71st Highlanders during the Zulu War

[Ryan]

Hi all,

Which tartan did the 91st wear during the Zulu War? Tim Reece's image on the British Battles website has them wearing Government tartan:

http://www.britishbattles.com/tim-reese/zulu/

The Osprey Men-at-Arms on the Zulu War has them wearing the Campbell of Cawdor tartan,

Which is correct???

Thanks
Ryan

[moonshado]

 Christopher Wilkinson-Latham in his "Uniforms & weapons of The Zulu War" specifically refers to "Officers' trews were of the Campbell of Cawdor tartan" but when referring to the ORs only says "All the men are wearing..... with tartan trousers".
 In the Osprey Elite "British forces in Zululand 1879" by Ian Knight with plates by Richard Scollins - the written text refers to Officers, NCOs and ORs all wearing the same trews and identifies them as Campbell of Cawdor. The colour plate in the book shows not only the Officer, NCO and private in Campbell of Cawdor trews but also shows the piper in Green doublet and Campbell of Cawdor kilt.

[Ryan]

Moonshado:

That's excellent information. Thanks very much for your assistance! 

[former user]

I can offer this
http://www.scotclans.com/scottish_clans/regimental_tartans/index.html
http://www.tartansauthority.com/tartan/the-growth-of-tartan/military-tartans/regimental-tartans/

[moonshado]

 Damn,  former user's sources totally contradict mine. I've now got no idea which is correct. The only other reference I have, which only muddies the waters more, is Richard Simkin's Uniforms of the British Army by W.Y.Carman. In the text there is no reference to the tartan and the Simkin print of  the 91st shows a private and officer 1864, an officer and bugler 1874 and private and officer 1879 all wearing the same tartan trews, which appears to be either a government tartan with added red stripe or a campell of cawdor without the white stripe.
 The only query I have with former user's sources are both refer to the 91st wearing Campbell of cawdor tartan after 1886, but the 91st had ceased to exist in 1881 , when under the reforms it had become the 1st Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

[former user]

Regimental setts are difficult
Osprey MAA 442 says Cawdor of Campbell as well, and this might be true.
Also, one should not forget that most Highland regiments opposed the 1881 amalgamation, and the Argyll and Sutherlands not only kept their names and setts but also kept switching order of precedence for 10 years, not to mention the "Princess Louise's" jumping from start to end.
It was also not unusual to have different setts for officers and pipers for the parade order (as well as different sporrans for the kilted regiments)
Can't You find a regimental history? It might be more precise

[Ryan]

I checked on the regimental website, but it didn't prove to be much help. However, I really appreciate your suggestions, and I decided to go with the Campbell of Cawdor tartan! 

[moonshado]

Only just remembered last night that I had one more source I could check. I have the complete set of the Regiment magazine, which was issued back in the 90s. Loh and behold when i checked they had devoted two issues(31 & 32) to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
in issue 31 referring to the restoration of Highland dress to the 91st Foot Regiment says-
"In 1864 the Highland nationality was restored to the regiment, but the return was to trews rather than kilts. the trartan used for the trews was an east country setting of the Campbell tartan, with a redline added"
(n.b Clan Calder(or Cawdor) are located in the district of Nairn , which is around Inverness and is definetly to the east of the more traditional Campbell haunts of Strathclyde and Argyll).
There are also two photographs that show the tartan trews fairly well-both of  officers Charles James Marshall in 1867 and the other of  William Darly Caudwell in 1872. Both officers trews clearly have a coloured stripe(showing almost white in these balck and white photographs) running through what appears to be the blue squares of the tartan.
There are also 4 colour prints(unfortunately  without artist credits) shown displaying the trews in 1864,1868, 1870 & 1874. All 4 clearly show the red line and the print showing an officer in 1870(which is relatively naive  and suggests it was done by an amateur painter at the actual time) also clearly shows the white stripe as well.
On the above I would feel 99.9% certain that the 91st were wearing Campbell of Cawdor tartan in  1879.