North Carolina Hunting Shirts - Part Two (Military Use)

                                                   

So, I had to write a part two for this blog post.

The 1st part examined hunting shirts in estate/inventory records and runaway advertisements. 

Here is a runaway ad that I failed to add to the last blog post:

The Virginia Gazette Fri, Nov 14, 1777 ·Page 8

Runaway enslaved man named Baccus was secured in the gaol in Prince George, VA - he had belonged to a man from Granville County, NC.   He is wearing a hunting shirt over his clothing made of Virginia Cloth.   

Okay back to part 2:

This part is referring Hunting shirts in a military setting for North Carolina troops.  I tried to add as many images as possible but unfortunately it's going to be a lot of correspondence/text.  Also bear in mind I am not the expert just trying to share what info I have found so far.  Also the only reference I have found of what the hunting shirts were constructed of is this invoice for onzabrig.  And the 1776 Liberty or Death hunting shirt of tow linen.

So the first evidence of hunting shirts for military use is the Battle of Alamance in 1771.

Battle of Alamance reference:

We find an invoice for supplies for the militia.   This is from the Documenting the American South: Colonial and State Records of North Carolina (https://docsouth.unc.edu).  Most of the documents listed below will be from this source.   We can see that they purchased 21 yards of onzabrig for hunting shirts at 1 pound, 6 shillings and 3 pence which was 1 shilling and 3 pence a yard..  The question is did they cost 9 shillings per shirt to manufacture or was it 9 shillings for all the shirts - which we don't know.

Invoice from Johnston & Thackston for supplies for the militia

Johnston & Thackston

1771

Volume 22, Page 455

---

His Excellency Govt. Tryon to Johnston & Thackston,

1771.					Dr.
May 7.	To 1 quire paper				£0	1	6
11.	674 yd. Bedtyke for Shotbags, 4s. 4d.	£1	7	1
	47 yds. Cotton for blankets and tools, 3s.	7	1	0
	6 oz. thread for making Do, 6d.	0	3	0
	3 pr. Garters, 10d.	0	2	6
	5 doz. Vest Buttons for Shotbags, 10d.	0	4	2
	1 brod. hoe, 5s. 8d.; 1 quire paper, 1s. 6d.	0	7	2
	21 yds, onabs. for hunting-Shirts, 1s. 3d.	1	6	3
	2 oz. thr’d, Do, 6d.	0	1	0
	Cash paid for making Do	0	9	0	11	1	2
14.	5 narrow axes, 7s. 6d.	1	17	6
	3 Do, 6s. 6d.	0	19	6
	3 broad Do, 7s. 6d	1	2	6
	1 Do	0	6	8
	2 blanketts for the Hospital, 1s. 11d	1	8	0	5	14	2
	Rec’d June 20, 1771, the Above Acc’t in full.				£16	16	10

JOHNSTON & THACKSTON.

"Virginia Gazette": Williamsburg, VA June 1, 1771, pg 2

Then we have a reference to the aftermath of the battle of Alamance and they mention finding "hunting shirts", wallets of dumplings, jackets, breeches, powder horns and shot bags among the wounded of the Regulators.

1775 Minutemen of North Carolina:

Minutes of the North Carolina Provincial Council

North Carolina. Provincial Council

October 18, 1775 - October 22, 1775

Volume 10, Pages 283-294

 Friday October 20th 1775.

Resolved, That Commissions do issue signed by the President to the Minute and Militia Officers, in the several districts and Counties within this province.

Resolved, That the one thousand Troops raised in this Province on the Continental establishment, be supplied with one Blanket, a Hunting Shirt, Splatter dasher, and Garters, so as not to exceed the sum of Forty Shillings for each Soldier; this Council being of Opinion that the same is absolutely necessary, and was intended by the late Provincial Congress.

The Council being informed, That the Minute Men, directed to be raised in some of the Counties in this province, cannot be enlisted in time to answer the intention of the Congress.

