what color uniforms did the confederate soldiers wear

Interesting Facts about Civil War Uniforms

• The uniforms were mostly made from wool, which was very hot during the summers. Many soldiers suffered from heat exhaustion on long marches as a result.
• The Union Army settled on rules for an official uniform in 1862. ...
• The Confederates chose gray dye for their uniforms because it was inexpensive to make.
• Sometimes the grey coats of the Confederates were trimmed with green or yellow.

Full Answer

What shade of blue were the Confederate soldiers uniforms?

The Confederate regulations specified light blue as the pants color, probably intending the same "sky blue" shade as the Federal uniform had. This proved troublesome to make, however, given a lack of resources, so usually pants were made of the same color cloth as the tunic.

What kind of uniforms did Confederate soldiers wear?

The typical uniform of the Confederate soldier was a forage or slouch hat, gray or butternut wool shell jacket, gray, butternut, or blue trousers, and brogans. A haversack was used to carry personal items.

Do the Confederate soldiers wear gray uniforms?

This tradition was carried over into the selection of army uniform colors. Because the United States (Union) regulation color was already dark blue, the Confederates chose gray. However, soldiers were often at a loss to determine which side of the war a soldier was on by his uniform.

What color uniforms did the Union soldiers wear?

What color uniforms did the Union soldiers wear? Eventually, the uniforms became more standard with the Union army wearing navy colored uniforms and the Confederates wearing grey. The Union uniform consisted of a dark blue wool coat with light blue trousers and a dark cap called a forage cap.

Why did Confederate soldiers wear gray uniforms?

At the time of the American Civil War, the usefulness of camouflage was not generally recognized. Gray was chosen for Confederate uniforms because gray dye could be made relatively cheaply and it was the standard uniform color of the various State Militias.

Did the Confederates wear blue or red?

Uniforms and clothing worn by Union and Confederate Soldiers During the Civil War. The two sides are often referred to by the color of their official uniforms, blue for the Union, gray for the Confederates.

What uniform did the Confederates wear?

Confederate uniform. The typical uniform of the Confederate soldier was a forage or slouch hat, gray or butternut wool shell jacket, gray, butternut, or blue trousers, and brogans. A haversack was used to carry personal items.

Did Confederate soldiers wear blue pants?

The trousers of a Confederate soldiers' uniform were typically butternut, gray, or blue.

What colors did the Confederacy wear?

Because the United States (Union) regulation color was already dark blue, the Confederates chose gray. However, soldiers were often at a loss to determine which side of the war a soldier was on by his uniform. With a shortage of regulation uniforms in the Confederacy, many southern recruits just wore clothes from home.

Who wore red in the Civil War?

Zouaves: the volunteer regiments wearing red or striped baggy trousers, short jackets, sashes, and fez hats or turbans were inspired by the French Zouaves who fought in North Africa in the middle of the 19th century.

Who wore blue in Civil War?

the Union ArmyThe soldiers of the Union Army wore blue uniforms and the soldiers of the Confederate Army wore gray. Today, that's how many people remember the two sides—the North wore blue, and the South wore gray.

What was the nickname for the Confederates?

In the actual armed conflicts of the Civil War, the two sides had numerous nicknames for themselves and each other as a group and individuals, e.g., for Union troops "Federals" and for the Confederates "rebels," "rebs" or "Johnny reb" for an individual Confederate soldier.

What did the Confederates stand for?

The Confederate flag was designed to represent a divided nation. It was flown during the Civil War when 11 states — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas — broke from the nation to defend the practice of slavery.

Who wore green uniforms in the Civil War?

the U.S. SharpshootersThe 7th New York State Militia wore gray uniforms with black trim, and the 1st and 2nd Regiments of the U.S. Sharpshooters, referred to as Berdan's Sharpshooters, wore green uniforms. Confederate soldiers frequently wore blue trousers with their grey or brown coats.

Who were the blue bellies?

9 Feb. 5/4: The Confederate armies during the great Civil War in America... were known as 'Greybacks,' whereas their Federal opponents, from the light-azure gaberdines which they wore, were dubbed 'blue-bellies. ' [F&H].

Why did Robert E Lee wear a colonel's uniform?

Instead, the three gold stars he wore every day in Confederate uniform were the equivalent of his last rank in the Union Army, a colonel, despite being named one of the Confederacy's first five general officers.

Who wore blue in Civil War?

the Union ArmyThe soldiers of the Union Army wore blue uniforms and the soldiers of the Confederate Army wore gray. Today, that's how many people remember the two sides—the North wore blue, and the South wore gray.

Who wore blue uniforms in the Civil War?

the Union armyThe Confederate states wanted to keep slavery and to limit the role of the federal government in state government. The Confederate soldiers wore gray uniforms, and the Union army wore blue uniforms. This led to the war being referred to as the “Blues vs.

Who were the blue bellies?

9 Feb. 5/4: The Confederate armies during the great Civil War in America... were known as 'Greybacks,' whereas their Federal opponents, from the light-azure gaberdines which they wore, were dubbed 'blue-bellies. ' [F&H].

