The Guerrilla Shirt.

Borderruffian

1st Lieutenant
Joined
Aug 4, 2007
Location
Marshfield Missouri
Patterned on the old Long Hunter hunting shirts the Missouri Partisan Ranger the shirts were worn as an over shirt and had a V neck often ending in a rosette, a long tail and two large pockets. The shirts were often embroidered by wives, sweet hearts or sisters.

It's mentioned in the Outlaw Josey Wales when the Kid says his daddy did the needle point cause he didn't have "No Ma" and in Ride with the Devil as "Our Bushwhacker vestments."

Without a doubt it's one of the most distinctive garments of the war.

Repro Shirts by James Country Mercantile:

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Jesse Woodson James wearing a Guerrilla Shirt:

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More Relics;

http://www.rulen.com/partisan/equip.htm
 
A couple more:

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and how elaborate they could be. William "Bloody Bill" Anderson:

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Very unique.

The top Photo is of the Duvall Brothers from Ray County Missouri the younger a private in the slouch hat and the older in the Kepi a Lieutenant in the Ray Co MSG Company prior to Wilson Creek. They had a Cousin, Henderson Duvall in the same Company:

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I dated one of Henderson's GGG-Grand Daughters for a time in HS.

These are more properly "Battle Shirts" meant to be worn as a shirt, rather than an over shirt like the Guerilla Shirt. They were "The Uniform" of a great many Missouri State Guard Units in the early part of the war, often of the same or similar colors and with the same color tapes sewn on them.

Repro example from James Country Mercantile:


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The shirt Bloody Bill was wearing when they sent him to where ever he went:


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The MSG, Arkansas Troops and Texas Troops also wore as uniform this, that was termed the Military Shirt.

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It's my understanding that the "soldier's shirt" stood in for a jacket early in the war, but I can see how they were still being worn by guerrillas out west even after they had been replaced by jackets in the main armies.
 
Guerrillas were catch as catch can when it came to whatever they could obtain from family, supporters, steal or otherwise aquire. Quite a few of the women confined in the Kansas City jail were charged with buying shirts and caps with stolen money for the various partisan bands operating in West Mo.

Another favorite of Partisans was the wear of union jackets as disguise:

Jim Liddle (Dick Liddle's brother and future James-Younger gang member)

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Clark Hockensmith in a Guerrilla Shirt, he was killed attempting to rescue Quantrill in Kentucky:

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Frock Coats were also popular as were bow ties, this John Jarrette:

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John McCorkle and T.B. Harris.

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Maybe I'm just splitting hairs on the various terms, but I'm crotchety like that at times.
 
So to portray the typical Missouri Guerilla the shirt offered by James County would be pretty much correct for the impression?

slik
 
Off the subject of shirts (which I think are cool by the way :eek:), but I'm beginning to understand the need for all the hats. Yikes - did they spend all their money on guns and had no money for a hairbrush? Bloody Bill's hair actually looks better after he was dead.

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Border and others, who would you recommend besides James Country for a shirt, and what would the cost and wait be? Do you guys have any pictures of their work?

Rick
 
Guys, check out this guerilla shirt:

http://www.waltontaylor.com/drop-shoulder%20overshirt.html

Give me your opinions, as compared to the James Country offering...

Rick


Well they claim to be hand sewing the details(buttonholes) which is already ahead of JCM which machine sews all their items.

However his focus is post ACW so I haven't seen his items up close to inspect. The price puts them on the same level as the previously mentioned vendors though and those guys have established reps in the ACW hobby.


Addition: I think this is the same company a friend of mine ordered his Over shirt from and he never got it. He paid for it and shirt never came and repeated emails and threats but with no response from the company.
 
Many thanks for the heads up on that vendor! I have sent emails to the two above dealers and will see what they say. Any other recommendations on a guerilla impression?

Thanks

Rick
 
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