In the book The North Carolina Continentals by Hugh Rankin (published by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1971)  they note:

Once the news arrived that their troops were on the Continental establishment, the Provincial Council decided that the Carolina soldiers should be dressed in something better than hunting shirts and splatterdashes. Cloth was ordered to be purchased and made into coats, waistcoats, and breeches, which, along with the haversacks and cartouches furnished the troops, were to be paid for by a monthly deduction of ten shillings from each man's pay. This was but optimistic projection, for there were not even enough arms or sufficient ammunition to put the troops into the field. 

39. Force, American Archives, 4, III, 1925; Colonial Records, X, 360-61, 338- 39; State Records, XV, 685; R. W. Gibbes (ed.), Documentary History of the American Revolution (New York, 1853-57) I, 240, 247; Edmund C. Burnett (ed.), Letters of Members of the Continental Congress (Washington, 192 1-36), I, 251; Ford Journals of the Continental Congress, II, 307-8; Samuel Johnston to Joseph Hewes and others, 1 o march 1 776, Hayes Collection (transcripts), North Carolina Department of Archives and History, Raleigh, N.C.; Thomas McKnight to Rev. Dr. McKnight, 26 December 1775, Miscellaneous Papers, William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. 

1776 References:

Details from Hunting Shirts #11. Described by William Lenoir in the summer of 1776 as "a hunting shirt dyed black" with "LIBERTY OR DEATH" on the chest. - Source: William Caldwell

From the booklet "Many Faces of Fort Defiance (vol 1) dated 1979 by Maurice York

1777 Battle of Germantown

We have reference to the aftermath of the battle of Germantown in 1777 and the dire need of clothing for the North Carolina Brigade.   It took me a hot minute to find this (bleeping) return as the Colonial and State Records of NC did not have this image so I had to hunt it down in Google books.     

I have highlighted the returns and it seems that the 7th and 9th North Carolina units were in need of hunting shirts.  The 7th NC needed 59 hunting shirts and the 9th NC needed 19 shirts.  They describe how ill clothed the North Carolina men were at Germantown and this return shows how desperate they were for clothing.   Granted they needed coats, waistcoats, breeches and etc., but the fact the list hunting shirts is pretty cool.   

Below we see the condition of the North Carolina brigade and camp followers marching through Philadelphia on Aug. 25, 1777, before the battle of Germantown in October of 1777.   The soldier behind the horse is wearing a hunting shirt.

“An exact representation of a waggon (sic) belonging to the North Carolina brigade of continental troops which passed thro Philadelphia”  - Drawn by Pierre Eugène du Simitière - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1777 Ink on Paper (Museum of the American Revolution Gift of Judith F. Hernstadt; Conserved with support from the North Carolina Society of the Cincinnati, 2023.16.01)

Side note:

This fantastic image is currently on tour in North Carolina for viewing in person this year.  It's on loan to us from the fine folks at the Museum of the American Revolution an  I can't wait to get a chance to see it this upcoming year.  The work will be on display in the East Building of the N.C. Museum of Art from May 20-Aug. 1. In August, the sketch will be installed at the N.C. History Center at Tryon Palace in New Bern through early October. The sketch will then be on view at the Visitor Center at Historic Halifax State Historic Site until Nov. 6.

It would seem that the folks in Philadelphia were awaiting payment for clothing the North Carolina troops after the campaigns in 1777 as seen here in this letter to Governor Caswell in 1779.

Letter from Ralph Pomeroy to Richard Caswell

April 13, 1779

Volume 14, Pages 67-68

RALPH POMEROY TO GOVERNOR CASWELL.

[From Executive Letter Book.]

Philadelphia, 13th April, 1779.

Sir:

I am directed by the Honorable Board of War to transmit to you the enclosed resolve of Congress, and to desire you to give the necessary orders to the Clothiers and other persons in the State of North Carolina who have supplied Clothing to any of the Continental Troops for the year 1777. That they make returns of the same, according to the Resolve.

I have also to request that the returns may be sent to James Means, Esq., Clothier General at Philadelphia, where I shall receive them.

