The Watchdog

THE WATCHDOG

Volume 2, No.4 Autumn, 1994 Guarding your interests.... AN EDITORIAL: MERCHANT SPECIES Based upon our own observations and many comments to chant for the same kind of item) for what they make. These this effect from our readers, it seems now that there are, speak- folks are the Mercedes of the reenacting world. ing very broadly, three kinds of merchants or makers of re- Now you are all sitting on the edges of your seats waiting production Civil War goods. Following are the types we have for us to start assigning names of merchants to these types, identified: aren't you? Well, in the hope ofcontinuing to publish this rag Type One is made up of folks who seem to be in it just for a bit longer without getting sued, we are not going to do that - the money, who do little research, and who make and sell what not yet, anyway. The point of this editorial is to urge someone is easiest to obtain and turn over. They show up in flocks at to find a way to bridge Types Two and Three. If somebody events and fleece many. There were booths from this class of could make really precise reproductions in a timely manner merchant at several recent events that contained not one single for affordable prices, and show up with such pods at events, item appropriate for use in Civil War reenacting! Some of a lot of reenactors' problems would be solved, and the person these folks are cross-overs from the fantasy world of buck- who did this would make a fortune very quickly. This is prob- skinning. These are the Yugos of sutlers - it is too bad they ably impossible, but we sure wish there were a way. Of course, can stay in business. we also wish we could buy a Mercedes for the price of a Type Two contains most of those people who provide the Chevrolet. great bulk of material used by reenactors. They perform a valuable service by getting a lot of people equipped -we are supposed to be re-creating armies after all. Very often, how- ever, the research upon which they base their products is dated SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION 11 or superficial, and the accuracy of their items has been com- The Wdchdog(ISSN 1067-2729) is publiphed quarterly by promised by the introduction of materials and methods better The Watchdog, Inc, a non-pmflt corporation in the Com- suited to modem-day mass production than to the careful du- monwealth of Kentucky. Subscriptiam-are $7.00 annually. plication of original items. This class of folks can be relied To subscribe, send name and addmwith check or money upon to deliver the goods in a timely manner and to allow otder to: The Walchdog most of us to enjoy the hobby and still be able to pay the P.O. Box 4582 mortgage. One might call them the Chevrolet class of mer- FranMlort, KY 406044582 chants. TypeThree makers are an elite few who allow virtually no THE WATCHDOG accepts no advertising. Contributors and writers receive no compensation for their articles. All profifs compromise in their efforts to precisely re-create in detail origi- are donated annually to battlefeld preservation orgtmizations. nal items. Some of them reproduce uniforms and equipment Contributor$ are sdely responsible for the accuracy of the re- so accurately that we suspect that if they could be shipped search and for che opinions expressed in their articles. back in time and issued to Civil War soldiers, the veterans Copyright 1994. All rights reserved. would never be able to tell the difference from what they re- ceived normally. Sadly, these folks are sometimes hard to Nicky Hughes, Publisher find (seldom setting up at events and hardly advertising),are Susan Lyons Hughes, Editor Tom Fugate, Associate Editor ponderously slow in producing their goods, and charge a Geoff Walden, Associate Editor prince's ransom (often twice.as much as a Type Two mer- Mike Cunningbam, Associate Editor I 1 Barbara Kelly, Staff Artist I I EVALUATING REPRODUCTION FEDERAL ENLISTED MEN'S FROCK COATS Michael R. Cunningham, Ph.D

