Company of Military Historians. Military Uniforms in America. Vol. 3 Long Endure the Civil War Period, 1852-1867.  Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1982

42nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment

("The Bucktails"), 1863

This regiment (also known as the "Kane Rifle Regiment," the "13th Pennsylvania Reserves," and the "1st Pennsyslvania Rifles") was originally raised in northern Pennsylvania in April 1861 by Thomas L. Kane, and was accepted as part of Governor Curtin's "Pennsylvania Reserves" for three-year service. Most of the men were from the "wild-cat regions"; they brought their own rifles-and were highly irked when required to send them home and accept smooth-bore muskets.
      The regiment passed into Federal service in August 1861, after some six weeks of minor service in West Virginia. Oddly enough, it was never regularly mustered into the Federal service, merely being picked up on the payrolls.
        Newspaper correspondent George Alfred Townsend  did not like the Regiment. He wrote:
        I had an opportunity after dinner to inspect the camp of the "Bucktails," a regiment of Pennsylvania backwoodsmen, whose efficiency as skirmishers has been adverted to by all chroniclers of the Civil War, They wore the common blue blouse and breeches, but were distinguished by squirrel tails fastened to their caps. They were reputed to he the best marksmen in the service, and were generally allowed, in action, to take their own positions and fire at will. Crawling through thick woods, or trailing serpcnt-like through the tangled grass, these mountaineers were for a time the terror of the Confederates, but when their mode of fighting had been understood, their adversaries improved upon it to such a degree that at the date of this writing there is scarcely a corporal's guard of the original Bucktails remaining. Slaughtered on the field, perishing in prison, disabled or paroled, they have lost both their prestige and their strength. I remarked among these worthies a partiality for fisticuffs, and a dislike for the manual of arms. They drilled badly, and were reported to be adepts at thieving and unlicensed foraging.[1]
      The official records prove that more than Townsend's nose was out of joint in this description. As for the foraging, the Bucktails admitted to a lot of it-but also protested that anyone could put a strip of fur on his hat and borrow chickens.[2]
        The Army's opinion of the Bucktails was shown by a piece of rare flattery-the organization of a "Bucktail Brigade of Light Infantry" consisting of the 149th and 150th Pennsylvania Infantry (2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, I Corps) in the fall of 1862. Though the 42nd Regiment sneered at them as "Bogus Bucktails," they fought splendidly at Gettysburg.[3]
        The original Bucktail uniform issued by Pennsylvania was merely described as "Blouses, caps,”[4] to which was later added "blue pants and white flannel shirts"-the latter item being noted as a "mean color."[5] "Letters to be placed on the men's caps were obtained, as were also blue overcoats" in July. After some bickering, the Regiment received Enfield and Springfield rifles in August.[6] The Regiment also received two bugles per company.
        On 10 August 1862, the Regiment received Sharps rifles. These were replaced in early 1864 by Spencer repeaters, but there are records of two of their companies having carried Spencers as early as Gettysburg.[7]
        The original bucktail badge was adopted during the first days of the regiment's formation, when Private James Landregan so decorated his cap. Kane adopted the badge, which generally was merely a strip of deerhide.[8]
        The bugler in this plate was copied from a contemporary sketch, which showed the short jacket and heavily tasseled bugle cord, The two soldiers on the right of the plate wear the oddly cut coat shown on the Bucktail statue at Gettysburg. This is believed to be the original Pennsylvania issue.
        The gold braid stripe on the officer's trousers seam is non-regulation, but a touch of elegance Much favored, at least in the eastern armies. The green bugle cord is a guess. It may have been any known color, but the Bucktails put great stress on being "Rifles."

 George Woodbridge

Frederic E. Ray, Jr.

John R. Elting