Permit me, with all due submission, to urge that the returns may be forwarded with all possible dispatch, as the payment of arrearages due to the Troops on clothing Bounty account for the year 1777, too long delayed already, must be totally expended, until the returns in question can be collected.

I am, &c., &c.,

RALPH POMEROY.

1778-

And then we will see in the following year the requirements for clothing of recruits in North Carolina which include a hunting shirt. It becomes clear that when recruiting men to fight - North Carolina needed to provide clothing.   

Act of the North Carolina General Assembly concerning recruitment of Continental Army troops [as printed in the North-Carolina Gazette]

North Carolina. General Assembly

April 27, 1778

Volume 13, Pages 411-417

---

North Carolina Gazette, May 8, 1778.

An Act for raising Men, to complete the Continental Battalions belonging to this State.

Whereas it is absolutely necessary that the Continental Battalions belonging to this State be completed, and it is found impracticable to obtain that end in the common mode of recruiting.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That each and every person who shall voluntarily enter, or be voted into the service as aforesaid, shall be entitled to have and receive from the commanding officer of the county, a pair of shoes and stockings, two shirts, a hunting shirt, waistcoat with sleeves, a pair of breeches, and trowsers, a hat and a blanket, and five yards of tent cloth; and every six men shall be entitled to have and receive from the commanding officer one axe and a pot or a camp kettle.

And in order to procure the Cloathing aforementioned, Be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every company shall furnish and provide one pair of shoes and stockings, two shirts, a hunting shirt, a waistcoat with sleeves, a pair of breeches and trowsers, a hat and a blanket, five yards of tent cloth, for each and every man, and one axe and a pot or camp kettle, for every six men raised out of such company respectively.

Here is the actual advertisement for the clothing that would be issued to North Carolina men in 1778.  Not a jacket or coat but a hunting shirt and then a waistcoat with sleeves along with a pair of breeches and trousers.

The North-Carolina Weekly Gazette

Fri, May 08, 1778 ·Page 1

Letter from Arthur Boyes to Governor Richard Caswell, dated August 17, 1777. (NC Digital Collection - Governor Richard Caswell Papers & Documenting the American South- Colonial and State Records of NC)

May it please your Excellcy:

My reasons for enlisting are these, I last year maintained my Father in law's family to the Amo. of £15, I afterwards married furnishing every rag my wife has, this with my own necessities reduced me to sell a pair of silver buckles and run three dollars in debt of two handkercheifs I had very old and worn out and two more made of an old fine shirt, there is none left here, fit to wear, aprons she has one, no ribbands, so I could not keep her nor endure myself to board at a tavern though I have found Country Quarters. But may it please your Excellency I have a wife with out Cloaths; A school with out benches: shirts and shoes both past mending. I have sold my Cloaths to Capt. Armwell Hearn and have his Note for £12 but having no Coat I bought a hunting shirt for 5 dollars, if I leave my lodgings I must pay for them, the Note is not due till Sept 28 my shirt, lodging, Debt &c. with her board both here and at home must be paid out of the Note. 

Here we have a soldier who sold off his uniform(?) but was able to purchase a hunting shirt for 5 dollars but was still destitute.

Southern Campaign of 1779-

It seems that the North Carolina troops are lacking clothing and gear when it comes to the Southern Campaign in Georgia and South Carolina.  In various correspondence from March through June of 1779 - the men were needing clothing in a dire way.  This seems to be a reoccurring theme among North Carolina troops.

Here we have this account from North Carolina troops fighting in the Southern Campaign near Savannah and they didn't have any cartridge boxes - so they placed cartridges in the corners of their hunting shirts. 

GENL. JOHN ASHE TO GOVERNOR CASWELL.

[From Executive Letter Book.]

Camp, Zubley's Ferry, March 17th, 1779.