At the start of 1861, the manufacture of Federal uni- field. Gardiner's photographs of the Federal dead at the Rose form items was supervised by the Army Clothing Establish- Farm at Gettysburg, for example, show them wearing frock ment at Schuykill Arsenal, PA.. which developed patterns. cut coats. The Quartermaster General's Report of 1865 indi- the cloth, packed it into bundles for local women to hand sew. cates that 21 8.288 frock coats were issued in 1864. and inspected the finished goods. At that time, the U.S. Army The frock coat was issued in four sizes. Size 1 had a 36 consisted of less than seventeen thousand men in I0 regiments inch chest, size 2 was 38 inches, size 3 was 40 inches, and size of Infantry, 3 regiments of Cavalry, and 4 regiments of Artil- 4 was 42 inches. Early war coats were marked with one to lery. As the army expanded following Lincoln's call for 75,000 four dots to indicate size, but later war coats were marked volunteers, arrangments were made for private contractors to with arabic numerals. The frock coat was expected to last 7.5 supply the needs of the volunteer forces. months; 8 were issued over a 5 year enlistment. The frock Contemporary Federal reenactors are in a position simi- coat cost the government $4.08 in 1861 and $14.67 in 1865. lar to the Federal government in late 1861. There is a sub- The materials used in the construction of the frock coat are stantial need for quality uniforms, but little standardization in reported in the Quartermaster's Manual of 1865: wool quality or color, or the details of the construction and sewing. Poor quality is often rationalized with the explana- 1. Body: The body of a medium (size 2) frock coat was tion that variation existed in original specimens, so a uniform made in six pieces out of "I 314 yards of 614 (1.5 yards wide) that bears only a superficial resemblance to what Civil War dark blue woolen cloth, weighing 21 ounces per yard, 56 soldiers were issued should be accepted with prompt payment threads of fillings (woof)each square inch, 60 threads in chain and with no complaint (or so it is argued). (warp) each square inch." The skirt was made in four pieces, Unlike reenactors. the Federal Governemnt of 1861 was with pleats and pockets in the tail. The length of the body was not tolerant of the shoddy materials and workmanship sup- 18 114 inches and the length of the skirt was 16 314 inches. plied by the less reputable contractors. The Federal govern- 2. Body lining: The chests were padded with cotton bat- ment expanded its uniform inspection system to include de- ting, but the back of the coat and the skirts were not lined. pots in New York, Cincinnati, Steubenville and St. Louis. The layer behind the body of the coat was: "314 yard of 24 General Order #91. July 29, 1862, specified that uniform items inch canvas; the padding was: "I sheet of black cotton wad- were to be marked with the contractor's name and with Fed- ding;" the inner lining, next to soldier was made of: "518 yard eral inspector marks in the lining. Late in 1864, the contract of black alpaca 80 inches wide." date was added to the contractor's stamp. 3. Sleeve lining: "718 yard of unbleached muslin or cam- The uniform inspection system was not designed to pro- bric." duce the same level of standardization and interchangeability 4. Collar: The collar was 1 114 to 2 inches high, and lined as that instituted for contract arms. Nonetheless, the inspec- with "118 yard of buckram." Branch of service color was tion system put a substantial amount of uniformity in Federal piped on the neck and cuffs with a twisted cord, or welt, or a enlisted men's uniforms. I have examined more than two dozen piece of thin cloth folded over within the seam of "I inch of Civil War enlisted men's frock coats, and it is my observation sky blue facing." Soldiers often lowered the neck height, and that original specimens are much more similar to one another did not put back the top welt. The neck of frocks also con- than are current reproductions. tained a hook on the left side, and an eye on the right which The enlisted man's frock coat of the Civil War was au- often was removed. thorized in 1851, and reflected male fashion trends of that 5. Cuffs: The cuffs were covered with an exra thickness of decade. Fashion called for a padded chest, tight waist, high material which carried the branch collor piping. The piece is collar and tight cuffs. During the Civil War, men's fashion in the shape of an inverted "V," 4 inches tall at the point in also emphasized ballooning sleeves, with a circumference as front and 2 112 inches tall in the rear. The cuffs closed with much as 20 inches at the elbows. Officers' uniforms followed two functional cuff buttons. these fashions but the enlisted man's frock was conservative 6. Rear pockets: Inset into the tail of skirts were one pocket and had only 14 inch circumference elbows. on either side of the vent, made of: "318 yard of black muslin." The frock is often assumed to be a dress item, but 46% The edge of the pocket opening adjacent to the soldier was of the Army of the Potomac chose to wear frock coats into the covered with a strip of wool one to two inches wide. ERRORS COMMONLY FOUND IN UPDATES FROM PAST ISSUES REPRODUCTION FROCK COATS: Mike Cunningham

