| Clothing |
| Hunting shirt |
The mark of the backcountry. A long, loose frock of linen or linsey-woolsey that reaches to mid-thigh, worn
over everything else and belted, open down the front or pulled on over the head, often with a short cape at the
shoulders and fringe at the edges. Natural linen, or dyed brown, butternut, or a dull purple or blue. The most
important single piece you'll own. |
| Shirt |
Long and full, of white or checked linen, with a narrow collar and cuffs. You'll sleep in it. |
| Breeches or trousers |
Knee breeches of wool, linen or leather, closed at the knee with buttons and a buckle or ties, or long, loose
trousers of linen. Both were worn. Fall front, not a fly. |
| Leggings |
Wool leggings in the Indian fashion, from ankle to above the knee, tied with garters below the knee. They keep
off brush, briars and ticks, and in our country they are worth their weight in gold. |
| Stockings |
Wool, knee-length. Two pairs. |
| Hat |
A round, wide-brimmed felt hat is the simplest and the most useful. A cocked hat, a knit cap or a kerchief tied
round the head are all fine. Ask before you buy. |
| Shoes or moccasins |
Leather shoes made on a straight last (no right or left foot), closed with buckles or ties; or plain
center-seam moccasins, which many backcountry men wore. Good shoes are the one thing worth spending real money on.
Your feet will tell you why. |
| Neck cloth, waistcoat |
A linen kerchief or stock for the neck. A plain wool or linen waistcoat is welcome but not required. |
| Equipment |
| Haversack |
A linen bag with a flap and a strap, for your food and small things. Worn on the left hip. |
| Canteen |
A small wooden canteen, the round "cheese box" kind, or a tin one, on a leather or linen strap. |
| Powder horn and shot pouch |
A cow horn, scraped thin, with a wooden plug, on a strap; and a leather pouch for your flints, a vent pick,
a little tow and your cartridges. On the field you load from cartridges; the horn stays stoppered. |
| Musket or rifle |
A reproduction flintlock: a British "Brown Bess," a French musket of the kind sent to the Americans, a plain
fowling piece, or a long rifle of the Pennsylvania type. Expect to pay from $500 to $1,000 for a good one. It must
pass Corporal Staten's inspection before it goes on the field. Don't buy one until you've fired a loaner for a season
and had some advice. There is a lot of junk out there. |
| Camp and mess |
A wool blanket (two in winter), a tin cup, a wooden or tin plate or bowl, a spoon and a knife. Later on, a share
in a tent; the company has loaners. |
What NOT to Buy
- A coonskin cap. I know. Everyone wants one. They belong to the television, not to the Carolina militia of
1780. Leave it on the shelf.
- A tricorn with gold trim from the gift shop at a historic site. It's a souvenir, not a hat.
- Anything synthetic: polyester "colonial" shirts, nylon, plastic buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop
fasteners. Besides looking wrong, synthetics melt and stick to you near a fire.
- Civil War gear. Brogans, forage caps, cartridge boxes with brass "U.S." plates. Eighty years too late. You'd
be surprised how often we see it.
- A costume-shop "pirate" or "pilgrim" outfit. Close, but no.
- A musket, your first season. See above.
And in camp, during public hours: no wristwatches, no sunglasses, no aluminum lawn chairs, no soda cans. Keep
the modern things in a covered basket or in the car. After hours, by the fire, we're less particular.
|
GeoCities.us
» Pentagon » Parade
