Product Description

The common image of the Confederate Army during the Civil War is dominated by a limited number of early photographs of troops wearing the grey and butternut of the CS regulations and quartermaster issues. By contrast, this book examines the variety of uniforms worn by the Tennessee and North Carolina militia and volunteers brought together in the Confederate field armies, and the continuing efforts to clothe them as wear-and-tear gradually reduced this wide range of uniforms. A mass of information from contemporary documents is illustrated with rare early photographs and meticulous color reconstructions in the latest instalment of Ron Field's in-depth analysis of the uniforms of the Confederate Army.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1264120 in Books
• Brand: Osprey Publishing Limited
• Published on: 2007-10-23
• Released on: 2007-10-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .0" h x .0" w x .0" l, .0 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 48 pages

Review
"Author Ron Field, a noted United States military expert, has studied hundreds of
period letters, newspapers, and other documents to vividly describe these early troops
and further documents his findings with actual photographs and individual images
throughout the work. Included are plates made from original color illustrations by artist
Richard Hook, based on Field’s research and documentation. Together the two men
portray the contrast between the colorful units of the early war and the usual “gray and
butternut” units of the later war." -North Carolina Historical Review (January 2009)

"Ron Field's The Confederate Army 1861-65: Tennessee & North Carolina is for any collection strong in Civil War history in general and Confederate history in particular. Chapters survey uniforms worn by these volunteers, equipment, and field army experiences, with vintage black and white photos complimenting color illustrations throughout." -The California Bookwatch (January 2008)

"A book that rightly belongs on the shelf of any US Civil War enthusiast and one that provides a bit more insight into what is called the first modern war. Highly recommended." -Scott Van Aken, modelingmadness.com (January 2008)

"Written by Ron Field and lavishly illustrated with Richard Hook's watercolors, this book is a worthy addition to the Osprey family... All in all, The Confederate Army 1861-85 (5) Tennessee and North Carolina maintains the tradition of excellence we have come to expect from Osprey, and is well worth the modest investment." -Scott Mingus, Charge! (November 5, 2007)

"A very useful informative book for the ACW period in classic Osprey quality and a good reference for modellers with color illustrations. Highly Recommended." -Engin Kayral, Historicus Forma (November 2007)

From the Publisher
Packed with specially commissioned artwork, maps and diagrams, the Men-at-Arms series is an unrivalled illustrated reference on the history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present.

About the Author
Ron Field is Head of History at the Cotswold School in Bourton-on-the-Water. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 1982 and taught history at Piedmont High School in California from 1982 to 1983. He was associate editor of the Confederate Historical Society of Great Britain, from 1983 to 1992. He is an internationally acknowledged expert on US military history, and was elected a Fellow of the Company of Military Historians, based in Washington, DC, in 2005. The author lives in Cheltenham, England.

Customer Reviews

The Confederate Army
This is a most worthy men-at-arms series; like the book's description says, it shows the much more colorful side to the uniforms of the Confederate Army. One man depicted in the color plates for Volume One that I found particularly interesting was a soldier in the Union Light Infantry, a SC unit based on the British Black Watch (42nd Royal Highlanders).
The plates are pretty much the highlight of this series, and show realistic looking soldiers surrounded by beautiful women and scenery, and baring all their various weapons. The text, nonetheless, reveals numerous interesting details. This is an excellent source on the uniforms and appearances of the soldiers of the Confederacy.

Another high quality effort from Osprey
Osprey Publishing has issued Volume 5 of their popular book, The Confederate Army 1861-65. A part of their sprawling Men-at-Arms series (this is book #441 in that series), this one covers the uniforms and arms of troops from Tennessee and North Carolina. Written by Ron Field and lavishly illustrated with Richard Hook's watercolors, this book is a worthy addition to the Osprey family. Retailing for $15.95 here in the USA ($21 in Canada), the book has 48 pages, nearly all of them with period photographs or full color drawings.

The new book focuses on each state's antebellum militia and the hastily organized volunteer regiments that were pressed into Confederate service in the initial stages of the war. Using contemporary newspaper accounts, letters, state and local records, and early photographs, Ron Field presents an extensive array of early war military units, their uniforms and accoutrements, drawing heavily upon primary descriptions. He also takes a cursory, but interesting look at how the transition occurred from locally supplied clothing and equipment (which often varied widely from company to company) to state-issued regulation Confederate uniforms, particularly in North Carolina, where, by the end of the war, the term "ragged Rebel" would be made obsolete from the vast stores of supplies held by the state.



Field starts with Tennessee, looking at the outfitting of the militia and early volunteers in 1861, and examines the role various ladies aid societies played in clothing the soldiers of the Volunteer State. He then discusses the role of the state's Military and Financial Board in taking over the administration and logistics of supplying the troops. Field then shifts his focus to North Carolina, again discussing and characterizing the antebellum militia and contrasting them to how the state later took charge and made its forces appear more uniform in appearance. He also briefly compares winter clothing to summer issue for troops from both states.



The book includes a select bibliography for readers wanting to dive a little deeper into the outfitting of Confederate troops from Tennessee and North Carolina. The index is comprehensive, as is the discussion that accompanies the Richard Hook's illustrations. All in all, The Confederate Army 1861-85 (5) Tennessee and North Carolina (ISBN: 9781846031878) maintains the tradition of excellence we have come to expect from Osprey, and is well worth the modest investment.