I. On reproduction coats. the wool is not as tightly woven Sack coat update: As a follow-up to the Spring, 1994 as in originals, making it feel too soft and thin. Consequently, article, 'Trying to Bag a Good Sack Coat," we offer an addi- the raw edge on the bottom of the skirt often unravels. tional source of authentic patterns for Federal issue fatigue 2. On reproduction coats, the color is aniline dyed with a coats: The Great American Pattern Emporium, P.O. Box 42 1 1. blue- black tone, rather than pure indigo blue, with a slightly Winchester, KY 40392-42 1 1. greenish sheen. The Great American fatigue coat pattern was based on 3. On reproduction coats, the chest padding is not at least measurements of Federal fatigue coats with documented Civil 114 inch thick. and does not extend to the side seams. The War usage. I saw a lined fatigue coat produced from this chest lining is not black or dark brown. pattern during the 1994 Resaca reenactment. Although I only 4. Original frock coats contain hooks and eyes in the fac- had a brief opportunity to inspect the coat, I found it to be ing edge and the vent, 4 to 8 inches from the bottom edge. authentic on all five of the details that I inspected. These allowed the skirts to be turned back, similar to the Con- Great American has also taken measurements from origi- tinental uniform. Reproduction coats usually lack that detail. nal Federal frock coats, Federal trousers, and other original 5. On reproduction coats, the facing color on the neck and specimens. A catalogue of their offerings is available for $1.00. cuffs is baby blue, rather than the correct Saxony blue. The Trousers update: A number of readers have provided color should be the same as the color of infantry Hardee hat thoughtful responses to the Summer, 1994 article on Federal cord. trousers, which suggested the need for additional information. 6. On reproduction coats. the colored welt is too wide. On Fred Gaede of Maryland noted that the article's focus on originals, only about 1/16" of color is visible. the details of specific features of trousers could mislead some 7. On reproduction coats, the two buttons on the cuffs are reenactors or vendors into believing that they could pick and not functional. choose any combination of authentic features. As Mr. Gaede 8. On reproduction coats, the nine button holes are ma- correctly noted, specific manufacturers tended to have dis- chine stitched rather than hand sewn. tinctive styles. Schuykill Arsenal trousers, for example tended 9. Originals had a vertical row of stitching behind the line to be completely hand-sewn, have a shallow vent, a five-but- of buttons, not found on many reproductions. ton fly, facing on the watchpocket, and vertical side pockets. 10. Originals have the seam joining the body of the coat Yet Schuykill Arsenal trousers have been observed with both with the skirt covered with an extra 1 112 inch wide piece of a Type I and a Type 2 yoke, and it is not clear whether such L cloth. variations were due to pattern changes made during the course I I . On some reproduction coats, the sewing thread is brown of the war, or were simply discrepancies due to individual rather than blue. The thread color on originals turns brown seamstresses. Further research seems needed on the consis- over time, but did not start that way. tencies and changes in the products of the uniform depots and private contractors before definitive statements can be made The mathematics for converting Civil War dollars to about specific styles. In the meantime, it would be a step 1994 dollars is under debate, but one recommended correc- forward if vendors would drop features that are not found on tion factor is 15. Based on that value the cost of a frock coat original trouser specimens! in modem money would be $220.05. The government was Keith Ashley of Ohio noted that the article did not specify willing to pay that for aquality frock during the war; reenactors how "baggy" trousers were in the seat. In fact, issue trousers might find it necessary to pay that high to get a comparable were designed to fit loosely, even when seated. A pair of example. Schuykill size 4 trousers with a 36 inch diameter waistband were 38 inches in diameter at the bottom of the yoke, and 54 inches in diameter measured at the crotch. That's baggy! John Newbold of New Jersey correctly noted that the Fed- eral trousers article did not provide commentary on the prod- ucts of all of the vendors of trousers. County Cloth, Inc., Mike Cunningham is a serious collector of Civil War 13797-C Georgetown St. NE, Paris, OH 