"Yankee regulation uniforms in 1861" Topic

Hello everyone,
In the Yankee army until when and by whom were the regulation uniforms of 1861 worn, the long tunics "Frock Coat", dark blue pants and "Hardee Hat"?

The uniform you are describing sounds like the uniform of the U.S. Regular Army.

Dark blue pants? I think these were limited to general officers, while enlisted personnel along with company and field grade officers wore sky blue trousers.

In 1861-62, the 16,000-man Regular Army was expanding to hundreds of thousands, so the Frock Coats and Hardee Hats in stock were issued to many volunteer units. The Iron Brigade (western regiments serving with the Army of the Potomac) were dressed this way. In the west, the 9th Ohio--aka the 1st Cincinnati German Regiment was issued tunics and Hardee Hats. I think that other units were also issued tunics, or Hardee Hats or both.

Grelber

In 1861 the Hardee Hat, Frock Coat with brass shoulder scales, (and for the very beginning months of the war) Dark Blue Pants were the regulation uniform of the US Regular Army. After Bull Run, most of the Regulars put away their finery and wore fatigue coats and forage hats for the rest of the war. The dark blue pants were quickly replaced with light blue kersey pants. The State Volunteers' uniforms varied widely. Some copied the Regulars closely, while others had all manner of uniforms. Frock coats remained common in the eastern armies throughout the war, less so in the west, but the fatigue or 'sack' coats were most common.

Illustrated History of the Civil War is a Time-Life publication in three volumes. One volume is an Atlas. One volume covers the Arms and Equipment of the Union and the other is the Confederacy.
All items are from museums rather than illustrations. The are several pages of Zouave uniforms with a lot more variety than I thought. The Union trousers were more of a mid blue, still darker than coat, rather than sky blue.
Only one Zouave top shown for the CSA. However, the variety in styles shades was numerous.
One interesting photo of a pre into early war officer was wearing dark blue pants and a bright red coat. May have been Cavalry.

I think you may find this reference useful

PDF link

It is from the US Army Center of Military History, who I think should have a pretty good view of the whole topic

Scott: Story I've heard is that Regulations for the U.S. (Regular) Army provided for dark blue pants until December 1861 when they were changed to a lighter blue. I assume that matches up with your information. The problem I run into is that in the months before the regulations were changed the U.S. acquired a substantial stock of dark blue pants. Were Regulars offered first crack at those stocks allowing them to remain in dark blue pants longer? Didn't Joinville do a painting of U.S. Regulars in the Peninsula with sack coats and forage caps but with dark blue pants? A photo supposedly of the 8th U.S. Regulars in 1863 shows two, possibly three band members still wearing blue pants. The same photo shows an officer wearing the lighter blue pants.

To summarize: US Regulations in force at the start of the war (April 1961) stated the Union uniform was dark blue coat (frock coat was dress, sack coat was for campaign), and dark blue pants. But units could decide to wear the frock on campaign if they so chose.

December 1861 the regulation changed to light blue pants to save on dye. But a large quantity of dark blue pants were in inventory, so it was not an overnight change. Some units would draw replacement pants and get dark blue, some light blue.

In April 1861 state volunteers were mostly outfitted by the states, using whatever colors they had. Some went with blue, others with grey. That latter color caused confusion on the battlefield however.

By summer 1862 there were no more grey-clad union. And by summer 1863 there were almost no more dark blue pants.

There are always rare exceptions. But those are rare.

So for April 1861 to April 1862, union uniforms had a lot of variety. That started to phase out between April 1862 and say, April 1863. By which point, with rare exceptions, the uniform was mostly the same across the board.

@Bill N
Yes, the uniform of the U.S. Regular Army.

Good idea to assign dark blue pants to regular troops (at least at the beginning of the war)…

@Grelber Dark blue pants?

Yes I read that light blue pants were admitted to the troops in December 1861 to replace them, which is strange because before in the U.S. Army history that there had been light blue pants.

it seems that there were some at the beginning in the regular army quickly replaced (in December 1861) by light blue pants.

The "Frock Coats" and "Hardee hats" in stock were distributed to many volunteer units?

I didn't know.

