Mosby's Rangers: Uniforms, Arms and Accoutrements Part 1: The Context: Background on Confederate Uniforms "During the spring and early summer of 1861, the men did not dream that they were to be paid anything for their services, or even that the government was to clothe them. They had bought their own uniforms, and whenever these wore out they ordered new ones to be sent, by the first opportunity, from home. I remember the very first time the thought of getting clothing from the government ever entered my own mind. I was serving in Stuart's cavalry, and the summer of 1861 was nearly over..." -- George Cary Eggleston, A Rebel's Recollections, Hurd & Houghton, 1875 In comparison to its Federal counterpart, the Confederate military uniform could more properly be called a "multiform", with various individuals within the same unit wearing slightly different gear, because of several factors: (1) The evolution of the CSA uniform: The prevalence of militia uniforms and locally made items during the early war "commutation period" followed by in 1862 the "Depot" system of clothing manufacture coming into being, with strong regional variations among the several depots and with evolving styles within each depot. The best known case of this was the evolution of the basic shell jacket issued by the Richmond Depot, studied in depth by historian Les Jensen. Jensen developed a system of categorizing the Richmond Depot shell into four periods as this basic 9 button shell jacket evolved from having epaulettes and belt loops to a plainer style later in the war. (2) Mixed issues of uniforms: Scarcity in the South meaning that when new uniform issue was available, preference was generally given to those whose gear was the most worn out, so some men in a unit could have the older style Richmond Depot Shell, for example while others might have the new issue (3) Interspersing of civilian items with military-issue items: e.g. civilian hats, shirts, waistcoats (not issued by the Army) and other items sent from home. (4) In certain cases, the wearing of captured Yankee gear: Contrary to myth, this did not necessarily take the form of robbing the bodies of the dead, but instead of being given captured goods from Yankee supply wagons as many soldiers had difficulty looting the dead (cf. Sam Watkins', memoir "Co. Aytch") Captured item most likely to be used apart from weapons and horse tack included boots and shoes, belts (US belt buckles turned upside down), cap boxes and other leather accoutrements. In cases where equipment was taken from Union casualties, these items were also less "personal" than apparel and therefore easier to take. Over the years, a Confederate reenactor tradition has evolved of wearing Yankee issue sky blue kersey trowsers. However, this was relatively uncommon. Where it did occur, the trowsers were usually from captured Yankee supply wagons rather than from the dead. (Simple considerations of human biology yields the answer as to why this is the case!) Yankee waistcoats obtained from captured sutler wagons were also occasionally, but probably less frequently used, sometimes with the buttons changed. The one item of Yankee clothing that would never be used would be a uniform coat or jacket, as this could easily lead to being mistaken for the enemy and being shot. (5) Most officers, particularly the more senior ones, would have their uniforms custom made by tailors: Beyond the basic "look" and uniform specifications, this allowed for a considerable amount of personal expression. Some privates from wealthier families would also avail themselves of this option when they had the opportunity, as the military-issue cloth was generally cheaper goods -- coarser and scratchier than the broadcloth used by civilian tailors. Recommended Reading: Echoes of Glory: Arms and Equipment of the Confederacy (Time Life Books, out of print, frequently available on eBay, usually through buying the whole three volume set. The CSA volume was edited by Leslie D. Jensen, the leading expert on Confederate uniforms Johnny Reb : The Uniform of the Confederate Army, 1861-1865, by Leslie D. Jensen (G.I. Series, Philadelphia, Pa. 1996) The Museum of the Confederacy has published an exellent book, cataloguing and describing in detail the numerous original uniforms in their collectoin. Unfortunately, it is not yet offered in their online bookstore, but can be obtained by telephoning the museum's giftshop, the Haversack Store. Uniforms & Equipment of the 43rd Battalion: Part 2: The Influence of JEB Stuart Part 3: The Uniforms of Mosby's Rangers: Overview & Conclusions Part 4: Uniforms: Individual Men Part 5: Arms and Accoutrements Part 6: Uniform & Equipment Guidelines for 43rd Battalion Reenactors

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