Vladimir Peniakoff

The Uniforms of the Confederate Military 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 combined with captured Union uniforms and items of personal clothing. They sometimes went without shoes altogether, and broad felt or staw hats were worn as often as kepis or naval caps.

Generalization

The Confederate uniforms from all branches of the military closely resembled those of the Union’s uniforms. Several Confederate units wore dark blue outfits and were sometimes mistaken at battle for the enemy. By 1863 all troops were asked to obey the Regulations for the Army of the Confederate States. Similar with the Union Army’s Uniforms, the frock coat, hanging to mid thigh, was prescribed to the officers of the infantry along with the enlisted men, and was to be double breasted and be colored cadet gray. The use of buttons, insignias, and chevrons for identification was not as richly decorated as those used by the Union Army.

Cavalrymen, artillerists, and infantry followed the same designations and insignia, but cavalrymen and artillerists wore waist-length jackets. The ankle-high "Jefferson Boot" was supposed to be supplied to all officers and men of the army. Overcoats were to be also cadet gray and designed the same as those of the Union uniforms. Confederate naval and marine uniforms differed little from those of their Union opponents. Cadet gray was the predominant color, and, in the navy, white was accepted for summer or tropical wear.

Uniforms of the Confederate Military
CSA Army	CSA Navy
Example of Confederate Infantry Uniform	Example of Confederate Navy Uniform

Design

In the uniform the use of wool meant that the uniforms were not suited to warm climates that were common in the South. This meant that many soldiers wore them even on the hot days, causing many Confederate soldiers to suffer from heatstrokes on long marches.

The grey was not the best choice as a camouflage, however at the time the usefulness of camouflage was unknown. It was not until the Spanish-American War that the United States Army instituted a khaki uniform.

Army officers

Generals

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 would show three stars stitched within a wreath, all embroidered in gold coloring. The center star was slightly larger than the other stars. 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.

Other officers

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.

Officer Insignias of the Confederate Army
General	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	First Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant
File:CSAGeneral.png				File:CSA Cpt.png

Army enlisted men

File:Chevrons of the Confederate Army.jpg

Chevrons in the Confederate Army were only worn by Sergeants and Corporals. All Sergeants wore three chevrons on their sleeves and all of the Corporals wore two chevrons.

Buttons

A Brigadier General's coat had two rows of eight buttons, grouped in pairs. The other junior-officers wore two rows of seven buttons each that were equally spaced.

Jackets

Confederate Army officers indicated their military affiliation with different colored facing on their coats or jackets. The colors were red for artillery, yellow for cavalry, light blue for infantry, and black for medical. Regimental officers wore the colors on the outer seam of their pants on 1 1/4-inch stripes. Generals wore 2 5/8-inch stripes on each pant leg. While the Quartermasters, commissary, and engineer officers wore 1 gold 1 1/4-in. outer-seam stripe. Noncommissioned officers were to wear on their outer seams a 1 1/4-inch cotton stripe or braid of colors appropriate to their army branch.

Kepis

The kepi was also standard issue to all army personnel, with dark blue crowns for generals, staff officers, and engineers. They 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 gray.

Officer Kepis of the Confederate Army
General's	Cavalry Colonel's	Infantry Captain's	Artillery Lieutenant's

Belt

File:CS Belt.JPG

The CS or CSA belt was a standard issue to all army personnel, the buckle itself was made of brass. The CS stood for Confederate States while the more common CSA stood for the longer name Confederate States of America. The CS or CSA on the belt depended on the location at which it was made and the maker. The loop of the belt was made of leather and connected to the buckle through screws.

Naval uniforms

Design

The first of the Navy uniforms were made in Dark Blue, but with the Southern style of rank 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 colors. They were made of wool and not fit for the heat of the lower decks of a ship. Non-commissioned officers wore a variety of uniforms, or even regular clothing.

Example of a Confederate Naval Officer's Uniform

Shoulder Straps

According to the dress code of the Confederate Navy shoulder straps were to be worn differently by each rank. For a Flag Officer a shoulder strap of sky-blue cloth, edged with black, that is four inches long and one inch and three-eighths wide bordered that is embroidered in gold one-quarter of an inch in width, with four stars in spaced equally, the two on the ends six-tenths of an inch in diameter, and the two intermediate six-eighths of an inch in diameter. Then for a Captain the shoulder straps are worn the same as for a Flag Officer, except that there shall be three stars at equal space, each six-tenths of an inch in diameter. For a Commander the stars are worn same as for a Captain except that they have only two stars. The Lieutenant is to wear them the same as a Commander, but theirs will have one star that is in the center. Then a Master, the same as the Lieutenant, except that they have no star. For a passed Midshipman, a strip of gold lace four inches in length and a half an inch wide is to be worn.

Caps

Confederate Naval Caps were made of steel grey cloth. 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, with a patent leather visor, to be worn by all officers in their service dress. For a Flag Officer, the cap had a anchor in an open wreath of oak leaves, with four stars above the anchor. They were to be embroidered in gold as per pattern. A Captain's was 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. Then for a Commander it was to be the same as for a Captain, except that there were only but two stars. The Lieutenant's was the same as that of a Commander's, except there was but one star. For a Master it was to be the same as for a Lieutenant, except that there was no star. For a passed Midshipman, a foul anchor without a wreath.

See Also

• United States Civil War
• Confederate States Army
• Confederate States Navy
• Uniform of the Union Army

References

• Davis, George B., Perry, Leslie J., and Kirkley, Joseph W., The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War, 1983. pg. (390-391)
• Faust, Patricia L., Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War, 1986.

External Links

Uniform and Dress of the Confederate Navy