Louisiana Tigers - Pants

[Hinkel]

Hey guys,

I have a question to the civil war buffs out in the forum.
The Louisiana Zouaves had some fancy pants, with blue stripes.

Looking at various reenactment groups and references, they either have slim stripes, sometimes thick stripes.
Anyone know the history behind it? Whats the most accurate, for the Maryland Campaign?

3315

3316

[Willy The Walrus]

WIKI

With the deal cut, all commands, including the Old Dominion Guards (which was originally assembled across from the prestigious St. Charles Hotel), moved their constituent recruiting stations to Captain White’s on Front Levee Street and recruitment became a shared task. To attract even more bellicose souls to his nascent battalion, men who “were actuated more by a spirit of adventure and love of plunder than by love of country,” or who filibuster General Henningsen once proclaimed “thought little of charging a battery, pistol in hand,” Wheat christened his command “the Tiger Battalion.” He then extolled his volunteers, led by Captain White’s large company of Tiger Rifles who had “painted a motto or picture of some sort on [their]…broad brimmed…hat[s] such as: A picture of Mose, preparing to let fly with his left hand and fend with his right, and the words, ‘Before I Was a Tiger,’” to continue to comb the docks, thoroughfares, alleyways, hotels, poor houses, and jails of the New Orleans waterfront for more recruits. Other slogans that the Tiger Rifles painted on their hats included: “Tiger Bound for Happy Land,” “Tiger Will Never Surrender,” “A Tiger Forever,” “Tiger in Search of a Black Republican,” or “Lincoln’s Life or a Tiger’s Death.”[5]

While the men of the ad hoc battalion continued to attract more recruits—and in some instances impressing “known Yankees” into service, shaving their heads—Wheat worked through the Ladies Volunteer Aid Association of New Orleans to help uniform the Walker Guards, the Delta Rangers, and the Old Dominion Guards in red flannel “battle” or “Garibaldi” shirts and jean-wool trousers “of the mixed color known as pepper and salt.” For headgear, the men apparently retained their own broad brimmed hats of various earthy tones (except Henry Gardner’s Delta Rangers who were reportedly presented with gray or blue wool kepis and white cotton havelocks). Harry Chaffin’s Rough and Ready Rangers were reportedly uniformed in light gray wool jackets and trousers with matching kepis.[6]

The Tiger Rifles received their uniforms from A. Keene Richards, a wealthy New Orleans businessman. Because he was “so impressed by their drill and appearance” at Camp Davis, Richards elected to outfit White’s company in the Zouave fashion, viz.: dark blue wool Zouave jackets with red cotton trim (no sereoul), distinctive red fezzes with red tassels, red flannel band collar shirts with five white porcelain buttons, and outlandish “Wedgwood blue and cream” one-and-one-half-inch vertically striped cottonade ship pantaloons that would become their signature. They were also provided with blue and white horizontally striped stockings and white canvas leggings.[7]

Most of the lieutenants and captains of the battalion more than likely uniformed themselves in dark blue wool single breasted frock coats or short jackets with matching trousers, red or blue wool kepis with stiff black leather bills, red officers’ sashes, and white canvas leggings worn over or under the trousers. The officers of the Tiger Rifles most probably wore blue wool single-breasted short jackets with red or blue wool trousers, white canvas leggings, and red wool kepis. Wheat chose to wear the uniform of a field grade officer in the Louisiana Volunteer Militia, viz.: a red kepi bedecked with appropriate Austrian gold lace, a double-breasted dark blue wool frock coat with brass shoulder scales, and red wool trousers. He also sported a buff general’s sash, no doubt to commemorate his past commissions in the Mexican and Italian armies.[8]

While Wheat, Richards, and the ladies were gathering the uniforms, the company commanders arranged to have guidons, banners, or full-blown battle flags made for their units. The Walker Guards’ banner was made of “blue silk with a white crescent in the center.” The Tiger Rifles’ flag consisted of a “gamboling lamb” device with “Gentle As” written derisively above it. The Delta Rangers’ flag, which became the battalion’s color at the battle of Manassas by “the luck of the draw,” was a rectangular silk “Stars and Bars” with eight celestial points in a circular pattern. As the five companies were being filled and uniformed, Wheat moved his volunteers to Camp Walker at the Metaire (pronounced met-are-E) Race Course/Fairgrounds in the center of the city near Carondolet Canal and Bayou John. On May 10, 1861, Wheat was elected major by his fellow company commanders (Obedia Miller becoming captain of the Old Dominion Guards) and state officials officially recognized his battalion. On May 14 the battalion was moved eighty miles north by rail to Camp Moore in Saint Helena Parish, near the town of Tangipahoa and the Mississippi border. The encampment, named after Louisiana’s secessionist governor Thomas Overton Moore, was the central depot for organizing, training, and mustering Louisiana volunteer units for Confederate service.[9]

