Uniforms Uniforms of the Flint Union Greys (Michigan).

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Some one asked about the militia uniforms of the Flint Union Greys. Because my information is a bit long, I thought a new thread might be the best. This will enable people to ask questions about the different parts of my answer without quoting the whole post. I will not be posting anything about their post Civil War uniforms.

The Flint Union Greys/Grays possible a.k.a. The Flint Union Guard (Flint, Genesee County) became Company F of the 2nd​ Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. They were formed in 1858 by Captain T. B. W. Stockton. The Flint Union Greys quickly became one of the state’s top militia companies and in November of 1859, they were ranked in Class I of Michigan Uniformed Militia, being ranked third on the State Military Board order of merit. The Michigan Adjutant General’s Report of 1860 lists them as wearing grey uniforms, but has them having dropped to the seventh best company in the Michigan Uniformed Militia. Captain William R. Morse took the company to war.

They received arms and equipment from the State soon after forming. In 1859, they were said to be armed with rifled muskets and had 1 cannon with carriage and limber complete. The Michigan Quartermaster’s Report of 1861 has them with 40 rifle muskets, 8 noncommissioned officer swords and 1 six-pound brass cannon.

In 1859, they purchased uniforms from M. Sholes and Company, the city tailor. The uniforms are described as being in good taste, national and serviceable.i By this report it would seem that this company followed the State regulations and based their uniforms on U. S. Army infantry uniforms, but did they select jackets or frock coats?

Before departing from Flint on April 30 1861 to join the 2nd​ Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment, the local committee of ladies presented the company with badges of tri–colored rosettes (of red, white and blue?) inscribed with “The Union and The Constitution”.ii Mrs. W. A Morrison sold Union Grey Rosettes to local civilians. All the company officers were presented with Colt revolvers before the Flint Union Greys departed Flint to join the 2nd​ Michigan Infantry in Detroit.

Before the war, Clay’s Cornet Band (Flint, Genesee County) was the company’s band. In 1859 Clay’s Cornet Band had received new uniforms that were described as being rich and handsome. These uniforms were made by Stone & Company.

The Flint Cornet Band (Flint, Genesee County) was also associated with the Flint Union Guards, probably being hired for parades and such. No information concerning the Flint Cornet Band’s uniforms has yet been found.

i The Celebration, Wolverine Citizen, July 9 1859, p. 2, col. 1 – 2.
ii www.geocies.com.
 
Once the Flint Union Greys were in Detoit they were issued the same basic uniforms as those issued to the 1st Michigan Three Month Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

Colonel Henry M. Whitlessey was sent east to purchase the uniforms and the camp equipment needed for the 1st​ Michigan Three Month Volunteer Infantry Regiment and 2nd​ Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Colonel Whitlessey opted to forgo purchasing completed uniforms or camp equipment, and decided to have the uniforms made up in Michigan and have local manufacturers make the needed camp equipment. In pursuit of this goal Colonel Whitlessey purchased $20,000 worth of material from the New York department store of A.T. Stewart’s and had it shipped back to Detroit. Navy blue Petersham was bought to make the coats, navy blue flannel for the trousers and gray Petersham for the overcoats.i This cloth would be only being enough material to produce the uniforms for the two regiments which Michigan was then forming.

i “The Uniforms’, Detroit Daily Advertiser, April 30 1861, p. 1, col. 1.

Detroit newspaper stated that four of the leading Detroit merchant tailoring firms were given contracts to fashion the cloth in to military uniforms, but in the end a total of five Detroit merchant tailors did the needed work. i Each tailor was required to produce 100 uniforms per day. The tailors arrived at the camps, measured the men, and the uniforms rapidly produced.ii The heavy blue Petersham intended for the jackets was instead used to make the greatcoats; the lighter weight navy blue material was used for jacketsiii and navy blue flannel was used for the pants. iv The Detroit Daily Tribune called the cloth for the jackets and pants ‘plain blue cloth’.v Some believed the cloth use to make the trousers was too thin for good service and considered the trousers to be of inferior quality.

