1870 Union, Morrisania NY (Unions)

This rendering is based on visual documentation for uniform style and written documentation for color. Minor details may be undocumented or difficult to determine. An educated guess is made to complete the rendering.

Rendering accuracy:Year: unconfirmed    Team: documented

Visual documentation on this uniform:

Photo A

Dated July 9, 1870. These drawing were published in a newspaper on this date. Left: C Pabor (65-70) Union, Morrisania NY, and A Reach, Athletic, Philadelphia. Right: detail view of Pabor. The Union uniform worn by Pabor was depicted as having a white or light-colored shirt, checked knickers and plaid stockings. Detail view showed the shirt’s rectangular bid with a letter “U” placed in the center. The shirt may have been depicted as collarless and short-sleeved with the player wearing a collared shirt with long sleeves under the uniform shirt. A newspaper in April 1870 described the Union uniform as white cap and shirt, checked zouave pants and red-and-black striped stockings. These uniform features are similar to the ones depicted in the drawing above. The “zouave pants” mentioned in this report generally refers to wide, baggy pants that taper or cinch at mid-leg below the knee. Baseball borrowed the style from military uniforms, see examples below.

Three examples of a Zouave military uniform from the late 19th century are shown here. Zouave, pronounced jhoo-AHV, originated as the name of a band of guerrilla-style fighters in North Africa in the early 19th century. After France conquered Algiers in 1830, the Zouaves were incorporated as light-infantry regiments into the French Army. The distinctive uniforms of the Zouaves were of North African origin and included a combination of short open-fronted jackets, baggy trousers, sashes and fez-like caps. The notoriety of the regiments led to many copies, including the formation in 1859 of a drill company in the United States, known as the Chicago Zouaves. This troupe toured the country and introduced the zouave look to America. During the Civil War, both the Union and Confederate Armies had regiments wearing zouave uniforms. These units often implemented unique drill marches and unconventional fighting tactics. Baseball pants in the zouave style were adopted by a few teams in the 1860s. The Union team of Morrisania was depicted wearing baggy pants tied at the ankles in renderings made in 1866, 1867 and 1868. As baseball fashion transitioned away from wearing long pants around 1870, some teams wore knickers in the zouave style. Image scan and IDs of Pabor and Reach from the New York Clipper, July 9, 1870. Years Pabor with team from from Marshall D. Wright, The National Association Of Base Ball Players, 1857-1870 (2000), and from Paul Batesel, Players And Teams Of The National Association, 1871-1875 (2012). Research also from Brian McKenna. Zouave info from various pages on wikipedia.com, compiled January 21, 2022. A deeper dive on the military Zouaves can be found at Military History Now.

Written documentation on this uniform:
April 21, 1870, Union, Morrisania NY, v. Atlantic, Brooklyn, at Brooklyn, Capitoline Grounds: “The Unions appeared in their new picturesque uniform, checked zouave pants, red and black striped stockings, and white shirt and cap, while the Atlantics looked rusty in last season’s rig.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 22, 1870. Research from Ed Morton. The uniform described here was similar to the uniform depicted in the New York Clipper on July 9, 1870, see photo above.

Team genealogy:
 Union, Morrisania NY, 1855-1870s
Union was formed in Morrisania, NY, in 1855. Morrisania was the original name for the South Bronx where the prominent Morris family was seated. Union belonged to the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP), baseball’s first organization operating 1857-1870, but did not join the National Association (NA), baseball’s first league, when it was formed in 1871. Subsequently, the Union club stopped playing games competitively during this time. Information from Aaron W Miller, Peter Morris and others, Base Ball Founders (2013).