Uniforms Reinforced mounted trousers.

[major bill]

Union and some Confederate cavalrymen wore reinforced trousers. This consisted of extra cloth on the inside of the legs. How common was it for mounted officers to wear reinforced trousers? In some countries leather was used on the inside of the trouser legs. Did any/many mounted officers use leather to reinforce their trousers? I wonder if enlisted soldiers ever purchased trousers reinforced with leather.

 

[Package4]

I have not seen evidence of reinforcement in the seat of officer's trousers, though have seen it down the pants leg, basically from the knee to the hem. The reinforcement usually consisted of cotton canvas sometimes bound in leather near the bottom.

Most of these also have buttons sewn on either side (inside) of the hem area for a strap to be attached that would go around the bottom of the foot to ensure the pants did not ride up while mounted.

I imagine that officers who were mounted would have multiple pair of trousers, baggage allotment and thus no need for the extra layer that enlisted needed.

 

[TheRealMrHoward]

Here's some photos from library of congress. Shows 3 officers with reinforced pants. I can't find it, but I saw one photo of cavalry general with leather on the inside, I think it was Pleasanton. Will post if I can find.

 

[The Walking Dead]

http://www.cwuniforms.net/Trousrs.html

 

[The Walking Dead]

Union and some Confederate cavalrymen wore reinforced trousers. This consisted of extra cloth on the inside of the legs. How common was it for mounted officers to wear reinforced trousers? In some countries leather was used on the inside of the trouser legs. Did any/many mounted officers use leather to reinforce their trousers? I wonder if enlisted soldiers ever purchased trousers reinforced with leather.

I know of at least one Confederate officer who wore privately purchased mounted trousers which were leather reinforced.

 

[turner ashby kidd]

Learn something new everyday. Didn't realize officers trousers weren't reinforced.
My knowledge limited to correctly made reproductions, Federal and Confederate.
Leather would be more costly, was it better ?

 

[Patrick H]

I was totally ignorant about this until looking very closely at these photos.

 

[The Walking Dead]

I was totally ignorant about this until looking very closely at these photos.View attachment 406280

Patrick H I presume this trooper was your ancestor. What is his name and what unit did he serve with? Great image!

 

[Patrick H]

Patrick H I presume this trooper was your ancestor. What is his name and what unit did he serve with? Great image!

He was James T. Hanna, and he served in the Second Missouri Cavalry (Merrill's Horse) from his enlistment in August of 1862 until the war's end. He enlisted at Glasgow, Missouri--I believe on or immediately after his 21st birthday. He was discharged at Chattanooga. I should more accurately state that I believe these are photos of the same man. There is some disagreement about that in our family. I think the photo in my avatar was probably made on his enlistment day, and the tinted photo was made when he returned from the war. My cousin believes these are photos of cousins. They were in my Aunt's memorabilia, and she was old enough to have known him when she was a child. He was my grandfather's much older brother. Regardless of their precise identity, I love the facial expressions. The young farm boy is so full of pride and an earnest desire to serve his country. The older veteran has seen too much, and he still has a bit of the "thousand yard stare" in his eyes.

 

[TheRealMrHoward]

Very cool! Thx for sharing. Lots of info on the photos psychologicly, and lots of uniform and equipment information. I am wondering about that pistol in particular.

 

[The Walking Dead]

He was James T. Hanna, and he served in the Second Missouri Cavalry (Merrill's Horse) from his enlistment in August of 1862 until the war's end. He enlisted at Glasgow, Missouri--I believe on or immediately after his 21st birthday. He was discharged at Chattanooga. I should more accurately state that I believe these are photos of the same man. There is some disagreement about that in our family. I think the photo in my avatar was probably made on his enlistment day, and the tinted photo was made when he returned from the war. My cousin believes these are photos of cousins. They were in my Aunt's memorabilia, and she was old enough to have known him when she was a child. He was my grandfather's much older brother. Regardless of their precise identity, I love the facial expressions. The young farm boy is so full of pride and an earnest desire to serve his country. The older veteran has seen too much, and he still has a bit of the "thousand yard stare" in his eyes.

Thank you Patrick H.

 

[steamboater]

Very cool! Thx for sharing. Lots of info on the photos psychologicly, and lots of uniform and equipment information. I am wondering about that pistol in particular.

The pistol is a LeFaucheaux 12mm pinfire, made in either Belgium or France. The US imported at least 12 and a half thousand of these. Yes, the image is early war, notice the 1855 rifleman's belt buckle.

 

[Package4]

Officers did all kinds of things to their trousers, here are a pair that I posted about sometime ago. William Atwood took enlistedmens trousers had them modified to officer and had reinforcement in areas that would wear the greatest.

https://civilwartalk.com/posts/1471302