Uniforms of the Confederate States military forces

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 of reasons, such as location, limitations on the supply of cloth and other materials, and the cost of materials during the war.

Confederate forces were often poorly supplied with uniforms, especially late in the conflict. Servicemen sometimes wore combinations of uniform pieces, also wearing captured Union uniforms, and items of personal clothing. They sometimes went without shoes altogether, and broad felt or straw hats were worn as often as kepis or naval caps. There are some controversies about some of the exact details of a few of the uniforms, since some of the records were lost or destroyed after the Civil War ended.

Overview

The original Confederate uniforms from all branches of the military closely followed the lines of the Union’s uniforms. This was until 6 June, 1861 when the Confederate Council issued General Order 9 which was the new regulations for the Confederate Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery.

The new uniforms were designed by Nicola Marshall, a Prussian who was heavily influenced by the mid-1800's uniforms of the Austrian and French armies.

Although the regular Confederate military had a paper strength of 6,000 personnel, the first 100,000 volunteers from all over the South participated in a variety of dress. Many were from State Militia outfits which had their own State issued uniforms and in the early battles some Confederate units who wore dark blue outfits were often mistaken at the field of battle for the enemy, conversely, many Union units too which were originally militia units went to war wearing grey.

It was not until the Depot system was established in 1862 by the Confederate Quartermaster in Richmond Virginia that uniforms would be mass produced and supplied to troops. Until that time the "commutation system" was in place which allowed soldiers to have their own uniforms made to the new CSA regulations to be reimbursed by the CS government. Allowance was $21 per 6 months for uniforms.

Officers always had to buy their own until March 6, 1864 when General Order 28 was released which allowed Confederate officers to purchase uniforms from the same sources as the troops, and at cost price.

Following the Richmond Depot, other depots started up throughout the South to supply to their respective regional forces. Major depots were Columbus, Athens and Atlanta, Georgia for the Army of Tennessee and Houston, Texas and Shreveport, Louisiana for the Trans-Mississippi forces. The use of the depot system meant that Army wide uniformity was impossible, as different depots had unique uniform (Columbus Depot Jackets for instance, had breast pockets, whilst Richmond Depot Jackets did not). This resulted in a varied set of uniforms worn by different Confederate units.

As the war progressed the image began to shift from the "ragged rebel" look to a well-uniformed Army in the Eastern and Western theaters. In the last 12 months of fighting these Confederate forces were well uniformed, the best they had ever appeared in terms of consistency, wearing clothing made of imported blue-grey cloth, used by the British Army and manufactured in Limerick Ireland, by Peter Tait specifically for the Confederacy.

Unfortunately in the Trans-Mississippi, problems of distribution of the plentiful uniforms made in Houston and Shreveport, meant that the South Western forces missed out. Many Trans-Mississippi troops were still wearing Federal uniforms until 1864, which were obtained from stock issued from a Federal depot in San Antonio that had been captured in 1861.

Confederate headgear was to be the chasseur cap or "kepi", a French military cap. These were not popular due to their inability to protect the wearer from the sun, and regular civilian hats, slouch hats, or other hats were often worn in the field instead. Confederate Cavalry troops often wore Hardee hats, much like the Union Cavalry which was a representative of the additional "flair" associated with the Cavalry troops. Two examples of CSA Cavalry officer's famous for wearing these hats are Colonel John S. Mosby and General J.E.B. Stuart.

CSA Infantry	CSA Navy	CSA Cavalry	CSA Artillery
Confederate Infantry Uniform, private Edwin Francis Jemison, 2nd Louisiana Regiment, C.S.A. killed at Malvern Hill 1862	Confederate Navy Uniform, lieutenants Armstrong and Sinclair	Confederate Cavalry Uniform, sergeant	Confederate Artillery Uniform, corporal

Design

Confederate Battle Flag

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.^[1] Many Confederate soldiers started the war with Frock Coats. However, cloth shortages insured that by 1863,waist length gray or butternut jackets were universally worn by Confederates in the Eastern and Western Theater.