44669 seems to make uniforms and has had several articles published in North- the best overall product. But efforts to secure current ex- South Trader's Civil War and Military Images. Dr. amples from all vendors will continue, and may serve as the Cunningham has recently joined the staff of The Watch- basis for future articles. dog as an associate editor. .. THREE CHEERS AND A TIGER FOR "HUZZAH"! By Steven Gimber There seems to be some concern and confusion as to the were defined as interchangeable in Worchester's 1856 dictio- proper cheer of the Civil War soldier. Some veteran reenactors nary. it stands to reason that since the latter appears most of- claim that "the boys" shouted "hurra" and there are others ten in contemporary accounts, it was clearly the more popular who claim that they cheered "huzza." Well, the truth of the of the two." So when reports state that the troops gave three matter is actually somewhere in between the two. In fact, huzzas (or huzzahs, if you prefer) you can rest assured that is both words were used during the Civil War. One of them. exactly what they did. however, was apparently used more often than the other. According to many sources of the period, three huzzahs Despite the fact that the word huzza in the 1828 and 1846 were often accompanied by something called "a tiger." Dic- editions of Noah Webster'~An Anier.icvrr~Dictionar?, of the tionaries of the mid-nineteenth century are of little help in find- E~~glishLnng~mge is defined as ing the precise meaning and usage of the word in regard to "a sho~rtof jr?\.; a foreign u-old wed irz writing orllv, cheers as the definitions provided always refer to the great md most prepostemrrsly, as it never is used in practice/;] Asian jungle cat. Nevertheless, modern dictionaries provide [t]he ulord used is our native word koom, or hooraw I;]"' an answer to the puzzle as to what our Civil War ancestors the word huzza was indeed commonly used in the United States. were shouting at the end of their three cheers. One such Although Webster's dictionary is considered an authority that important source is The Oxford English Dictionary. This is beyond reproach, in this particular instance, his work is not multi-volume reference work compiled by Sir James Murray an unimpeachable source.? When considering his definition, provides the origins of words and their different definitions it is important to keep in mind that Webster was a great patriot and uses over time. Volume XI of Murray's lexicon furnishes of the Revolutionary War and that from his earliest work in more than a dozen different uses of the word tiger. The one 1789, he was committed to the creation of a unique American that applies is as follows: U.S. slang. A shriek or Itond lexicon - - he wanted to make our language distinct from that (?fie11the word "tiger") terminating a prolonged and enthrc- of Great Britain.' In the preface of his Dissertatior~son the siastic cheer; a pmloniatio~~,finishing touch, final burst. I' English Language, he announced his belief that it was neces- Following this definition, Murray presents several quotes sary for us to have our own language.' To fulfill his mission, from period sources to back his findings, Kinckerhocker Maga- America's favorite lexicographer set about to purge our lan- zine(volume XLVII) from 1856 and a dictionary of American guage of anything that seemed or sounded overly British. Thus, English usage by Bartlett published in 1 859.12 Other sources in Webster's dictionaries and spellers both pronunciations and which support Tlie O.rfnrd English Dictionary definition of spellings of words were changed from the "mother tongue." the word tiger as used in the Civil War era are The American He was successful in many instances ("color" instead of Tl~escnrrusof Slang by Lester V. Berrey and Melvin Van Den "colour," "flavor" instead of "flavour," "wagon" instead of Bark and A Dictional? of A~nericanEnglish or? flistorical "waggon." "fiber" instead of "fibre," etc.) but he was not FUC- Principles, edited by Sir William R. Craigie and James R. cessful with huzza.' Although the venerable Webster may Hulbert." have found it distasteful and incorrect, the word continued to Certainly there is no way that this writer (nor any historian be part of the American language. worth histher salt for that matter) would state unequivocally The proof can be found in Joseph E. Worchester's Pm- that all Civil War soldiers only used the word huzzah and ' no~mcing,Explanato~ and S~nonvmousDictionary of the shouted the word tiger at the end of their three cheers. Varia- English Lnnglmge (Boston: