Ohio
When the Civil War broke out Gen. Jacob D. Cox toured Ohio's state arsenal and found 'a few boxes ofsmooth-bore muskets which had once been issued to militia companies and had been returned rusted and damaged. No belts, cartridge boxes, or other accoutrements were with them'. Still, plans had to be made to handle the 10,000 expected volunteers. 'There was no time to procure uniforms', Cox recalled, 'nor was it desirable for those companies had chosen their own, and would have to change it for...
Georgia
Most officers from Georgia which does not seem to have printed state dress regulations wore copies of the 1861 US Army uniform. James Cooper Nisbet, Co. H, 21st Georgia Infantry Regiment, recalled that in 1861 each man in his company was 'uniformed in gray', while 'the lieutenants were uniformed in home-made blue jeans. My uniform was of a regular United States Army blue, tailor-made, a present with my sword and belt from my sister. . .' Most enlisted men wore jackets, although frocks were worn...
Mississippi
Ten Mississippi prisoners of war were said to have arrived in Washington, DC, by the Daily National Intelligencer of 25 July 1861 'One of them is Lieut.Col. B. B. Boone, a splendid officer in appearance, though clad in rough gray cloth, trimmed in faded cotton velvet facings'. Col. Boone's uniform appears to have been that prescribed by the state's military board in January 1861 'All officers shall wear a frock coat of gray cloth, the skirl to extend from two-thirds to three-fourths of the...
The Plates
A Captain, South Carolina, 1861 The dark blue uniform worn by this stallcaptain is described by British correspondent William H. Russell on 17 April 1861 as 'blue military caps, with I palmetto trees embroidered thereon, blue frock- 1 coats, with upright collars, and shoulder-straps I edged with lace, and marked with two silver bars, to I designate their ranks of captain gilt buttons with I the palmetto in relief blue trowsers, with a gold- I lace cord, and brass spurs no straps'. A2 Corporal,...
North Carolina
In 1861 there was the usual collection of volunteer companies in various uniforms in North Carolina. There were eight companies of 'Blues' and 23 of 'Grays', indicating a clear preference for grey uniforms. These uniforms quickly wore out, however, and the men needed new ones. North Carolina was unique among Southern states in that from 20 September 1861 it took over the responsibility for clothing its own troops. The state set up a clothing factory in Raleigh which made, during its one year of...
Illinois
The only state regulation on dress in use in Illinois at the outbreak of the Civil War was a requirement that officers could wear uniforms 'similar' to those worn by US Army officers. The state did not, however, have a unique state uniform for its Civil War troops. It was hoped that the US government could uniform and equip all the state's volunteers from the beginning. This was not to be the case and the first Illinois infantry volunteers received a state-provided issue of grey shirts, blue...
Massachusetts
Massachusetts had a button that used 'the Massachusetts arms with the word Massachusetts' for generals and the words 'Mass. Vol. Militia' for other officers and enlisted men. Among officers examples were to be seen of both cast brass rectangular and two-piece brass sword bell plates bearing the state coal of arms. US regulation plates, though, were the most common type used by Massachusetts volunteers. Sergeant Frederick A. Cline, 40th Missouri Infantry Regiment, wears the short uniform jacket...
Texas
'When my regiment was organized that spring', wrote 4th 'Texas Infantry Regiment Pte. Val C. Giles, 'there were no two companies who had uniforms alike. 11 was some time after the war began before the Confederacy adopted any particular style of uniform. The color was universally gray, but the cut of cloth varied considerably. We were a motley-looking set, but as a rule, comfortably dressed. In my company we had about four different shades of gray, but the trimmings were all of black braid.'...
New York
When lilt' Federal government requested troops to put down the rebellion, New York sent 11 of its militia regiments to Washington, and called for another 30,000 volunteer militia for two years' service. Those went into ncwlv organised regiments. New York's governor cabled the Secretary of War on 28 June 1861 that he had 'already contracted for the making of 10,000 suits of uniforms with two parties, 2,500 to be delivered this week, of the best army goods, at 16.50 per suit, and for 20,000 caps,...
Maryland
Maryland's Union troops wore standard US Army uniforms and carried issue weapons and accoutrements. The state's approximately 25,000 men who fought in the Confederate Army were luckier than many in that they had families behind Federal lines who had access to much more material than did those living in the South, and they were therefore often better supplied from home than typical Confederates. On 19 September 1862 a 9th New York Infantry Regiment private saw the Confederate 1 st Maryland...
Wisconsin
Wisconsin's officers were to wear US Army uniforms after 1858, but, as in so many Northern states, there was not enough blue material for all its volunteers on the outbreak of war. The state's 1st and 2nd Infantry Regiments therefore wore plain, single-breasted grey frock coats, grey trousers with a black cord down each leg, a grey kepi trimmed with black, and a grey overcoat with black piping on cuffs and pockets. The 3rd's uniforms included dark grey hunting shirts or frocks, light grey...
Pennsylvania
When, in May 1861, Pennsylvania's Quartermaster General began to let contracts for uniforms for the state's thousands of volunteers, there was no regulation state uniform to guide his contracts. His plan was to dress them all in blue but this material was difficult to obtain, and grey uniforms were A group of New York infantry privates, showing how the bottom front edges of the state-issue jacket were rounded. The two in the centre hold their weapons at 'shoulder arms', while the two on either...
Virginia
This stamped brass oval belt plate, the back filled with lead, bears the state seal of Pennsylvania and the letters 'RB', for the Reserve Brigade of Philadelphia. The plate is typical of the state seal-issued belt plates which were the same size as the US Army issue type. Author's collection There were 110 Vermont-wide dress regulations, so when the 1st Volunteer Infantry Regiment was raised in 1861 the Quartermaster General simply chose grey as a popular and easy-to-acquire uniform colour. He...
Maine
There was 110 regulation Maine uniform. The first six volunteer infantry regiments, when raised in 1861, received state-purchased uniforms that included grey frock coats, with eight Maine buttons down the front plain grey trousers and plain grey forage caps. The actual colours varied from 'Canada gray', through 'light gray' and 'dark gray', to 'cadet gray'. A major of the 3rd Maine Infantry Regiment recalled that when they were organised in 1861, 'We were clothed in new gray uniforms, and...
American Civil Hr Armies 4
'The War Between the States' is the term used for the American Civil War throughout much of the South even today. While it was actually a war fought between two central governments, many men on both sides not just the South felt that they were serving their states as much, if not more, than their central governments. Many of the stales agreed, the state governments raising their own units, commissioning their officers, and supplying their men. Indeed, many of the units that fought the Civil War...
Connecticut
In 1851 Connecticut issued dress regulations which closely followed those of the US Army of that time, save for the use of state buttons and cap badges. While this uniform was obsolete in 1861, some of its features survived well into the Civil War. Companies A and B of most Connecticut infantry regiments, for example, were rifle companies and wore green trim 011 their uniforms, while the rest were 'regimental companies'. The state provided the first clothing, accoutrements, and arms issues to...
Alabama
Alabama's troops formed what the state called the 'Alabama Volunteer Corps'. Its uniforms, according to General Orders No. i, issued 28 March 1861, included dark blue frock coats, cadet grey wool pants both trimmed 'as prescribed for the Confederate states service' and US Military Academy-style shakos. These were to have 'the letters A.V.C. to be placed 011 the cap below the eagle'. Such letters were noted as being worn by Alabamians in Virginia in 1861. Woollen overcoats of jeans material...