Grey was not the best choice for camouflage, although at the time the usefulness of camouflage was not generally recognized. It was not until after the Spanish-American War that the United States Army instituted a khaki uniform. Grey was chosen for Confederate uniforms because grey dye could be made relatively cheaply.^[2]

Confederate States Army uniforms

Army officers

Generals

• 

  William Mahone wearing one version of Three Gold Stars and Wreath on a General's Collar
• 

  George Pickett wearing one version of Three Gold Stars and Wreath on a General's Collar
• 

  William "Extra Billy" Smith wearing one version of Three Gold Stars and Wreath on a General's Collar
• 

  John Wharton wearing one version of Three Gold Stars and Wreath on a General's Collar
• 

  Daniel Harvey Hill wearing one version of Three Gold Stars and Wreath on a General's Collar

• 

  Edmund Kirby Smith wearing one version of Three Gold Stars and Wreath on a General's Collar
• 

  PGT Beauregard wearing one version of Three Gold Stars and Wreath on a General's Collar
• 

  Albert Sidney Johnston wearing one version of Three Gold Stars and Wreath on a General's Collar
• 

  "Stonewall Jackson" Example of the Three Gold Stars and Wreath on a General's Collar

On the upright collar of full generals, lieutenant generals, major generals, and brigadier generals three stars were stitched within a wreath, all embroidered in gold coloring. The center star was slightly larger than the other stars.^[3] It was not possible to know which grade of general an officer was by their collar insignia. However, major generals and lieutenant generals wore three groups of buttons down the front of the overcoat, and brigadiers wore groups of two.^[3] At least 3 Generals officers did not wear the prescribed uniform: Robert E. Lee who wore the uniform of a Colonel, refusing to wear a generals insignia until the Confederate victory; Joseph L. Hogg, who died of a fever; and Benjamin McCulloch.

Other officers

• 

  CS General A. P. Hill wearing the 3 stars of a Colonel
• 

  CS General Joseph E. Johnston wearing the 3 stars of a Colonel
• 

  CS General Winfield Scott Featherston wearing the 3{?} stars of a Colonel

• 

  CS General Thomas R. R. Cobb wearing the 3 stars of a Colonel

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.^[3] However, the Confederate Congress often created new commissions, and did not always standardize rank insignia immediately.^[4]

Collar Insignias of the Confederate Army
General	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	First Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant

Army enlisted men

Chevrons

Chevrons in the Confederate Army were only worn by sergeants and corporals. Sergeants wore three chevrons on their sleeves, and corporals wore two chevrons.^[3]

Chevrons of the Confederate Military
Sergeant Major	Quartermaster Sergeant	Ordnance Sergeant	First Sergeant
Sergeant	Corporal	Musician	Private
		no insignia	no insignia

Buttons

A brigadier general's coat had two rows of eight buttons, grouped in pairs. The other junior officers wore two rows of seven equally spaced buttons each.^[3]

Jackets

Confederate Army officers indicated their military affiliation with different colored facing on their coats or jackets. The colors were hot pink for artillery, yellow for cavalry, light blue for infantry, and violet for medical. Regimental officers wore the colors of the rainbow on the outer seam of their pants on one and one-quarter inch stripes. Generals wore two and five-eighths inch stripes on each pant leg. While the quartermasters, commissary, and engineer officers wore a single magenta, one and one-quarter inch outer-seam stripe. 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.^[5] A very distinctive feature of the Condederate officers uniforms was the gold braid Austrian knots on their sleeves. More elaborate braiding indicated higher rank and some knots almost reached the shoulder.

Sleeve Insignias of the Confederate Military with Collar Insignias Also
General	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	First Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant

Kepis

The "French" pattern kepi, was the standard issue headgear to all army personnel, with dark blue band, sides & crown for generals , staff officers, and engineers. For commissioned officers and enlisted personal they had bands of dark blue with different colors denoting the branch of service on the sides and crown. Theses were as follows, Red for artillery , yellow for cavalry , and light or sky blue for infantry. Cap visors were made from leather or "oilcloth" over paste board. Chin straps were also installed.

