Rhino Co | 12 Nov 2014 9:00 p.m. PST |
Doing some research and found my great-great grand father on my mothers side was a private in the 10th Regiment New York Heavy Artillery. I see they were converted to Infantry, removed from the defenses of Washington, D. C. and went campaigning in 1864. What uniform would they have been wearing? Frock coats piped red? Sack coats? |
TKindred | 12 Nov 2014 9:12 p.m. PST |
I'd err on the side of caution and use sack coats and forage caps. the officers would have red shoulder boards, of course, and all of the NCO's would have red stripes and chevrons. If you like, and really want some dressed-up soldiers, you could use dress coats with red piping for the color guard folks. Remember that the colors are artillery ones of infantry size. Yellow field with gold crossed cannon, etc. Absent specific evidence of them wearing something other than sack coats, I'd go with that as my default. After all, the regulars left their dress coats behind when they went into the field, wearing sack coats and forage caps, so I suspect that the Heavy Artillery followed suit. Oh, one last point: The 1st Sgts would be using the Artillery sword (looks like a Roman gladius) instead of the M1840 NCO sword. Anyway, that's my 2-cent's worth. V/R |
TKindred | 12 Nov 2014 9:27 p.m. PST |
Image of 3 soldiers of a Heavy Artillery unit in the field. This would be in 1864 or 1865. From left to right, the first two are wearing fatigue blouses and caps (sack coats) while the 3rd man has a cap and a shell jacket. 2 men have crossed cannons of their caps, while the center man's cap is unadorned. Note, however, that he is wearing a silver 6th corps cross on his blouse.
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TKindred | 12 Nov 2014 9:33 p.m. PST |
The order of battle for 6th corps at Petersburg shows both the 2nd CT Heavy Arillery and the 9th NY heavy Artillery assigned to it, so these men could be from either regiment. |
genew49 | 12 Nov 2014 9:47 p.m. PST |
Don't know if you've seen this from the NY State Military Museum: link |
ScottWashburn | 13 Nov 2014 3:25 a.m. PST |
Apparently when some of the heavy artillery regiments first took the field they were looking pretty spiffy. Not only frock coats, but their brass shoulder scales as well. Quite a few of those have been dug up on the battlefields. I imagine those disappeared fairly quickly, though. |
Cleburne1863 | 13 Nov 2014 4:20 a.m. PST |
If I were to paint up a HA regiment, I'd do it as they might have first appeared on the field. Frock coats with red piping. I have plenty of units in totally accurate sack coats and forage caps. Some variety is fun, especially when there is historical evidence to back it up (brand new HA to the field regiments with frock coats). |
Rhino Co | 13 Nov 2014 7:28 p.m. PST |
genew49 – My sister gave me the unit and I hit the very site you suggest and was able to pull up an incredible amount of info. Lacking was information on the uniforms and colors for the 10th. Thanks for the photo and analysis. I'll poke around some more and make a decision shortly. As Cleburne1863 posted, I have sack coats aplenty and pretty Zouaves. Aside for some Marines with white cross belts and frock coats, a few frocks piped red would be an eye opener. |
Cleburne1863 | 13 Nov 2014 8:01 p.m. PST |
So would the yellow regimental flags. |
Rhino Co | 13 Nov 2014 8:34 p.m. PST |
I'll get the "Old Gunny" on the flags with a yellow regimental. Thanks Cleburne1863. |
TKindred | 14 Nov 2014 6:26 a.m. PST |
Here's your basic, regulation example of a Heavy Artillery flag. Note that there were some minor (and some major) variations used, mostly from state to state, but this is what the US regulations described. Barring an image of the 10th's actual colours, this wouldn't be a bad one to copy. link
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TKindred | 14 Nov 2014 6:31 a.m. PST |
As to wearing the dress coats in the field, while I would argue that it wasn't an ordinary thing, they are, after all, YOUR minis, and I will NEVER get in the way of anyone's idea of what their own armies should look like on the tabletop. |
Rhino Co | 14 Nov 2014 11:49 a.m. PST |
KIndred – thanks for the info. I went to the New York state museum site above and the 10th regiment was conspicuous by its absence. I'll forward the image to the Old Gunny. |
Cleburne1863 | 14 Nov 2014 7:49 p.m. PST |
I don't know if you saw, but the brigade serving under this brigade flag from the Army of the James was composed of the 6th and 10th HA regiments. link |