Confederate Authenticity Guidelines

Note: Uniforms and portrayals should be appropriate for the theater of operation and time-frame of the war (i.e. Eastern Theater, Early-War, Mid-War, Late-War, Virginia, Georgia, etc..)

Material: ·       
Wool weft, cotton warp jean weave (Jeans-Wool) material predominated as the cloth for the production of jackets, trousers, caps and vests. Others are acceptable, but less commonly used materials were wool weft, wool warp jean weave cloth, satinets, and all cotton jean weave material (rarely other then for trousers).
      
Grey, grey/brown, and brown were the most common color, but green-grey was also seen. Limited use of kerseys, mostly in grey or cadet grey color, are also acceptable, but mostly for officers' uniforms and Richmond-type jackets.
        
Osnaburg and muslin in white were typical linings. These same materials were used for shirts and drawers. Woven stripes and checks, some prints, and colors were used for shirts. Wool and cotton flannels were also used for shirts and drawers.
      
Construction: Hand sewing was most common. Machine sewing is occasionally seen in lighter garments such as shirts and drawers. However, since sewing machines had been purchased widely even in the South, some uniforms were entirely or largely machine sewn.

Jackets:
Richmond Depot Type I and Type II
Columbus Depot pattern shell jacket.
Department of Alabama pattern shell jacket
Alabama pattern shell jacket (no trim, outer slash pocket)
Enlisted man's frock coat
Alabama commutation-style jacket

Trousers:
Military issue style – The use of sky blue trousers by Confederate participants is discouraged except for those units who are able to document their issuance to the unit you are portraying.
Civilian style 
 
Suspenders:
of civilian pattern, cotton webbing, canvas, or ticking with either button holes or leather tips with tin or brass buckles (no nickel plated metal).

Shirts:
Documented civilian or military pattern in wool or cotton, flannel, woven checks or strips, prints (very limited), or muslin.

Drawers:
Military issue or civilian style in cotton or wool flannel if worn

Headgear:
wide brimmed, generally dark wool felt slouch hat
cap, jean weave material; infantry trim acceptable
Hardee hat with little or no trim
traw/plant fiber, period style
Mexican War period military hat
·       
Hats should have as appropriate the proper sweatband, lining, ribbon, and stitching. Trim and insignia should be limited. Confederate style forage caps are discouraged and Union forage caps are not allowed.

Footwear:
Jefferson brogan pattern shoes
English imported shoes
Other military pattern shoes
Military or civilian pattern boots
Wool or cotton knit socks in off-white, a basic color, or natural color; hand knit are best.

Buttons:
Confederate issue block “I” infantry buttons or various types of Federal eagle buttons are the best, but Virginia state seal patterns, civilian, wooden, or other CS styles are also fine. In short, as long as it fits our period, almost anything goes (except CSA buttons which are distinctly late-war).

Blankets:
Civilian style, 100% wool, woven blankets in natural or earth tone colors Confederate issue/North Carolina Blanket
Union issue blanket
Blanket made from period pattern wool carpeting
Use of quilts or coverlets should be limited.
 
Gum blankets/ground cloth:   
Oil cloth, painted canvas, or captured Federal issue gum blanket
  
Weapons:
Enfield Rifle, M1853, 3-band
Springfield pattern rifle, M1861
Springfield pattern rifle, M1855
Springfield pattern musket, smoothbore, M1842, M1822 converted to percussion.  ·       
Side arms are only allowable for officers and cavalry impressions.
Appropriate bayonet for weapon carried.

Accouterments:
Cartridge box and cartridge box belt
M1855/61 box and tins
Documented Confederate manufactured pattern box of leather or painted canvas and tins
Enfield box and tins
Box for .69 caliber weapons and tins
Cap box M1845/50 pattern
Documented Confederate manufactured pattern of leather or painted canvas
Enfield style

Waist belt and waist belt plate:
Rectangular CSA, clipped corner CS, and frame buckles were most common. Snake buckles, roller buckles, and even oval CS are
also acceptable. Some state, militia, and civilian buckles can also be used in limited numbers. All waist belt plates are to have proper period construction.
Use of an upside down US should be very limited. Waist belt should be black, russet or buff leather or painted canvas and appropriate to the buckle.

Bayonet Scabbard
Appropriate for the weapon and bayonet being carried.

Knapsacks:
Mexican War pattern
British pattern--Issac & Campbell/A. Ross
double bag pattern
Federal double bag pattern
other common period  pattern

Canteens:
tin drum
wooden drum (Gardner-pattern), usually of  cedar
Federal pattern--smooth side more common then bulls eye
other common period pattern
Straps should be cotton, cotton webbing, or leather sewn together or with a buckle or button.

