121.) The Civil War Red Legs were called " Red Legs" because they wore "bootlegs" made from untanned Indian Skins. This practice was clearly described in Lt. Barton's Journal, where he wrote about his participation in the Sullivan Campign of 1779, during the Revolutionary War. Here is a passage from his Journal, where he "describes how he 'sent out a party for some dead Indians...Towards morning found them, and skinned two of them from their hips down, for bootlegs; one pair for the Major (Sullivan), the other for myself.' " (20 min. read)
Here is the proof about these atrocities and why the "Civil War Red Legs" called themselves "Red Legs". It was because they wore untanned Indian skins on their legs, between their ankles and knees, for protection during warfare and psychological terrorism. At the end of this article is a brief European history of the practice of using human skin for utilitarian and decorative purposes. It is understood that cultures all around the world did this. But rarely is the European use of human skin reported on the way this article exposures this practice. (Please note that the change in font size is due to technology, and not meant to stress certain paragraphs) This article recognizes that there are atrocities committed on both sides of every war. But both sides of these atrocities are not reported equally or fairly, when it comes to the Indians of the Americas. In fact, the atrocities committed against the Indians are purposefully denied and hidden by the empires and natio...