The Walch Navy Revolver
By Frank Graves Early war images of enlisted men with revolvers tucked into their waist belts are fairly common. These weapons were privately purchased or perhaps given as gifts from
Category: Material Culture
Ponchos and Waterproof Blankets During the Civil War
By Frederick C. Gaede Prior to the Civil War, the Quartermaster Department provided U.S. soldiers with three items of personal protection from the elements: woolen blankets (bedding or saddle), great
The Gray Gutta Percha Knapsack
By Michael R. Cunningham, Ph.D. During the 1850s, the U.S. War Department experimented with a variety of military accoutrements made with rubber and gutta percha. The items included canteens, holsters,
Navy Round Jackets
By Ron Field A garment described as a “blue cloth Jacket” was part of dress or mustering wear for petty officers and other ranks of the U.S. Navy from the
Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver, Early Fluted Cylinder
By Frank Graves This bearded Union infantryman, dressed in standard issue frock coat and cap, grips a Colt Model 1860 Army revolver. A close study of the sidearm reveals a
Early Uniforms of Duryée’s Zouaves, 1861
By Ron Field These stereoviews produced by photographer George Stacy at the camp of the 5th New York Infantry near Fortress Monroe in May 1861 picture the Zouaves on parade
Uniforms of the Granite State
By Ron Field Period photography showing the variety of uniforms and headgear worn by New Hampshire soldiers during the first year or so of the Civil War is of great
Material Culture
By Ron Field During the decade before the Civil War, numerous volunteer militia companies drilled and paraded in uniforms based on those worn by the Continental Army, and patterned
U.S. Navy Watch Marks, 1861-65
By Ron Field To ensure the safe operation of a United States Navy vessel during the antebellum and Civil War years, time onboard ship was divided into watches reckoned by
Leather Neck Stocks, 1851-1865
By Frederick C. Gaede Purpose and origins The most practical purpose of leather neck stocks was that they kept the soldier’s chin up and gave him more of a military