Missouri State Guard uniforms

[major bill]

Not too much is known of the uniforms worn by the Missouri State Guard early in the war. Each regiment was clothed separately many were in civilian clothing with butternut and black being the most common. Here are some known uniforms.

The Plattin Rangers wore red cap and shirts with gray pants
The LaGrange Guards wore gray cap and shirts trimmed in blue, together with white pants with black leg stripes

 

[AUG]

The Washington Blues, a well known Irish prewar militia unit from St. Louis were one of the best uniformed companies in the State Guard due to the fact that they wore their militia uniforms: dark blue frock coats, sky blue trousers, white waist belts and cartridge box slings, and shakos. Also armed with 1855 Springfield rifles. They were part of Joe Kelly's 1st Rifle Regiment, Mosby Parsons' 6th Division, MSG.

There were a number of prewar militia units that were incorporated into the State Guard and did retain their militia uniforms initially, though many companies recruited at the outset of the war were either wearing overshirts/battleshirts as a makeshift uniform and/or a mix of civilian clothing.

As described by Dr. Flavius J. Lindsey, Company B, 5th Infantry Regiment, 8th Division, MSG, from Bolivar, Mo., was uniformed in only "brown jeans with red calico strip one inch wide on the outside seam." They were armed with only "a few old rifles and shotguns, some of them borrowed from our neighbors" and without tents until some were made for the company by the ladies of Stockton, Mo.

 

[Patrick H]

I'm sure it would have been hard for one unit to tell for sure if another unit was friend or foe.

 

[major bill]

At Wilson's Creek: the Polk County Rangers were said to have worn baggy red trousers and short gray jackets. DeKalb Rangers were said to wear gray hunting shirts and black pants with yellow leg stripes. Some of the Moniteau Rangers wore gray shirts and gray caps with oil cloth caps. It is assumed that some of the Warsaw Grays wore gray uniforms of some type and the Warsaw Blues some type of blue uniforms.

 

[MOBDEnut]

Does not tell what uniforms they were but shows how some got them and how some did not.

John M Weidemeyer Journal:

"
In the fall of 1860 the Kansas Jayhawkers Committed a great many outrages upon the border of Missouri - They became so bold that it was feared that they would penetrate the state as far as our little town of Oseola [Osceola, Missouri]. Knowing as they did that it was a considerable commercial town and that the merchants Kept large stocks of valuable merchandise, The citizens became alarmed and held a meeting at the Court house. The result of the meeting was the instruction for the citizens of the town and neighborhood to immediately prepare for defense and be in readiness to resist any party of the above named ruffians should they attempt a raid upon us - Thomas B. Johnson and myself were selected to raise companies for that purpose - These companies were to have been State Troops We wrote out articles of agreement and made trial to raise companies, but without success - I afterward raised an independent Company of Thirty five young men, mostly belonging to the town.

I was elected Captain and was directed to buy arms and uniforms. I bought the uniforms in St Louis and wrote to several Hardware houses for prices of the best breech loading rifles. The best offer was to sell us the guns if taken immediately at [$35.00] cash. The men thought that too high & we determined to use our Common rifles and shot guns - only a few of the men could pay for the uniforms and they did not get them. We however went on with the company - wrote out articles of agreement &c. Then I tried to drill the company altho' I had never seen a company drill I got a copy of Scotts Infantry tactics and went to studying them. Soon the State legislature passed what was called "The Military bill" that prohibited Independent Military organizations"

 

[MOBDEnut]

Saint Louis Grays

 

[Patrick H]

View attachment 144460

Saint Louis Grays

Wow, that is some fancy jacket! I wonder if these were actually worn into combat or saved for drilling and parades earlier.
Not that it matters to me. It's really interesting to see.

 

[AUG]

View attachment 144460

Saint Louis Grays

The Saint Louis Greys were a prewar militia company that were in the Missouri Volunteer Militia, though after capture at Camp Jackson they did not go on to serve in the State Guard. After parole, many members like Joseph Boyce enlisted in Company D of John Bowen's 1st Missouri Infantry (CS) being recruited from Camp Jackson parolees in Memphis, Tn.