Sir:

,. . .We immediately beat to Arms, formed the Troops into two lines, and served them with Cartridges, which they could not prudently have been served with sooner, as they had several times received Cartridges which had been destroyed and lost for want of Cartouch Boxes. We marched out of lines to meet the Enemy—some carrying their Cartridges under their arms, others in the bosoms of their shirts, and some tied up in the corners of their hunting shirts.

Letter from John Ashe to Richard Caswell

Ashe, John, 1725-1781

March 17, 1779

Volume 14, Pages 39-43

---

Letter from General Benjamin Lincoln to North Carolina Governor Richard Caswell

Black Swamp, April 7th, 1779.

Dear Sir:

. . . 

Your Continental Troops & Levies are very naked. I have been encouraged to expect that clothing will be sent on for them; may it be soon. It is painful to see them in the ragged condition in which they appear, and it is more so when they are paraded with the Troops of this State. Great attention has been paid to them “in this respect, and men who are by no means superior to yours appear in a decent habit, yours quite the contrary; every officer must be hurt hereby; he knows the sufferings of the men, that they see the discrimination, must feel themselves neglected and chagrined.

Arming and seeing that the Militia are properly clothed are also matters of importance, and claim the earnest attention, for without the former they will be of little service, and without a shift of the latter, as the hot season is fast approaching, by which they can be kept clean, they will soon be unhealthy, and liable to every putrid disorder.

It will tend much to the happiness and usefulness of the men to have officers set over them whose advice they will hear and whose commands they will willingly obey.

I have the honor to be, dear Sir,
Your Excellency's Mo. Ob. Servt.,

B. LINCOLN.

Gov. Caswell.

Lincoln, Benjamin, 1733-1810

April 07, 1779

Volume 14, Pages 61-63.

[From Executive Letter Book.]

---

GEN. JETHRO SUMNER TO GOVERNOR CASWELL.

[From Executive Letter Book.]

Black Swamp Camp, April 10th, 1779.

Sir:

I enclose you a return of the Brigade of State Troops, under my command, for the month of March. We wish to inform you that the Brigade is greatly distressed for clothing, and desire to have Mr. Craig ordered forward with supplies.

The arrangement of three Battalions has made it necessary that each officer be supplied with another commission. Be pleased to send them (for the three Battalions) and I shall, as soon as may be, return you a fair Copy of the arrangements. Also to the Board of War.

There is now twenty-four or five vacancies in the three Battalions, and I am doubtful many more will soon be.

I shall be glad to receive your Order and the Commissions as soon as you please.

I am, with much respect, your Servt.,

JETHRO SUMNER.

Gov. Caswell.

Sumner, Jethro, 1733?-1785

April 10, 1779

Volume 14, Page 64

It seems that there was concern for the lack of clothing among NC troops in the Southern Campaign as seen evident here.  But it seems by June of 1779 - in this letter from Craike to General Sumner - cloth and patterns finally arrive for the officers but the men would receive clothing in the form of overalls and jackets.

Charles Town, June 14th, 1779.

Brigadier Genl. Sumner of the North Carolina Cont. Troops at Head Quarters.

Dr. General:

I have delivered a quantity of Cloths of the Patterns I sent to you by Captain Hilton to Mr. Wills, who is to make them up for the Officers in abt. 20 days. I have also purchased 100 pieces of Britannias, which, if you think proper, I will deliver to the quarter Master and give him an Invoice of the Cost, to be delivered to the officers at ⅓ of the Cost, agreeable to the Resolves of our Assembly. I have not been able to procure, as yet, Cloathing for the men; Overalls & Jackets I imagine will be all that will be wanting for the Continental Troops. The 9 months' men, from what I could understand from Genl. Lincoln, are not to receive Cloathing; at the same time I wish he would consider their naked situation & give Orders to allow them some small portion of Cloathing. The Counties from which those poor fellows came are much to blame; they have not done them justice in general, as they were to have supplied their respective Draughts with Cloathing that would have been sufficient for the Campaign. As it is not probable that I shall receive any money from No. Carolina, I have no Expectation of making more purchases of any kind, which will make it unnecessary for me to stay much longer here; I will, therefore, be obliged to you to let me know what will be wanting for Troops, that I may do everything in my power before I go. I should have purchased linen for your hunting shirt, but wait to know if the Britannias will answer that purpose. Please to give my compliments to Col. Armstrong & Maj. Eaton, & I remain,

Dr. Genl.,
Your Obedt. Hble. Serv't,

THOS. CRAIKE, D. C. C.