Officer Kepis of the Confederate Military
General	Cavalry Colonel	Infantry Captain	Artillery Lieutenant

Trousers

The Confederate trousers were very similar to those of the Union forces.^[5] Early on the trousers were sky blue in color. They were most often made of wool, and were easily worn during long marches.^[5] If trousers did not arrive for the troops the soldiers would have to use their own pants to wear.^[5]

Example of a CS Belt Buckle

Example of a CSA Belt Buckle

Belt

There were numerous types of belts produced for the Confederate Military during the Civil War. 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. The buckle themselves were made of brass and were produced in multiple plants in the South and throughout the World.^[6]. Whether the belt was one with a CS or CSA on the buckle depended on the location at which it was made and on the maker. Some Confederate soldiers were issued with, or otherwise obtained, belt buckles with insignias unique to the state they came from or served under the command of. At the beginning of the war, soldiers with experience in the U.S. Army could often be seen still wearing "US" belt buckles, as this would have been all that they had available. As supplies became more difficult to obtain near the end of the war, buckles captured from Union forces were also worn.^[6]

Cavalry Uniforms

1st Virginia Cavalry-Example of a Confederate cavalryman wearing the stag hat

Design

The first of the Cavalry uniforms were made by the cavalrymen themselves. By 1862, the Confederate regulations ordered the uniform to become organized, being cadet grey and lined with a thin layer around the sleeve. The pant legs were light blue with a yellow strip rising from the bottom of the leg to the top. Non-commissioned officers of the cavalry wore either regular clothes from home or a variety of different types of uniforms.^[3]

Buttons

A normal junior officer had two rows of evenly spaced seven buttons, grouped into pairs.^[3]

Hats

The kepi was also standard issue to all army personnel. In the cavalry the color of the kepi was to be yellow.^[3] More common than the kepi was the Confederate stag hat, which was worn by most of the Confederate Cavalry.^[7]

Artillery Uniforms

Design

The first of the Artillery uniforms were a variety of handmade and personally customized uniforms. By 1862, the Confederate uniforms became organized. They became cadet grey and were to be lined with a layer of red around the sleeve. The pant legs were light blue. Even after the uniforms were organized many of the artillerymen wore regular clothes due to the heat and discomfort caused by the regular uniforms.^[3]

Buttons

In the Confederate Artillery a normal junior officer had two rows of seven evenly spaced buttons, grouped into pairs, while a senior officer could have as many as eight buttons in two rows.^[3]

Hats

The kepi was also standard issue to the artillerymen, they were made red to match that of the rest of their uniforms. During the summer months they were also allowed to wear straw hats because of the heat.^[3]

Confederate States Navy uniforms

Design

Confederate States Navy Department

The first of the Navy uniforms were made in dark blue, but with the Southern style of rank insignia for the officers. The 1862 Confederate regulations ordered the uniform to be steel grey and lined with a dark black silk serge. They were also made in medium grey and cadet grey. They were made of wool, and these uniforms were not fit for the heat of the lower decks of a ship.^[8] Non-commissioned officers wore a variety of uniforms, or even regular clothing.^[9]

Confederate States Navy Sea Officers Insignia

Insignia location	Admiral	Captain	Commander	Lieutenant	Master	Passed Midshipman	Midshipman
Sleeves
Shoulder Straps							(none)
Cover

Shoulder Straps

Example of a Confederate Naval Officer's Uniform (Statue of Captain Raphael Semmes, Mobile, Alabama).

According to the dress code of the Confederate Navy, shoulder straps were to be worn differently by each rank.^[10]

• Admirals wore a shoulder strap of sky-blue cloth, edged with black, that was four inches long and one inch and three-eighths wide embroidered with gold one-quarter of an inch in width. They had five stars spaced equally, the two on the ends six-tenths of an inch in diameter, and the three intermediate stars six-eighths of an inch in diameter.
• Flag officers wore a shoulder strap of sky-blue cloth, edged with black, that was four inches long and one inch and three-eighths wide embroidered with gold one-quarter of an inch in width. They had four stars spaced equally, the two on the ends six-tenths of an inch in diameter, and the two intermediate stars six-eighths of an inch in diameter.
• captains wore the same shoulder straps as the flag officers, but with three equally spaced stars, each six-tenths of an inch in diameter.
• Commanders also had the same shoulder straps, but with only two stars.
• Lieutenants had the same shoulder straps, with a single, central, star.
• The shoulder straps worn by masters had the same design, but without any stars.
• Passed midshipmen wore a strip of gold lace four inches in length and a half an inch wide.
• For a midshipman, no shoulder straps were to be worn.^[10]

Caps

Confederate Naval Caps were made of steel grey cloth.^[10] They were not to be less than three inches and a half, nor more than four inches in height. They were also not to be more than ten, or less than nine inches and a half, at the top, and had a patent leather visor, to be worn by all officers in their service dress.