“At the outbreak of the Civil War Michigan’s state authorities ordered that uniforms should immediately be made up of blue flannel or some other suitable material blue in color. Many Michigan soldiers ended up wearing dark blue trousers and dark blue jackets which had standing collars like army regulation flock coasts. The Michigan jackets had nine buttons down the front and shoulder epaulets.”vi Men from the 1st​ Michigan Three Month Volunteer Regiment captured at the Battle Bull Run, were known to Southerners as “blue jackets’ because of their distinctive blue jackets.vii The 2nd​ Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment was issued the same uniforms as the 1st​ Michigan Three Month Volunteer Regiment.

Photographs of these Detroit made uniforms show somewhat loose dark blue roundabout style jackets with nine gilt staff buttons were worn. The buttons were likely Michigan staff buttons. Michigan staff buttons were embossed with the state seal and had been used by the state since the 1840s.viii During the 1850s the Michigan staff buttons were silver in color, but it would appear that by the beginning of the Civil War era Michigan staff buttons were gilt. The delivery of the uniforms for the 1st​ Michigan Three Month Volunteer Infantry Regiment was delayed temporally because the buttons needed for the uniforms had not yet arrived.ix

These roundabout style jacket’s skirts ended at the waist and the skirts were square cut. The jackets had tall standing collars, with a seam at the top and a double line of welting down the center of the collar. The jacket had matching cloth epaulets; each epaulet was secured by a small gilt buttons near the collar. The jacket had a single low set slit pocket on the right side located between the sixth and seventh button.x The sleeve cuffs were unembellished with neither trim nor buttons, but they did have a stitched line near the sleeve bottom.

The shape of the epaulets was probably similar to the epaulets found on the Michigan made blue five-button sack coats. The epaulets on the five-button sack coats were tapered from 1 ½ inches at the shoulder to about 1 inch at the collar end. There was ¼ inch overstitching around the edge. The length of the epaulette was dependent on the width of the man’s shoulders with bigger jackets having longer epaulettes.

The construction details of the dark blue flannel trousers are vague, but they appear to have had a watch pocket on the right side and seam pockets on both sides. The trousers of the sergeants and corporals lacked the customary seam stripes found on U.S. Army NCO trousers. The trousers were turned under near the ankle and a line of stitching can be seen in some photographs. Because the cloth used for the trousers was considered too thin, wool drawers were needed for extra warmth.

These Detroit made uniforms did not wear well during active service and Brent Kennedy wrote “some of our boys are nearly bare-legged already, being furnished with but one pair of pants and one jacket very poorly made and of the slaziest (sic.) kind of Navy flannel, which, in our rough life being obliged to wear them night and day, will last no time at all. We were promised a good uniform after we got to Washington, but it was not forthcoming, nor will it be unless we go for three years.”xi

Contracts for the forage capsxiiwere given to C.H. Buhl & Company (148 Jefferson Avenue, Detroit), who sub-contracted with S. A Fuller & Company (182 Jefferson Avenue, Detroit) to make many of them, J. T. Smith (184 Jefferson Avenue, Detroit Michigan) supplied some caps as well.xiii One source calls these regulation caps. Photos show that these forage caps were not as tall as federal issued forage caps and look la bit like tall kepis. The companies would have been issued company letters which were attached to the front of the cap. Many soldiers considered the cloth use to make the caps too thin and the caps of poor quality. Some unhappy soldiers purchased better quality caps, often from Buhl & Company who had furnished their recently rejected caps.