So it seems that Craike is waiting to see if there is enough Britannias fabric leftover to make General Jethro Sumner a hunting shirt but if not then to use linen.  You wonder if the hunting shirt would be more elaborate than a normal hunting shirt?   

1780 - 

 North Carolina booklet : great events in North Carolina history [1918 : July, v.1 : no.1]Volume 18, Number 1 (July 1918)

Then we have this account of North Carolinians wrapping their muskets in their bags, blankets and hunting shirts to keep them dry during the battle of Kings Mountain in October of 1780.

Hunting shirts continue to still be an issued uniform item to North Carolina troops.

1782:

Acts of the North Carolina General Assembly, 1782

North Carolina. General Assembly

1782

Volume 24, Pages 413-474

-------------------- page 413 --------------------

LAWS OF NORTH CAROLINA, 1782.

At a General Assembly, begun and held at Hillsborough, on the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty Two, and in the Sixth year of the Independence of the said State: Being the First Session of this Assembly. Alexander Martin, Esq., Governor.

CHAPTER I.

An Act for Raising troops to compleat the Continental Battalions of this State, and other purposes.

I. Whereas the time of service of the troops raised to compleat the Continental Battalions of this State by an Act of Assembly passed at Halifax in February, one thousand seven hundred and eighty one, is nearly expired; and whereas it is absolutely necessary the said battalions be immediately compleated, and the common mode of recruiting being found ineffectual;

X. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That each and every person who shall voluntarily enter, or be drafted into the said service, or be received as a substitute by the persons appointed for the purposes aforesaid, shall be entitled to have and receive two pair of shoes, two pair of stockings, two shirts, two stocks, one pair of leather or woollen breeches, two pair of over-alls, one waistcoat, one coat, one hunting-shirt, one blanket, one hat, and five yards of tent cloth; which cloathing shall be good and new, and shall be delivered to the said volunteer, draft or substitute, on the day and place of the district rendezvous. And in order to procure the aforesaid cloathing,

Hunting shirts would become a universal symbol of the American Revolution especially for North Carolina troops and would be used later on by militia men in North Carolina after the war.  As seen here for raising troops for protection of the inhabitants of Davidson County in 1786.

Acts of the North Carolina General Assembly, 1786 - 1787

North Carolina. General Assembly

1786

Volume 24, Pages 783-884

---

-------------------- page 783 --------------------

LAWS OF NORTH CAROLINA, 1786.

At a General Assembly, begun and held at Fayetteville on the eighteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty-Six, and in the Eleventh Year of the Independence of the said State, being the first session of the said Assembly. Richard Caswell, Esq., Governor.

CHAPTER I.

An Act for Raising Troops for the Protection of the Inhabitants of Davidson County.

V. And be it further Enacted, That every able bodied man who shall be enlisted into the said service, and shall furnish himself with one good rifled or smooth bored gun fit for service, one good picker, shot-bag and powder horn, twelve good flints, one pound of good powder, and two pounds of good leaden bullets or buck-shot, suitable to his gun, shall be entitled to receive from this State on the first day of October, in each year of his service, one blanket, two pair of stockings, two pair of shoes, two shirts, two leather stocks, one good hunting shirt, one good woollen or fur hat of a middle size, one pair of buckskin breeches, and one waistcoat lined, to be provided and furnished by a clothier to be appointed by his Excellency the Governor for the time being; who shall be furnished in convenient time by the commanding officer of the said troops, with a certificate sworn to before some three or more justices of some county within this State, with the amount of the number of troops under his command, entitled to draw clothes according to this Act; which the said clothier shall present to the Governor for the time being, together with the whole amount of each article wanted for the troops, and thereupon his Excellency shall grant him a warrant on the treasury for a sum sufficient to purchase the said articles at a moderate rate, and to defray the expence of making them into suits, and removing them to the troops: And the said clothier shall purchase the said articles and cause them to be made up into suits, and delivered to the troops at the times aforesaid, taking a receipt from each soldier, attested by the captain of the company to which he may belong; for all which services, the said clothier shall be allowed by the General Assembly, on the settlement of his accounts, a sum not less than the amount of the yearly pay hereby appointed for a captain in the said troop