Who were blue coats?

The Bluecoats were actually two Ukrainian divisions formed under the auspices of the Union for the Liberation of Ukraine from Ukrainian prisoners of war in German camps after the Peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk on the basis of the agreement between the Ukrainian peace delegation and Germany.

What were the uniforms of the Confederate Army and Navy?

Edit source. History. Talk (0) Seal of the Confederate States of America. The Uniforms of the Confederate States military forces were the uniforms used by the Confederate Army and Navy during the American Civil War, from 1861 to 1865. The uniform varied greatly due to a variety ...

What did the Confederate commanders wear?

Colonels wore three gold stars of the same size on their collar; the same as generals, but without the wreath. While lieutenant colonels wore two stars on their collars, majors wore one star, which was placed in the middle of the collar. Captains had three gold horizontal bars, first lieutenants wore two bars, and second lieutenants wore one bar. However, the Confederate Congress often created new commissions, and did not always standardize rank insignia immediately.

How many chevrons did the Confederate Army wear?

Chevrons in the Confederate Army were only worn by sergeants and corporals. Sergeants wore three chevrons on their sleeves, and corporals wore two chevrons.

Why did the Confederate soldiers wear wool uniforms?

The use of wool in the uniform meant that the uniforms were not suited to the warm climates that were common in the South. This helped contribute to the fact that many Confederate soldiers suffered from heatstroke on long marches.

What did noncommissioned officers wear?

Noncommissioned officers were to wear on their outer seams a one and one-quarter inch cotton stripe or braid of colors appropriate to their army branch. Sleeve Insignias of the Confederate Military with Collar Insignias Also. General. Colonel.

What colors were the kepis?

They were of different colors, red for artillery officers, yellow for cavalry officers, and light or sky blue for infantry officers. All crowns of the kepis were to be cadet grey. Officer Kepis of the Confederate Military. General.

What did the CS belt stand for?

There were two types of belts which were standard to all army personal. The CS, standing for Confederate States, and CSA belt, standing for Confederate States of America.

What color was the Confederate uniform?

The Confederate uniform origins trace a diverse lineage. The basic color for the coat, gray, comes from the standard American state militia color cadet gray (which itself was derived from the earlier, medium gray fatigue uniform). Cadet gray came to embody the color of the "sovereign state" uniform color versus the dark blue of the "national government." This association was key to cadet gray's adoption by the South, given its connotations of state sovereignty. This light shade of bluish-gray was not any darker than the American army sky blue. But American cadet gray was not to become "Confederate" gray. It was too difficult to make in the South in large quantities, given limitations in resources, such as color fast dyes, mordants and manufacturing capacity. Instead, the standard British army, darker blue-gray became Confederate gray due to its availability through the blockade. The dark blue-gray kersey was still referred to as cadet gray (also frequently spelled “grey”). Contemporaries also called it Confederate gray, English army cloth, “gray cloth," kersey, or any combination of these terms to distinguish it from domestic weaves and other shades of gray. Therefore, the Confederate uniform quickly acquired British roots, in addition to its American antecedents.

What was the Confederate uniform called?

The uniform also had a French lineage. This is reflected in regulation cap, officially described as a kepi, but cut in the chasseur pattern with its hallmark countersunk crown, and low side pieces. Aside from the regulations, contemporaries seldom used the term "kepi," instead calling the regulation headgear a cap. The word "kepi," however, has gained currency since the war's end and become an iconic feature of the Confederate uniform. The official double-breasted frock coat was also similar to both the French army frock of the time, and to the Austrian army tunic. This feature can be attributed to the South’s respect for France as the preeminent military power of the day, as well as to the uniform's Prussian designer, Nicola Marschall, who incorporated Austrian characteristics into the Confederate tunic. In fact, Marschall copied both the design and color of the Austrian sharpshooter's tunic, it being gray with green-colored facings. British Lieutenant Colonel James Fremantle noted this during his travels through the Confederacy, remarking, "Most of the officers were dressed in uniform that is neat and serviceable - a bluish-gray frock coat of a color similar to Austrian yagers." The Confederate tunic was to have a relatively short skirt, similar to the French and Austrian tunics, but this stipulation was at odds with the prevailing fashion that dictated a knee-length skirt. As such, Confederate frocks almost always had long skirts, despite what was prescribed in the regulations. The officer's elaborate sleeve and cap braid also followed the French style, as did the that lack of shoulder straps. The officer collar rank closely matched the Austrian rank insignia, while the enlisted chevrons copied the American pattern.

What did the Confederate army wear in 1870?

Image 5: A French artillery crew during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 wears the style of frock coat and kepi that the Confederate army used as a model for their own uniforms. Image in the public domain. Image 6: Confederate General "Prince" John Magruder's French-made kepi.

What was the most widely worn uniform for the first year of the war?