 

[MOBDEnut]

MSG May 1861

Thomas (left) and William Duvall fought in Sterling Price's Missouri State Guard at Wilson's Creek and in other battles. They both died far from home, William on Oct. 4, 1862, at Corinth, MS, and Thomas on May 16, 1863, at Champions Hill, MS. Courtesy of Wilson's Creek National Battlefield.

Emmett MacDonald, St. Louis City Guards, notice the zouave style jacket

Popular Pre war Militia in Saint Louis 1860

1st reg 1860
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/1s...guards-at-camp-lewis-in-st-louis-1860.111149/

 

[MOBDEnut]

@AUG351 you are correct, they did not go onto state guard service as a unit, however some split up into MSG units. St Louis Militias are the most documented Pre war Militia units within the state as far as uniform goes. There are several surviving examples of Pre war Militia uniforms being utilized in MSG service. They mainly conform to pre war US design from 1812-Mex American war. Now these well uniformed MSG units were the exception rather than the rule and many came in civilian clothes or battle shirts.

 

[AUG]

@AUG351 you are correct, they did not go onto state guard service as a unit, however some split up into MSG units such as the 1st Bowens Reg. as you stated. St Louis Militias are the most documented Pre war Militia units within the state as far as uniform goes. There are several surviving examples of Pre war Militia uniforms being utilized in MSG service. They mainly conform to pre war US design from 1812-Mex American war. Now these well uniformed MSG units were the exception rather than the rule and many came in civilian cloths or battle shirts.

Bowen's 1st Missouri Infantry was not MSG; they were in the Confederate Army, recruited strait from Camp Jackson parolees in Memphis and served east of the Mississippi throughout its entire service.

Prewar militia companies going strait into the MSG was the case with other units, such as Joe Kelly's St. Louis Washington Blues in the 1st Rifle Regiment, MSG; however, most of the St. Louis militia companies were disbanded after Camp Jackson and the men ended up crossing the river to join Bowen's regiment in Memphis.

 

[MOBDEnut]

@AUG351 Ah you are absolutely right I miss spoke, that's what I get for jumping around posts! Thanks for catching that!

 

[AUG]

Note that the Washington Blues were an exception among St. Louis militia units because they were ordered to escort arms and powder from St. Louis to Jefferson shortly before the Camp Jackson affair and thus were not captured. So they wore their blue militia uniforms into MSG service. The other St. Louis militia companies were all captured at Camp Jackson. After parole some men joined the MSG, though many went strait to Memphis to enlist in Bowen's regiment, and so they probably did not continue to wear their militia uniforms. That was specific to the Missouri Volunteer Militia in St. Louis, though there were certainly other local militia companies in the state that went strait into the MSG.

 

[AUG]

MSG May 1861
View attachment 144466

Thomas (left) and William Duvall fought in Sterling Price's Missouri State Guard at Wilson's Creek and in other battles. They both died far from home, William on Oct. 4, 1862, at Corinth, MS, and Thomas on May 16, 1863, at Champions Hill, MS. Courtesy of Wilson's Creek National Battlefield.
View attachment 144467
Emmett MacDonald, St. Louis City Guards, notice the zouave style jacket
View attachment 144468
Popular Pre war Militia in Saint Louis 1860
View attachment 144469

1st reg 1860
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/1s...guards-at-camp-lewis-in-st-louis-1860.111149/

Top one is (left) Private S. W. Stone of the California Guards and Private P. S. Alexander of the Moniteau County Rangers

http://www.civilwarvirtualmuseum.or...ek-campaign/missouri-state-guard-soldiers.php

 

[zburkett]

Moebde, isn't what you are calling a zouave jacket a guerilla shirt?

 

[major bill]

Moebde, isn't what you are calling a zouave jacket a guerilla shirt?

Looks like a Zouave jacket to me. Are you sure you are looking at the photo below the description? I am not sure I would call any of the shirts I see as "guerrilla shirt" but they are shirts or battle shirts.

 

[MOBDEnut]

@zburkett I was referring the picture below the discription. @major bill I would agree those are battle shirts.