Sharpshooter Haversack: An Inside Look 

Absolutely true! When we bivouac, we can barely fit three days rations in there just like CWDD. Thanks for sharing the great comment.

Thanks!

Very true. If you're a campaigner using your haversack for 100% food rations, anything in it will get pretty gross.

The nice thing though, is even at a mainstream event, that's one of those simple improvements that can be made to add a little more authenticity to the impression. Even if it's simply putting food that that doesn't need to be refrigerwated into the haversack.

Absolutely true! Soldiers would also binge eat their rations due to hunger and to avoid having to carry the weight. 3 day's rations makes for a heavy haversack! Thank you so much for sharing your experience. We hear lots of good feedback from all the top notch wisdom shared in the comment section. For a true authentic, a gross haversack is just part of the immersion.

NJ Sekela makes good ones, LD Hanning, and Missouri Boot and Shoe all make good haversacks. we did a post on our website about recreating them you might find interesting: www.2ndusss.com/uniforms-and-gear/making-a-federal-haversack

I can't recall off hand, but it's from the Civil War font package you can get from The New Blazing Star Press online.

I got mine from Paul Lopes of American Civil War Knapsacks. Great guy to work with and great products!

Excellent!!!

@@CompanyD2ndUSSS I'm doing research on Austins battalion the 14th battalion Louisiana sharpshooters

Most of us live in Washington, too. You can start by checking the state organization's website at www.wcwa.net and they're on Facebook, I believe the page is called "Washington Civil War Association." You can lean more on our website, too at www.2ndUSSS.com

That's a good question and a tricky dilemma, too. Most things that would remove the likely acrylic paint could also remove the finish of the painted canvas haversack. Rubbing alcohol usually works though I would do a test on a less noticeable part of the haversack just to make sure you don't remove the black paint. The haversack paint should be latex based with a little linseed oil and should hold up to the alcohol. Worst case scenario, you could try painting over the labeling with black paint and re-stenciling. Thanks for watching!

+Company D 2nd USSS thanks good idea i will have to try it

Our camera gear is pretty basic. We use an old Lumix and the built in mic. I also live in the country where internet is very slow which I why I don't film in HD.

Good question. One thing you could do is go to a friend's charcoal bbq or use a little hibachi and just boil water or cook something in your cup. I don't know of any modern treatments that would't be either farby or damage the tin. Worst case scenario you have another thing to look forward to at your next event.

How to deshine a tin cup for reenacting.......USE IT - fill with water and some crushed coffee beans, put it near some hot coals from a campfire, bring water to boil, remove cup from hot coals, let cool a bit so your lip doesn't sear to the hot metal cup (some soldiers claimed that pouring some cool water into your freshly boiled coffee helped to settle the grounds to the bottom of the cup), drink coffee. Do this several times. Try not to use your cup and frying pan, etc. over a fire were someone used pine, it makes for some really sooty and sticky tinware.

Great question. You're right, aside from the beloved 1859 Sharps, Berdans could use any rifle they qualified with. Many custom target rifles saw regular use. A couple of companies were almost exclusively target rifles. So, as far as documentation goes, there are no reports of a Henry being used by a Berdan. They were cool, to be sure, but not good enough for snipers. Henry's also didn't start showing up in any real numbers until towards the end of the war and mostly in the western theater. The only other rifle that was common place with some units was the Colt repeating rifle but no one makes a replica. There are some that look like one but fail on many counts. Thanks again for the great question. Oh, and FYI there were non Berdan units that were issued Henrys and Spencers that wouldn't be such a stretch for an impression.

ok great! Thanks for such a quick response, would it be frowned upon by other Sharpshooters to be seen though with either a Henry or a Spencer since the Berdan is the beloved norm? Also with officers, I know that traditionally in this time period they did not use long rifles of any kind as it was expected that they use their sidearms primarily, did this rule apply to the NCO's and officers of the Sharpshooters?

It would probably be frowned on by most serious reenactors. Though, unless you tried to get into a "campaigner only" event, I don't see anyone stopping you. It is historically misleading to the public. Some Berdan officers did carry and use Sharps rifles, heck even one of our parsons did. Military custom was that officers didn't use rifles because they have an entire company (regiment, etc.) to protect them. Soldiers could carry anything they were willing to lug around and side arms would have been private purchase. Then as now, pounds equal pain and a pistol is dead weight especially for any sharpshooter. Berdan typical operating range was 300-400 yards. Pistols are useless at that range. Berdans even threw away their bayonets because they were told they'd never be close enough to an enemy to use them. Then the government made them buy them back. Stevens' detailed account of Berdan history has some good stories about the awareness of marching weight. Most of us own pistols but we never carry them for those very reasons. I recommend grabbing some books. We have a lot posted on our website to guide you. If there's no documentation for an impression, it's farb and just cosplay. Thanks as always for your great questions. And remember, you can probably find a historically accurate impression to fit your interests in firearms. Oh, that reminds me, have you checked out the 1st Minn Sharpshooters on RU-vid? They might have some answers and ideas, too. They're great.

Hey thanks! I'll definitely look into that! :)

The 66th Illinois, the unit I portray, had repeaters during the end the the war.

It's delicious. As far as rations, go...a hardcore is going to say "no" and only use period rations of salt beef or pork and maybe fresh beef if in a longer term camp. Check with your unit's standards if any exist regarding food. It's not uncommon for some of us to have some in our haversacks even though it was unlikely for a soldier to have it on them during the war. Soldiers ate what they could including plenty of stories of confiscated food like chickens, pigs, smoked hams, and even Sam Watkins' chilling account of starving Rebs killing and eating a whole cow raw off the hoof.

Company D 2nd USSS , lol What do you do when you are only doing a short day event and there's no time for a fire or cooking. I've used jerky to hold me over but I guess I shouldn't. Please advise me

I guess it's up to you where you want to be on the reenacting "hardcore" spectrum. Soldier's on campaign would have just eaten hard tack. Sometimes they'd have cooked leftovers like bacon. It was common for soldiers to have in-season fruit or vegetables but remember Red Delicious is a modern apple. Canned foods were common purchases from sutlers. Canned oysters and fish were always popular. Small pies, soft bread, butter, cheese, hard candies, and pickles were also soldier favorites. Jerky existed it just wasn't an issued ration and someone always has some in our unit. We have a list of food items known to be eaten in Co. D on our website www.2ndusss.com/research-library . A soldier could get just about anything from a sutler. Some reeanctors just grab a burger or a funnel cake :) Thanks for your great question. Keep in touch. Mrs. 1st Sgt recommends the Facebook page "Civil War Kitchen."

Yes we are! Kind of all over the state

@@CompanyD2ndUSSS That's awesome! I'm in King County.

@@Harleylover14 Excellent! Hopefully you can make it out to see a reenactment!

Being a company grade officer, being used as scouts, skirmishers and snipers I can say I have never had a mount at events. Historically speaking only Sharpshooters in staff positions with the regiment rode horses. I prefer to have my feet firmly on the ground anyways. Captain Whitehall

Hmmm...good question. It's been awhile, but I think I used an original CW typeface font from New Blazing Star Press. My letters are 11/16" tall. I imagine something like Times New Roman would work. Regulations only specify size on the knapsack.

Hey if you think that's crazy you should read the in depth threads on Authentic Campaigner about where the cup "should" go! Ha!

Anna Angelo they would have the food issued as is, most pokes were bought or made by the soldiers.