Union chaplain: blue sash?

[Pr Palmer]

A while back, I came across this illustration of what is supposedly a Union chaplain. Note, however, the blue sash. Has the use of a blue sash ever been documented or verified in any way? Of course, I know the uniform of chaplains was not very "uniform" during the war (bad pun, sorry).
Would this be an officer with other duties who happened to be serving the role of chaplain? Very curious about the blue sash.
Any opinions or insight is welcome! Thanks!

 

[Salterr]

That blue is an inaccurate depiction. All officers wore a silk crimson sash and generals a buff sash. Medical department had green or more accurately called emerald. NCO officers had a wool sash

 

[7thWisconsin]

There was no blue sash. Chaplains were required to purchase their own uniforms. No one was really going to hold a chaplain to the uniform regulations, though. Some chaplains wore a military uniform based on a captain of cavalry, since that´s what their pay and allowances were based on. I´ve seen photos of chaplains wearing sashes, but they were not blue of any shade, but were the red silk officer sash. I have no idea where the documentation for this reconstruction comes from. The staff officer boards and cap badges, plain buttons are all reasonable for a chaplain, but unless one specific chaplain wore this blue sash, I can´t think of why Troiani reconstructed him this way. It´s certainly not common.

 

[Sowbelly and Hardtack]

Uniforms for Union Chaplains | Relic Hunting & Collecting

Not many Civil War soldiers wore black uniforms. This is the order that came out in 1864 that changed the 1863 regulations uniform for the Union Army Chaplains. General Orders 247 August 25 1864. The Uniform for Chaplains in the Army, prescribed in General Order No 102, November 25,1861, is...

civilwartalk.com

 

[Sowbelly and Hardtack]

Uniforms of Volunteer Union Chaplains | Ranks, Uniforms, Clothing, & Gear

The War Department General Order 15, dated 4 May 1861 establish the basic uniforms worn by Union Chaplains. In 1864 a new uniform regulation for chaplains was issued. General Order No. 247, dated 25 August 1864. Union chaplains were not real good at following either regulation. One more common...

civilwartalk.com

 

[Sowbelly and Hardtack]

Union chaplain's blue worsted wool sash

[CIVIL WAR]. Union chaplain's blue worsted wool sash. Lot 150

[CIVIL WAR]. Union chaplain's blue worsted wool sash. Approximate length with tassels 79 1/2 in., width 3 1/8 in. woven blue worsted wool chaplain's sash (areas of mothing). At the opening of the war, chaplains were not a part of the US Army's regular establishment, with some joining on an...

hindmanauctions.com

 

[7thWisconsin]

Uniforms for Union Chaplains | Relic Hunting & Collecting

Not many Civil War soldiers wore black uniforms. This is the order that came out in 1864 that changed the 1863 regulations uniform for the Union Army Chaplains. General Orders 247 August 25 1864. The Uniform for Chaplains in the Army, prescribed in General Order No 102, November 25,1861, is...

civilwartalk.com

There are some good representative photos here. The black uniform, although regulation, wasn´t always worn. Look at Gordon Winslow, 5th NY. A lot of chaplains wore civilian clothing (especially Confederates).

 

[7thWisconsin]

Union chaplain's blue worsted wool sash

[CIVIL WAR]. Union chaplain's blue worsted wool sash. Lot 150

[CIVIL WAR]. Union chaplain's blue worsted wool sash. Approximate length with tassels 79 1/2 in., width 3 1/8 in. woven blue worsted wool chaplain's sash (areas of mothing). At the opening of the war, chaplains were not a part of the US Army's regular establishment, with some joining on an...

hindmanauctions.com

I...... am sceptical, frankly. I´ve never seen a blue sash associated with a Federal chaplain before. The description in the offering is less than satisfactory, honestly. The citation for the regulation uniform is good, but then the language ¨one totally unofficial distinction adopted by many chaplains was the use of a blue sash rather than the regulation officer's crimson silk sash¨ is kinda vague. Which chaplain? When? How do we know? ¨A blue sash would serve the same purpose for the chaplains. A Committee was finally appointed to attend to it.¨ This makes it sound more like the idea was up for consideration rather than adoption. I think this is a blue sash which may be, and probably is, of the period but has doubtful association with the chaplaincy, except maybe as an example or prototype.

 

[Package4]

Liberty University houses the National Chaplain's Museum and in their Civil War collection they have a blue silk sash. I would trust Mike McAfee and Don Troiani, Don since he most likely had one in his collection and Michael since he was the curator of uniforms at the museum on the campus of USMA, West Point.

The sash in the Hindman auction was from the collection of James C. Frasca, one of the most advanced Civil War Union uniform collectors, there is no doubt about its authenticity and use.

Obviously they were not prevalent, but evidence seems to point to their use.

Until this thread, I was entirely unaware of their existence, that's what makes this site so valuable, learning all of the time!

 

[7thWisconsin]

Yeah - that´s why I said I´m ¨sceptical¨ rather than just dismissing it out of hand. Those are both impecable collectors so their endorsement is weighty. The Chaplain´s Corps in the Civil War is a bit of an odd bird, and when it comes to uniforms - they´re just all over the place. There were a lot of chaplain resignations in the winter of 1862-1863, and half the regiments in 1864 didn´t even have a chaplain. What´s not to say that a different sash color wasn´t a fad in the early part of the war, or for that matter a recommendation late in the war that never got large field implementation. I don´t think there´s any photographic evidence of anybody actually wearing one, though. (Kinda like the blue chaplain bassard frm WW2. It was written about, and there are originals still kicking around, but no pictures of anyone actually wearing one.)