Hickling, Swan, and Brown. tions on the theme of "three cheers and a tiger" must have 1856) which has four definitions for the word huzza. It is existed. In a biography of Colonel Elmer Ellsworth. Ruth first defined as in interjection. "[aln exclamation of joy or Painter Randall describes the distinct cheer of the U.S. Zouave triumph; hurrah."" Huzza is defined again as a noun ac "[a] Cadets as "afull-throated 'Hi-hi-hi' ... and an accelerating roar shout; a cry of acclamation."' Lastly, there are two definitions of 'One-two-three-four-five-six-seven!' Tig-a-r ! Zouave!"" of the word a5 a verb, "[tlo utter acclamation" and "[tlo re- There are even differing reports of this same cheer. I' ceive or attend with accla~nation;to appla~d.''~Worchester's While it is important to keep in mind that both hurrah and later work, An Elenientcln, Dictionnrv for the Coriirnorl Schools huzzah were used in the mid-nineteenth century. the evidence ( Boston: Hickling. Swan, Rr Brewer. 1859), alsodefines huzza of word usage indicates that huzzah was clearly the more popu- the same way but does not indicate that it is synonymous with lar of the two. Thus, "huzzah" should be the cheer of choice hurrah.' Other primary sources (such as diaries, journals, for the discriminating Civil War reenactor who is concerned letters. newspapers. etc.) confirm the use of both words dur- with accuracy and authenticity. To conclude the cheer of ing the Civil War era. Alfhough the words hurrah and huzza three huzzahs. the word "tiger" - shouted into a growl - ("Tig- a-r !" [as employed by Ellsworth's Cadets] or "Ti-gem!" [my especially, John Walker, A Critical Pronouncing Dictionary, own suggestion) or an additional cheer or yell of your choice and Expositor of the English Language, (New York: Collins (within reason ... let's be realistic ...) would be appropriate and and Hannay, 1 8 19). Walker's 18 19 dictionary defines huzza just about as authentic as you can get. In as an interjection ("a shout, a cry of acclamation"), an in- A few suggestions for reenactors interested in brushing up transitive verb ("to utter acclamation"), and a transitive verb on their Civil War era English and soldier jargon - - although ("to receive with acclamation"). Moreover, it is worthy of the word "huzza" does not appear in any of the following books. note that the word huzza appears as both a noun and a verb I would urge you horrow, buy. or find and use all or any one of in what is arguably one of the earliest dictionaries printed in them: the United States, William Perry's The Roval Standard En- Civil Wor Erci Etiqir~tteprinted by R.L. Shep, glish Dictionary (Boston: Thomas and Andrews, 1 777). Mendocino, California, 1988. This is a compilation of Arthur 'An excellent source for information on the origins. growth, Martine's Hond-hook qf Etiqirette first published by Dick & and development of the English language see Robert McCrum, Fitzgerald, New York, 1866 and The Art qf Converscltion by William Cran, and Robert MacNeil, The Story of English, Charles Godfrey Leland published by Carleton, New York. in (New York: Elisabeth Sifton Books - Viking, 1986), for Noah 1864. The section "Vulgarisms in Conversation" is particu- Webster's self-appointed mission, see especially, pp. 240-244. larly useful as it gives a long-list of words and expressions 41bid.,24 I. (along with their definitions) which were "to be strictly avoided" 'Ibid., 242. because they were considered to be "common" or "very low" nJoseph E. Worchester, Pronouncing, Explanatory, arid forms of speech. My suggestion would be to use the Synonymoits Dictionary of the English Language, (Boston: "vulgarisms" in your conversations in camp. 'The vast major- Hickling, Swan, and Brown, 1856), 222. ity of Civil War soldiers were not schooled in proper etiquette 'lbid. and would have probably used those words and phrases that Vbid. were supposed to be avoided. If, however, you are portraying 'An Elementary Dictionar?,for the Common Schools, ( a college-educated Civil War soldier (JoshuaLawrence Cham- Boston : Hickling, Swan & Brewer, 1859), 1 19. berlain comes to mind - - college professor-turned-Colonel of :"See Robert Braun, "A Cheer by Another Name," Com- 20th Maine Volunteers). then by all means, do what the book panv ... Front (A publication of Thomas' Mudsills, Inc.), tells you and avoid the vernacular. May 1994, 6. Although I disagree with Braun's overall ar- A Dictionary oj-Soldier Talk by John R. Elting. Dan gument against "huzzah," I do agree with his assessment Cragg, and Ernest Deal, printed in New York by The Scribner "...that enough sources mention