"Gun Carriages: What Colors Were Used?" Topic

Hello, everyone...

I've often seen miniatures of Federal gun carriages painted in a darkish olive green, but I've also read that they were painted in a yellow ochre color. Can anyone suggest some proper colors for Federal and Confederate gun carriages? Thanks!

Cheers!

Patrick

The olive green and the ochre may be different attempts at mixing the same color. Also, older guns and militia guns would be painted light blue.

Confederates used a yellowish khaki colour. Unionists used a dark green. Having said that, imported guns, and the frequent capture and use of the enemy's weopons may explain the many variations you will encounter.

AS a civil war artillerist re-enactor, we use olive drab to re-paint our gun carriges now and again. But, we also throw a little brown in there to dark the olive drab. Basically think of it like this; their guns were constantly exposed to the elements so they could be any variety of colors. Jackson's VMI guns had red carriges, just as an example.

I also asked this question once and I learned that some militia units painted theirs variations on the theme. Also some units might at first have theirs painted to their own specifications until they received Federal equipment.

I have a few shades of the olive drab that I spread around between different batteries to show the lack of complete uniformity.

I have also read and heard that French blue and sometimes Black were used to add to the other colors listed above on Confederate guns. I talked with the folks who do the New Orleans Art. and they said with Rebels it was anything went to protect the carriage. With Union they said it above dark olive drab.

Here at Gettysburg, there are a couple artillery experts within the ranks of the Licensed Battlefield Guides. In speaking with them in the past, they have described all sorts of colors used for gun carriages, although their research has suggested that most of the Federal guns were painted a variation of olive drab. Since a large percentage of the CSA gund were captured Union guns (many from Harpers Ferry in September of 1862), it is safe to assume that they too were mostly this olive color. Some gun carriages at Gettysburg indeed were ochre on the CSA side (and possibly a few on the US side).

LBG Phil Cole has published an outstanding book on the guns of Gettysburg that can be found at Borders or Barnes & Noble, as well as from Amazon.com. Highly recommended!!!

Thanks for the responses, gentlemen!

I would assume that these colors would also apply to caissons, limbers, and ammo chests. It's funny, now that I think about it; I was a ACW reenactor for a few years and never really paid that much attention to the artillery ( except for the time when I was a casualty about 20 yards in front of a Napoleon and it was firing over my head…I swear I could feel my sack coat ripple from the concussion! ) . It would seem that one wouldn't go far wrong to paint both Union and Confederate in the olive drab color. I'll have to write my client and see if he wants any distinction between the armies. Thanks again!

Patrick

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