Uniforms

Many Confederates wore blue early in the war. Gray uniforms became more common after 1st Bull Run to distinguish themselves from Union troops and to prevent any confusion that would cause friendly fire.

Okay, well... filibuster.

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Hi stwadsworth,

How come some of the Confederate soldiers (including the Generals) wore blue uniforms?

For some Confederates, their state uniforms were blue when the Civil War started. In 1858, Virginia issued regulations for uniforms to be the same as the US army, except buttons, beltplates, etc. would say 'VA' (Virginia) or feature the state seal. But even with this order, volunteer companies were allowed to keep their distinctive, privately financed milita uniforms. I'm not sure as to when gray became the standard color for Virginia state uniforms.

I point out Virginia because of the characters in the movie. Stonewall Jackson had been in the US Army but he resigned in 1851 to teach at the Virginia Military Institute (in his first scene, he wears a VA belt buckle). As for his staff officers, Sandie Pendleton and James Power Smith, I don't think there is any evidence they were ever in the US Army before the war. So I think all of these men were wearing Virginia state uniforms.

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Even up to and during the Great War of 1914-1918, soldiers of all nationalities wore uniforms of many differing colors and types. True uniformity of uniforms is only a very recent concept.

During the civil war, most military uniforms were based on the latest flashy type of French uniforms, with kepi, blue cloth and gold or red piping, but also on the enormously popular type of Zouave uniform which was derived from north African fashions taken over by French troops during the 1830s. These were usually in red with white baggy trousers, a fez or other oriental looking headgear and a large amount of brocade on the vest. Since France and Great Britain were at that time the foremost military powers in the world, it was normal that other countries copied their uniforms, especially after the Anglo-French win in the Crimean War of less than a decade ago. And the French were the preferred models since independence from Great Britain was still in not such distant memory and aid from France in the Revolution still remembered.

Regiments and units vied with each other to wear the flashiest and most fashionable type of uniform. Higher officers were allowed to design their own uniforms and many soldiers also simply wore older type of Mexican War type uniforms with the pancake headgear simply because they possessed them and making an outlay for uniforms costly ...

Many regiments also designed their own uniforms, one flashier than the next or simpler all depending on the available budget or the largesse of locals as in the beginning of the war, many uniforms were made by sewing circles of ladies, of means or otherwise and they often used whatever cloth or fabric was available.

In the south, many regiments were formed from local militia, home defense groups or whatever and these also often provided their own uniforms of whatever design or color struck their fancy.

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The Confederate army had supply problems throughout the war. As such, they were quick to pick over the battlefield or any captured supplies to get things they needed. That included uniforms. During the Antietam campaign, A.P. Hill's division was charged with accepting the surrender of Harper's Ferry while the rest of the army hustled north to confront the Federals advancing over South Mountain. While there, they replaced their own threadbare uniforms with new captured union ones. As the battle raged around Sharpsburg, Hill and his men rushed north from Harper's Ferry, arriving at the battlefield just as the most successful union attack of the day (Burnside's men finally storming across his namesake bridge and driving toward Sharpsburg to cut off the Confederate army's line of retreat). By all accounts, the fact that Hill's men were wearing blue caused the seemingly victorious union troops to hesitate before turning to face Hill's attack. That moment of hesitation was sufficient to allow Hill to get the drop on Burnside and eventually drive him back to heights around Antietam Creek. Thus, a potential smashing Union victory was turned into a bloody tactical draw and Lee's army escaped to fight again.

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