Their overcoats made of strong dark blue Petersham cloth were made with capes and probably similar to federal issued overcoats. Why the gray Petersham cloth, originally purchased by Colonel Henry M. Whitlessey in New York for the overcoats was not utilized is not known. At least some of the overcoats were manufactured by M. B. (Michael) Kean (76 Woodward Avenue, Detroit) but it is unclear if Kean made all of them.

i These were Samuel Sykes & Company and possibly M.B. Kean, James McGarth & Company, and
E. S. Heinemann & Company.
ii ‘Military Outfits”, Detroit Free Press, April 30 1861, p. 1, col. 2.
iii The jackets were also described in some sources as being roundabouts.
iv Withengton, W.H., a paper read before the Michigan Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States on March 2 1887, Ostler Printing, Detroit 1889.
v “The Uniforms”, Detroit Daily Tribune, April 30 1861, p. 1, col .1.
vi Smith, Robin, American Civil War Union Army, Brassey’s Ltd., London, 1996, p.107.
vii Detroit Free Press, May 24 1862, 1:2.
viii Cullen Brown of Detroit apparently made some Michigan buttons in the 1850s.
ix Military Outfits, Detroit Free Press, May 4 1861, 1:1. At the Fort, Detroit Free Press, May 9 1861, p. 1, col. 1. Those Buttons, Detroit Daily Tribune May 8 1861, p. 1, col. 8.
x This is not clear in photographs and some jackets may not have had pockets.
xi “From the First Regiment, Camp Wilcox Alexandria Jun 23, signed by Brent Kennedy (probably J. B. Kennedy)”, Jonesville Weekly Independent, July 11 1861, p. 2, col. 3..
xii Although they were called forage caps, period photographs show that these caps resembled Chasseur kepis.
xiii “The Cap Contract”, The Detroit Daily Tribune morning ed., May 3 1861, P. 1, col. 3.

The 2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment; was mustered into Federal service on May 25 1861 at Detroit Michigan. Orlando M. Poe was the first regimental commander. Israel B. Richardson of Pontiac
Although some men referred to the uniforms as full U.S. uniforms, the uniforms they were issued were the same uniforms as the 1st​ Michigan Three Month Infantry Regiment. Some of the uniforms were made by W. B. Kean who provided 114 jackets and 222 pairs of pants, and 114 of the overcoats; Kean also made the drum major’s uniform. The officers’ uniforms were made by Kean as well who supplied 37 dress coats, 37 jackets and 37 pairs of pants, and 37 overcoats.
The State Military Contract Board only supplied 600 shirts and drawers to the 2nd​ Infantry Regiment. Kean provided at least some of the flannel shirts. Additional shirts and drawers came from local ladies societies and other private means. Their caps were similar to those of the 1st​ Three Month Infantry Regiment. The men may have been issued company numbers and probably would have worn these on the front of the caps as opposed to the top as was common in other states.
The State issued blue blankets which were to short, not wide enough and too thin for good service. To correct this, the blankets were lined. Apparently, there was even a shortage of these poor quality issued blankets and some men had checked quilts as substitutes for the issued blankets.
The State Contract Board supplied 1000 haversack, 200 mess pans, and 20 nest of camp kettles. They did not receive regulation knapsacks so a large amount of vulcanized India rubber for knapsacks was purchased for making makeshift knapsack bundles. Later these emergency knapsacks were replaced with standard knapsacks. “We recd regular knapsack to day which were very much needed on the march & will relieve much of the inconvenience arising from our old bundles.”
While still in Michigan they were issued white cotton haversacks made by local ladies societies. While in Washington D.C., Company G’s white cotton unlined knapsacks became badly soiled and new more durable haversacks were supplied by the Lansing ladies society
The contract for the regiment’s hospital chests were given to Messrs. Higby & Stearns (Detroit). At that time Detroit newspapers carried advertisements by Higby & Stearns indicating they could provide mess chests.
Thirty women accompanied the 2nd​ Infantry Regiment when it departed. These women served as nurses and laundresses. In Washington City it was said they had fifty women with them. There are no indications that any of women wore any type of uniform.
In June of 1861, the men of the 2nd​ Michigan Infantry Regiment received summer uniforms; this included linen pants, new wool pants, straw hats and new forage caps as well as new sown shoes. The men enjoyed showing off their new summer uniforms to less fortunate regiments and wore them whenever possible.
During the Battle of Bull Run in 1861 Major Williams ordered the regiment to lay off their blankets at the same time 25 men use the opportunity to lighten their load by discarding their jackets. The blankets and jackets were left behind when the regiment moved to new positions. The men seemed determined to go retrieve the missing items but never recover them. Citizens back in Michigan soon replaced most of the blankets, but the jacketless men did not receive new jackets for some time.
The 2nd​ Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment received new blue uniforms in September of 1861. They received winter issue of overcoats and two blankets in October. Many of the men purchased knee length boots of grained leather with double stitched soles. On January 8 1862 they were issued dress uniforms. In March of 1862 one man referred to them wearing overcoats and fatigue jackets.
Company F was called ‘the Zouaves’ by other solders, but exactly why is never given. “To avoid all mistakes which have occurred heretofore on account of similarity of the uniforms between us and the rebels, we have been ordered to wear our light blue pants and dress coats”
A raincoat used by Lyman Stowe was of light blue waterproofed canvas with detachable double stepped cape. Stowe’s raincoat was probably not an issued item. Coat had eight buttons and buttoned down to the very bottom and the cap had three buttons.
Professor Bardwell took photographs of the officers in a field near Fort Wayne on May 21 1861.

