Uniforms and Accoutrements
Infantrymen in the Upshur Grays and 25th Virginia Regiment were typical of Confederate units as to clothing and accoutrements. They went off to war with neither the fancy uniforms nor the accessories of some of the units backed by wealthy planters, and they found that the Confederate government failed to equip them with much in the way of replacements or promised gear during the course of the war. Yet they made do with homemade clothing, uniforms and shoes taken from Federal dead on the battlefield, and donations from civilians.
The Confederate Congress on Oct. 8, 1862, passed an act that listed what the government would provide each soldier in the way of uniforms. Under this list, each soldier was to receive 2 complete caps the first year and 1 each year thereafter; 2 jackets the first year and 1 each year following; 3 pairs of trousers the first year and 2 each year thereafter; 3 shirts each year; 3 pairs of drawers the first year and 2 each year following; 4 pairs of shoes each year; and 4 pairs of socks each year. In the initial supply, each soldier also was to receive 1 leather stock (cravat or tie), 1 great coat, and 1 blanket. Rarely did the soldiers receive what the government promised in any category.
From Gray to Butternut
When they marched off to war in 1861, the 25th Virginia infantrymen were clad mostly in homemade shirts and trousers, although authorities eventually did supply caps and jackets. The caps were of the kepi type in style at the time (with high slanted crowns facing forward and a bill in front). A number of soldiers, however, soon changed to the slouch hat surrounded with a broad brim, and these became even more popular as the war went on. The slouch hat generally protected the soldier better than the kepi in bright sunlight, rain, and snow, and could be used as a soft pillow at night.
The jackets, usually gray, were generally waist length with long sleeves and a high collar. Normally made of wool, they could be terribly uncomfortable in a typical Southern summer of high heat and humidity. And soldiers hesitated to launder them, as they tended to shrink when washed. As the war went on, more and more soldiers adopted a simpler style of jacket with only four buttons down the front—a jacket most easily obtained from dead Union soldiers after a battle.
Most soldiers also wore a leather belt with a brass buckle that had either “C.S.” or “C.S.A.” imprinted on the front. A little box for percussion caps, a bayonet scabbard and a tin cup frequently were attached to the belt. Occasionally a frying pan or other eating utensils also were attached. Confederates usually did not use the cartridge box that most Union troops carried on their belts, preferring instead to carry ammunition in their pockets or haversacks to cut down on bulk and weight.
Trousers, whether homemade, supplied by Confederate or state authorities, or taken from Uniondead on the battlefield, wore out quickly and needed to be replaced frequently. Because the trousers differed considerably in color, Confederates usually dyed them butternut, and the yellowish-brown stain also was frequently used to dye jackets as well—especially blue ones “confiscated” from Union soldiers. Thus, Confederate soldiers often were referred to by the term “butternut.”
Footwear
Courtesy of The Museum of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia.
Photo by Katherine Wetzel
Shoes and socks wore out quickly with all of the marching and walking done by infantrymen. Socks usually could be replaced only by donations from civilians (women often darned socks for the soldiers) or when taken from Union soldiers (dead or alive). Some Confederates dispensed with them altogether as the war continued.
Shoes were another matter. Even ill-fitting shoes were preferable to marching and fighting barefoot—which many Confederates were forced to do in a number of campaigns. Early shoes, mostly low-cut and cheaply made, wore out quickly. Many also were manufactured with no difference in shape between left and right foot. Soldiers often were issued shoes that were much too large, but a few were forced to use ones far too tight. In any case, blisters and bloody feet were a common problem for the infantryman. As the war progressed, shoe design improved and most footwear became similar to brogans with high-ankle leather tops.
Shoes were another matter. Even ill-fitting shoes were preferable to marching and fighting barefoot—which many Confederates were forced to do in a number of campaigns. Early shoes, mostly low-cut and cheaply made, wore out quickly. Many also were manufactured with no difference in shape between left and right foot. Soldiers often were issued shoes that were much too large, but a few were forced to use ones far too tight. In any case, blisters and bloody feet were a common problem for the infantryman. As the war progressed, shoe design improved and most footwear became similar to brogans with high-ankle leather tops.
Life on the Move
When soldiers were on the march, blankets used for bivouac or camp would be wrapped tightly in a roll and then affixed over one shoulder (usually the left one, to keep the right shoulder free for musket firing) with the two ends tied together at the opposite waist. Blankets usually were woolen (but occasionally cotton), and ones with India rubber backings were highly prized. Wrapped up in the blanket, according to individual preferences, were such items as extra clothing, some rope or hemp twine, soap, shaving items, toothbrush, eating utensils, Bible, pipe and tobacco, and letters and writing materials. Often the outside of the blanket roll consisted of a shelter (tent) half or poncho.
Two essential accoutrements carried by each soldier were canteen and haversack, each at the end of a long strap hung over his shoulder. Canteens, made of various materials but normally either wood or metal, normally were carried on the left hip with the strap over the right shoulder. A handful of soldiers carried only a metal cup, depending on comrades or nearby streams to supply water needs. But that was not wise.
The haversack was a bag (sometimes leather but usually cloth) slightly larger than the book satchels carried by school students in a later period. It was draped by its strap over either shoulder, but most often was carried on the same side as the canteen with the canteen usually on the outside for quick access. Crammed into the haversack at any given time might be the soldier’s rations (cooked or uncooked), shaving or other personal hygiene items, extra clothing, and even ammunition during combat periods. Thus, the haversack could become a smelly piece of equipment that was frequently washed out when the opportunity arose.
Relatively few Confederates used the larger knapsack, which could carry more objects of different types and was affixed to the soldier’s back. Generally, Confederates considered it excess weight, preferring to travel as lightly as possible.
A“housewife,” or sewing kit, was nearly as valuable to a number of soldiers as the canteen and haversack. This usually was a small cloth bag that contained needles, thread and buttons. It provided a way to patch torn trousers, jackets, and such, and some soldiers became quite proficient at sewing as time passed. The “housewife” usually was packed in either the haversack or blanket roll.