The Arms & Equipment in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Confederate Uniforms
In Response To: Confederate Uniforms ()

Short answer is "sometimes right" and "mostly wrong". The variety of CS uniforms is factual and written about in many references. I suggest you obtain a copy of "Confederate Gray and Butternut Brown" by Tom Arlisias. (16 bucks from Amazon). If you don't want to go into CS uniform in detail here is the short version.
Aside from an initial issue of a uniform which may not match for various reasons, the CS soldier was issued clothing quarterly and then only when the need was verified by an officer. It was seldom that an entire company or regiment received new clothing but it did happen occasionally. In the case of the Army of Northern Va. this uniform would most likely come from the Richmond Depot. The Depot received woolen materials from a variety of sources none of which had a standard color material. Colors varied due to dye lots and prepration of the dyes. So as a soldier you draw a coat that was made of jean cloth from a mill in South Carolina. You also draw trousers made from imported English Wool from England. Only 5 of your company need coats and 7 need trousers. This type supply happens every quarter and it doesn't take long to have uniforms of a variety of colors. Now throw in some home made trousers or shirts or coats and...well you see what I mean.

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Confederate Uniforms
Re: Confederate Uniforms
Re: Confederate Uniforms
Re: Confederate Uniforms