Time Machine to the AWI

[Sane Max]

I am quite sure if someone had a time-machine that would take you to the AWI period, there would be many things we would want to be able to do.

 

Mine however would be entirely trivial. ‘george, george – crossbelts over a dark blue unform? think how difficult it will be for the men to keep them clean, what a target the crossed belts will make to enemy sharpshooters. How about BLUE belts over a blue uniform?’

 

I cannot tell you how sick I already am of painting and re-painting and touching up the blue, etc etc etc. Stupid uniform.

 

 

[Piyan Glupak]

Hmm…  Quite an interesting thread.  Because I don’t often look on the ACW board, I missed it.

The armies of the day seemed to go for display rather than practicality.  I suppose that psychological and morale factors were important.

You do have a valid point about painting the uniforms, though.  That is one reason why 6mm (which doesn’t look quite so bad if things are not absolutely perfect) appeals to me for some periods.

[Sane Max]

You missed it simply because, like a muppet, I psoted it on the wrong thread.

 

Practicality was never a major issue with uniforms of the period, but If I have to touch up one more cross-belt I will go mad.

[willz]

I see your reason for the time machine to change the cross belt colour Max and do not disagree with it.  However while you were there would you help the confederate or union side to win.

Not sure which side I would help, I like the confederate uniforms but agree with the union reason for going to war, what a dilemma.

[Sane Max]

Happily for me it’s not a dilemma I would struggle with for more than, oh, 3 seconds. Union all the way. I Might pop in and see Robert E Lee in Washington and accidentally give him a copy of “Battle Cry of Freedom” before he was offered the job of CIC union,  but the rest of the Southerners can go to hell or Texas.

I would certainly suggest to Abe that he skip the trip to Ford’s Theatre – IMHO the greatest tragedy in US history was that emancipation was followed by the great ‘Ah to hell with ’em’  by the North. If anyone could have dealt with it, Abe is your man.

 

Pat

[grizzlymc]

But I think Mrs Lincoln really did want to see the play.

I must agree, most of my council as a traveller from time would be uniforms.  Crossbelts are a pain, but lace is generally a bad thing.  I would tell Bonaparte to take extra trouble to find red cloth for the second Carabineers.

Also, in general, remonstrate in favour of standards and guidons to be carried in the field.

Now, if I could convince the great powers a hundered years ago that dull uniforms were a bad idea, THAT would make a time machine worth making.

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