Palmetto Battalion

Gentlemen:

It is rare to get a photographic consensus of what S.C. troops wore at a given time frame during the war. However, I include these photos of Hagood's men, from two different regiments at same time period of the war.

In the first image, you will see Pvt. John Edward Harrell of Company B (Darlington District) of Hagoods 1st South Carolina, in a frock coat with green trim on the skirt. He has a silver toned palmetto tree on his cap, (the emblem dates back to the Mexican war). In the second image, you will see Pvt. Theodore Kohn of Company A, of Hagood's 1st South Carolina Regiment (Edisto Rifles) in the same uniform. He also has a green stripe on his pants. Time frame is early 61-62.

In the next image you will see Pvt. David Dantzler in a no frills shell jacket, with a six button front. This image was taken in Charleston in 1864, just before the unit left Charleston for Virginia. Dantzler is in Hagoods 25th SCV. This matches the description that Henry Kershaw Dubose gives of the jackets in Hagoods Brigade of this time period as "neat, trim, fighting jackets" (History of Company B, 21st, SCV). You will see several photos of Hagood's men in this type of six button jacket at the Confederate Museum in Florence.

And finally, just for fun, here is Pvt. 'Dapper Dan' Kohn in civilian clothes of the time, but sporting a military kepi as part of the ensemble.

This is a photo of Pvt. James Sinclair of the 7th SC Battalion of Hagood's division. His coat resembles the coat in picture # 3. It is a 6 button coat. James is 20 years old in this picture.

How can I post a picture to this site? or pictures to this site. I have an unpublished picture of the 2nd SC Co. B in Columbia about 1861, that I would like to post.

Tom,
Is this the picture? Looks like two companies in that same style frock with the green trim. They are also wearing white gloves. Is that a shako on their heads or a kepi? hard to tell.

I believe they are shakos, but they also could be kepis with high crowns. This is a stereotype found by a man at a flea market in tenn. He paid $5.00. He contacted me through our Butler Guards web site to find out who the soldiers were. I am assuming it is in Columbia because the back of the pictures say Butler Guards and the Name of a photographer and Columbia S.C. I have found reference to the photographer business and confirmed he was active in Columbia before and during the war.I hoped some one from Columbia might recognize the building, perhaps at the USC horseshoe? I have recently wondered if maybe it was the old 1850's Furman University buildings here in Greenville,since Co B 2nd SC 'Butler Guards are from here. Maybe the photographer simply came here from Columbia to take the picture. If you look close you will see a state flag on the back row. There is a civilian in a top hat also visible with the officers. The troops are at parade rest an the arms are 3 band, but I can't tell if they are smooth bore or Enfields, probably the former.This is a previously unpublished picture of South Carolina troops.What a find! The more I study and magnify the more i have found.