History Of Civil War Unifrom

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, that the officers and men appeared in every imaginable type and style of uniform, often wearing uniforms taken from the British, which they dyed brown if time permitted, but sometimes worn without change, which lead to serious and fatal mistakes on the battlefield. Uniforms furnished by the Continental Government were charged against the pay of the men.
This bring us to the time of the Civil War when the uniforms of that period we are almost as familiar as with those of the present time, for the changes comparatively have been few. The coat remained practically the same for officers and enlisted men; the trousers were of dark-blue cloth, except for companies of light artillery, which were of sky blue. The enlisted men of the cavalry and light artillery were allowed a uniform jacket of dark-blue cloth with standing collar, and for the first time there was mentioned a sack coat of dark blue flannel for fatigue purposes, extending half way down the thigh, made loose, with four coat buttons down the front. This sack coat evidently is the one which we have seen in pictures of uniforms of enlisted men for campaign purposes. For officers and enlisted men the black felt hat was retained, but the trimmings were slightly altered. (Emerson 136)
In the cap for all officers and enlisted men a most decided change was made, being prescribed of dark-blue cloth, the crown of four upright pieces, height in front about six inches and behind about seven and one-half inches. The visor was horizontal, made of leather two and one-fourth inches wide at the middle. The strap was of strong black leather, passing under the chin by a yellow metal buckle. There was a band about the lower edge of the cap pointed in front. For the general and general staff officers an embroidered wreath in front encircling the letters "U. S." in old English letters in silver; the artillery crossed cannon; the infantry, the bugle; and for officers of dragoon, crossed sabe...