Little know Michigan made engineer uniform

[major bill]

Howland's Engineer Company a.k.a. Battle Creek Engineer Corps a.k.a. the First Grade Engineers, a.k.a. Michigan First Company of Engineers was organized in Battle Creek Michigan and was on federal service from September 61 until October 6 1861. Formed under Professor Edward P. Howland, professor of natural science, who became the commander, they were sent to Tipton Missouri where they ran telegraph equipment and operated Drummond signal lights. They were also trained to use red and white flags for signaling. Their equipment was carried by 5 baggage wagons and it appears the company was to be mounted.https://civilwartalk.com/#_edn1

All applicants were selected by a vote of a board of officers. Civil Engineers, artificers and students were actively sought. With over 250 men applying the board was able to be selective and this company should be considered elite.

All members regardless of rank were to receive uniforms of superior material to include frock coats and not roundabouts. [ii]They were to receive 'blue broad cloth frock coats, pants, vest, cap, calf boots, and an overcoat of blue blarge (sic.)."[iii] Henry Brown of Battle Creek provided the uniforms. His tailor shop was located on Main Street above the Anthony Schoder's Hardware Store. [iv] Michigan State University has a photograph of a graduate wearing this uniform which shows a high quality frock coat. They were to receive a brace of Colt navy revolvers for arms.[v] They were also first issued 16 Sharps rifles, but this was soon increased to Colt navy revolvers and 27 Sharp rifles.[vi]

They served from October 9 1861 until January 8 1862. When General Fremont took over command they were declared to be an irregular organization. They were offered the option of reforming as a regular organization or be discharged. They voted to return home.


https://civilwartalk.com/#_ednref1 "From the Engineer Corps, Fort Augustine Saint Louis, Oct. 18 1861", Battle Creek Journal, November 1 1861, p. 2, col. 4-5.

[ii] "First Grade Engineers", Letter from the Second Regiment, Headquarters Richardson's Brigade, Arlington Heights Sept 4 1861, Battle Creek Journal, September 13 1861, p. 2, col. 8.

[iii]" First Grade Engineers, signed Z.T. Peavers", Battle Creek Citizen, September 20 1861, p. 2, col. 7. "First Grade Engineers', Battle Creek Citizen, September 13 1861, p. 2, col. 8..

[iv] "First Grade Engineers, from special correspondent, sent from Battle Creek Oct. 3 1861", Battle Creek Journal, September 13 1861.

[v]"Michigan First Company of Engineers", Detroit Free Press, October 5 1861, p. 1, col. 1

[vi] "From the Engineer Corps, letter from H.R. form fort Augustine St Louis", 2:3. "Letter form H. R. from Camp Howard Tipton Mo. October 24 1861", Battle Creek Journal, November 1 1861, p. 2, col. 3.

 

[major bill]

The 1st Michigan Engineers & Mechanics Regiment wore uniforms made by Samuel Sykes & Company of Detroit and Charles Trowbridge provided clothing and equipment to this regiment, but what they provide is not known.

The State asked Samuel Sykes & Company (Detroit) to fashion warmly lined, light blue uniformshttps://civilwartalk.com/#_edn1 with lemon yellow cloth collars and cuffs as per corps style for the 1st Michigan Engineer Regiment.[ii] Could this be the normal blue used on federal uniform as opposed to the dark navy blue used by the state? Period photographs show unit member wearing federal style frock coats. There is no record of Michigan issuing these light blue uniforms and no photographs showing them.

An undated photograph shows the Regimental band in frock coats and caps with engineer brass on the top. One of the band members in this photograph wears a frock with horizontal trim on the sleeve but without collar piping.[iii]

Michigan also contracted to have over shirts and overalls made up for the 1st Michigan Engineers.[iv] The exact color and style of these Michigan issued overalls in not known. No photographs of the 1st Michigan Engineers wearing these two-piece overalls has been found.

There are indications that they received blouses, trousers and overcoats. Buhl & Company provide the headgear and was know for providing caps for other units, however Buhl & Company also sold hats. In this case it would seen that regulation army hats were provided. These were said to be similar to regular army with the brims turned up on the right with brass eagles. The hats had small castles on the front and yellow cord and plums. Walter Fish provided the shoes, half of which were rejected because of shoddy work. Austin & Tomlinson (Jackson) supplied wagons and Sprague, Withington & Cooley (Jackson) the entrenching tools. Horse harnesses for the teams were made in Detroit.

