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Military Impressions
Military impressions must appear as a typical soldier of the American Civil War’s Western Theater late 1862, preferably in the Kentucky Campaign. These impressions must be maintained during the entire event. Battalion Staff will be responsible for enforcing these standards.
The following guidelines will serve for all branches of service and must be followed by all military participants. Uniforms for all branches must be made of period styles and be made from materials closely resembling period fabrics and using tailoring techniques appropriate to Union and Confederate armies in 1862. Participants should not portray officers above the rank of captain without specific appointment from the overall military commanders.
Unit Impressions
Confederate Infantry: 7th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment (The Bloody Seventh)
The 7th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry was raised by Colonel Robert Glenn “Fighting Bob” Shaver in the spring and summer of 1861. Men enlisted from White, Jackson, Randolph, Izard, Fulton, Lawrence, Marion, and Independence counties in north western Arkansas. They were mustered into service at camp Shaver near Bettis Bluff, Arkansas. At muster, the regiment contained over 1,200 officers and men. During the first few month of the war, the regiment was called “The Ragged Seventh” because of their ragged civilian clothing and rough appearance. The regiment saw service at Columbus and Bowling Green in Kentucky, and on the evacuation of the latter place by General Albert Sidney Johnston in February of 1862, the 7th acted as the rear guard. At Shiloh Colonel Shaver had four horses shot from under him and was badly wounded by a shell on the second day of the fight. They also went into Shiloh armed with flintlocks and shotguns. They were re-armed with M1863 Enfields that were captured. After Shiloh, the regiment became forever known as “The Bloody Seventh”. They were down to 300 men by the time of the battle of Perryville 6 months later.
Union Infantry: 36th Illinois Volunteer Infantry
The 36th Illinois Infantry originally started as the “Fox River Regiment”. A meeting of “interested parties” from the Fox River Valley was held at Geneva, Illinois on July 29, 1861. 15 companies applied and 12 were accepted, 2 of which were Cavalry Companies. The men were from Warren, Grundy, Mendall, Dupage, Kane, and McHenry counties. At organization, the regiment mustered 965 men in the infantry and 186 men in the cavalry companies. This regiment fought at Pea Ridge, Perryville, Stones River, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Atlanta and Franklin.
Confederate Cavalry: 3rd Alabama Cavalry Regiment (Companies F and H)
This regiment was organized at Tupelo, in June 1862, by companies that had been in the service some months, and several of which, as "Murphy's battalion,'' had fought at Shiloh. The regiment accompanied the army into Kentucky and was engaged in daily conflicts with the enemy, particularly at Bramlet's Station and Perryville. It fell back with the army, and was on constant and arduous duty during the remainder of the war, protecting its communications, guarding its rear and flanks, and often raiding upon the enemy's trains and outposts. The Third was engaged at Murfreesboro, Shelbyville, Chickamauga, Kingston, Knoxville, Mossy Creek, and Strawberry Plains.
Union Cavalry: 2nd Michigan Cavalry
This regiment was organized at Detroit, Michigan and mustered into service on October 2, 1861. The Regiment served in siege operations against New Madrid, Missouri, March 3-14, 1862. It was ordered to Louisville, Kentucky in September 1862 and was engaged in the pursuit of Bragg’s Army of Mississippi. The regiment was involved in skirmishing with Confederate rear guard on October 6-7 and was involved in a skirmish near “Pottsville” against Joseph Wheeler’s Cavalry, a few miles west of Peter’s Hill. At the Battle of Perryville on October 8, it had 4 men killed, 13 wounded for a total of 17. They were armed with Colt Revolving Rifles and Allen and Wheelock Revolvers.
Confederate Artillery: Swett’s Mississippi Battery
The Warren Light Artillery was organized at Vicksburg, Mississippi, in May, 1861, with men from Warren County. They were armed with four (4) 6pdr field guns. They fought heavily at Shiloh, claiming to have fired both the first and last shots of the battle. They listed 73 men in the company on April 26, 1862. On July 24th 1862, the battery and other artillery of Hardee’s command started for Chattanooga, (the infantry going by rail) which was reached on August 19th. On the 26th, the battery was assigned to Liddell’s Brigade. Captain Charles Swett was not present at the battle, probably sick. At Perryville the battery was commanded by his brother-in-law, 2nd Lieutenant Thomas Havern.
Union Artillery: 2nd Regiment, Illinois Light Artillery, Battery “I” (Barnett’s Battery)
Battery "I," 2nd Regiment Light Artillery was organized from units raised by Charles W. Keith, of Joliet and Henry B. Plant, of Peoria. Battery I was mustered into service at Camp Butler, some four miles east of Springfield. It was named for William Butler, then State Treasurer of Illinois. The battery left Camp Butler for Cairo, Illinois, at the juncture of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, on February 7, 1862. Here the Battery trained until March 7 when it headed down river for the attack on New Madrid, Missouri, and Island Number 10. Captain Keith resigned on April 7 and Lieutenant Charles Barnett assumed command of the Battery. On September 6, the battery moved, by rail, with General Gordon Granger's command to Cincinnati, arriving there on September 12, 1862. The battery then proceeded, also by rail, to Louisville where it was assigned to General Philip Sheridan's division. The men of the battery had to unload and reload their guns five times on this trip. The battery was armed with 2, 12 pounder Napoleons, 2, 6pdr M1841 guns, 3.8", retro-fitted with the "James" Rifling System, and two 10pdr Parrott Rifles that they received in Louisville, just before the campaign. At Perryville the Center Section of Napoleons was sent to the rear to guard the ammunition train and was not engaged. The Left Section had the Parrotts and the Right Section had the “James” rifles. The battery changed position four times during the battle.
Basic Enlisted Participant Infantry Uniform and Accouterment Requirements
Although these are the basic uniform guidelines we highly encourage participants to mold their impressions to the particular regiments that are being recreated. Click here for more information on Uniform Requirements.
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