Remembering the Past, Educating the Future
Civil War Equipment
Uniforms and Equipment
The equipment we use as part of our impressions consist of the standard gear carried and used by soldiers during the Civil War. While ours are reproductions of the originals, they are good representations of the genuine articles. Our primary impressions are those of common soldiers of the 5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment, Company D, though we do occassionally portray other units and soldiers as part of living history displays and activities, including Berdan's 1st United States Sharpshooters, medical personnel, and Confederate soldiers.
For new recruits to our unit, it is best to start out portraying a private in the infantry arm of the Union Army, as this is a simple impression and one that will allow you to ease your way into the hobby, as several members have extra equipment that they may loan out for your use. The basic uniform consists of the following:
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Federal pattern sack coat or frock coat
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​Here is a link to an article written by one of our members which addresses the different uniforms of the Union.
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Wool shirt Sky blue wool trousers
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Braces (suspenders) Forage cap, hardee, or slouch hat
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Brogans Federal pattern haversack
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Federal pattern canteen 1858 patter cartridge box, with US plate and strap (with eagle plate)
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Bayonet with scabbard (depends upon weapon used) Cap pouch
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Waist belt with US belt buckle Personal items
The two most expensive pieces of equipment that you will purchase at some point in your reenacting journey are your weapon and your tent. Early on, the 5th Minnesota was equipped with the 1842 Springfield musket, so your bayonet and scabbard will need to conform to that weapon. However, some members of the unit may have the 1853 Enfield rifled musket, or the 1861 Springfield rifled musket. Depending on what you hope to do long term will determine which weapon you should purchase, as this is a significant investment, with most weapons costing over $650. The other item will be your tent. Depending upon size, a good A-frame canvas tent, should you go that route will run between $150-$200, depending upon source. For your first times out, especially if you are coming alone, it would be best to arrange to camp with a fellow Company member in their tent, as most A-frames can comfortably sleep two for a weekend event.
Tents
Civil War soldier slept in different kinds of tents. In the beginning of the war the army used wagons to haul large tents whenever the troops were on the move. After a while, the need for cavalry mounts left fewer horses to pull supply wagons.
The army then started to issue each infantry soldier "shelter halves." Each man would take his half of the tent and button it to another from one of his pards. Together the two men would make one small tent to live in. The men detested these tiny tents and said that they weren't fit for a dog, not to mention two men. And the term "dog tent" was born. Each man was expected to carry his half of the shelter tent when his unit was on the march. Some soldiers chose to throw their shelter halves away and sleep under a blanket or poncho.
The shelter tent replaced the common wedge tent. The wedge tent was about 6 feet high, 6 feet wide, and 6 feet deep. This tent historically slept 6 - 8 enlisted men or one junior officer. In colder months when troops were garrisoned for longer periods of time, men would "stockade" their tents by building up walls around the base of their tent with timbers and mud. They essentially made small log cabins and used their tents for roofs. These stockaded tents sometimes had fireplaces and used old barrels as chimneys. One Civil War veteran referred to a stockaded tent as "luxurious."
Again, sutlers sell all sorts of tents in different sizes, but we try to be as accurate as possible. The 6 foot wedge and shelter (dog) tent are the approved tents for the Civil War infantryman.
Below: The two larger tents on the left are 6 foot wedge tents while the three smaller tents on the right are dog tents (shelter tents).
An officer's wall tent.
Sometimes people have impressions that require a larger tent. There are some Civil War tents that are massive. Hospital tents and Sibley tents can house many people and take several people for setup. Although regulations stated that junior officers were permitted to keep a 6 foot wedge tent for themselves, it sometimes hapened that those affluent young men managed to commandeer a wall tent. Photographic evidence has shown that some junior officers would pitch one wall tent in front of another during the long winted months. The rear tent would act as a shared bedroom while th front tent became a lounge. Wall tents are usually reserved for impressions which would have such large accommodations such as officers, offices, depots, etc. Some people with larger families opt to purchase a wall tent to house the whole clan. These large tents can usually be set up in "Civilian camp" at larger events. This is simply to keep the military camp looking as authentic as possible.
Some events will allow Sibley tents to be pitched in military camp. One nice thing about the Sibley tent, it came with a stove. It was about 12 feet high and 18 feet in diameter. It was shaped like a cone with flap doors on one side. It slept about 12 enlisted men, each man laying his head at the tent's edge and pointing his feet towards to center stove. Although it was vented at the top, one soldier said that the number of men that shared the residence caused an offense to the nose that wouldn't soon be forgotten.
Equipment storage
When you are not at an event you'll have to store your equipment somewhere. Some people get large plastic bins, but these need to be kept in the car or out of sight at events and they take up a lot of room inside a tent. Thankfully for us the War Department provided us with a myriad of containers to choose from. We recommend that you store your equipment in Civil War period boxes. These wooden boxes breathe, unlike plastic tubs which can give your uniform and tent a stale smell. You don't want to sleep in a stinky tent, trust the author. The best part about using Civil War boxes to store your gear is that you have somewhere to sit! Plus it looks cool to have a bunch of extra stuff in camp and you can start packing gear immediately. No waiting for someone to go get the car with the tupperware.
When you pack your gear all together in one (or three) box(\(\(\(\(s) to go home after an event, rest assured that all of your gear will be there when you open it up for your next event. Some folks just toss equipment into the trunk of their car. That is how stuff gets lost. These boxes are costs effective and easy to make.
Check out these pictures from two of our most recent unit workshops. When everyone helps, we can get a lot done!
Crates and boxes are wonderful storage containers and add great flavor to the campsite. Ask about our work parties to make things like like these!
Camp Furniture
A historically accurate campsite takes hard work and it is a team effort. As the old argument goes, "If they had it they would've used it." Well, true. If they had it they would have used it, but they didn't have it so they didn't use it. If the soldier didn't have it, neither should we. An old reenactor once told me that reenacting is 90% illusion. We should hide or cover up all modern items when the public is around. We all bring out our modern conveniences like cell phones, insulin, and plastic wrapped food but we try to disguise it as best we can. As noted above, our boxes and crates make excellent authentic seating. Modern lawn furniture is not allowed. If you absolutely must ahve a chair there are examples of Civil War period folding seatery, but most soldiers discarded extra weight [please see B.A.R. of WW2].
Now, some events are more laid back than others. It is not uncommon for folks to bring out wood and canvas folding chairs to sit on at displays or around the campfire after the public has gone. All we are saying is that modern lawn furniture must stay out of sight during public hours at events where we are striving to portray a historically accurate Civil War military encampment.
NO!
NO!
Yes!