In conclusion - there is a reference to hunting shirts used by Carolina troops in a romantic memory.  

on a patriot's back Those who actually saw the patriot in the field describe them as without uniforms very many of them bare footed and at the best clothed in made hunting shirts. Many regiments stained their hunting shirts with butternut which was used for a similar purpose the Confederates of the Civil War, The hunting shirts were colored and butternut gave at once the color that the linen would assume after a few weeks of dirt and smoke. Washington gave an order of the 24th of July 1776 recommended the hunting shirt for all the troops and Lafayette has described in his memoirs the patriot army he found on his arrival in the summer of 1777 About eleven thousand men ill armed and still worse clothed presented a strange spectacle Their clothes were parti colored and many of them were almost naked The best clad wore hunting shirts large gray linen coats which were much used in Carolina ( Vol i p 19 London 1837)  

Source: Fisher, Sydney George. The Struggle for American Independence. United Kingdom: J.B. Lippincott, 1908.

Scottish Clothing: Bonnets, Scotch plaids and plaid stockings and other associated clothing in the Carolinas

 

National Galleries of Scotland - Artist David Allan

This article will be examining Scottish Clothing in the Carolinas prior to 1776.  Scottish dress whether it be knitted bonnets, plaid stockings, plaid coats, gowns and jackets are documented in the Carolinas. Inventories, newspaper advertisements help us understand what is available in the Carolinas (both North and South) during the period before 1776.  There are references to these textiles and accessories found post 1776 and that is something we can look into at a later point. 

 

I spoke about scotch bonnets in a previous blog article but for those who don't know, scotch bonnets are a knitted cap that is fulled by shrinking the woolen fibers to make it resistant to the weather.    These are usually noted as a "blue bonnet" in runaway ads or as a "scotch bonnet".  These were available for purchase as early as 1758 in South Carolina.  I do want to note that early North Carolina newspapers are not as easily available as the ones from South Carolina and the other colonies.

Scotch or Blue Bonnet references: 

The South Carolina Gazette, Charleston SC Friday October 20 1758

The advertisement lists imported goods from Scotland on the "Live Oak" vessel - a variety of Scotch and Irish textiles as well as Tartan or Scotch plaids and blue bonnets.

New Hanover County, North Carolina Original Estate Records, Ca. 1741-1942; Author: North Carolina. Probate Court (New Hanover County), North Carolina.

This inventory is of Captain James McDonough's estate from New Hanover County, NC dated October of 1760.  At the bottom of the inventory it lists several clothing items including: 1 pr of silver knee buckles, 1 old shoe buckle, 4 cloaks, 1 hat and 3 bonnets.   My best guess that these are blue bonnets.   If someone reads this different, please let me know.

Imported Goods in the Carolinas

The South Carolina Gazette, Charleston, SC-March 19, 1763

Imported Goods on the "Little Carpenter" March 1763 - Robert Hogg Account Book - Southern Historical Collection, UNC-Chapel Hill, NC

6 Scotch Bonnets priced at 3/10 for a value of 1 pound 3 shillings.  Sold in Charleston, South Carolina in 1763 at their store.

Robert Hogg was a merchant who sold items both in Charleston, SC and Wilmington, NC.  His ledger books are at the Southern Historical Collection at UNC-Chapel Hill and only 1 of the many ledgers have been digitalized so far.  So much more information to be found for sure!

