" 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 (Model 1841 Mississippi
Rifle .54 Caliber), 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 wasnt 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 (which there was plenty of in South
Louisiana). These jackets were lined and had a bit of red trim on em.
They wore a heavy (likely wool flannel) 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 (baggy pantaloons) made of pillow ticking. This pillow
ticking had a wide blue stripe, with a red and yellow pin stripe (teazel) ,
this was symbolic of the Louisiana Republic Flag. The wore white spats with
japan (white porcelin coated tin) 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 (Fez). These skull caps were mostly wore around camp as they was
a stupid piece of headgear. They didnt 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 wasnt worth a hoot when he was shootin his punkin
chucker at yankees as it didnt 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 wasnt a pelican one like a lot of the fellars wore ... it
had a eagle and a wreath on it (per a family tin type this appears to be a
model 1851 federal belt plate). His brother admired that belt an stole it off
him after they was transfered to Hayes (Late 1862). His brother was wearin
the belt when he was kilt at Gettysburg on the evening of the 1st day. He
wore a 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 (cast iron knuckles common to 1850's New Orleans). 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 didnt hold
out well and started wearin out while they was up at Camp Florida
(Centerville Virginia). 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 (once at Manasas and several times on
picket duty) 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- (this accounts for the
reference of a Federal Balloonist describing Tigers on the Penninsula as wearing
"butternut" jackets.)'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 indistiguishable from
other rebs except for a few peach colored tiger jackets, corn knives and the
prized pelican belt plates (though many of these had been lost as
well).'62 was a rough year for the State of Louisiana and it become purt near
impossible to keep the Tigers in the uniforms