History Of Civil War Unifrom

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The History and Standard Dress of the Civil War Uniform

The word “uniform” is derived from the Latin words “unus,” one and “forma,” form, and includes the different styles of dress adopted by the Military services to secure the distinction required (Haythorntwaite 10). Since the military profession has always been an honorable one the uniform has been a badge of honor and a means of improving the morale of its wearers in addition to its original purpose of distinguishing friend from foe.
Until the formation of the Continental Army, the troops in the American colonies wore uniforms similar to those of European states to which they belonged. Hence, after the Battle of Quebec, in which the French lost Canada, the British influence in uniforms was paramount in North America. (Troiani 43)
After the Revolutionary War the anti-British sentiment combined with the fact that France had been our ally caused the French influence in uniforms to be predominant.
At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, as the hunting dress was the cheapest and most easily procured, General Washington recommended its adoption by the soldiers of the Continental Army. It was a dress consisting of the shirt, leggings, rifle bag for bullets, and the powder horn. His personal uniform was represented as being a blue coat with red facing, red waistcoat and breeches, although another description of it states the facings were buff, and the waistcoat and breeches buff. He also wore a cocked hat and knee-boots.
Congress, by resolution on March 23, 1779, authorized and directed the Commander in Chief, according to circumstances of supplies and clothing, to fix and prescribe the uniform, as well with regard to color and facings, as the cut or fashion of the clothes, to be worn by the troops of the respective States and Regiments, woolen overalls for winter and linen for summer, to be substituted for the breeches. (Davis 47)
It should be noted, however...