Original 79th New York Kilt & Sporran

[NorCalPiper]

PM sent

[Jack Daw]

Great pictures. Thanks for the post.

[OC Richard]

Thanks so much for posting those photos!

I saw that stuff in person by seperated by glass! It must have been awsome to actually be able to touch that stuff.

I have a set of very detailed diagrams/drawings which were drawn by a person who had access to those relics. I had my L&M sporran done exactly to those diagrams.

For some reason, many people ignore that original prewar uniform, and all the photos which corroborate it, such as these:





and instead base their 79th NY uniform on the POSTwar uniform, which was different. Probably because there are two nicely preserved postwar uniforms in museums, the Atlanta uniform and the Albany uniform. Photos of these have ended up, incorrectly, as illustrations in Civil War books. Obviously uniforms of the 1870s are inappropriate for a book about the Civil War.

Anyhow, here's an interesting photo from 1872 showing a mix of prewar and post war stuff. The guy on the right is wearing the prewar 1858-1861 sporran (but with some badge stuck onto it), the rest wearing the postwar sporran. He's also wearing the prewar two-row-diced glengarry. After the war, the 79th adopted glengarries with 93rd Highlanders three-row red & white chequered dicing.

Other differences were that the postwar kilts were in lighter tones, and the postwar uniform had spats.

[figheadair]

Other differences were that the postwar kilts were in lighter tones, and the postwar uniform had spats.

Great pics. It's possible that the pre-war lighter tones were because the cloth was ordered from Scotland, probably Wilsons, and was the end of the natural dye production (1856 first analine dye) and that the post war kilt were classic darker late Victorian artificial shades.

[79thReproductions]

Are you a fan of the 79th Facebook page Richard? I have more 79th things up...more post war images including that one.

@figheadair, the Cameron of Erracht Ancient kilts were made issued in 1872, not the pre war unit. The first kilts were made of "hard tartan" made in the grease (Late Winter and Early Spring of 1859-1860) Thats what is pictured in the OP.

[79thReproductions]

Original:


Reproduction:


Sporran back. The pictures of the original sporran back..well one of the best views I have in the pictures.

[glasgow32]

Why isn't the kilt pleated to the stripe?

[beerbecue]

I like it... well done.

[79thReproductions]

Why isn't the kilt pleated to the stripe?

The Highland Guard/79th New York State Militia were not a military organization, they were a para-military organization. Their "uniforms" like other militias were loosely regulated which caused the design of fantastic costumes. Think of their uniform as just that, a costume. Their kilt specifically was just a plaid pleated petticoat to the New York dress makers made them. It shows.... ith:

[macwilkin]

The Highland Guard/79th New York State Militia were not a military organization, they were a para-military organization. Their "uniforms" like other militias were loosely regulated which caused the design of fantastic costumes. Think of their uniform as just that, a costume. Their kilt specifically was just a plaid pleated petticoat to the New York dress makers made them. It shows.... ith:

I'm not so sure, as a military historian, that I agree with this definition. The 79th NYSM was part of the New York State Militia, a legally constituted state military command under the control of the State Adjutant General -- New York was one of the few states that actually maintained their antebellum militia forces. The militia forces of the Civil War would have come under the Militia Act of 1792, passed by Congress. Their descendants are today's National Guard and Reserve forces.

Yes, many volunteer militia units had their own distinct uniforms -- but I don't think they can be so easily dismissed as pure costume. Did they get it 100% correct -- no, but neither did many of the Zouave regiments in the Civil War in terms of "authentic" French North African uniforms. The 5th New York (Later the 165th NY Veteran Volunteer Infantry) came very close, and proved themselves just as brave as the French Zouaves who stormed the Malikoff in the Crimea with the Highlanders.

Sorry to be pedantic.