Developing a Hospital Steward impression

[NoahBriggs]

"As long as you can laugh at something - anything - you are not defeated."

US Air Force meteorologist stuck on Soviet-occupied Iceland, Red Storm Rising

Good philosophy - and one to which I attempt to adhere, even if I give the impression of having little, if any, sense of humor.

[Hospital Stew]

Noah,

Thank you for the advice and sharing your experience. As a "newbie" I appreciate your time. You're a great teacher.

Dan Burch

[NoahBriggs]

You are welcome!

If I ain't learnin', then I ain't teachin'.

[2nd_mi_johnny]

1454. The uniform coat for all enlisted foot men, shall be a single-breasted frock of dark blue cloth, made without plaits, with a skirt extending one-half the distance from the top of the hip to the bend of the knee; one row of nine buttons on the breast, placed at equal distances; stand-up collar, to rise no higher than to permit the chin to turn freely over it, to hook in front at the bottom and then to slope up and backward at an angle of thirty degrees on each side; cuffs pointed according to pattern, and to button with two small buttons at the under seam; collar and cuffs edged with a cord or welt of cloth as follows, to wit: Scarlet for Artillery; sky-blue for Infantry; yellow for Engineers; crimson for Ordnance and Hospital stewards. On each shoulder a metallic scale according to pattern; narrow lining for skirt of the coat of the same color and material as the coat; pockets in the folds of the skirts with one button at each hip to range with the lowest buttons on the breast; no buttons at the ends of the pockets.

1553. For a Hospital Steward--a half chevron of the following description,--viz.: of emerald green cloth, one and three-fourths inches wide, running obliquely downward from the outer to the inner seam of the sleeve, and at an angle of about thirty degrees with a horizontal, parallel to, and one-eighth of an inch distant from, both the upper and lower edge, an embroidery of yellow silk one-eighth of an inch wide, and in the centre a "caduceus" two inches long, embroidered also with yellow silk, the head toward the outer seam of the sleeve.

1489. For Hospital Stewards the cord will be of buff and green mixed. The wreath in front of brass, with the letter U.S. in Roman, of white metal. Brim to be looped up to side of hat with a brass eagle, having a hook attached to the bottom to secure the brim-on the right side for mounted men and left side for foot men. The feather to be worn on the side opposite the loop

1506. For all Sergeant Majors, Quartermaster Sergeants, Ordnance Sergeants, Hospital Stewards, First Sergeants, Principal or Chief Musicians and Chief Buglers-red worsted sash, with worsted bullion fringe ends; to go twice around the waist, and to tie hind the left hip, pendent part not to extend more than eighteen inches below the tie.

1472--For Enlisted Men, except companies of Light Artillery--dark blue cloth; sergeants with a stripe one and one-half inch wide; corporals with a stripe one-half inch wide, of worsted lace, down and over the outer seam, of the color of the facings of the respective corps.

1473. Ordnance Sergeants and Hospital Stewards--stripe of crimson lace one and one-half inch wide.

some helpfull uniform guide lines from the 1861 revized army rules and regulations in regaurds to the Hospital steward uniform. So if you can find a heavy artillery/ordenance frock, it is infact the same frock that would have been used by hospital stewards for dress uniforms. and... on a side note, you can get the Crimson Stripe and the dress jacket stripes sewn on and all from the Quartermaster shop of Port Huron, Michigan. If you buy threw Jeff you'll sae over buying from Fallcreek Sutlery, because he's their main supplier. A page I found and I'd like to give a shout out too is this guys.

http://www.geocities.com/hospital_st...?1032410457340

He's done real nice with it.. Hope it helps

[2nd_mi_johnny]

Unofficially I would not be surprised if a steward might have had a small holdout pistol. I don't condone it myself- it may not necessarily "over the top" but it can distract from the primary purpose of the impression, which is to show the steward was a pharmacist and paper-pusher. You are unlikely to see personal guns on the stewards because of the surrounding security of other regiments and the provost.

I was taughtby my mentor that it also depended on the situation, for example if a hospital steward was assigned to the task of standing gaurd over the medical stores, He would have had the option of a pistol for that reason. Though this was as I have been braught to understand more intended as a deturant for the over ambisious wounded soldier. Also a hospital steward BEING an NCO was expected to act as a File Closer, meaning part of his job would be to provent desersions by the walking wounded.


