Recommended Uniforms and Info
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Recommended Uniforms and InfoNote: You must be at least 16 years of age to carry arms with the unit on the battlefield.
Confederate Uniforms
1. Forage cap, kepi or felt slouch hat
2. Shell jacket or 4 button sack coat made of wool or jean cloth(grey, butternut)
3. Trousers made of wool or jean cloth (grey, butternut or wool, sky blue kersey)
4. Suspenders, period construction, leather or canvas
5. Brogans (shoes) or black square-toed cavalry boots
6. Shirt, period pattern and construction
7. Cap pouch leather (black or russet)
8. Holster, military type, leather (black or russet)
9. Carbine cartridge box leather (black or russet)
10. Canteen, period construction
11. Haversack white or black tarred, period construction
12. Any period pistol Recommended is an 1858 Army Remington .44 or 1860 Army Colt .36/.44 (Remington is recommended for mounted men)
13. Period rifle, carbine, shotgun (not cut down) Recommend a period carbine.
14. Tin plate
15. Utensils, 19th century pattern and construction
16. Tent, heavy white canvas duck, A-frame, or shelter half (dog tent), wall tent, period stakes and poles. (Optional! Some troopers perfer to sleep outside under the stars and cold, campaign style)!
17. Waist belt with a brass lead filled CS (or US worn upside down
stands for Southern Nation) belt buckle, leather (black or russet)
18. Period eye glasses if you need them.
Note: Recommend that all your leather be black in case you ever have to portray a Yankee soldier.
Uniform Info
Uniforms
Because we represent the armies of the Western and Trans-Mississippi theaters of the war, we recommend that you not use shell jackets with epaulets, colored cuffs or collars, belt loops or trim. All you need is a mixed gray or butternut (wool or jean cloth) shell jacket and trousers. Another good choice for trousers is sky-blue wool (captured Yankee trousers). You don't need the mounted type, infantry type is just fine. Plain white suspenders, a black waist belt with a CSA lead filled buckle or a US lead filled buckle worn upside down reads Southern Nation. A couple pairs of wool socks. A 3 or 4 button period shirt or a fireman's shirt. That takes care of putting clothes on your back and bottom, now for your head and feet. A pair of brogans or square toed cavalry boots. No cowboy boots! They weren't invented till after the war. To cover your head a kepi, forage cap or a black, brown or gray slouch hat (it is very comfortable). No stetsons! Well now you look like a soldier lets get you some arms to carry into battle.
Check out C & C Sutlery they usually have a uniform special that's very reasonable. Their uniform special is a really good buy for new reenactors that have nothing to start with. It includes shirt, trousers, suspenders, waist belt, hat, and shell jacket.
Weapons
For the dismounted (without a horse) trooper we recommend a long gun as your first choice of weapon. One with a short barrel, mainly because most of the shooting you'll be doing will be kneeling down on one leg and it's very hard to load those long barrel rifles when kneeling. We like the J.P.Murray, the Cooke and Brothers, Enfield Musketoon and what some of the troopers are going for is the Mississippi Rifle .58 caliber which is somewhat longer, but is also historicaly correct. Also we recommend a sling for whatever you get. You won't need a bayonet or saber. Dismounted troopers also should get a haversack (white or black) cap pouch (black), and a cartridge box (black).
Pistols, this is the first weapon a mounted trooper needs. A Remington 1858 Army .44 Cal. either steel or brass frame. We like the Texas brass frame and you can get one for around $100 from Cabelas. 1851 Colt Navy .36 or .44 Cal. brass or steel frame. Wherever you buy your ball and cap pistol make sure they also sell spare cylinders for it, mounted troopers change alot of cylinders during a battle. Mounted troopers will eventually want to get a saber and scabbard, it adds to the fun and excitement (saber fights)! An 1860 Army will do fine. You'll also need a holster to put that pretty pistol in. One with a flap and black in color, it is worn on your right hip with the butt of the pistol facing forward. There, now we have everyone looking and feeling like Confederate troopers we'll go on to other niceties.
For the mounted Trooper
You'll also need a saddle, bridle, halter, saddle blanket and lead line. Optional things are a link line, breastcollar, crupper, surcingle (it's like having a seat belt for your saddle, highly recommended). You'll eventually want a pommel holster to carry two more pistols in. I've seen some mounted troopers carry six pistols or more. When you portray Missouri Guerillas it's actually a good portrayal if you carry 6 to 10 of them! The recommended saddle is the 1859 McClellan Army saddle, there are a few other types that are acceptable (like a Hope). As you see, it cost more to portray a mounted trooper, with all the extra gear needed. But I believe it's more fun than marching and you can see how well trained and brave that wonderful creature is you own. Cannon fire doesn't seem to bother them much. It's the small arms fire! Believe it or not. But they get used to it. After you join up I'll tell you how to train your wonderful steed for small arm firing, just like they did in the war. I got it straight out of a cavalry tactics book and it worked for my horse.
Other items you'll want to get
Canteen (absolute necessity for a dismounted trooper), tin cup, tin plate, knife fork, spoon, camp stool, gauntlets (mounted men), poncho, spurs (mounted men) and a tent.
Before you purchase anything talk with one of our veterans to make sure you get what your wanting at a fair price. Naturally no one can afford to get all this stuff at once. We don't expect it. Some of us have loner gear we lend out at events. About the only thing we can't supply you with is footwear.
For the Ladies and Children
The best information I can give you is get on the internet and search for civil war sutlers. Many have web sites to look at clothing and such. If you can sew they also sell numerous patterns for making clothes for yourself and youngsters and even sell patterns for soldiers uniforms. Sewing your own is the best way to save money in this hobby.
Getting Started
The best way to get started is by filling out the 2nd Missouri Cavalry Membership Application and talking with some of the folks in our unit, either buy phone or e-mail. One of us grizzled ole' vets in the 2nd MO Cav will be happy to answer the hundreds of questions that everyone new to the hobby has. So get started now and fill out that form and join up and ride to glory with the 2nd Missouri Cavalry Co.B CSA and help us in our fight in the War for Southern Independence!
Recommended Uniforms and Info
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