Louisiana Tigers - Formation and Uniforms

Formation and Uniforms

From Gary Schreckengost: The 1st Louisiana Battalion: Wheat's Tigers in the Civil War (McFarland, 2008):

With the deal cut, all commands, including the Old Dominion Guards (which was originally assembled across from the prestigious St. Charles Hotel), moved their constituent recruiting stations to Captain White’s on Front Levee Street and recruitment became a shared task. To attract even more bellicose souls to his nascent battalion, men who “were actuated more by a spirit of adventure and love of plunder than by love of country,” or who filibuster General Henningsen once proclaimed “thought little of charging a battery, pistol in hand,” Wheat christened his command “the Tiger Battalion.” He then extolled his volunteers, led by Captain White’s large company of Tiger Rifles who had “painted a motto or picture of some sort on …broad brimmed…hat such as: A picture of Mose, preparing to let fly with his left hand and fend with his right, and the words, ‘Before I Was a Tiger,’” to continue to comb the docks, thoroughfares, alleyways, hotels, poor houses, and jails of the New Orleans waterfront for more recruits. Other slogans that the Tiger Rifles painted on their hats included: “Tiger Bound for Happy Land,” “Tiger Will Never Surrender,” “A Tiger Forever,” “Tiger in Search of a Black Republican,” or “Lincoln’s Life or a Tiger’s Death.”

While the men of the ad hoc battalion continued to attract more recruits—and in some instances impressing “known Yankees” into service, shaving their heads—Wheat worked through the Ladies Volunteer Aid Association of New Orleans to help uniform the Walker Guards, the Delta Rangers, and the Old Dominion Guards in red flannel “battle” or “Garibaldi” shirts and jean-wool trousers “of the mixed color known as pepper and salt.” For headgear, the men apparently retained their own broad brimmed hats of various earthy tones (except Henry Gardner’s Delta Rangers who were reportedly presented with gray or blue wool kepis and white cotton havelocks). Harry Chaffin’s Rough and Ready Rangers were ostensibly uniformed in light gray wool jackets and trousers with matching kepis. Many of the men reportedly preferred low-crowned straw hats to better combat the heat.

The Tiger Rifles received their uniforms from A. Keene Richards, a wealthy New Orleans businessman. Because he was “so impressed by their drill and appearance” at Camp Davis, Richards elected to outfit White’s company in the Zouave fashion, viz.: dark blue wool Zouave jackets with red wool trim (no sereoul), distinctive red wool flannel fezzes with red tassels, red wool flannel band collar shirts with five white porcelain buttons (the fezzes and the shirts were made of the same material), and outlandish “Wedgwood blue and cream” one-and-one-half-inch vertically striped cottonade ship's pantaloons that would become their signature. They were also provided with blue and white horizontally striped stockings and white canvas leggings (which many quickly discarded). Because the pantaloons were not tucked into the leggings, the striped socks were shown. Like the other companies, the men of the Tiger Rifles wore low-crowned straw hats, with the infamous mottos, retaining their fezzes for mostly for camp use.

Most of the lieutenants and captains of the battalion more than likely uniformed themselves in dark blue wool single breasted frock coats or short jackets with matching trousers, red or blue wool kepis with stiff black leather bills, red officers’ sashes, and white canvas leggings worn over or under the trousers. The officers of the Tiger Rifles most probably wore blue wool single-breasted short jackets with red wool trousers, white canvas leggings, and red wool kepis. Wheat chose to wear the uniform of a field grade officer in the Louisiana Volunteer Militia, viz.: a red kepi bedecked with appropriate Austrian gold lace, a double-breasted dark blue wool frock coat with brass shoulder scales, and red wool trousers. He also sported a buff general’s sash, no doubt to commemorate his past commissions in the Mexican and Italian armies.

