- Joined
- Aug 25, 2012
I have posted on this subject before but though with new people in the forum I might get additional thoughts.
I am interested in Michigan Militia Civil War era uniforms and would like to understand this unit's uniform better. German immigrants made up a large part of the Michigan Militia at the start of the Civil War. The Michigan Uniformed Militia uniform regulations required U.S. Army style uniforms in either blue or grey. For some reason this "German" company defied regulations and selected their own uniforms. I have a feeling that this was because they desired to wear a German style uniform. The following description may or may not describe a German style uniforms. I am not sure what the term "Roman helmet" (The headgear was a helmet with a long feather.Another report indicates that their jackets were rifle green and the men wore ‘Roman’ helmets) meant during this period. I know some German States wore helmets in this time frame, but I would not call any of their helmets "Roman". I would like to state that they wore German style uniforms, but I think the evidence is lacking. The following is cut from my data base on the company.
The Yager Guards a.k.a. The Yagers a.k.a. the Jagers, named changed to the Detroit Yagers in May of 1861 (Detroit, Wayne County) was formed by a group of local German-American citizens. They elected A. Lingeman as captain and he served in that capacity from 1853 to 1865. The Yager Guards maintained an armory at 67 Gratiot Street and their Yager Hall was on Gratiot Street between Elmwood Cemetery and Chêne Street.
They wore ‘very tasteful’ uniforms of green coats and blue pants. The headgear was a helmet with a long feather. Another report indicates that their jackets were rifle green and the men wore ‘Roman’ helmets and were armed with rifles and daggers. Several newspaper articles provide additional uniform information.
One of these articles indicated their uniforms were exceedingly handsome.[ii] Another article from this period calls their uniforms “full dress’ uniforms. The Detroit Daily Free Presson June 14 1859 also described them as wearing dress uniforms.[iii] These reports may indicate that their uniforms were rather showy. Another interpretation is that they also had fatigue uniforms or wore their uniforms in a less ‘full dress’ manner. During the summer of 1858, they wore white pants: white pants were common at this time and many companies in many Detroit wore white pants during hot weather.
In 1859, they returned their State owned muskets and withdrew from the Michigan Uniformed Militia. Thereafter, they continued as an independent militia company. They and other Michigan Uniformed Militia companies of German heritage sever their relationship with the Michigan Uniformed Militia due to their belief that the State was discriminating against companies of German heritage. Withdrawing from the Michigan Uniformed Militia should not be misconstrued as a lack of commitment or an indication of poor performance. The local newspapers continued to report on them in a positive light.
During the Civil War, the Yager Guards functioned as a home guard company. The company met the first Wednesday of each month and was rather active, marching in parades, providing crowd control, and other such activities. Whether they continued to wear their 1853 pre-war green jacket uniforms or adopted a new style is not known.
They had their own band, which was called the Yager Brass Band. No information on the band’s uniforms has yet been discovered. They often employed the (Detroit) City Band for parades and such.
(I) 1861 Johnston’s Detroit City Directory and Advertising Gazetteer of Michigan, H. Bains & Co. Detroit, 1861, reel 1, U.S. City Directories 1861-1881, Detroit, MI.
[ii] “Military Parade”, Detroit Free Press, July 6 1853, p. 3, col. 1.
[iii] “Military Parade”, The Detroit Free Press,June 14 1859, p. 1, col. 1.
I am interested in Michigan Militia Civil War era uniforms and would like to understand this unit's uniform better. German immigrants made up a large part of the Michigan Militia at the start of the Civil War. The Michigan Uniformed Militia uniform regulations required U.S. Army style uniforms in either blue or grey. For some reason this "German" company defied regulations and selected their own uniforms. I have a feeling that this was because they desired to wear a German style uniform. The following description may or may not describe a German style uniforms. I am not sure what the term "Roman helmet" (The headgear was a helmet with a long feather.Another report indicates that their jackets were rifle green and the men wore ‘Roman’ helmets) meant during this period. I know some German States wore helmets in this time frame, but I would not call any of their helmets "Roman". I would like to state that they wore German style uniforms, but I think the evidence is lacking. The following is cut from my data base on the company.
The Yager Guards a.k.a. The Yagers a.k.a. the Jagers, named changed to the Detroit Yagers in May of 1861 (Detroit, Wayne County) was formed by a group of local German-American citizens. They elected A. Lingeman as captain and he served in that capacity from 1853 to 1865. The Yager Guards maintained an armory at 67 Gratiot Street and their Yager Hall was on Gratiot Street between Elmwood Cemetery and Chêne Street.
They wore ‘very tasteful’ uniforms of green coats and blue pants. The headgear was a helmet with a long feather. Another report indicates that their jackets were rifle green and the men wore ‘Roman’ helmets and were armed with rifles and daggers. Several newspaper articles provide additional uniform information.
One of these articles indicated their uniforms were exceedingly handsome.[ii] Another article from this period calls their uniforms “full dress’ uniforms. The Detroit Daily Free Presson June 14 1859 also described them as wearing dress uniforms.[iii] These reports may indicate that their uniforms were rather showy. Another interpretation is that they also had fatigue uniforms or wore their uniforms in a less ‘full dress’ manner. During the summer of 1858, they wore white pants: white pants were common at this time and many companies in many Detroit wore white pants during hot weather.
In 1859, they returned their State owned muskets and withdrew from the Michigan Uniformed Militia. Thereafter, they continued as an independent militia company. They and other Michigan Uniformed Militia companies of German heritage sever their relationship with the Michigan Uniformed Militia due to their belief that the State was discriminating against companies of German heritage. Withdrawing from the Michigan Uniformed Militia should not be misconstrued as a lack of commitment or an indication of poor performance. The local newspapers continued to report on them in a positive light.
During the Civil War, the Yager Guards functioned as a home guard company. The company met the first Wednesday of each month and was rather active, marching in parades, providing crowd control, and other such activities. Whether they continued to wear their 1853 pre-war green jacket uniforms or adopted a new style is not known.
They had their own band, which was called the Yager Brass Band. No information on the band’s uniforms has yet been discovered. They often employed the (Detroit) City Band for parades and such.
(I) 1861 Johnston’s Detroit City Directory and Advertising Gazetteer of Michigan, H. Bains & Co. Detroit, 1861, reel 1, U.S. City Directories 1861-1881, Detroit, MI.
[ii] “Military Parade”, Detroit Free Press, July 6 1853, p. 3, col. 1.
[iii] “Military Parade”, The Detroit Free Press,June 14 1859, p. 1, col. 1.
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