Thats just what I was told being braught up in the field as a hospital steward. Also I will point out I was trained as a REGIMENTAL Hospital steward, Not a Hospital Corp hospital steward. (The important differance being that one is apointed by the Surgeon General staff, and the other is recomended by his Units Surgeon.)

[TimKindred]

Comrade,

Buying through Jeff or fall Creek is throwing away your money on costumes vice uniforms. The QM ship makes and incredibly well-made and strongly-sewn article, but it is NOT an accurate uniform by anymeans other than coincidence.

HS dress coats had crimson piping, a darker red, almost wine color, than the scarlet of the heavy artillery. To date, I know of no one except perhaps Historic Clothiers who can reproduce this coat accurately. Even then, it would require you to purchase the material for the trim from, say, Wooded Hamlet, and then dye it yourself, as no one currently makes the correct crimson trim material. Using a Heavy Artillery coat would be incorrect.

For what it's worth, and I will reiterate again the historical advice, unless you are portraying a Hospital Steward in a general hospital, your most accurate coat will be a fatigue blouse, with your half-chevrons sewn upon the sleeves, and a forage cap or plain hat.

For the very best in HS half-chevrons, contact Wendy Osman, or go through Orchard Hill Sutlery, which also carries her wares.

Lastly, there are many extant images in the field of HS's wearing either the fatigue blouse, or the mounted services jacket sans trim, with the half-chevrons attached, as well as two other variations. One is an oval emblem of green wool with the cadeuces sewn in yellow silk upon it, approx 6" X 4". the other is shown below in the attached image.

Respects,

[NoahBriggs]

The important differance being that one is apointed by the Surgeon General staff, and the other is recomended by his Units Surgeon.

Ideally all Steward's appointments were to be approved by the SG. In many cases, though, a stew could be appointed Acting Hospital Steward by the battalion's commander when the usual bureaucracy was too cumbersome (ie, they need one now on campaign).

Also a hospital steward BEING an NCO was expected to act as a File Closer, meaning part of his job would be to provent desersions by the walking wounded.

That's the job of the first through fifth sergeants and the corporals. And the Provost Marshal, since everyone seems to forget about them for some reason. Again, the steward is a battalion NCO, on staff, taking orders from the surgeons wherever the hospital is, and does not have time to be deserter-herder.

Again, I reiterate - the ordnance NCOs and the medical NCOs were two separate departments. The fact they were staff NCOs means their uniform coats will be trimmed in crimson, not artillery red. Something Brother Tim was reiterating in his last post as well.

I confess I am stupid. (Math was mayhem in my disorganized mind.) Too stupid for sublety, it seems. Hence I am still puzzled why there is lingering over details like armed stewards and bloody cuffs, when several of us just expanded the biblio and laid out some good clues on making bandage rollers.

Post scriptus:
For a while I wore the fatigue blouse with the chevrons on it, because it was a cheap alternative to a $350 Jarny frock. I wound up getting the $350 jarny frock anyway, and I sold off the blouse when I shed my infantry kit. I mention Jarnagin's products because I want you all to understand that I may come across as an accuracy tight-*ss but my kit is not perfect in any sense of the word.

I keep the stew's frock because:

A) relic of old decency.

B) Occasionally I guess I might be a stew at an event, but it's rare. Unless some of you gents want to join me on staff at upcoming events/LHs, at which point I'll be your stew to boss around for the weekend, with a constructive debrief after the event's conclusion.

C) I cannot sell it off, because nobody wants a tight, proper-fitting size 38 frock coat when they could have the poorly-made loose version that fits (in the modern sense). Gods forbid we should try for accurate clothing with proper nineteenth century fit.

More demerits towards forum banishment. Bring it on, baby.

[TimKindred]

Noah,

When appearing as a stewardm I usually wear the blouse, for the reasons I alluded to in my earlier post. It was simply suggested by those in charge that it was a better garment for both field use, as well as for use when working in the wards, etc, especially when there was a chance of it being stained by various fluifd, chemicals, etc.

I won't ever tell about your frock.. Besides that, it's amazing how many folks who claim to be such experts in clothing can't tell who makes what, when worn properly. Certainly there are some bad items out there, especially the Barney coats, but in a crown, I don't think you'll have too many complaining about it. And I'd love to be able to wear a 38 again.....

Respects,