda feel like that pork and beans 'merch where there is one lone pig outside the huge bean factory.

 

[FedericoFCavada]

The sutler Blockade Runner out of Tennessee has some naval itelms, albeit, I cannot vouch for authenticity or degree of "farbiness" or whatever.
https://www.blockaderunner.com/Catalog/navy.html

Photographs show "middy" blouses and navy blue trousers. I'd think that might do for starters? Naval weapons might be difficult to pin down with exactitude, but then there's always the Model 1860 Cutlass and M1851 revolver, no?

 

[Lampasas Bill]

My understanding is that it was the Confederates who were burning cotton to prevent it from being confiscated by the Union and sent north. The Southern planters were not pleased that their own troops were destroying their cotton.

 

[Bentonville]

The sutler Blockade Runner out of Tennessee has some naval itelms, albeit, I cannot vouch for authenticity or degree of "farbiness"

Photographs show "middy" blouses and navy blue trousers. I'd think that might do for starters? Naval weapons might be difficult to pin down with exactitude, but then there's always the Model 1860 Cutlass and M1851 revolver, no?

I have an officer's hat from Blockade Runner. You can get them in cadet gray, which Dirty Billy told me was also steel gray. Didn't know that. I'd spend the extra and go with one of his hats.

The hat is pretty nice and historically accurate however not really for a a Sailor. Same with the sailors hat. It is worth noting that straw hats were used in the summer and in hot climates and they have some of the best.

The pistol/Cutlass "watch belt" rig is of good quality. they carry good hardware, lanterns and the like. I prefer their tents as well.

I'd leave buttons to Quarter Master Shop.

They are out of CSN buttons right now but plain brass domes will do in a pinch. As was pointed out these were not vestments.

Best.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

My understanding is that it was the Confederates who were burning cotton to prevent it from being confiscated by the Union and sent north. The Southern planters were not pleased that their own troops were destroying their cotton.

That's probably what will happen, it'll just be while the USN is in progress of getting it.

The whole line of thought is aggravatingly off historically, but it is what is. The organizer isn't knowledgeable of history, and the imbeciles who live in la la land and been running events into the ground filled his head with the nonsense, and he sees a grand and sure fire way to make the event profitable and spectacular with a cotton bonfire, which is what folks not reenactors or historians like to have in the end.

I'm mainly helping out and joining in to show my ideas for the event, will work and turn a buck and that he shouldn't listen to imbeciles who've run literally every event in the Ark-La-Tex into the ground, including 8 or 9 different ones in that town.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

The sutler Blockade Runner out of Tennessee has some naval itelms, albeit, I cannot vouch for authenticity or degree of "farbiness" or whatever.
https://www.blockaderunner.com/Catalog/navy.html

Photographs show "middy" blouses and navy blue trousers. I'd think that might do for starters? Naval weapons might be difficult to pin down with exactitude, but then there's always the Model 1860 Cutlass and M1851 revolver, no?

I may end up getting some stuff from them, as for weapons? That's easy.

I've got a full fluted cylinder M1860 Army I added to my ever growing repro collection/armory that'll be neat to carry, as the USN bought a thousand more or less in 1861.

As for longarms, a LOT of Army weapons ended up aboard ships in the CW, as beggers couldn't be choosers.

 

[Missouri Swampfox]

Does anyone know what happened to Buffalo Enterprises? The used to offer naval uniforms.

 

[bdtex]

Maybe @Mark F. Jenkins can help you with this. Not sure how much he's around these parts anymore.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

I have an officer's hat from Blockade Runner. You can get them in cadet gray, which Dirty Billy told me was also steel gray. Didn't know that. I'd spend the extra and go with one of his hats.

The hat is pretty nice and historically accurate however not really for a a Sailor. Same with the sailors hat. It is worth noting that straw hats were used in the summer and in hot climates and they have some of the best.

The pistol/Cutlass "watch belt" rig is of good quality. they carry good hardware, lanterns and the like. I prefer their tents as well.

I'd leave buttons to Quarter Master Shop.

They are out of CSN buttons right now but plain brass domes will do in a pinch. As was pointed out these were not vestments.

Best.

I was working last night and been working all day today unloading 107 train cars of corn, but being back at my computer and files, here's something that ought to interest you in particular. It's in the Texas Civil War Museum, great place and a must see, but it's not cadet gray as we understand it:

Most of the time in pictures, the color is off, but with some redneck ingenuity I managed to get the color of the photos almost dead on to in real life. Regs said "steel gray" and most folks equate "cadet gray" with that and "Confederate Gray" and simply put, there are real problems. Most all reproduction cadet gray is way too blue; I know I got to compare some swatches and confirm it but this coat, which is broadcloth, is hands down the only original Confederate garment that's cloth looks like the common mainstream farby reenactor's "mixed gray" wool jackets. Its not exact, but its pretty darn close, just a tad darker than most reproductions. This is the only CSN uniform I've ever seen in person, but photos of other originals show some looking like modern cadet gray, and a lot of others look identical to this one's cloth.

Now I don't know how this would compare to CSN enlisted garments as officers and enlisted swine got different cloth.

Figured this might make you happy.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

Maybe @Mark F. Jenkins can help you with this. Not sure how much he's around these parts anymore.

I pop in from time to time. However, I can't really add anything to the ideas already given-- I've never been that close to the reenacting world overall.

I did find this-- it's 'officer heavy' but provides some details on enlisted toward the end: https://cdn.website-editor.net/s/19...vuMVsmJQM2u~DtRw__&Key-Pair-Id=K2NXBXLF010TJW

 

[bdtex]

Perhaps new member @usnhm1625 has something to add to this. I have never been to a coastal reenactment where one might expect to see USN or CSN reenactors.

 

[usnhm1625]

I'm not aware of any events like this. But I search around. Next month at Ft Macon they will have a canon firing display. In Kinston NC they have the CSS Neuse museum (shame on me for not visiting yet).

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

I'm not aware of any events like this. But I search around. Next month at Ft Macon they will have a canon firing display. In Kinston NC they have the CSS Neuse museum (shame on me for not visiting yet).

Plans being drawn up here in Texas for next year. I'm pretty certain it'll be a disaster historically speaking, the powers that be are wanting it, I'm just going along with it so I can say "We did as they suggested and I told you so about those officers you thought were the best of the best, you wanna make this event special and profitable now?"

Besides, its an opportunity to build a Navy impression and do it right, unlike the only naval unit out here who run around with a pirate cannon, Hawkin guns, and other eyesores.