That's why the Iron Brigade (Western regiments serving in the Army of the Potomac) dressed this way was confused with militia?

The 1st and 2nd U.S. Berdan's Sharpshooters also wore green "Froc Coats" until the end of the war?

TMP link

"Hardee hats" were also worn by volunteer cavalrymen, artillerymen and sappers?

Until when?

@ScottWashburn

Yes, we must never forget the brass epaulettes (They were also quickly abandoned, it's funny because it was the same for some units in the French Imperial Infantry in 1870 from the very first months of the war and by all the French infantry as soon as the 3rd Republic was established on September 4, 1870).

Thanks for confirming, I knew that they had worn dark blue pants which were therefore part of the standard uniform of the regular American army,but the U.S. army also wore light blue pants before 1861 in its history.

So after Bull Run, most regulars put away their finery and wore fatigue coats (sackcoat?) and forage hats (introduced in 1858) for the rest of the war, but by individual taste or by entire units?

Yes, the uniforms of the state volunteers were very varied.

Some closely copied the regulars, while others had all sorts of uniforms, just like during the Mexican War.

@TimePortal
Thanks for the info but now I'm drowning in books nevertheless please but me a link …

@Frederick Yes thanks I know.

@SeattleGamer
Were there dark blue and light blue in the same unit?

By the summer of 1862, there were no more Union uniforms in gray.

And by the summer of 1863, there were almost no more dark blue pants?

Good to know!

By the summer of 1862, there were no more Union uniforms in gray.

Well, almost none. (Never say never.) Seems like I just ran across a mention of one or more Union unit(s) (in the West) wearing gray in spring of '62 at least, but don't remember where I saw it or what unit it was.

Don, never say never or absolute is very appropriate for ACW

Another factor of confusion regarding the US Regulars is that at the start of the war most of them were scattered all over the country in 1 or 2 company posts and it took quite a while to gather them all together. I remember reading in the diary of a Regular just prior to the Peninsular Campaign about how one company of their regiment had just finally shown up and it was noted that they were still using Winfield Scott's drill regulations! I suspect that the Regulars' uniforms were a hodgepodge of different stuff until they were all gathered together and issued new gear.

As for the brass shoulder scales, there are a number of photos showing the Heavy Artillery Regiments and some Colored regiments wearing them in 1864.

I have Timothy Reese's book on the Regulars, which is the most comprehensive review of these units, but which sadly lacks any serious discussion of their uniform changes. There is a picture in it of the officers of the 14th Regulars in March 1862, with most of them wearing kepi caps and frock coats (with one Hardee hat that I could see.) It needs to be remembered however that the 14th was a new regiment so I wouldn't want to extrapolate from this to some of the older regiments.

I am curious Scott about where you information related the Regular uniform change after Bull Run comes from.

Watch "Gods and Generals", if you can stay awake. 🙄
The battle of First Bull Run has some rather interesting Federal uniforms, including AWI "reenactors".
I am assured that they are "authentic".
But Lincoln's first callup of volunteers were supplied by the States, who had rather interesting ideas of uniforms. I don't think that tricorne hats lasted very long as uniforms.

@donlowry
By the way, there weren't just blue or gray regiments in the ACW…

@TimePortal
Never say never or absolute is very appropriate for all periods.

@ScottWashburn
Regarding the US Regulars, it's a shame that in the ACW they didn't keep the uniforms from the war against Mexico which were very seyant.

@Marcus Brutus
Me too.

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I am a bit skeptical about US army troops switching out of their official dress as early as 1861 but we will see what Scott has to say. One interesting side note is that Iron Brigade, in the fall of 1861, switched to the US army uniform for the very reason of wanting a distinct "look" that mimicked regular forces. It seems unlikely to me that the US army troops would be ditching their regulation dress at the very time the Iron Brigade is taking it up. One would presume that they too would want a distinct look from volunteer units.

The Model 1858 Dress Hat also known as the Hardee Hat or Jeff Davis Hat was never intended to be worn in the field by Regular troops. It was part of the dress uniform. The kepi or forage cap was meant to be worn in the field. That was part of the reason the wearing of the Hardee hat in the field made the Iron Brigade unique.

link

Except for 1st Bull Run, I am not aware of the Regulars ever having a different uniform than the rest of the army. Certainly, by 1863 and probably by 1862, all Union Regiments were being supplied the same.

