Civil War Uniforms

Civil War uniforms were made with what little resources were available at the time. They were designed depending on rank and whether you were from the North or the South.

Confederate Uniform

The Civil War was fought from 1861-1865. During this time, the United States was seeing great changes. The North was fighting the South over slavery and territory rights. This war brought up many issues against the government. A goal of the war was to put an end to slavery. It is known as one of the most brutal and fatal wars in history. There were an abundance of casualities of both soldiers and civilians. The changes seen in the end were political, social and racial in nature and helped shaped who the United States is today.

The two sides fighting in the Civil War were the North/Union and the South/Confederacy. Each side had different uniforms to distinguish them from one another. Uniforms were made from the materials and resources available at that time. Unlike today, there was no bulk manufacturing so many were made by hand and not of high quality. Uniforms were not made with comfort in mind. They were simply made from what little resources were on hand.

The Union soldier wore a uniform made from wool. This choice of fabric was not very comfortable. When the temperatures soared, the uniform did not breathe and was very hot and uncomfortable. The wool was also very scratchy and became caused itching. Cotton was not an option for the Northern uniform. There were some basic features of the standard Union uniform:

• Dark blue pants were worn with a dark blue shirt with four brass buttons
• Pants were held up by a pair of suspenders
• The belt was used to hold supplies such as a bayonet, canteen, cap, rations and blanket roll
• The shoes worn by the soldiers were laced up over the ankles and made from leather. They were issued only one pair of shoes.
• The hat worn was a cap made from stiff wool. There was often a symbol on top of the hat to identify the regiment that the soldier was part of.

If the soldier was part of the Calvary, their uniform was similar except that they wore riding boot that were high up on the leg and a wide hat.

Confederate soldiers from the South wore uniforms made of cotton and wool and jean. (Jean is a coarse material.) Their uniforms were made from a lower quality than the South but since cotton was widely available, were more comfortable and breatheable. The South had uniform jackets done in gray or brown. They wore a short jacket with a vest and a slouch style hat. The short jackets buttoned up the front. Some buttons had a mark on them indicating the home state of the soldier. The trousers were commonly done in blue. They had a shortage of shoes so the ones that were worn were of poor materials and low quality. The shoes were known as brogans. They did not have a belt to carry their neccessities. Items were carried over one of their shoulders. Their undergarments were made from a light cotton or flannel.

To distinguish an office from a lower ranking soldier, uniforms had some differences. The higher the rank, the more decorations. The soldiers with the highest ranks had the most adornments and metals on their jackets. This was a way to idenify them as such. The lowest ranking soldiers had very plain uniforms.

If you would like to see authentic Civil War uniforms, visit a history museum where many preserved uniforms are displayed. There are also re-enactments of the Civil War at various battlefields, such as Gettysburg, where you can see people dressed in replica clothing from that specific time frame.

• Civil War Clothes
• Scientist Lab Coat
• Confederate Soldier in Uniform
• What Drives Your Interest In Historical Uniforms?

• Majorette Uniforms
• Roman Soldier Uniform
• United States Military Formal Uniforms
• Girl Scout Uniform History
• Cub Scout Uniform

• Civil War Soldier Uniform
• Main Page
• Union Soldier Uniform
• Category:Historical Uniforms
• Cheap Scrub Sets