Upon arrival, the Tigers were issued newly fabricated Louisiana Pelican Plate or fork-tongue belts, cartridge boxes, cap boxes, and knapsacks which were manufactured by the New Orleans-based Magee and Kneass or James Cosgrove Leather Companies. They were also issued their weapons. While the Walker Guards, the Delta Rangers, the Old Dominion Guards, and the Rough and Ready Rangers seem to have been issued either M1842 muskets or aged M1816 conversion muskets with socket bayonets, the men of the Tiger Rifles, Wheat’s chosen skirmishers, were issued the coveted M1841 “Mississippi” Rifle, made by the Robbins and Lawrence Gun Company of Connecticut. Governor Moore’s insurgents had seized these accurate weapons, among the best in service at the time, from the Federal Arsenal at Baton Rouge in January 1861. To offset their absence of bayonets, the Tigers were either issued or brought along their own Bowie-style knife or ship cutlasses, implements which were described as “murderous-looking…with heavy blades…twenty inches long with double edged points…and solid long handles.”[10]

other sources

The pants blue and white verticle stripes with the with the horizontal strips on the button cuffs, was the cloth commisioned and woven this way or was this a Large lot of cloth found in a ware ouse and used because there was so much of it.
The Algerians wore their traditional, flamboyant uniforms during their French service, inspiring a sartorial style that was duplicated by Northern and Southern regiments during the Civil War. To uniform his Tigers as Zouaves, Wheat enlisted the support of A. Keene Richards, a wealthy New Orleans businessman and one of Wheat’s former filibuster financiers. The men were issued red wool fezzes with blue tassels; loose-fitting red woolen, placketed battle shirts; red woolen sashes; dark-blue wool, waist-length Zouave jackets with red trim; blue-and-white striped sailor’s socks; blue-and-white striped cotton pantaloons cut in the baggy Zouave fashion; white canvas leggings and black leather grieves.

Wheat uniformed himself in a dark-blue, double-breasted frock coat and trousers and looked much like a field grade officer in the U.S. Army. He also sported a buff general’s sash to commemorate his filibuster commission in the Mexican and Italian armies. For headgear, he wore a red, French-style kepi bedecked with gold lace to denote his rank.

By early April 1861, all the New Orleans units that intended to volunteer for Confederate service gathered at the Metairie racetrack, two miles northwest of the waterfront. There, Wheat’s men were issued Model 1841 “Mississippi” rifles that had been seized from the U.S. arsenal at Baton Rouge in January 1861 and large bowie-style knives. With their new weapons and accouterments, mostly Mexican War surplus, the Tigers were quickly introduced to military drill and discipline by Wheat. Once drill was over, the Tigers drank, played cards or fought, often disrupting camp.

couldnt find anything specificly on the striped pants though my thought is that it has something to do with the companies though I think it would be picture 2.

[Legion]

I haven't found much info on it, but all the historical paintings I've seen show them as having the thick stripes, i know that they never had those skinny stripes that you posted.
There is also a sketch in harpers weekly of wheats tigers Ill find it for you and post it here.

Also, I know I've asked this alot but are you ever going to make the actual 1st Louisiana Zouave uniform? It most likely wasn't around for Antietam but I was just wondering.

3317

Here is a sketch that was done during the civil war, as you can see the stripes look to be on the thick side so I recommend keeping them as the thick version, that way it's more accurate.

Looks like Louisiana is getting some attention:D
P.S. If you need any more info on Louisiana troops just come to me;) I focus all my study on Louisiana in the AnV.

[A. P. Hill]

Picture 1 looks like someone who didn't do his research very well.

Picture 2 is da bomb!

[Hiram Lee]

and orange stripes mixed in with the blue i think dont know a lot about rebel zouaves sorry

[Legion]

and orange stripes mixed in with the blue i think dont know a lot about rebel zouaves sorry

That never happened, only blue and white. Don't know how it started but there is a ton of inaccurate drawings and models of the Tigers showing them with red, white, and blue stripes, but this never happened.

[Hinkel]

Also, I know I've asked this alot but are you ever going to make the actual 1st Louisiana Zouave uniform? It most likely wasn't around for Antietam but I was just wondering.
.

Yes, the uniform is being made right now.
I just need some more references, so you helped me alot ;)

[Legion]

Yes, the uniform is being made right now.
I just need some more references, so you helped me alot ;)

Cool, Just to clear things up, the uniform with the stripe pants is not the 1st LA Zouave uniform. Sry if you already knew that, I'm kinda confused by the wording lol

Also, I'm happy I could help, if you need anything else just let me know:D

[Hinkel]

Ohh, I mean.. the Wheat Tigers uniform is being made.
Without the red pants.

[Legion]

Ohh, I mean.. the Wheat Tigers uniform is being made.
Without the red pants.

Ah, rgr that. Well at least it will still be pretty accurate since Wheats Tigers and the 1st La Zouaves were merged after Wheats death.
The 1st LA Zouave uniform didn't last very long into the war anyways.
Maybe if yall add earlier battles you could make it.

Still, I'm happy to hear that at least half of the uniform will represented:D Great work so far.

Also just for reference just in case you need it,

1st Louisiana Special Battalion- Blue or brown zouave jacket with red trim, Striped pants, horizontal stripe stockings, red shirt, red fez with blue or red tassel. White Gaiters.

1st Louisiana Zouave Battalion- Blue zouave jacket with yellow/gold trim,blue shirt, red pants, blue sash around waist, red fez with blue tassel, white gaiters, and black shin gaurds? dont know what they're called lol

I know it's not the complete uniforms but it gives you an idea how each one looked

[Hiram Lee]

thank you that helps expand my knowledge of the civil war which i always look forward to doing and its been about 6 years since i reenacted with rebel zouaves

to legion

[Legion]

Happy to help.:D