Runaway Advertisements:

The South Carolina Gazette, Charleston SC July 31, 1762

Runaway mulatto man named John from South Carolina with a variety of clothing but the most notable was a Scotch bonnet and the implication that he will pretend to be "free."

The North Carolina Weekly Gazette, New Bern NC Dec 24, 1773

Runaway Advertisement noting of a runaway enslaved man named "Shie" from Anson County, North Carolina wearing a "Scotch" bonnet and a Dutch blanket.  Anson County is located near the NC/SC border and adjacent to Cumberland County as well.

Plaid stockings

NC Gazette and Wilmington Weekly Post-Boy, Wilmington NC Feb 26, 1766 pg.3

This is the only account that I have found of plaid stockings in North Carolina or for all the Carolinas.  Imported goods from Leith and Glasgow in February of 1766 to be sold at William Watkins store in Wilmington, NC.   Scotch plaid and plaid stockings are listed for sale.   We can find references to plaid stockings available in Virginia as early as the 1750s particularly on runaways and then for sale in the 1770s but this seems to be the only reference so far for the Carolinas.  

Scots Plaids or Tartans

They can be found imported into South Carolina from 1734-1775 and then into North Carolina per the 1750s-60s.   Here are a few references to them as textiles and as clothing items.

We find a runaway enslaved woman named Bella in South Carolina wearing a "scotch plaid" gown in the 1740s. 

The South Carolina Gazette, Charleston, SC March 8 1740 pg.3

The SC and American General Gazette, Charleston SC October 14, 1768 pg.3

We have a runaway advertisement from Charleston in 1768 of a woman named Hannah who is listed as wearing an "old plaid jacket" ozenbrig petticoat.


In the estate of Aller/Eller McKeller in Cumberland County, NC 1769 - list 2 yards of Green Tartan, another 1 1/4 yd of Green tartan purchased as well as 1 green coat.  

Account record for the estate of Aller McKeller, Cumberland County, NC November 1768 Estate records of Cumberland County - Estates Records, McInnish, Donald-McKinnon, Murdock, 1663-1978

In the sale of John Curry's estate in 1771 we see several pieces of clothing including 1 tartan coat which was worth 1 pound and 4 pence. 

Sale of John Curry's estate in 1771; Cumberland County, NC; Notes: Estates Records, Collins, John Henry-Denning, Martin D, 1663-1978

Does these findings give us some answers?  I hope so.   They do give us a glimpse of what was available for those living in the Carolinas prior to 1776.   I can't think of any witty comments or conclusions to this blog post.   I will conclude with one final newspaper clipping describing the clothing on some "Scotch Torries" who broke out of a jail in Maryland after the battle of Moore's Creek in December 1776.

The Virginia Gazette, Williamsburg, VA Feb 7 1777 pg.2

Kenneth McDonald, Alexander McCleod, Daniel McCleod and Murdoch McCastle; were listed as four Scotch Tories from North Carolina.  Three of the men had on blue jackets while Murdoch had on a green coat.   Does the color of the jacket/coat signify anything of importance for Scottish people?  Just food for thought.

Hope you enjoyed this latest post!  

What are men actually wearing in the Carolinas?

 Men's clothing sometimes can be easier to find than women's clothing when examining estate and inventory records in the 1700s.   Earlier in the period, clothing is listed more frequently but by the 1770s, household or trade goods are listed more often than clothing. In this post, I will examine men's clothing listed in estate and inventories from the following counties; Duplin, New Hanover and Cumberland, North Carolina.  

John Matchet, 1774 Duplin County, NC inventory of estate

John Matchet lived in Duplin County, NC and his inventory from his estate listed the following clothing items:  2 hats, 4 coats, 5 jacket, 3 pairs of breeches, 1 pr of trousers, 5 shirts, 2 prs of stockings, 1 pair of Indian boots, 1 pair of shoes and buckles, 1 silver shoe buckle, 1 pair of knee buckles, 1 stock buckle, 2 razors and 1 watch

Not much description of the textiles of his clothing but as you can see he has both coats and jackets and breeches and trousers.   One thing to note is the Indian boots.   I have seen these mentioned in other inventories like in A Holden's estate in 1774 again from Duplin County.   Are these moccasins or a boot that you would wear while hunting?

