Impression Standards

The Tramp Brigade Mess hopes to attain maximum authenticity in mindset, equipment, and uniforms. Our standards are exacting but will not be hard to achieve. We will not be switching gear constantly during our mission but our gear will change somewhat over time. Our goal is to complete the timeframe with no more than four coats (civilian, frock, Charleston, Richmond). Trousers will be civilian, SC issue black, Confederate issue.
What we know now is this: the Brigade came together in civilian clothing; they formed in Charleston and had a hard time outfitting in the beginning; two companies each in the 17th and 18th were issued Enfield rifles and the balance received Brown Bess percussion conversions; their first uniform consisted of gray Confederate Coats and trousers that were black with a blue stripe; they served in Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia with a short stint in Savannah.
The standards will begin in 1860 with civilian gear. What did the civilian wear? This is mostly affected by their occupation and status in life. Our mindset begins here. What was your job in life before joining the Army? Where did you live? Where did your family come from? Research into these areas will affect your first clothing and the background for your character.
The standards for each year will also include the previous year in many cases (i.e. the June 64 issue of RD and Tait do not have to supplant the Charleston Jacket). We are not looking for the image to be hodgepodge. There is plenty of research yet to go before a definitive standard can be made, but this is an outline to start.

Impression Photos

60-Dec 61	Dec 61-Oct 62	Oct 62-May 63	May 63-June 64	June 64-Apr 65
Civilian	Issue		Charleston Depot
Citizen Soldier	Commutation			Optional
				Late War Winter

Jackets

1860		Civilian frock coat/sack coat
1861-December 1861		Civilian frock coat/sack coat
December 1861-October 1862		Confederate Tunic (cadet grey broadcloth)
October 1862-May 1863		SC Frock (jean cloth or broadcloth) with commutation jackets acceptable, but not preferred.
May 1863-June 1864		Charleston Depot (English Wool Kersey), Columbus Depot optional beginning in mid-June
June 1864-April 1865		Richmond Depot II/III (blue/grey kersey) Tait Jackets will be completely optional.
Confederate Tunic (coming soon) SC Buttons	Commutation/62 Issue Frock Infantry, SC, or Eagle Buttons	Charleston Depot (coming soon) SC Buttons	RD II Infantry Buttons
SC Button	Optional NC Shell Issued with NC Sunburst, but changeable to anything. Jan 1863-May 1863 April 1864-June 1864	Optional Tait Contract Script I Buttons Oct 1864-April 1865

Trousers

1860		Civilian Pattern
1861-December 1861		Civilian Pattern
December 1861-October 1862		Black broadcloth with Blue Stripe
October 1862-May 1863		Grey Confederate Trousers (jean wool)
May 1863-June 1864		Grey Confederate Trousers (jean wool)
June 1864-April 1865		Grey Confederate Trousers, worn (jean wool)
Black Trousers	Jean Trousers	Close-up Jean Trousers

Headgear

1860		Civilian Patterns for desired background
1861-December 1861		Civilian Patterns for desired background
December 1861-October 1862		Kepis (jean wool), Army Dress, Civilian
October 1862-May 1863		Kepis, Civilian
May 1863-June 1864		Civilian, Kepis, Confederate Hat (June 63)
June 1864-April 1865		Civilian, Kepis, worn
Charleston Cap	Richmond Cap	Richmond Cap English Kersey	Optional Tait Cap
Dress Hat

Shirts

1860		Civilian Patterns for desired background
1861-December 1861		Civilian Patterns for desired background
December 1861-October 1862		Confederate Issue, some Civilian
October 1862-May 1863		Confederate Issue, some Civilian
May 1863-June 1864		Civilian Pattern and Confederate Issue
June 1864-April 1865		Civilian Pattern and Confederate Issue, worn
Shirt from Home	Shirt from Home	Confederate Issue	Confederate Issue

Infantry Accoutrements

1860		None Required
1861-December 1861		None Required
December 1861-October 1862		English Infantry Set with Snake Belt and sling mounted cap box
October 1862-May 1863		English Set and can substitute SC Belts
May 1863-June 1864		English Set or Confederate Issue
June 1864-April 1865		English Set and can use CS Belts
Cap Pouch	Catridge Box	Snake Belt	Knapsack
English Mess Set	Bayonet Frog and Scabbard

Construction Standards

Construction of clothing: All buttonholes should be hand stitched. Machine sewing was present in many surviving Confederate garments. Most civilian items should be entirely hand stitched.