An early war photograph of Captain Wright L. Coffinberry shows him in a frock coat and dark trousers and a hat with plume. In this photograph his uniform looks very similar to federal frock coats.

Photographs show they were issued state uniforms (at least some in the five button type with shoulder straps). When these wore out they likely wore the standard engineer uniform. This uniform was the standard enlisted frock coat but the piping around the collar and cuffs was in yellow instead of the standard infantry color of sky blue. Noncommissioned officers had yellow strips on their trousers and wore yellow rank chevrons, but still wore the standard red waist sash.

Photographs show the regimental band of the 1st Michigan Engineer & Mechanics Regiment in standard enlisted frock coats of various types: 1). With two buttons on the sleeves, 2). trim on top of collar only, 3) straight trim on sleeves. In one photograph of an enlisted man it appears that his frock has no trim at all and a short turn back on sleeves (the photo may be misleading and the trim might simply have not photographed well).

Enlisted men wore a brass turreted castle badge on the front of their hats (some times with the brim pinned up on left side) and kepis with castles on top.

One photograph of the regiment shows the men all in the hats. This may have been relevant to the time of the photograph and the men could have worn the kepis as well. A photograph of artificer Geldersleeve shows him in a kepi with a vest under his frock coat. A photograph of artificer/sergeant Peel shows him in the standard frock with a very large dark colored tie and high boots. He wears his noncommissioned officers belt under the open frock and has a pistol holster on his hip.

The frock would have not been the best choice of jacket for the type of heavy work they were often engaged in. Surely some men must have worn sack coats when engaged in heavy work.

For dirty work the men also might have worn coveralls. The state issue two-piece coveralls must have worn out at some point. Perhaps they were issued white federal one-piece coverall with two buttons on the rear of the upper part near the neck. A tight waist belt fastened in the rear with a tongue and buckle.

In an undated photograph a wagon master wears a peaked cap that looks to be from the Mexican War era with a castle on the front.

Officers would have worn standard officer uniforms with black as the branch color. Yellow seam stripes were worn on officer trousers. Officers had engineer buttons on their uniforms and a silver turreted castle within a wreath for a hat badge. They wore kepis as well.

Reportedly the State issued them 100 smooth bore muskets and 50 musketoons to them in 1861. Company A and Company B, the flank companies, received English Enfield rifles. The line companies were issued Belgian muskets in .69 and .71 caliber. When the regiment reached Kentucky the flack companies turned in the Enfields and received Harper's Ferry muskets

It is also claimed they were originally armed with 800 Prussian and 200 French muskets.[ii] It is also reported that they received Belgian muskets .69 and .71 caliber with A and B companies, the flank companies getting Enfield rifles. The state also provided Colonel Innis with 50 musketoons from the state armory, what use was made of these is not known. When the regiment arrived in Kentucky they received Harper's Ferry muskets.[iii]

https://civilwartalk.com/#_ednref1 Could this be the normal blue used on federal uniform as opposed to the dark navy blue used by the state?

[ii] "Contracts for Army Clothing", Detroit Daily Advertiser, November 1 1861, p. 1, col. 3. "Correspondence of the Courier, letter from Camp Williams Adrian June 17 1861", Peninsular Courier (Ann Arbor), Jun 25 1861, p. 2, col. 3.

[iii] These could possibly be the State frock coat; however, frock costs with this type trim of this type are known to be have been issued by the federal government so the issue is confused.

[iv] "Contracts for Army Clothing", Detroit Daily Tribune morning ed., November 1 1861, p.1, col. 3.




https://civilwartalk.com/#_ednref1 Hoffman, Mark, The First Michigan Engineers and Their Civil War 'My Brave Mechanics', Wayne State University Press, Detroit, 2007 p. 29.

[ii] Hoffman, Mark, p. 28.

[iii] Hoffman, Mark, p. ?

 

[musician299]

Is there a way to get the photograph of the band?

 

[The Ninth Ohio]

NARA has over a dozen different regimental books issued to the 1st MI engineers and mechanics, including the regimental clothing book for Co I.

Location is 9W3/14/29/3 14 of 14.