Federal Uniforms of the Eastern Theater
1) Branch colors (see:
http://howardlanham.tripod.com/color.htm)
a) Artillery - scarlet
b) Cavalry - yellow
c) Infantry - sky blue
d) Ordnance - crimson
e) Staff - dark blue (medical officers were considered staff)
2) Headgear (see Dirty Billy’s:
http://www.dirtybillyshats.com/)
a) Early war Hardee Hat
i) Black Felt by regulation, the left side folded up for the infantry, and the right side folded up for all other branches although period photos show it up on the left for cavalry and artillery as well.
ii) Branch Color hat cords
iii) Hat Brass was a large eagle insignia on the folded up side and branch insignia on the front (artillery used crossed cannons, cavalry used crossed swords and infantry used a horn, regiment number and company letter)
iv) black ostrich feather
b) Mid to late war Hardee Hat
i) Black Felt, may be folded up on the side as above, but more likely to have the brim flat and the crown personalized by creasing or telescoping.
ii) Some of the trim falls by the wayside
c) Kepi
I) Blue wool cloth
ii) Black leather bill
iii) Black leather chinstrap
(1) Sometimes a buckle on the chin strap
iv) Officers had gold embroidered patches
v) Brass fittings
(1) Buttons on sides near temples
(2) Hat insignia (more common in the early war, artillery used crossed cannons, cavalry used crossed swords and infantry used a horn, all used regiment number and company letter)
vi) Variations
(1) Forage Cap (Taller and floppy)
(2) McDowell (like forage cap with a rounded bill)
3) Coat (see Regimental Quartermaster:
http://www.regtqm.com/)
a) Frock coat (almost knee length and used primarily in the early war, double breasted for field and general officers Brass shoulder scales used for dress only.)
i) Piping in branch color on collar cuffs
b) Sack coat (to hips, similar to a modern suit coat)
c) Shell jacket (close fitting and only to the waist worn mostly by artillery and cavalry less often by infantry double breasted for field officers. epaulets and brass shoulder scales used for dress only.)
i) Piping in branch color collar, cuffs, edges, back seams
d) Officer’s shoulder straps in branch color
e) Bandsmen had branch trim across the chest:
4) Greatcoat
a) Officers
i) Dark Blue mounted pattern
b) Infantry
i) Sky Blue single breasted with brass buttons cape to elbow
c) Mounted
i) Sky Blue double breasted with cape to wrist
5) Rank insignia
a) Officers wore shoulder straps in branch color with rank insignia on ends of the strap
i) 2nd Lieutenant strap in branch color
ii) 1st Lieutenant, gold bars at ends of strap
iii) Captain two gold bars at ends of strap
iv) Major, two gold oak leaves at the ends of the strap
v) Lieutenant Colonel , two silver oak leaves at the ends of the strap
vi) Colonel , a silver eagle centered on the strap
vii) Brigadier General a single silver star
viii) Major General two gold stars
ix) Lieutenant General three gold stars
b) NCOs wore chevrons, point down in branch color
i) Sergeant Major 3 chevrons point down and three in an arch above
ii) Ordinance Sergeant three chevrons point down a hollow star above
iii) Regimental quartermaster sergeant 3 chevrons point down and three bars straight across
iv) First Sergeant 3 point down, with a diamond above
v) Company quartermaster sergeant three chevrons point down with one bar above
vi) Sergeant three point down chevrons
vii) Corporal two point down chevrons
viii) Some units used point up chevrons, but this is very rare see marines for example
6) Sashes
a) General Officers
i) buff
b) Officers of the Adjutant-General's, Inspector-General's, Quartermaster's and Subsistence Departments, Corps of Engineers, Topographical Engineers, Ordnance, Artillery, Infantry and the Judge Advocate of the Army
i) crimson
ii) Officer of the day over right shoulder to the left hip
c) Officers of the Medical Department
i) medium or emerald green
d) Sergeant Majors, Quartermaster Sergeants, Ordnance Sergeants, Hospital Stewards, First Sergeants, Principal or Chief Musicians and Chief Buglers
i) red worsted sash
7) Trousers
a) Officers
i) Dark blue with a 1/8th in piping in branch color
ii) As the war progressed company and field grade officers wore sky blue with a 1/8 inch piping down the outside seam so they didn’t stand out as targets. Dark blue for infantry since sky blue won’t show.
b) Enlisted
i) Sky Blue
(1) Stripes
(a) Sergeant stripes 1.5 inch in branch color (Dark blue for infantry since sky blue won’t show)
(b) Corporal stripes ½ inch in branch color (Dark blue for infantry since sky blue won’t show)
c) Suspenders
i) Off white to just about any color or print. Only seen if coat is removed.
Foot ware all black
a) Brogans
b) Artillery (shorter boot)
c) Cavalry (below knee)
d) Dragoon (over knee with wings worn by officers)
e) Cavalier (over knee and up to mid-thigh prominently worn by J. E. B. Stuart)
9) Leather gear all black
a) Belt with rectangular brass belt buckle
b) cartridge box with brass oval US plate and shoulder strap with a circular brass eagle plate on chest
c) Springfield bayonet
ii) scabbard with brass tip
10) Haversack
a) White canvas
b) Canvas tared black to make it water proof
c) Officers usually had black leather haversacks
11) Canteen
a) Cloth covered (dark blue, sky blue)
b) Tin (silver colored sometimes rusted)
c) Wood (unfinished, stained, painted)
d) White cotton strap
e) Officers often had black leather straps
12) Pack
a) Black leather
b) Black tarred canvas
13) Blanket roll
a) Wool in gray, tan, brown, blue, rarely red
b) Gum white canvas with black rubber on one side
c) Sometimes the greatcoat was rolled and used on the pack
14) Cavalry gear (see:
http://www.ushist.com/saddles-tack/period_tack.shtml#tack)
a) All Horse Harness leather is black with the metal parts being brass (rosettes) and steel/iron (buckles, bits etc. some parts were japaned so they would appear black)
b) McClellan Saddle off white rawhide over wooden saddle tree with black leather straps skirts and stirrups, crupper and breast strap
c) Saddle bags were black leather
d) Blanket dark blue with orange woven into a stripe about 6 inches from the edge
e) Feed bag white canvas
f) Greatcoat of sky blue wool rolled up on pommel (front) of saddle
g) Blanket roll on the cantle rear if saddle blanket color or black for a gum blanket
h) Girth strap dark blue wool with black leather ends that goes under horses belly
i) Surcingle (strap around horses belly and the saddle was dark blue wool with black leather ends)
Western theater had same regulations but were often much more relaxed so for example although kepis/forage caps are used, slouch hats (beehive, sugarloaf, porkpie, derby etc.) in black, tan, brown, gray etc. were much more common. Brass insignia was less common.
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March 15, 2011, 03:19:59 PM