the use of 'three huzzahs' to Press. in 1984. The authors are all military men; retired U.S. make such standard practice in Civil War re-enacting today." Army Colonel John Elting is also a member of the Company of He also states further that the "...volume of the accounts Military Historians. This book is both interesting and infor- seemed to verify this literal interpretation. thereby making mative. It provides a great deal of information on the lan- 'three huzzahs' standard fare." guage of American soldiers and seamen from the time of Presi- "Sir James Augustus Henry Murray, The Oxford English dent Washington to President Reagan. Dictionary, Volume XI. (Oxford; The Clarendon Press, Civil Wor Wordbook by Danyl Lyman printed by Com- 1933). 22. bined Books. Inc., Conshohocken, PA, 1994 is a very fine com- '*/bid. pilation of expressions and words - including expletives - used "Lester V. Berrey and Melvin Van Den Bark, The Ameri- hy the soldiers of the 1860s. Definitions also explain which can Tliesairrirs of Slang, (NewYork: Thomas Y. Crowell side used the word or if it was common to both Union and Company. 1942), 638; Sir William A. Craigie and James R. Confederate troops. This is an excellent book - a must. Hulbert, E. Dictionary of American Ellglish on Historical Principles Volume IV. (Chicago: The University of Chi- NOTES cago, 1944), 232 1. 'Noah Webster, An American Dictionary qf the Englislz j4Ruth Painter Randall, Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, ( Bos- Lnngirage. (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1 829. 1846). ton: Little, Brown and Company, 1960). 180. For the seventeenth and eighteenth century origins of the word "See especially. Histor?,of the U.S.Znirave Cadets. G.G.. "huzza" and its various uses in the English language through Militarv, Chonlpions of America. 1 859-60, (Library of the centuries see Sir James Augustus Henry Murray, The Ox- Congress, Washington, D.C.) ford English Dictiontrry. Volume V. H-K. (Oxford: The IhSee Robert Braun, "A Cheer by Another Name." Clarendon Press, 1933). Companv...Front, May 1994, p. 6. Braun's opinion on what ?Other dictionaries of the period do not support Webster's constitutes "a tiger" is pretty good. He suggests that it was definition of huzza as the w~ittenform of the word hurra. See "... a deep, resonate growl-turned-cheer..." I believe that it was probably the other way around - cheer turned growl - but Murray, Sir James Augustus Henry. The Oxford English Dic- naturally there would have been all kinds'of variations on the tion~?. Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1 933 common theme. Perry, William. The Royal Standard English Dictionary. Thomas and Andrews, 1777. BIBLIOGRAPHY Randall, Ruth Painter. Colonel Elmer Ellsn~orth. Boston: Berrey, Lester V. and Melvin Van Den Bark. The American Little, Brown and Company, 1960. Thesairnrs qf Slang. New York : Thomas Y. Crowell Shep, R.L. Civil War Era Etiquette. Mendocino, CA: R.L. Company, 1942. Shep, 1988. Braun. Robert. "A Cheer by Another Name," Company.. Walker. John. A Critical Pronoimcing Dictionary E-rposi- Front (A publication of Thomas' Mudsills. Inc.). May 1994. tor of the English Language. New York: Collins and 6. Hannay. 1 8 19. Craigie, Sir William A. and James R. Hulbert. A Dictionar?, Webster, Noah. An American Dictior~aryof the English of Americart English 011 Historic.al Principles. Chicago: Language. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1829, 1846. The University of Chicago, 1944. Worchester, Joseph E. Pronouncing, Explanatory, and Syn- Elting. John R. (et al.). A Dictionanl of Soldier Talk. New orlvrnous Dictionary of the English Larzguizge. Boston: York: The Scribner Press. 1984. Hickling, Swan, and Brown, 1856. Kersey, John. Dicrionarirrrn Anglo-Britannicum. London : . An Elementary Dictionary for the Common J. Wilde, 1 1 15. Schools. Boston: Hickling, Swan - Brewer, 1859. Library of Congress Collection. Histor?, of the U.S. Zortave Cadets, G.G.,Militar?, Champions of America. n.p. 1860. Lyman, Darryl. Civil War Wordbook. Conshohocken, PA: Steven Gimber is a veteran reeenactor of twenty years, Combined Books, Inc., 1994. and Ph. D candidate in American history at the Ameri- Mathews, Mitford M. A Dictionary of Americanisms on can University in Washington, D.C. He is a professor Historical Principles. Chicago: University of Chicago of History at Rowan College in Glassboro, New Jer- Press. 1956. sey, and a "sometime" employee for Stony Brook His- McCrum, Robert (et al.). The Story of English. New York: torical Uniformers. Elisabeth Sifton Books - Viking, 1986.