Haversacks:
white cotton duck unpainted
black painted
cotton jean weave unpainted
Federal pattern

Eyewear and Glasses:
If you wear glasses, visit antique stores and purchase a 19th century pair and have the lenses replaced with one of your prescription,
preferably with safety lenses. No modern glasses.

Appearance:
Pants and waist belts were worn at the real waist (i.e. the naval) and not at the hips; clothes were not form fitting; haversack and canteen straps and cartridge box belts were adjusted so that those items did not slap the soldier on the back of the legs or buttocks on the march; haversacks carried food and individual mess equipment (including the tin cup if there was room) and not personal items; personal items were carried in pockets and knapsacks; hats and coats were worn whenever in public; pants were rarely tucked in the socks.

Officers:
Officers had to purchase their own uniforms and equipment. Not until 1864 did the Confederate government allowed officers to purchase uniform items from the quartermaster. An officer's uniform should be built around a grey jean or kersey frock coat, civilian or tailored military trousers, probably a vest, and better civilian or military pattern shoes or boots. An appropriate sword and possibly a side arm should be carried as well as a canteen and  haversack. Officers' baggage was to be carried in the regimental baggage wagons, but a knapsack-or blanket roll can be appropriate.

Federal Uniform Guidelines

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COAT    1. The uniform coat for all enlisted foot men shall be of a single breasted frock, of dark blue cloth, made without plaits, with a skirt extending one-half the distance from the top of the hip to the bend of the knee; one row of nine buttons on the breast, placed at equal distances; stand-up collar, to rise no higher than to permit the chin to turn freely over it, to hook in front at the bottom, and then to slope up and backward at an angle of thirty degrees on each side; cuffs pointed according to pattern, and to button with two small buttons at the under seam.    2. For Fatigue Purposes – a sack coat of dark blue flannel, extending half-way down the thigh, and made loose, without sleeve or body lining, falling collar, inside pocket on the left side, four coat buttons down the front.TROWSERS For Enlisted Men, Privates – plain, without stripe. * Regular infantry trousers were dark blue from 1858 – 1861, but the color was changed to sky blue on December 16, 1861. Regulation trousers were high in the waist and had full and round legs and tended to be cut loose and fitted well up over the stomach. One inch slits at the bottom helped to get the trouser legs over brogans.* HAT For Enlisted Men – of black felt, same shape and size as for officers, with double row of stitching instead of binding, around the edge. To agree in quality with the pattern deposited in the clothing arsenal.    1. For fatigue purposes, forage caps, of pattern in Quartermaster-General’s office; dark blue cloth, with a welt of the same around the crown, and yellow metal letters in front to designate companies.    2. Commissioned officers may wear forage caps of the same pattern, with the distinctive ornament of the corps and regiment in front. *Hats and caps are particularly important for an accurate Western impression. Union troops were issued two types of hats both are described above (the Hardee and forage cap.) Slouch hats were extremely popular among rugged western troops. “Western troops looked quite unlike our men. They wore large hats instead of caps.” 123rd New York Infantryman  All headgear must reflect a western appearance and be of a period correct style and material. Hat brass was not common on western soldier’s hats.BOOTS (SHOES) For Enlisted Men of Artillery, Infantry, Engineers, and Ordnance – Jefferson, rights and lefts, according to pattern. *Union soldiers were generally issued four pairs of boots a year. These ankle boots were generally referred to as brogans. They should be made with the rough side of the leather on the outside.*OTHER ARTICLES OF CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT.    1. Flannel shirt, drawers, stockings, and stable-frock – the same as now furnished.      *Three shirts a year were generally issued. These shirts were made of flannel or coarse wool. Cotton shirts were not issued after 1852. The issued shirts had small turn over collars with a row of three buttons on the front up to the neck. Double breasted shirts were also popular and often worn over other shirts.*    2. Blanket – woolen, gray, with letters U.S. in black, four inches long, in the centre; to be seven feet long, and five and a half feet wide, and to weigh five pounds.    3. Belts for all Enlisted Men – black leather.    4. Cartridge-box-according to pattern in the Ordnance Department.    5. Knapsack-of painted canvas, according to pattern now issued by Quartermaster’s Department; the great-coat, when carried, to be neatly folded, not rolled, and covered by the outer flap of the knapsack.    6. Haversack-of painted canvas, with an inside sack unpainted, according to the pattern now issued by the Quartermaster’s Department.    7. Canteen-of tin, covered with woolen cloth, of the pattern now issued by the Quartermaster’s Department.