I think the frock coat was available for most of the war. It was left to individual regiments whether they wanted them or not. It also depended on what was available at the time.

@Old Contemptible
Thanks for the first link.

Thanks for the second link.

Thanks for the third link.

Thanks for the fourth link.

Great information, well done and thanks! I have 'S' ranges with the "Hardee Hat", unfortunately they are not in "Frock Coat" which I love but wore classic short tunics (sackcoat?)?

The "Hardee Hat" on the "Frock Coat" = The Iron Brigade?

Thanks for the fifth link.

I saw in a book (yes, yes a book) that the 1st and 2nd U.S.Berdan's Sharpshooters wore beautiful green "Frock Coats" …

@Marcus Brutus
The long tunics "Frock Coat", dark blue pants and "Hardee Hat"?

I'm not sure exactly when the US Regulars put away their frock coats and Hardee Hats. I'm certain it was before the Peninsular Campaign which would be the first place the Regulars went into action after 1st Bull Run. As I noted above, at the start of the war the Regulars were scattered all over the place. For 1st Bull Run they could only assemble a single ad hoc battalion of the companies they had on hand. It wasn't until Spring of 1862 that they were gathered together in the Army of the Potomac.

As for the Berdan Sharpshooters, yes their initial uniforms were dark green frock coats, forage caps, and trousers. They didn't have a good system for providing replacement clothing so by the end of 1862 they were starting to look pretty ragged with a lot of ordinary blue clothing mixing in with the green. In 1863 a factory near Philadelphia had been contracted to make more green uniforms and the Berdans were back in green again. After the sharpshooters were mustered out in late 1864 there were enough leftover green uniforms that a newly raised Pennsylvania regiment was issued them.

Yep. The 200th Pennsylvania.

I notice that there is a lot of speculation but very limited facts about the uniforms of US army troops during the war. OC's link to the Hardee Hat on Wikipedia doesn't really bring any further insight into its use by US Regulars during the ACW

I'm certain it was before the Peninsular Campaign which would be the first place the Regulars went into action after 1st Bull Run.

What is your certainty based on Scott? The use of the Hardee Hat by the Iron Brigade makes it clear that it could be worn on campaign. The few pictures we have of US army troops in 1862 show them wearing frock coats (but I would hardly consider this definitive.) Before I dismiss this option for the Regulars in early/mid 1862 I'd like to see some clear evidence.

@Marcus Brutus
The long tunics "Frock Coat", dark blue pants and "Hardee Hat"?

I haven't seen any pictures of Regular infantry in 1862 wearing the Hardee Hat. But since wargaming is a much pageantry why not? Probably Frock Coat and Kepi would stand a better chance of scrutiny if that concerns you. The pant colour is hard to distinguish from pictures but it looks a little lighter than the coat.

So I looked up and found a reenacting group for the 3rd US Infantry. I sent them a query about uniforms. I will post whatever they send to me. In the meantime you can see both Frock Coat and Hardee Hat and Kepi and Sack Coat.

3rdusreenactors.com

According to Johnson's book on the Regulars in the Army of the Cumberland, they kept the frock coats and scales for use at dress formations even in the field, but I don't think that lasted much into 1863. They normally wore the sack coat. I'm guessing the frocks and scales were kept in a wagon? That's speculation on my part.

The Hardee hats were kept and used in the field regularly in the west as sloch hats. Just took off all the brass. Sometimes they lowered the crown, but many times just left it tall.

@ScottWashburn
I believe that to distinguish themselves from the volunteer regiments (which are not discussed here) they wore frock coats and Hardee Hats.

In my 'S' ranges, I have figurines in sackcoats and Hardee Hats?

What do I do with them, decapitate them?

@Cleburne1863
How was the 200th Pennsylvania dressed?

@Marcus Brutus
In my opinion the uniforms and hats must have been worn until they were completely worn out and the stock disappeared.

Thanks for the link.

@Cleburne1863
Anything is possible