Lined Federal Sack Coat

[jthlmnn]

While researching an ancestor who served in Co. A of "Thielemann's Cavalry", an all-German unit out of Chicago (later expanded into the 16th IL Cav.), I found a newspaper article, in German, that described their original uniform.
For enlisted men, this included knee length cavalry boots, black trowsers and red blouses "a la Garibaldi". (Taglische Illinois Staats-Zeitung, 6 August, 1861)

From the article it is difficult to say whether the cut of the blouse was like the "Garibaldi shirt" that laborers would wear, or if it was simply a military style blouse colored red. I have done online searches of Chicago and Illinois resources, but have not been able to locate an image of this uniform. Carlisle Barracks doesn't have any images from this period, either.

Can anyone provide an assist in either locating an image or providing some insight as to what this blouse may have looked like?

[Rob Weaver]

Black trousers with some sort of red shirt was quite common as a volunteer unit uniform in 1861; I can think of 3 other regiments outfitted that way, from very different parts of the country. My exegesis of the phrase "a la Garibaldi" would be to mean a red work shirt, worn loose over the top of the trousers. That's all the "uniform" of Garibaldi's men was. Garibaldi was quite the symbol of freedom and liberty in the north, especially among European immigrants, which your German company was. They were tapping into a cultura; image, there. I don't think the country was awash in military style red coats in the summer of '61, so the second option is less likely. Few of those red and black uniformed units wore that for very long, most getting a state-issued, then a Federal-issued uniform in fairly short order.

[jthlmnn]

The work shirt over the trousers, as Garibaldi's men wore them would make sense. I believe many of the enlistees were either middle-aged 48ers, like my 3x great uncle (enlisted at age 37), or their sons. Garibaldi would have been a hero for them. The notion of a more "military" cut came from knowing that a number of them had already done their mandatory military service in Prussia, and may have carried over that style. The totally unknown factor is the headgear. There is no mention of hats in the article.

Any photos I have found were mid-to-late war, and, yes, the men are wearing more of a standard Federal uniform. My guess is the red and black did not even make it to the winter of '61. I'll bet the boots lasted a lot longer.

Thanks for your assistance, and I'll keep searching for an image.

[GreencoatCross]

Here's a link to a page where you will find a good image of Garibaldi wearing the style of shirt that bore his name. There are originals of this style in a museum collection or two and detailed photos of them show that the white trim is a double-corded wool called soutache. They also have a neat little scalloped fold-back cuff, "inserted" trapezoidal placket, wide shirt body front that is gathered into the shoulder yoke, and a small interior watch pocket on the left side. If you click on the portrait you'll see all of these details.

http://www.sc.edu/library/spcoll/hist/garib/garib.html

This style may work for you better than just a regular old overshirt. It's definitely distinct and is culturally identifiable.

[jthlmnn]

Here's a link to a page where you will find a good image of Garibaldi wearing the style of shirt that bore his name.

Thanks, Brian. Its a great image. Now its easier to feature what the men may have looked like at the start. Down the road I may even try to piece the uniform together. To that end, a friend has offered to make a shirt like that, if I can locate a pattern. Then there's the question of the undescribed headwear. Looks like I'll have research enough to keep me busy for a while.

[Pvt Schnapps]

You might find this website interesting. The link should take you directly to a picture of Turnverein troops in Missouri wearing a gray battle shirt:
http://www.gtg1848.de/

Also, at the risk of blowing up your computer, here's a photo of German troops in Company C of the 41st NY (fon the Library of Congress website). They began the war uniformed and equipped as Prussian jagers, but by the summer of '62, when this was taken, they were wearing NY state jackets and kersey trowsers. Note, however, that most of them are still wearing their tall boots and Prussian leathers:
http--memory.loc.gov-master-pnp-cwpb-04000-04017u.tif.url

[jthlmnn]

You might find this website interesting. The link should take you directly to a picture of Turnverein troops in Missouri wearing a gray battle shirt:
http://www.gtg1848.de/


I did some exploring around the site and its links. This will come in very handy with other areas of research.

Herzlichen Dank!