• For a flag officer, the cap had an anchor in an open wreath of oak leaves, with four stars above the anchor. They were to be embroidered in gold as per pattern.
• For a captain, the same as a flag officer's, except that there were only three stars above the anchor, and the gold band was one and one-half inches wide.^[10]
• For a commander it was to be the same as for a captain, except that there were only but two stars.
• For a lieutenant, the same as that of a captain, except there was only one star.
• For a master, the same as for a captain, except that there was no star.
• For a passed midshipman, an anchor without a wreath.
• For a midshipman, no caps were to be worn.^[10]

Confederate States Marine Corps uniforms

The uniform used by the Confederate States Marine Corps resembled that prescribed for the Confederate Army. However, there is controversy about some of the exact details of the uniform, since the CSMC was not as large, and many of its records were destroyed. In 1865, right after the war's end, Lloyd J. Beall, commander of the CSMC, had a fire at his home which destroyed most of the CSMC's records.^[11] It is clear, however, that the Marines were often equipped out of the stores of whichever garrison was nearest their location. One description has the Marines dressed in, frock coats of a particular (and undetermined) shade of gray, and dark blue or black trousers. It appears that Confederate Marines wore forage caps although it is unclear if there was any ornamentation on the cover.^[12] Much of the gear worn by the CSMC was imported from Russia, and from Great Britain and its empire, mainly Canada. This created a fairly unique look.^[11]

See also

• Military of the Confederate States of America
• United States Civil War
• Confederate States Army
• Confederate States Navy
• Confederate States Marine Corps
• Uniform of the Union Army

Notes and references

Notes

1. ^ Mansfield pg. 33
2. ^ Smith pg. 25
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} Davis pp. 390-1.
4. ^ Miller pg. 122
5. ^ ^{a b c d} Troiani pp. 106-107
6. ^ ^{a b} Shaw pg. 134-135
7. ^ Troiani pg. 105 The Troiani book says, "Although in some units hats seem dominate, the issuance of caps was widespread. For example, requisitions for the 19th Alabama Infantry throughout 1863 and early 1864 show a decided preference for hats, whereas those for the 17th Mississippi Infantry for the same period record only caps being received. One Confederate clothing facility in Charleston, South Carolina, was devoted entirely to the manufacture of caps. These were cut out by government employees at the depot and sent to 1,000 to 1,500 local "persons of a needy class" for assembly."
8. ^ Konstam, (2001) pg. 1873
9. ^ Faust pg. 770
10. ^ ^{a b c d e} Van Doren Stern pg. 233
11. ^ ^{a b} Van Doren Stern pg. 181
12. ^ Nofi, Albert A., pg. 152

References

• Davis, George B., Perry, Leslie J., and Kirkley, Joseph W., The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War, Random House Value Publishing, (1988) ISBN 0-5175-3407-X
• Faust, Patricia L., Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War, HarperPerennial, (1986) ISBN 0-0627-3116-5
• Konstam, Angusand and Bryan, Tony Confederate Ironclad 1861-65, Osprey Publishing, (2001) pg. 1873 ISBN 1-8417-6307-1
• Mansfield, Howard, "The Same Ax, Twice: Restoration and Renewal in a Throwaway Age", UPNE, (2001) ISBN 1-5846-5117-2
• Miller, David (2001). Uniforms, Weapons, and Equipment of the Civil War. London: Salamander Books Ltd.. ISBN 1840652578. 
• Nofi, Albert A., "Marine Corps Book of Lists: A Definitive Compendium of Marine Corps Facts, Feats, and Traditions", Da Capo Press, (1997) ISBN 0-9382-8989-6
• Shaw, Anthony "The Civil War catalog", Running Press, (2003) ISBN 0-7624-1625-4
• Smith, Carl, Hook Adam, "Chancellorsville 1863: Jackson's Lightning Strike", Osprey Publishing, (1998) ISBN 1-8553-2721-X
• Troiani, Don, Coates, Earl J., McAfee, Michael J., Jensen, Leslie D., "Don Troiani's Regiments and Uniforms of the Civil War",Stackpole Books, (2002) ISBN 0-8117-0520-X
• Van Doren Stern, Philip, "The Confederate Navy: A Pictorial History", Da Capo Press, (1992) pg. 181 ISBN 0-3068-0488-3

External links

• Uniform and Dress of the Confederate Navy
• Confederate Marine Corps Rank Insignia
• Confederate and State Regulations