Headgear: All visible stitching should be hand sewn using proper period materials, dyeing, and techniques.

Unit Continuity: The Brigade received issues from various depots around the Confederacy. What does this mean? The overall appearance of the unit would be uniform for at least the first two years of the war. We still have questions about what the unit was issued during the war, but the "standard image" of the Confederate soldier of wearing everything found under the sun is often overplayed and does not show up as frequently in documentation as we are led to believe. Both armies suffered with poor clothing approaching the end of a campaign and this is where soldiers would have looked different.

Buttons: The buttons that came on clothing can have a wide range, but many South Carolina soldiers would replace whatever was issued to them with SC buttons from a previous coat. Keep this in mind when you receive a new issue, you may want to spend some time in camp pulling them off the coat you are replacing and sew them onto the new issue.

Continuous Gear

Weapon: Research has proven that the regiments of the brigade had numerous weapons. We will allow the following weapons at any and all events, in order of preference: 1842 Harper's Ferry, 1842 Palmetto, Enfield 1861/2 Tower, Enfield 1862 LA Co., Austrian Lorenz, Belgian Musket, Mississippi 1841, US Model 1816/22, English Long Land Models (flintlock), and the Potsdam Musket. The brigade received issues of ammunition ranging from .54 cal to .72 cal from 1861 until 1864. It is not known what, if anything, was added or subtracted in 1865.
Shoes: Civilian shoes and brogans to start, then standard brogans for military. In October 1862, 25 members of the brigade are seen to be without shoes.
Socks: Civilian Pattern
Knapsacks: S. Isaac and Campbell, some Federal Double Bag (after heading to Virginia). Knapsacks should be worn in the field while the army is in battle (away from garrison) or on a march. Knapsacks should be in tents during garrison duty.
Blankets: Blankets should reflect period materials and construction. Most soldiers came from home with a blanket, but how long they maintained these we do not know. The Ladies Relief Society of Charleston was producing blankets for much of the war, sometimes using piano covers. Soldiers were picking up blankets from Federal soldiers when they were gathering haversacks and other equipment in 1864, near Petersburg.
Oil Cloth and Gum Blanket: Mix of homemade, issue, Federal
Personal Items: They should reflect the post, whether marching or in camp.	Camp Chair
Overcoats: Yet to be determined. Soldiers should not have proper winter gear through at least early 1863, unless it comes from home.
Canteens: Militia Style canteen for early war. Federal Canteens appropriate to the time are allowable after the Brigade travels to Virginia.	Wambaugh, White and Co.
Haversack: Basic white canvas 11"x11" for the first issue. Tramp Brigade soldiers are documented to have collected Federal haversacks off of the Malvern Hill battlefield in August of 1862.	SC Haversack Federal Haversack
Drawers: Civilian pattern drawers are a must for wearing wool.
Tents: There are numerous references in the writings of the 17th that mention tents, although they are vague and not definitive. Early encampments would have featured larger common tents and possibly a few Sibleys. There are also period references to the French tent being imported into Charleston about the time the brigade was being equipped. We cannot say that they actually received any of these tents, but common sense makes it a practical issue. After the battle of Kinston, NC, the 17th SCVI packed their gear, including tents, and loaded them onto a train. They were anticipating another fight and to retreat towards Goldsboro again, but the fight never came. The baggage was returned to the brigade three or four days later. The temperatures were low and the snow was falling during this period that the brigade was without shelter. Ordnance returns reflect numerous tent issues and names. The following is a list found; Sibley, Bell, Wall, Army, A, Picket, and Soldier. The A and the Army are probably the same, and the Bell and Sibley are similar in appearance. What the picket and soldier tents are is up for speculation. Period descriptions reference these as shelter halves and individual soldier tents. We are left without much except one reference in Charleston as to the French tent being 6'x2'.