The Patrol: 3rd New York Cavalry and 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery at New Bern

Portraying Company M, 3rd New York Cavalry and 1st Section, Battery F, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery

Background

“I suppose these expeditions into the country, without any apparent object in view, were planned for the purpose of ascertaining if any considerable force of the enemy was in our immediate vicinity, and may be looked upon as wise precautions taken by the commanding officers to prevent surprises upon and consequent disaster to our troops; but as I remember the thoughts of an enlistedman at the time, they seemed to be for the sole purpose of reminding us that we were in the field for active duty, and were expected to be marching or fighting most of the time.” -Lt. P.S. Chase, Battery F, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery

1st Section hosted a fully immersive Soldier Life Experience event along the North Carolina coast. We portrayed Company M, 3rd New York Cavalry, supported by 1st Section, Battery F, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery, on a many miles long patrol into the North Carolina countryside beyond New Bern in March 1863.

IMPRESSION GUIDELINES

CAVALRY

Company M of the 3rd New York Cavalry was formed in September 1862 at Albany, primarily from men from the Rochester area. The new company would join a regiment that had already been in existence for a year, replacing the original Company M, which was being transferred to another regiment. The company joined their regiment at New Bern, North Carolina, as part of the five-division strong XVIII Corps that was occupying much of the North Carolina coast. The company, garrisoned near the city, would spend the winter serving as videttes and conducting numerous extensive patrols into the local countryside, and participating in minor skirmishes.

UNIFORM

JACKET

Cavalry Mounted Services jacket, Schuylkill Arsenal or contract make. Very few proper Mounted Services Jackets have been made, and if you do not have a high quality one, do not wear one. NO TEAL JACKETS, NO PURPLE JACKETS, NO EXCEPTIONS.
Fatigue Blouse, lined or unlined, Schuylkill Arsenal or contract make. No altered blouses, no shortened blouses, no extra buttonholes, no reenactor grade homemade blouses with giant stitches in white thread, NO TEAL BLOUSES, NO PURPLE BLOUSES, NO EXCEPTIONS.
High grade tailored commercial blouses and jackets are acceptable in limited numbers, particularly for NCOs.

NCO CHEVRONS

All NCOs are required to wear appropriate chevrons.

OVERCOAT

Mounted overcoat, Schuylkill Arsenal or contract make. Very few proper Mounted overcoats have been made, and if you do not have a high quality one, do not wear one. If it is cold, bring an extra sleeping blanket and/or wear a Fatigue Blouse tucked in under your jacket like an extra shirt.

PANTS

Sky blue kersey Mounted Pants, Schuylkill Arsenal or contract make. Mainstream mounted pants made of sub-par powder blue cloth or pants with unhemmed cuffs are unacceptable.
High grade tailored commercial pants are acceptable in limited numbers, particularly for NCOs.

NCO PANTS STRIPES

ALL NCOs are required to wear appropriate insignia on their pants. All corporals should have a ½” stripe on their pants and all sergeants should have a 1 ½” stripe on their pants.

SHIRT

A U.S. Army domet flannel or wool flannel issue shirt is REQUIRED. “Homespun” cotton shirts are still among the most overrepresented items in the hobby and may not be the only shirt you bring.
Extra citizen’s wool flannel shirts, calico shirts, knit shirts, and undershirts, are all acceptable in addition to your U.S. Army shirt.

DRAWERS

U.S. Army canton flannel issue drawers.
Citizen’s drawers of wool or cotton flannel, knit, or muslin.
None. Being seen with modern underwear is unacceptable.

HEADGEAR

Forage cap, “Type 1” or “Type 2” or commercial caps in limited numbers. NO TEAL CAPS. Brass crossed saber insignia and/or an M are acceptable.
Citizen’s hats, ideally black, are acceptable in limited numbers.

FOOTWEAR

U.S. Army issue shoes.
Citizen’s shoes or boots. Most troopers wore shoes anyway, but if you intend to wear boots, make sure they are top notch reproductions.

*Two members of Company M in Mounted Services Jackets, and a Sergeant from the regiment wearing a commercial blouse and pants.*

BAGGAGE

BLANKET

Grey or brown U.S. Army sleeping blanket.

PONCHO

Rubberized poncho.
Rubber or painted gum blanket is acceptable if you do not have a poncho.

SHELTER HALF

As larger tentage will be carried in a wagon, shelter halves are not required and can be presumed to be among the personal baggage that was left behind in the company’s quarters in New Bern. If you would like to carry one, a “Type 2” shelter half is the only acceptable option. Heavy canvas sutler row shelter halves are unacceptable. If you do not have an appropriate shelter half, do not bring one.

