Clothing and Equipment

Culpeper Minute Battalion

Preferred Clothing & Accoutrements

Hunting shirts

Green linen, open front shirt similar to example in Sketchbook ’76, see company specifications and material before making or buying. Applied patch with “Liberty or Death” embroidered in white. Shirts should be mid-thigh length.

Musket men only – Natural linen open front hunting shirt, similar to the example in Sketchbook ’76. Shorter, jacket length, see http://daphne.meccahosting.com/~a00045ab/Corps_of_Sappers_and_MIners/Hunting_Shirt.html for excellent detail on a shirt of this style.

Breeches

Linen, hemp, Virginia cloth, or wool. English small drop-front or French Fly. Natural and blue were quite common. Sources: Weeping Heart, Cobb Creek, Ohio Valley Peddler.

Breech clouts also ok.

Waistcoats

Linen, hemp, Virginia cloth, or wool. Rev war period with proper cut such as JP Ryan Patterns. Sources: Secrests, Weeping Heart, Cobb Creek, JP Ryan Patterns.

Leggings

Blue wool, native-style, with approx 2” side flaps. Sewn w/blue thread. (Same as our F&I company)

Hats

Black round hat with approx 2 ½- 3 inch brim. with a buck’s tail. (Same hat will work for F&I company if you make the buck’s tail removable)

Shirts

White (or natural) oznaburg (linen) or check (verify check material before buying). Long, nearly to knees, approx 1” cuffs and short collar. Plain, no ruffles unless officer. Sources: Secrests, Weeping Heart, Ohio Valley Peddler, Cobb Creek.

Socks

Natural, gray, or blue.

Footwear

Military style shoes w/ties or simple brass buckle. Townsend, Fugawee, Robert Land

Home-style, natural color, ruff out shoes by Robert Land ***This is a cool shoe***

Moccasins – Center-seam, Eastern woodland. Sources: Greg Hudson

Firearms

RIFLES PREFERED Rifles should be early, pre-war. Surviving documentable examples are few. Basically should be of a “Southern” or “Virginia” style with either no patch box, wood box, or very simple brass box. See Kyle for examples.

LLP Bess. For American militia use, this should most likely be the 1742 or previous models. Dating on lock could be modified and other models will be acceptable.

“Committee of Safety Musket”. American made copies of the Bess. See Collectors Encyclopedia or Battle Weapons for some examples.

Early Dutch musket Documentation exists that captured Dutch muskets made their way to Virginia militia companies during the F&I war. These may well have been stored back in the magazines after the war or sold off as surplus.

English style Fowler. See Jim Chambers’s kits. If going this route, I would build early enough to use for F&I as well.

Accoutrements

Powder Horns – Virginia horns tend to be somewhat plain but several documented carved horns do exist. See Kyle for examples. Also see Dressler’s book on powder horns.

Shot Pouches – Very few documented pouches have survived. One common feature: they were small, perhaps around 7 inches or so square, or slightly rectangular. Many were made with the hair-on. Some examples can be seen in Madison Grant’s Hunting Pouch book and also in Jim Mullins “Of Sorts for Provincials”. This is one item it is best to check with an experienced member before buying.

Musket Man Canvas Shot Pouch – Small pouch of heavy duck canvas. Shoulder strap of same material. Cloth was issued at Williamsburg to make these from. Only those carrying a musket should have this pouch. See company specifications.

Packs – A knapsack would be the most likely pack carried by our militia men. See Sketchbook 76 for a good example. Same material straps. Coated with oil paint (brick color). Sources: Secrests

Blanket Roll – Tump lines or rolled wool blanket carried “Confederate style”, over right shoulder.

Canteen – wooden drum-style with wood bands (best choice. Available from Panther Primitive but will require some modifications such as replacing the straps with a proper hemp webbing). Wood canteen with metal bands (less common. Available from Jas. Townsend, also requiring slight modifications). Wood canteens can be painted, stained, or left natural). Tin canteen (least common for militia), kidney shape.

Tents

Military wedge tent. Sources: Tentsmiths - French 1750, French 1751, British infantry, British Dragoon, British Cavalry, American Rev., or 1780 American. Panther Primitive – British infantry, dragoon, or cavalry, Large Rev War, Small Rev War, Privates, 1750 or 1751 French.

Sources:

Jared and Kollen Secrest – Shirts, hunting shirts, waistcoats, jackets, and packs. 812-636-0114

MacGillie's Mercantile – Hunting shirts. Lucas.fred@gmail.com Fred Lucas

812-381-4020

Weeping Heart Trade Company – Shirts, breeches, coats, moccasins, shot pouches, cartridge boxes, and misc leather goods. http://www.revwarsupplier.com (859) 727-0910

Cobb Creek Merchants – Shirts, breeches, and coats. http://www.cobbcreek.com 417.588.1288

Ohio Valley Peddlers – Shirts and breeches. http://www.ohiovalleypeddler.com (614) 264-4593

Robert Land Footware Ltd. – Williamsburg shoe http://www.robertlandhistoricshoes.com/servlet/StoreFront

96 District Storehouse – fabric, patterns http://www.96storehouse.com/Home/tabid/36/List/1/Default.aspx (864) 366-9600

Burnley and Trwbridge Co. – fabric, patterns http://www.burnleyandtrowbridge.com 757-253-1644

The Wool Shop – fabric (812) 576 3252

Tentsmiths – tents http://www.tentsmiths.com/period-tents-wedge-tents.html (603) 447- 2344

Panther Primitive – tents, wood canteens http://www.pantherprimitives.com/military.html 304-462-7718

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