Maurice Nevin, 1767 New Hanover County, NC inventory of estate

Next we have Maurice Nevin of New Hanover County who estate was inventoried in 1767.  Again we see 2 coats, 2 pairs of breeches, 2 jackets, 3 pairs of Hose, 4 shirt, 2 handkerchiefs, 1 hat, 1 pair of shoes, 1 pair of silver buckles.    Are the 2 coats actually long bodied coats or are they waistcoats?  As there are no waistcoats listed in this inventory.   Also, the word hose is used instead of stockings.   Is this traditional hose or just a term used by the person carrying out the inventory?  Also note the 2 muskets and pistol listed at the top. 

Here we have the inventory of James Steele of Cumberland County in 1774.   He has 2 coats, 3 jackets, 1 pr of leather breeches, 2 prs of plush breeches, 1 pr of thread hose.  Down at the bottom of his inventory they list 2 coats and 2 prs of breeches

James Steele, 1774 Cumberland County, NC inventory of estate

Another 4 coats are listed but I wanted to point out that Mr. Steele was a freemason.  As he has 1 freemason apron, 1 pr of white gloves and a 1 T-- Wigg in his inventory.   Again, note razors, strops and shaving boxes listed in his estate.   I have seen other freemason items listed in a few other inventories across North Carolina.

Andrew Gunderson, 1774 Cumberland County NC inventory of estate

Here we have Andrew Gunderson's inventory and they list the following items.  1 old blue jacket, 3 old pairs of trousers, 2 old ozenbrig shirts, 2 old linen shirts, 1 old stamped jacket, 1 old pair of shoes, 7 shillings of Proclamation money.

Not much here but the two types of shirts, ozenbrig and linen. a blue jacket and a stamped jacket?  We find stamped fabric for women's clothing but for men's?   Would this maybe be a banyan of stamped linen or just a typical jacket?  

Richard Beaughan's inventory, 1771 Cumberland County NC

So here at Cross Creek, NC in Cumberland County we have the inventory of Richard Beaughan. 1 blue coat trimmed in silver buttons, 1 camblet coat, 1 surtout coat, 1 red jacket, 1 pr of doe skin breeches, 1 pr of shoes, 4 shirts, 1 pr of copper shoe buckles, 1 pr of silver knee buckles, 1 pr of sleeve buttons, 1 hat,

In this inventory we see a little bit of description of the clothing, blue coat with silver buttons and a red jacket and the copper shoe buckles.  This is the first time I have seen doe skin breeches listed.  Normally we see leather breeches noted in inventories and that is something I will go into for a later blog post. 

Inventory of James Bradley 1771 New Hanover County, NC

I'll conclude with this inventory of James Bradley who was a merchant in the Wilmington area.  His inventory is broken down into saleable goods like textiles and products that would be sold in his store and also furniture in his house.   

11 shirts, 14 cravats, 7 linen waistcoats, 7 prs of thread stockings, 6 nightcaps, 2 prs of nankeen breeches, 1pr of ticken breeches, 1pr of sheets, 4 coats & waistcoats, 2 prs of breeches, 1 camblet cloak, 1 pr of silver shoe and knee buckles, 8 tortoise shell jacket buttons, 1 pr of broken Scotch Pebble sleeve buttons, 1 silver watch, 1 wig and wig box and 1 hat.   The tortoise shell jacket buttons are interesting as well as the broken scotch pebble sleeve buttons.  Wonder what those looked like?

Thanks for checking out the blog.   What would you like to see more of?   Leather breeches, fancy coats and waistcoats listed?    There is more to explore and there is some amazing clothing in the Carolinas during the 18th century for sure.