Officers, 1865

This painting by Norie is a good study of different orders of dress in the 11th at this time. It was discussed fully in the Journal of Army Historical Research vol. XXI by Percy Sumner.
The two central figures are in full dress but the left-hand figure does not have a shabraque. Sumner suggests that he is in field day order but other Norie paintings of the 11th and other regiments show the shabraque worn on field day manoeuvres. see Trumpeter 1865 The uniform is very similar to that worn by Captain 1859 except that in mounted order the crimson trousers had leather bottoms and leather up the inside leg as far as the knee. All the officers in this picture have these trousers except the frock-coated officer on the right who is in dismounted order. The amount of leathering varied from regiment to regiment. Some had knee length booting with the inside leg leather reaching the seat of the trousers.
Behind the saddle of both these full-dress officers is a valise in which is kept the cloak. The round ends of the valise have 11H sewn on. The black sheepskin saddle cover was used until the 1870s when a leopard skin came in to use. The throat plume on the bridle is crimson over white, replacing the all crimson one used up until 1855. The sabretache is the full dress one. see Sabretache 1856
The officers on the right and left of the picture give us a front and rear view of the distinctive officer's stable dress of the 11th. The short jacket is unique to the 11th in that it is decorated across the front with four rows of braid and up the seams on the back. see Officer's stable Jacket The pillbox cap was crimson with gold lace around it and braiding on top. see Officer's pill-box cap The full dress pouchbelt was worn in this order, but the sabretache was the plain black leather undress version suspended from the waistbelt by three gold-laced straps. In this order of dress the horses have minimal horse furniture, being without shabraque or valise.

Regimental Details | Uniforms