This week we discuss the Mounted Cavalry Trousers. What is authentic and what is just a reenactorism? We tried to pack as much info in this video as possible!
Hi guys... just a little info on wool cloth. You quoted a chap saying the cloth of his trousers was shoddy. This did not mean poorly made, shoddy was a specific type of woollen cloth produced in my home town of Dewsbury in Yorkshire UK. Shoddy was made of reclaimed woollen fibres. Old clothes were collected and sent to the mills in Dewsbury where they were taken apart and the fibres combed apart untill they could be made into wool thread. These threads were then woven into cloth. This cloth was used for high quality blankets (as used on passenger liners crossing the oceans) The short length of thread didnt make for a hard wearing cloth and therefor unsuitable for clothing. This cloth was sold to the US during the Civil War, i believe to both governments as blanket cloth. If some of this cloth made its way into the clothing contracts then i can only assume it was through lack of better quality OR someone in the manufacturers office was trying to make a few extra dollars. Today shoddy means of poor quality which is a shame as Shoddy produced in Dewsbury was of high quality for its intended use. I hope this is interesting.
As I watch more of your videos, I'm impressed with how polished the delivery of this fascinating information is. Too bad I didn't discover your channel earlier, but catching up is fun so far.😃
Acting Assistant Surgeon J Frazer Boughter re: the trousers "The color is not uniform. It is very common to see many shades of sky blue in one company". Re: the great coat: "the only objection is a want of uniformity in the color of the sky blue cloth from which they are manufactured as many shades being observable as in the trousers". Langellier "More Army Blue" pp 43-44
I’ve enjoyed the hell out of your videos. In your research have you come across anything about corduroy trousers? I’m currently reading “Blue-blooded Cavalryman: Captain William Brooke Rawle in the Army of the Potomac” and in one passage he writes about buying corduroy trousers from a subtler and all officers did that because they lasted longer.
GREAT VIDEOS! We are a film company and your videos are very useful. HELPFUL TIP: Please check the recording - the sound is off balance, on one side or the other.
MyelinProductions, Thanks for watching! Agreed on the sound. These early videos we were very ignorant in how to do anything and that is why we have some videos that are off balance. Hopefully our newer ones have solved this specific issue. Thanks again.
If the early war letter from the Pennsylvania soldier referenced "knees seeking fresh air," does that mean those boys were not wearing drawers? Curious that he did not mention seeing drawer covered knees.
How do you go about laundering them? I'm guessing 160 years ago, they would wash them on a rock in the middle of a river, but I'm not about to do that. Will they hold up to a washing machine / dryer - or are these things dry cleaning only?
I watched this for the umpteenth time. Still missed the deference between Cavalry in infantrymen men’s trousers. Where was the reinforcement and boot interfaces
Im working on an impression on both infantry (17th infantry Reg) and possibly Cavalry (7th) circa 1870's, what would be a good recommendation for a good vendor before I drop any major cash?
Jim, unfortunately my knowledge only goes to 1866 and I must admit my ignorance for anything 1870's. I must defer to other resources for that answer. However, I would recommend a great starting point which is "The Horse Soldier, 1776-1943: The United States Cavalryman, His Uniforms, Arms, Accoutrements, and Equipments, Vol. 2, The Frontier, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Indian Wars, 1851-1880" and can be found at: www.amazon.com/Horse-Soldier-1776-1943-Cavalryman-Accoutrements/dp/0806123931/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505537488&sr=1-8&keywords=Civil+War+cavalry+uniform+book
Jim: Quartermaster Shop ain't cheap but they are good. They actually will make items proprietary to the post war era (1874 five button blouse, 1872 Officer's Blouse, etc)