HAVERSACK

Painted haversack copied from any surviving original.

CANTEEN

U.S. Army canteens of the “early war” Philadelphia or New York styles. “Smoothside” New York canteens should have a stopper capped with a domed tin washer and a chain attachment, a sewn cotton drill sling, and be covered in grey, brown, or blue jeans, or uniform cloth. “Smoothside” Philadelphia canteens should have a long straight stopper capped with a plain washer and string attachment, a sewn cotton or leather sling, and typically be covered in grey satinette “canteen cloth.”
Corrugated Philadelphia “bullseye” canteens are acceptable. These should feature a cotton twill tape sling.

WEAPONS

LONG ARM

Burnside Carbine.
Sharps Carbine.

REVOLVER

All members of the regiment were provided with revolvers of a variety of types, to include Colt Armies and Navies, Remingtons, and Whitneys.

SABER

All members of the company were provided with Light Cavalry Sabers WITH A SABER KNOT.

ACCOUTREMENTS

BELT

Cavalry saber belt made of blackened buff, waxed, or bridle leather, ideally constructed without rivets.

CARBINE CARTRIDGE BOX

Only a few members of the company had been provided with a carbine cartridge box, and carrying them is discouraged. If you don’t have a very high end reproduction of an earlier cartridge box (constructed without a rivet on the latch tab), certainly don’t bring one. Put a couple packs of ammunition in your pocket or nose bag.

CARBINE SLING

None. Only about half of the company had been provided with carbine slings. If you do not have a high quality carbine sling with an original hook, do not bring one. Ride with your carbine in your lap.
U.S. issue carbine sling in blackened buff, waxed, or bridle leather with an original or high quality reproduction hook.

PISTOL CARTRIDGE BOX

.44 or .36 pistol cartridge box copied from an earlier version (constructed without a rivet on the latch tab).

CAP BOX

Arsenal or contract made cap box.

HOLSTER

U.S. Army issue holster, preferably of the earlier wartime type (constructed without rivets and straight stitching on the latch tab).

HORSE EQUIPMENT

SADDLE

U.S. Army issue 1859 McClellan saddle, ideally constructed without rivets. Saddles should come complete with a blue wool surcingle, hooded wood stirrups, and ideally sweat leathers. If you have a high end crupper and/or saddle bags, you are encouraged to bring them. If you do not have them, or yours are not high quality reproductions, go without. Reworked 1904 saddles with their original (now stained) rawhide are unacceptable.

SADDLE BLANKET

U.S. Army issue cavalry saddle blanket made of blue wool with orange perimeter stripes and an orange U.S. stitched in the center.
The Ordnance Return shows the company had fewer saddle blankets than other pieces of equipment, so if you do not have a high end saddle blanket (Woolrich is not high end), using an extra grey or brown U.S. Army sleeping blanket is perfectly acceptable.

HALTER

U.S. Army issue cavalry halter with a leather hitching strap AND LINK STRAP. The company was fully supplied with link straps and a proper reproduction with wartime D-shaped buckle should be attached even if it will not be used.

HEADSTALL

U.S Army issue 3-buckle cavalry headstall with 1859 cavalry curb bit, chain, and ideally leather chain safe.
6-buckle headstalls are acceptable if needed.

NOSE BAG

All participants should bring or seek to acquire a high quality reproduction nose bag.

LARIAT AND PICKET PIN

The Ordnance Return shows the company was fully supplied with lariats and picket pins. If you have a high quality reproduction picket pin with a proper 4-strand hemp lariat, bring it.

BRUSH AND COMB

All participants should bring a quality reproduction horse brush and a period style curry comb. If you do not have one or other, share with the man next to you at Stable Call. A period style forged hoof pick is encouraged.

ARTILLERY

Battery F, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery was raised from throughout the State of Rhode Island in October 1861. After shorts stints in Alexandria, Va. and Annapolis, Md, the company joined Burnside’s expedition to North Carolina in early 1862. In a true, albeit crude, amphibious landing fashion, the battery was offloaded into the water with horses swimming ashore. While present at the Battle of New Bern, the battery largely remained out of the action, and would settle into a routine of drill, patrols, and serving as makeshift cavalry videttes on battery horses stripped of harness, during which time they were engaged with the enemy on numerous occasions. Participating in various expeditions out of New Bern, the battery would see action at Fort Macon, expend 300 rounds at Williamston in November, and fight at Whitehall Ferry and Goldsboro Bridge in December, suffering a number of casualties.