 

[Package4]

Yeah - that´s why I said I´m ¨sceptical¨ rather than just dismissing it out of hand. Those are both impecable collectors so their endorsement is weighty. The Chaplain´s Corps in the Civil War is a bit of an odd bird, and when it comes to uniforms - they´re just all over the place. There were a lot of chaplain resignations in the winter of 1862-1863, and half the regiments in 1864 didn´t even have a chaplain. What´s not to say that a different sash color wasn´t a fad in the early part of the war, or for that matter a recommendation late in the war that never got large field implementation. I don´t think there´s any photographic evidence of anybody actually wearing one, though. (Kinda like the blue chaplain bassard frm WW2. It was written about, and there are originals still kicking around, but no pictures of anyone actually wearing one.)

I actually think there is a picture of one being worn, I'll have to dig it out, but it was a strange hue which could not have been anything of the normal sash colors. Came off as very light in the picture. Stay tuned while I hunt for it.

 

[7thWisconsin]

I would really like to see that!

 

[Package4]

Silk is very difficult to tell as it tends to reflect the flash, but looking at the gauntlets and the tassels, this sash seems to be lighter than a typical maroon, which normally portrays darker.

Many pictures of sergeants stripes of infantry show very light since they were made of silk. Sergeants and corporals that had worsted stripes come out much darker.

 

[Old Soldier]

Silk is very difficult to tell as it tends to reflect the flash, but looking at the gauntlets and the tassels, this sash seems to be lighter than a typical maroon, which normally portrays darker.

Many pictures of sergeants stripes of infantry show very light since they were made of silk. Sergeants and corporals that had worsted stripes come out much darker.


View attachment 495304

They didn't use a flash. Flash powder did not appear until after 1887. All these photographs are the result of a long exposure in a glass-roofed studio. The reason the blue is light is the emulsion's reaction - light blue reacted strongly, red did not. Blue printed out light, red printed out almost black. Easiest way to show this is the color of roundels on aircraft in WW1 (same emulsion, but faster) RAF (top) - blue outer red inner, French - Red outer Blue inner (tail flash for both was blue leading) :

 

[Package4]

They didn't use a flash. Flash powder did not appear until after 1887. All these photographs are the result of a long exposure in a glass-roofed studio. The reason the blue is light is the emulsion's reaction - light blue reacted strongly, red did not. Blue printed out light, red printed out almost black. Easiest way to show this is the color of roundels on aircraft in WW1 (same emulsion, but faster) RAF (top) - blue outer red inner, French - Red outer Blue inner (tail flash for both was blue leading) :
View attachment 495317

You are correct, major brain fart on my part!

 

[Old Soldier]

You are correct, major brain fart on my part!

I think there are many others, including me, who have done that at some time. You get used to it.

 

[Pr Palmer]

I...... am sceptical, frankly. I´ve never seen a blue sash associated with a Federal chaplain before. The description in the offering is less than satisfactory, honestly. The citation for the regulation uniform is good, but then the language ¨one totally unofficial distinction adopted by many chaplains was the use of a blue sash rather than the regulation officer's crimson silk sash¨ is kinda vague. Which chaplain? When? How do we know? ¨A blue sash would serve the same purpose for the chaplains. A Committee was finally appointed to attend to it.¨ This makes it sound more like the idea was up for consideration rather than adoption. I think this is a blue sash which may be, and probably is, of the period but has doubtful association with the chaplaincy, except maybe as an example or prototype.

Just for clarification, were you referring to page 22-23 in "Faith in the Fight", which mentions the committee discussion about a distinctive mark for the chaplain, including the possibility of a blue sash? Pg. 22 in this book mentions the desire to make the chaplain less of a target by the enemy, with the blue sash accomplishing the same purpose as the green sash for the medical surgeon.

Pg. 25 of the same book also mentions a Catholic priest, Peter Cooney of the Irish 35th Indiana, who is quoted describing his uniform, including "Around my waist I wear a blue silk sash about 5 inches wide with tassels."

I just started reading this book a few days ago, and was intrigued by this. But I think you make a valid point: the blue sash was (at the very least) was up for consideration, but not formally adopted. And given how much variation there was with uniforms, perhaps there were a few (such as Fr. Cooney) who went ahead and used it.

 

[7thWisconsin]

Just for clarification, were you referring to page 22-23 in "Faith in the Fight", which mentions the committee discussion about a distinctive mark for the chaplain, including the possibility of a blue sash? Pg. 22 in this book mentions the desire to make the chaplain less of a target by the enemy, with the blue sash accomplishing the same purpose as the green sash for the medical surgeon.

Pg. 25 of the same book also mentions a Catholic priest, Peter Cooney of the Irish 35th Indiana, who is quoted describing his uniform, including "Around my waist I wear a blue silk sash about 5 inches wide with tassels."

I just started reading this book a few days ago, and was intrigued by this. But I think you make a valid point: the blue sash was (at the very least) was up for consideration, but not formally adopted. And given how much variation there was with uniforms, perhaps there were a few (such as Fr. Cooney) who went ahead and used it.

No - I was following the Hindman auction link above. I´ve not read ¨Faith in the Fight.¨ That does sound like a good solid reference that at least once in the Civil War, a Federal chaplain did wear a blue sash. There was so much variation in the uniform, I hate to think that we´d start thinking this item was common, though.