While Wheat, Richards, and the ladies were gathering the uniforms, the company commanders arranged to have guidons, banners, or full-blown battle flags made for their units. The Walker Guards' banner was made of "blue silk with a white crescent in the center." The Tiger Rifles’ flag consisted of a "gamboling lamb" device with "Gentle As" written derisively above it. The Delta Rangers" flag, which became the battalion"s color at the battle of Manassas by "the luck of the draw," was a rectangular silk “Stars and Bars” with eight celestial points in a circular pattern.

As the five companies were being filled and uniformed, Wheat moved his volunteers to Camp Walker at the Metaire (pronounced met-are-E) Race Course/Fairgrounds in the center of the city near Carondolet Canal and Bayou John. On May 10, 1861, Wheat was elected major by his fellow company commanders (Obedia Miller becoming captain of the Old Dominion Guards) and state officials officially recognized his battalion. On May 14 the battalion was moved eighty miles north by rail to Camp Moore in Saint Helena Parish, near the town of Tangipahoa and the Mississippi border. The encampment, named after Louisiana’s secessionist governor Thomas Overton Moore, was the central depot for organizing, training, and mustering Louisiana volunteer units for Confederate service.

Upon arrival, the Tigers were issued newly-fabricated Louisiana Pelican Plate or fork-tongue belts, cartridge boxes, cap boxes, and knapsacks which were manufactured by the New Orleans-based Magee and Kneass or James Cosgrove Leather Companies. They were also issued their weapons. While the Walker Guards, the Delta Rangers, the Old Dominion Guards, and the Rough and Ready Rangers seem to have been issued either M1842 muskets or aged M1816 conversion muskets with socket bayonets, the men of the Tiger Rifles, Wheat’s chosen skirmishers, were issued the coveted M1841 “Mississippi” Rifle, made by the Robbins and Lawrence Gun Company of Connecticut. Governor Moore’s insurgents had seized these accurate weapons, among the best in service at the time, from the Federal Arsenal at Baton Rouge in January 1861.

The M1841, originally manufactured in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, was America’s first military percussion rifle and had many different names. Its most famous, “Mississippi,” was derived from its successful use in repelling a full-scale Mexican attack at the battle of Buena Vista by Colonel Jefferson Davis’s 1st Mississippi Regiment (and then charging with Bowie Knives). The rifle was also called the “Windsor Rifle,” the “Harper’s Ferry Rifle,” and the “Yaeger Rifle.” The M1841 was a muzzle-loading, percussion cap, .54 caliber rifle that measured 48.5 inches in length and weighed about ten pounds. Since it was designed to be a light infantry or skirmishing weapon, the barrel was browned and no bayonet lug was affixed. To offset their absence of bayonets, the Tigers were either issued or brought along their own Bowie-style knives, implements which were described as “murderous-looking…with heavy blades…twenty inches long with double edged points…and solid long handles.”

With their weapons and equipment in hand, the men of Wheat’s Battalion were trained in the latest light and heavy infantry techniques by the Old Filibuster himself in the pine stands which surrounded Camp Moore. Once their exhausting and sometimes frustrating sessions were over, many of the Tigers often drank, played cards, and got into fights with themselves or other units. One man scoffed that the Tigers were "the worst men I ever saw…. I understand that they are mostly wharf rats from New Orleans, and Major Wheat is the only man who can do anything with them. They were constantly fighting with each other. They were always ready to fight, and it made little difference to them who they fought."

Private William Trahern of the up-country Tensas Rifles (soon-to-be Company D, 6th Louisiana) claimed that he once heard Wheat declare: “If you don’t get to your places, and behave as soldiers should, I will cut your hands off with this sword!” One man was in fact so afraid of Wheat’s belligerent filibusters that he stayed as far away from their encampment as possible. He later wrote: "I got my first glimpse at Wheat’s battalion from New Orleans. They were all Irish and were dressed in Zouave dress, and were familiarly known as ‘Tigers,’ and tigers they were too in human form. I was actually afraid of them, afraid I would meet them somewhere in camp and that they would do to me like they did to Tom Lane of my company—knock me down and stamp me half to death."

