#1. Pardon my French (and my spelling) but is that a Chasseaur Uniform?


#2. How did that get in here!!!???


#3.  Check out the shoes! Those camp shoes must have been reasonably common. Robert Land makes them and Spiros in Gettysburg sells them.
 

--Last edited by grumpydave on 2007-05-01 08:21:53 --

Sekela also has the Camp shoes Grumpy.

I really thought it was interesting that "out of the blue" on eBay, there was another pair of the camp shoes.

Listed as a Mass. Soldier, rear has Mass. backmark. Looks like he didn't like his frock coat collar either, he folded it down.
 

--Last edited by grumpydave on 2007-05-03 08:12:02 --

The stuff written in pencil on the front of the photo is his name Frye, and he died in the war 1863. Anyone got casualty lists for 1863? I have Gettysburgs, anyone else? How many Massachuttes soldiers named Frye that died in 1863 can their be?

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GrumpyDave wrote : #3.  Check out the shoes! Those camp shoes must have been reasonably common. Robert Land makes them and Spiros in Gettysburg sells them.

I saw a thread on the AC where they were talking about the canvas camp shoes.. and someone mentioned they were described as "baseball shoes".  I checked the Baseball hall of fame website and the only image they had of similiar looking shoes is from 1883.  
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/exhibits/online_exhibits/dressed_to_the_nines/shoes.htm

But on the AC thread there were a couple of other photos that showed the shoes.

The first time I saw these shoes, I was at an event and Chris Daley was wearing a pair and I thought they were a weird looking shoe.  

If I had an inclanation to buy a pair of those canvas shoes, which I don't, I'd only wear them in a garrison setting. I don't know how they'd hold up on a march. Or, in the rain...


Well, Wm. Frye didn't buy the farm at Gettysburg. I checked the lists, twice.

About ten years ago, Bev and I were looking at original shoes in Butch Myers' shop, and he unwraps a pair of garish red and green sports shoes. They were in excellent condition, and probably could have been worn, although who would want to do so? About the only color combination we see reproduced is the russet leather and white canvas.

In the same photo with the camp shoes, I was noticing the buckle on the strap attached to the officer’s saber belt is visible because it is on his chest.  This reminded me of a question that came up in our unit.  It was never really answered but there were opinions galore.  Take that officer’s strap and toss in things like carbine slings and leather canteen straps, do the buckles go in the back or front?  

--Last edited by Curtis Makamson on 2007-05-04 09:37:03 --

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Take that officer’s strap and toss in things like carbine slings and leather canteen straps, do the buckles go in the back or front?

Placement of the leather canteen sling with buckle appears to have been more of a personal choice than anything else, and a wise old vet would take the buckle down to either one of the side ears (sling retainers) on the canteen, and run the strap through securely, so the excess wouldn't flop around. This is also useful when lowering the canteen by an unbuckled strap into a cistern, stream, lake, etc. This is also one of the reasons you'll find buttons on cloth slings.

Carbine sling? Try flipping the carbine over your shoulder a few times, as if mounting, and see which way works best. That will answer your question. It's an acquired skill, and you won't be the first one to end up with the carbine between your [the prudes won't let me use the correct term] and the saddle.

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toptimlrd wrote : Sekela also has the Camp shoes Grumpy.

I believe he offered them through Sillet Licker at one time. I sure wish he'd make them again. I was not overly impressed with Land's version. Hopefully Sekala will offer them again in the near future.~Gary

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Charles Heath wrote :  This is also useful when lowering the canteen by an unbuckled strap into a cistern, stream, lake, etc. This is also one of the reasons you'll find buttons on cloth slings.

I was an eyewitness to the usefulness of the long canteen strap last summer, when Charles could lower his canteen from ungodly heights over the creek banks down to get water, and I was using a bottle and had to find a way to scramble all the way down to water level.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

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Garyjd wrote :   I believe he offered them through Sillet Licker at one time. I sure wish he'd make them again. I was not overly impressed with Land's version. Hopefully Sekala will offer them again in the near future.~Gary

Gary,

He's got them on his website at www.njsekela.com. Just click the historical reproductions link and you're there.

Robert, Thanks for the heads up. Though I appreciate and understand the time and effort to produce it, $300 is quite pricey for a pair of shoes. Maybe when I hit the powerball I'll buy a couple pair.lol~Gary

Definitely not cheap but you were asking about them. Quality usually comes at a price.

Phil,

Check this out. Another Brit?  

i love those shoes, those could be worn everyday.

how many fryes in ma? my search brought up 37 fryes... looks like it may be Wm in front of the Frye.. perhaps William? But there were 3 william fryes enlisted...