MAKING BOOK

Attention first sergeants. clerks. diarists. shopkeepers, and a half inch "orderly books." that, while a bit too large to sutlers and all others needing fit into a sack coat breast blank books! Mr. Jeny D. Koher, pocket, would fit nicely into ser- Old Northwest Freedom Press, geants' or officers' haversacks PO Box 21 8, Z. Hill Road. New or ladies' trunks. Ledger books Matamoros. OH 45767, is offer- of eight and a half inches by ing a line of such volumes. The eleven inches may be had as books feature covers of colorful well. We suggest that you con- marbled paper - the real, hand- tact Mr. Koher directly regard- made variety. not the photo- ing the binding options avail- grapnicall y reproduced stuff. able, but prices range from $20 The pages are of heavy unlined for orderly books with imitation off-white laid paper. Both imita- leather to $140 for ledgers full- tion and real leather bindings may bound in imported book calf be had - readers of Tlte Watch- leather - all plus shipping of dog will probably prefer the lat- course. Our sample showed ter, even though use of real leather some minor imperfections that increases the costs of the books very significantly. A couple did not detract at all from its appeal. of sizes are available. including eight and a half inch by five -- N. H. THE PICK OF THE LITTER

It's that time of year again! Just in time for your Christmas shopping for your favorite reenactor, The Watchdog offers a selection of Christmas goodies. We think these products are "the pick of the litter...."

A HANDY MANUAL WHAT'S COOKING? If you are looking for something to put in the stocking of Gadgets are fun. Civil War related gadgets are a lot of fun. your favorite Civil War reenacting officer, you will do no Allow us to recommend to you a gadget that is eminently use- better than to obtain a copy of Porode. Inspection ond Bosic ful - the "Patent Camp Stove" by Patrick Cunningham. 402 E\~olutionsof tlie Infontr?l Bnftaliori by Dominic J. Dal Bello East Main Street. Madison, IN 47250. ph. (812) 273-4193. (6750 El Colegio. #346. Goleta, CA 93 1 17; (805) 562-8482. The design of this sheet metal and tin device was taken from Price is $12.50 postage paid). Dal Bello has done our avoca- an 1861 patent document. The body is a sturdy double boiler tion a great service by preparing this summary of the tactics mounted atop a small firebox. Affixed to that are a bake- manuals used by Civil War soldiers and their modem-day oven. a broiler, and a flat surfaced flue atop which coffee pots emulators. The things reenactor officers really need to know and other cooking vessels can be made to boil merrily. The in order to command battalions or to serve as officers in bat- whole apparatus folds up and nests into two lightweight, eas- talions are presented here with clarity and authority. Non- ily carried components. commissioned officers, color bearers, guides, musicians, and A representative of The Watchdog and the publisher of a even corporals and privates will benefit from the study of this major Civil War reenacting magazine were present at the re- volume. cent initial field test of the camp stove. While there were some The illustrations, mainly charts showing movements of teething problems, they had no trouble sinking their teeth into companies and individuals in response to the various com- the steady parade of tasty victuals prepared on the little stove. mands, contribute much to the success of Dal Bello's com- The possibilities for providing means of civilized dining in the pendium. They are simple and comprehensible even to this field to officers' messes, hospitals, relief organization camps, writer, a sometime officer - sometimes confused by the charts and other deserving sites and souls. were immediately evident. in the original manuals. Some of the charts even show the Dozens of such stoves were patented during the Civil War subtle differences in how some maneuvers are to be done ac- years, but to our knowledge this is the first time a documented cording to the different manuals - Hardee and Casey. one has been made available in reproduction form. One delightful feature of the book is the "Contents and The "Patent Camp Stove" requires a lot of skill to manu- Cross References" section. This should provide a handy way facture, and expertise like that of Mr. Cunningham demands a of settling arguements about drill maneuvers in the field. price. But we think $300 is a fair one. Get one of these Evolutions are matched on a chart with references to the rel- devices. fire it up, and invite the staff of The Watchdog over evant pages in this book and to the manuals by Hardee, Casey, for dinner! and sometimes to other sources. Thus, if you want to know how to "ploy into closed