As the Tiger Battalion meshed at Camp Moore, five other men with less military experience than Wheat were commissioned colonels and their assembled companies were mobilized into regiments for Confederate service. No doubt embarrassed and frustrated, Wheat was spurred to desperate action. On June 6, 1861, he made a creative deal with the state to officially commission him a major of volunteers and to recognize his five companies temporarily as the “1st Special Battalion, Louisiana Volunteers.” With the special or temporary status secured, Wheat hoped to attract four or five more companies and become the colonel of the soon-to-be organized 8th Louisiana Regiment.

Warren Family Letter entitled: "What did a Tiger Look Like?"

By the time Major Rob had gotten the Tiger Rifles put t'gether, the State of Louisiana was jes' about outta uniforms and fixins for the new so'jers. The fellars in Co B were given a punkin chucker, a belt with a brass buckle, a box for carrying cartridges and a little one for carrying percussion caps. The State of Louisiana also gave em all a palmetto type straw hat with a black band.The day afore they was going to be moved from N'awleans up to ol' Camp Moore the fellas took to puttin mottos on those black bands. The motto's were full of brag and swagger ... there was all kinds of little ditties ...."Tiger in search of a Black Republican"" Lincolns Life or a Tigers Death""Death to Lincoln""Tiger off to burn Washington""Dixie Born, Tiger Bred""Tiger by Nature" Anyway, the Tiger Rifles marched through the streets of N'awleans on the way up to ol Camp Moore. Now they wasn't real so'jers so to speak but bein that most of em was one form of rascal or another they made a grand sight and showed they was full of dash and pluck.As it turned out some of the local businessmen swelled up with patriotism for Dixie went out to talk to Major Rob about outfittin these fine Louisiana fellas with some type of proper costume (uniform). Major Rob designed up a costume that was pretty snappy. According to grandaddy it was based on stuff Major Rob had seen when he was fightin over in Italy with Garabaldi. The outfit consisted of a light collarless jacket made of a blend of cotton and wool. It was dyed with indigo . These jackets were lined and had a bit of red trim on em. They wore a heavy collarless shirt that was blood red. These shirts were long goin half ways down the thigh or longer. The reason was these were to be used as a night shirt around camp. Their britches were pinchbecks made of pillow ticking. This pillow ticking had a wide blue stripe, with a red and yellow pin stripe, this was symbolic of the Louisiana Republic Flag. The wore white spats with Japan buttons. There was a set of stripped socks that went up to the knee. They were issued a red skull cap with a blue or yellow tassle. These skull caps were mostly wore around camp as they was a stupid piece of headgear. They didn't keep the sun out of a sojers eyes and grandaddy complained that the tassle would flop down in his face and annoy him. He also said it wasn't worth a hoot when he was shootin his punkin chucker at yankees as it didn't shade off the glare. This was pret' much the uniform they left ol' Camp Moore with when they headed up to Virginny. Grandaddy wore a belt that he dressed up with the fur offn a ringtailed cat, his buckle wasn't a pelican one like a lot of the fellars wore ... it had an eagle and a wreath on it. His brother admired that belt an stole it off him after they was transferred to Hayes. His brother was wearin the belt when he was kilt at Gettysburg on the evening of the 1st day. He wore an ivory handled dagger down in his spat .. called it his tiger tooth (this is an ivory handled period dinner knife with the blade clipped .. the blade is crudely engraved "look away dixie .. 1861". He also carried a set of knuckle dusters. He said that a number of the fellars carried wicked ol' corn knives. Grandaddy said there was knives everywhere as a lot of the fellars had come up from the docks and from his thinkin they mostly were born with knives in their hands. He said some of the fellars carried pepperbox pistols and the like. He said that the Tiger's clanked from all the hardware they took up to Virginny.

