Clothing/Uniforms
OfficersOfficers on the Union side wore blue and wore hats and had a sash (belt) around waist and carried their weapons in a loop connected to their sash.
Officers on the Confederate side wore gray and just like Union they wore a hat and a sash with their weapons in the loop of the sash. |
SoldiersConfederate volunteers wore dark blue jackets and kepis but with light blue trousers. Confederate uniforms for soldiers were gray kepi, jacket and trousers. As these weathered and faded, they took on a light brownish appearance. Union uniforms consisted of wool and featured a dark blue shirt with four brass buttons. The high-quality wool was warm in winter but itchy and hot in the heat of summer. Many men hated the itchy wool army issue shirt, so they wore cotton shirts and underwear from home. Both uniform pants were also dyed dark blue until pants were dyed a lighter shade more like sky blue. The pants were held up with suspenders, and leather shoes called brogans laced up over the ankle. For extra protection to keep legs dry, they often wore gaiters over their shoes. The forage cap, made of stiff wool that looked like a round circle towards the front of the head over a leather visor, was also most common. A symbol on the top of the hat in the circle designated which regiment the men belonged to. --HistoryNet.com
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WomenWomen wore seven layers. The first layer would be their bloomers/pantalets, which were made of cotton and would come below the knee or to the ankle. The second layer would be the Chemise. This was nothing more than a cotton night gown that would be worn under the corset. The third layer was the corset They were simply designed so that it would give a smooth line from the waist to the bust of the woman. The fourth layer would have been the corset cover or camisole which of course was made of cotton. It prevented the color from rubbing or fading onto the corset. The fifth layer was the under petticoat, normally white, that was made of cotton. It was worn under the hoop skirt to keep it from getting dust and dirt under it. The sixth layer was the hoop skirt. This is what gave the southern belles their bell. The seventh layer were the over petticoats. Normally, during the spring and summer a woman would only wear two of them. But during the Fall and Winter months would wear anywhere from 4 to 5 at a time. The purpose was to cover the hoop skirt. Finally the blouse or bodice and the actual skirt. -- freewebs.com
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