While the enlisted, double-breasted tunic was never universally adopted, the single-breasted, enlisted frock coat was the most widely worn "mustering-in" garment for the first year or so of the war. Few were made the quartermaster department, but companies going off to war had them them made locally by contractors, tailors or volunteer aid societies. While this garment is nowhere to be found in any Confederate regulation, it was, by 1861, America's unofficial militia uniform. It found its inspiration in the Pattern 1851, and 1859 US Army uniforms. Southerners especially copied the 1851 pattern frock coat with distinctive collar and cuff facings in the branch-of-service color. The cuff was fashioned with an upward point on the outside. This Confederate version of the pattern 1851 frock coat became universally copied from Texas to Virginia, using cadet gray, steel gray or butternut brown in lieu of dark blue for the basic cloth, and substituting the easily obtainable black for the usual branch color facings.

What colors did Marschall use for the Army?

Image 14: Marschall followed American tradition when selecting branch-of-service colors: red for artillery; yellow for cavalry; and, light blue for infantry. He also carried over the enlisted chevrons of the "Old Army." Image courtesy of the Kirk D. Lyons collection.

Where did the Confederate jacket come from?

Artifact courtesy of the Louisiana State Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana. The Confederate jacket was often referred to as a “shell” jacket, a term with nautical roots. The shell jacket was the universal sailor's garb, and the name comes from the British term "shell back," which was a nickname for British sailors.

Where was the frock coat found?

Image 36: A Federal soldier recovered this early war-style, single-breasted frock coat from the abandoned Confederate trenchline in Little Rock, September 1863. Many of these frocks had collar and cuff facings. Artifact courtesy of the Steve Osman collection.

What were the uniforms of the Confederate soldiers?

Confederate soldiers traveled very light and did not want to be encumbered by carrying a lot of items. Their uniforms were as bare bones as possible. A typical Confederate Civil War uniform consisted of: slouch hat. jacket. shirt. one pair of pants. one pair of underwear. one pair of shoes.

What was the Civil War uniform?

The Civil War uniform for both Northern troops and Southern troops was one of the most basic and important things a solider could have. Uniforms were more than just clothes to wear. They showed your friends and enemies alike what side you were on, they showed what branch of service you were in Infantry, Cavalry or Artillery.

How were Confederate soldiers identified?

Confederate Soldiers were also identified by the color of the hat they wore. Early war kepis in the south used solid colors.

Why did the Confederate soldiers throw away their canteens?

Many of them also threw away their canteens in favor of a tin cup, which was smaller, could be used to boil water and was more convenient than lugging around a canteen. Confederate soldiers traveled much lighter than their Northern counterparts. This made marching and fighting much easier but it came at a cost.

Why were Southern uniforms dyed brown?

Southern uniforms during the Civil War were usually dyed to make them gray or sometimes brown, this was done to at least try to give uniformity throughout the army.

How were Union officers identified?

Union officers were identified by epaulets and shoulder straps.

What did Rebel soldiers have to capture?

Rebel soldiers would often have to capture Union provisions, clothing and weapons in order to sustain themselves. If you are interested in reading more about the different uniforms from both sides some fantastic choices are. #ad Don Troiani’s Regiments & Uniforms of the Civil War. #ad The Civil War Catalog.

What color jacket did the Confederate soldiers wear?

Confederate soldiers were also issued a single-breasted gray wool shell jacket with facings of the various branch of service colors on the cuff and collar.

What colors did the Civil War soldiers wear?

What Type of Uniforms Did Civil War Soldiers Wear? In the early days of the war, Civil War soldiers, both the Union and the Confederates wore a variety of uniforms in many different colors such as blue, red, gray, white and even tartan. There was no standardization of uniforms at the time and there was a lack of central organization ...

Why Did Confederate Soldiers Wear Gray & Union Soldiers Wear Blue?

Some sources say that gray was the color of choice for Confederate uniforms because it resembled the cadet’s gray uniforms at West Point.

Why did the Zouave regiments keep their uniforms?

Due to the expense and difficulty obtaining the uniforms , Zouave regiments only kept their uniforms if they could repair and maintain them and, as a result, the uniforms slowly wore out and disappeared by the end of the war.

Why were the light blue trousers replaced with gray?

Since the light blue trousers were often difficult to acquire and they caused confusion on the battlefield because of the Union army’s “sky-blue” trousers, they were eventually replaced with gray trousers.

What did the buttons on the Union uniforms stand for?

In the early years of the war, the buttons were marked with I,C, or A, which stood for Infantry, Cavalry or Artillery.

Why did both sides start to standardize their uniforms?

It wasn’t until after the war began that both sides started to standardize their uniforms due to the confusion these different colored uniforms caused on the battlefield , according to James Schouler in his book History of the United States Under the Constitution Volume VI 1861-1865:

Overview

Service dress uniforms overview

The original Confederate uniforms from all branches of the military closely followed the lines of the U.S. Armed Forces. This was until June 6, 1861, when the Confederate Council issued General Order 9, the new regulations for the Confederate Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery.
The new uniforms were designed by Nicola Marschall, a German-American artist who also designed the original Confederate flag. He was heavily influenced by the mid-1800s uniforms of t…

Confederate States Army uniforms

Confederate States Navy uniforms

Confederate States Marine Corps uniforms

See also

External links