Grandaddy said that the pinchbecks, stockings and straw hats didn't hold out well and started wearin out while they was up at Camp Florida . The pinchbecks and spats were purt near shredded amongst the briar and bramble that growed in Northern Virginny. By the Spring of 62 most of the fellars was wearing britches of all sorts, shirts they could get from home or about, all sorts of hats. The jackets were special .. this was the survivin piece of uniform that set them apart as one of Wheats Tiger Rifles. The jackets fared some better than the rest of the uniforms, however due to bein fired on a couple times by their own fellars Grandaddy said they had bolied the jackets in a concotion of potash, water and vinegar to get rid of the indigo color leavin the jackets the color of an over-ripe peach with some blue mottlin here and there. The red trim fading to a pink. '62 was tough for the Louisianans and state equipment became very difficult to come by. By the time Major Rob was killed at Gaines Mill, most of the Tigers had transformed into raggamuffins most indistinguishable from other rebs except for a few peach colored tiger jackets, corn knives and the prized pelican belt plates.'62 was a rough year for the State of Louisiana and it become purt near impossible to keep the Tigers in the unifrms."

In the political wrangling that followed, Wheat’s rowdy dock workers and water men seem to have repelled potential allies to their cause as Henry Kelly, a retired U.S. Army officer from northern Louisiana, became the commander of the Eighth Regiment. With Kelly’s ascension, on or about June 8, Captain Jonathan W. Buhoup's company of Catahoula Guerrillas voted to leave Kelly’s command and threw in its lot with the Tiger Battalion. As the Guerrillas were primarily the sons of native-born planters or were doctors, lawyers, farmers, overseers, or artisans from Catahoula Parish in northern Louisiana, they were complete social opposites from the majority of the members of Wheat’s Battalion. Originally intending to become part of a cavalry regiment, the Guerrillas outfitted themselves in gray wool short jackets, matching mounted trousers, gray wool kepis, riding boots, and, like the Tiger Rifles, were armed with stout Mississippi Rifles, looking much like dismounted dragoons. Buhoup had lobbied hard for John R. Liddell, a prominent Catahoula Parish planter, to be colonel of the 8th Regiment with himself as its lieutenant colonel. When he and Liddell failed in their bids to gain field commissions, however, Buhoup used what was left of his political leverage to have his company transferred to the Special Battalion where he hoped to gain a field commission once it was converted into a full regiment.

With six companies now under his belt—an interesting cross-section of Louisiana society—one which David French Boyd of the soon-to-be organized 9th Louisiana perceptively described as being "a unique body, representing every grade of society and every kind of man, from the princely gentleman who commanded them down to the thief and cutthroat released from parish prison on condition he would join Wheat. Such a motley herd of humanity was probably never got together before, and may never be again," Wheat resolved to get his menagerie to Virginia, the seat of war, as soon as possible. Six other Louisiana infantry formations, the First, Second, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Regiments, had already been dispatched from the Pelican State to the Old Dominion and Wheat did not want to miss the grand battle that was supposed to win Southern independence in one fell swoop.

On June 13, 1861, not a week after his battalion’s formal organization, Wheat loaded five of his six companies (the Rough and Ready Rangers were retained at Camp Moore because it failed to sufficiently fill his ranks) aboard a freight train that was bound for Manassas Junction, a major staging area for the gathering Confederate army in Virginia. In so doing, Wheat gave up his bid to form a regiment from the special battalion, at least for the time being, and his unit was officially named the “2nd Battalion, Louisiana Volunteers” by the state. To the officers and men of the battalion, however, they would always be known as the “1st Louisiana Special Battalion,” “the Special Battalion,” “Wheat’s Battalion,” “the Tiger Battalion,” “the Star Battalion,” “Wheat’s Louisiana Battalion,” “the New Orleans Battalion,” or simply as “Wheat’s Tigers.”

En route, the Special Battalion passed through Holly Springs, Jackson, Granada, and Corinth, Mississippi; Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tennessee; and Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Gordonsville, and Culpeper, Virginia. Their first battle would not only be a test of moral and physical courage, but would also propel the “motley herd” to become true heroes of the Southern nation.