A photograph of the officers taken at Fort Wayne before the regiment left the State shows that many officers without insignia or rank. Some of the officers wear pin on bugle insignia on the front of their caps; however, most of their caps lack any insignia. In the photograph many of the officers are without rank straps. These deficiencies would have likely corrected soon after reaching Washington D.C. where insignia could be purchased.
The regimental band of the 2nd​ Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment was the Jackson Brass Band. A description of their uniforms can be found in the chapter on State uniforms.
Lieutenant Colonel Henry L. Chipman’s was presented with saddle was made by Hayden & Baldwin “It is covered with fine blue broad cloth and trimmed with gilt lace. The cloth and valise are each marked with a figure 2.”
1500 Springfields came through the Detroit Arsenal from the Pittsburg Arsenal but is in not certain these were intended for the 2nd​ Michigan Volunteer infantry Regiment. Another report states that the regiment received from the State, 190 rifled muskets and 783 smooth bore muskets. The exact models of the arms issued have not been found. The Michigan Adjutant General’s Report of 1861 indicates they had been issued smooth bore muskets, but did not indicate the type. One newspaper report indicates they were issued some new Minnie guns and some Harper’s Ferry muskets of 1846. Whatever type of weapons they received this was part of the large shipment sent to Fort Wayne and Cantonment Blair from the Detroit Arsenal on May 1 1861.
Their cartridge boxes and gun slings were issued in Pittsburg. They received white unlined haversacks in Michigan. The regiment received 1,500 arms which had arrived from the Springfield Armory (apparently Austrian rifles or muskets). The Pittsburgh Arsenal supplied the cartridges. In January of 1862 they received Austrian Rifles and some companies received Minnie Rifles.
 
Stockton ( Union Grays) later formed the Stockton Independent Regiment which became the 16th Michigan . His wife was the aunt of James Longstreet's first wife Maria Louisa so he was her uncle by marriage . His postwar home in Flint , Mi. is now a museum. Stockton was an accomplished and charitable man .
 
Stocton Independent Regiment did not get a state regiment number until later, hence iteas the 16th and not the 5th or 6th. Unlike other early War Michigan regiments or forme9under the federal government so didn't receive Michigan made uniforms.
 
It was suggested that I post my question here. Forgive me if I am intruding. I am a super newbie and know no protocols.
I found an old tin plate photograph of perhaps my relative. If the plate was shot during the civil war, then the ancestor identified is wrong as they were born in 1860. So I thought I would try to date th
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e uniforms. That is my desire. Anyone have a clue or can point me to some pictures?
 
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