column on 1st company," the chart sends you to page 47 of Dal Bello, page 1 17 of Hardee (Vol- ume II), and page 157 of Casey (Volume 11). HATS THAT ARE TOPS Some purists no doubt will object to some of Mr. Dal Bello's suggestions for ways of operating wish the reduced numbers Gentlemen, we have been wearing unsatisfactory haber- often available for reenactment battalions, but such compro- dashery! The top hats just about universally worn by mises as there are seem reasonable to this reviewer. reenactors have been made of wool felt, whereas most mid- All battalion commanders should pay heed to his admoni- 19th century toppers were made of beaver. There is a big tion, quoted from a period manual, that "errors in maneuver- difference in the appearance and feel of these two materials, ing should be corrected with patience and without noise; com- At last, beaver fur felt hats are available to us. Mr. Mike manders should not be too quick to correct insignificant er- McMiking, 179 Melville St., Dundas, Ontario, L9H 2A9, rors, else they cause unnecessary frustration resulting in more CANADA, ph. (4 16) 627-7492 will make one to fit you. At serious mistakes." $162.01 American, they ain't cheap. but these hats really are If you wear shoulder straps, chicken guts, or stripes, or a cut above the routine living history gentleman's headwear. just want to get to the basics of Civil War battalion drill in a Mr. McMiking offers a broad range of accurately reproduced, hurry, getting a copy of Porode, Inspecfion and Bosic Evolu- custom-made hats. and we recommend such of his wares as tions of the Infantry Bottalior~is no mistake. we have examined to our readers. IT'S A CROCK! A Few Sources for Food and Beverage Containers Let's think through some Civil War living history impres- Delft. Redware, & Stoneware at 32 Churchill Avenue. Ar- sions and scenarios... Let's say you are portraying civilian lington, MA 021 74; phone 5 17-548-2875. This little item refugees who tossed some victuals in the wagon before they goes for $12 plus 84 cents shipping. Ms. Smith's catalog is fled their homes. Or maybe you are in charge of a company full of beautiful reproduction items - but Civil War reenactors. mess in a winter camp or garrison and you need to store some look but don't touch! This ginger beer bottle is about the foodstuffs and beverages. Suppose you are acting the part of only thing offered appropriate to our era. a member of a foraging party that has just cleaned out some The sales shop of Conner Prairie, 13400 Allisonville Road, family's supply of pickles and preserves. Or perhaps you are Noblesville, IN 45050; phone 3 17-776-6000,can provide a just a fairly typical civilian reenactor who needs some contain- couple of very useful items made by hand on their site. Jars ers in camp - something a bit more convincing than the early with lids range in size and price from pint-size for $12 to (and sometimes middle or late) 20th century stuff the folks a gallon ones at $45. Pitchers are available, too. couple of tents down are using, or aMmore convincing than There are several other potters turning out salt-glazed stone- the modern-day containers those folks over there are trying ware useful to Civil War reenactors these days - Crocker & (sometimes) to hide under their blankets. In all these situa- Springer at PO Box 2 12, Elsah, IL 62028; phone 5 1 8-466- tions you need some appropriate mid-1 9th century containers 8322, being one of the better shops. Contact them directly - crocks, jugs, jars, and the like. for retail outlets and prices. If you need to store liquids, you need jugs. The gift shop at Exercise caution when buying stoneware, even from sites the Vicksburg National Military Park offers red earthenware like Conner Prairie. Not all the shapes and decorative motifs jugs in two sizes. Made by Jamestown Pottery, the jugs are offered today were available in the early 1860s. Obviously. similar to ones found aboard the gunboat Cniro. The large jug you want to avoid the hearts, cows, and windmills so popular (4-5983) costs $40 and the small jug (4-5984) goes for $20. with "country" decorators these days. We recommend a trip Contact Eastern National Parks and Monuments Association, to the library to familiarize yourself with the proper styles - a Vicksburg National Military Park, 3201 Clay Street, Vicksburg. topic a bit too detailed for proper illustration in the The Watch- MS 39 1 80; phone 60 1-635-0583. dog. Find a copy of Pottery and Porcelain by William C. You might want to knock back your favorite camp beverage Ketchum, Jr. (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1983). from a redware ginger beer bottle (#171) from Julia Smith -- N.H.

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