Federal Blue Trousers for Confederate?

[crowley_greene]

Let me preface this post by saying that I am not looking for a justification to wear federal blue trousers in a Confederate impression (a reenactorism, as I understand?). I have a few different pairs of trousers -- military and civilian patterns -- that are correct for Confederate roles.

But seriously, can we know how often a sprinkling of the Federal trousers might have turned up in the Confederate ranks? One scenario I'm thinking of is when Confederates captured Union stores. What all would those stores have consisted of? Arms, ammunition, rations, medical supplies, various accoutrements . . . any uniform items? If so, could any of the Federal trousers have found their way into the Confederate ranks?

Murray Therrell

[pvt t a white]

After the battle of Fredericksburg, the Yankee dead were lying naked or near naked on the field because the Confederates striped the bodies of clothing to wear.

Just one example of the Confederate troops wearing Yankee trousers.

Pvt T A White

[crowley_greene]

After the battle of Fredericksburg, the Yankee dead were lying naked or near naked on the field because the Confederates striped the bodies of clothing to wear.

Can you direct me to a reference on that? I've heard the accounts of Confederates stripping Union dead for all the years I've been in reenacting, but I have yet to come across documentation of such an account in any of the books I've read.

Although, I think I did read in The Confederacy's Last Hurrah about the Battle of Franklin, that the body of Patrick Cleburne was found without wallet or boots.

Murray Therrell

[plankmaker]

There you be:

FALMOUTH, VA., December 19, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to report that, in obedience to orders from headquarters right grand division, I proceeded, on the morning of December 17, 1862 with a large detail of the different regiments of the command, to the battle-field in front of Fredericksburg, VA., where I found and buried 913 of our soldiers, and brought to this side of the river the bodies of 5 officers, making a total of 918. Nearly all the dead were stripped entirely naked by the enemy.

I would also report that those bodies nearest the enemy's works were recognized as belonging to Kimball's brigade, of French's division, and to the different regiments of Hancock's division. The burying occupied two days.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN R. BROOKE
Colonel Fifty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

[crowley_greene]

FALMOUTH, VA., December 19, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to report that, in obedience to orders from headquarters right grand division, I proceeded, on the morning of December 17, 1862 with a large detail of the different regiments of the command, to the battle-field in front of Fredericksburg, VA., where I found and buried 913 of our soldiers, and brought to this side of the river the bodies of 5 officers, making a total of 918. Nearly all the dead were stripped entirely naked by the enemy.

Thank you, Mark! It's always refreshing to learn new things here.

Murray Therrell

[plankmaker]

A little more:

Letter is dated "Falmouth Va Dec 18th 62." 2 pp., 8" x 12" in ink. Fold marks and small tears at double fold areas. A few light stains and ink smears. Written by Spang to his parents and brother in Pottstown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Accompanied by cover addressed to "Jermiah Spang Pottstown Montgomrey County Pa." Postage stamp missing; postmark appears to read "Washington D.C.," date illegible.

"Deare Parents + Bro yours of the 1st arived here and found me in good health you said you thought Fredericksburg would be taken by the time your letter reached me it was taken the next day but at a teribel loss of life on the 11th the Bombartment of the city commensed the cannading was awfull at night the city was on fire in plaices the Pontoon bridge was not laid at dark the enemey shot at the men from the houses and sellers [cellars] that night the bridge was finished but it cost 300 men to lay the bridge...next morning the 12th wen we reached the other side our regt was thrown out as skirmishers we skirmished with the enemey til dark we ware releived next morning the 13th we manuvered around the streets til all was ready the enemey pouring shell into us all the time Frenches Division engaged the enemey first we next i can not tel you the truth of that awfull fight the conflict was terebel our regt was the futherest in advance of aney of our troops we sheltered ourselves behind some houses and ware only 50 yrds from the enemeys rifel pits our men ware cut down like grass wile the enemey could not be tuched all we could see of them was thair guns and sometimes a head the fight lasted all day at dark we came back to town our regt stood 3 hours with fixed baynets and not a man had a cartridge i expected every minite the enemey would charge on us but we stood thair no one came to releive us at dark the lines fell back and we ware releived we recrossed the river on the 15th our dead lay thick on the feild the enemeys los is nothing to ours on the 17th i was detailed to go along with a flag of truce to help buery our dead the rebs had gards around us wile we ware buereying we buereyed 700 and did not get half don our dead ware striped of every thing that was good some ware nacked [naked] not one man had a pair of shoes on thay say we can never wip them i learned that thair los was light to what ours was thay say what are you goin to do with Burnside...tha say
McClenan [McClellan] is the best Gen we ever had and i sa so tow [too] we have bin wiped [whipped] badley here...we have 15 men in our comp yet none of our comp ware kiled all wounded i was not tuched only by a splinter that flew from the house wen a ball pased through we are diskureged and hope this war will soon be over...i will now close i am nere frose the reason my writing is so bad my Love to you all from your Son and Bro. Joseph Spang."

Letter is dated "Headquarters Hancocks Div Jan 15th '62." [Should read 1863 - writer failed to adjust to new year.] Two pages, 4.5" x 7.5", in pencil. Fold marks, a few stains. Else VG, highly legible. Written by Spang to his parents in Pottstown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Accompanied by cover addressed to "Jno. Spang Pottstown Montgomry Co Pa." 3 cent stamp; postmarked Washington DC.

"Deare Parents...i am well hope you are all the same[.] your mittens come to hand also a letter from John[.] the wether remains plessant here[.] we have not had much could [cold] or rainey wether this winter yet but i suppos we will get our share of it[.] we have our tents on log frames and have fire places in the tents and are very comfortable as long as it lasts[.] Today is the 15th and maney regts. say tha [they] will refuse to do duty after to day unless the pay cums[.] how it will turn out i dont know[.] thair are a great maney disserts from the army[.] thair are maney rumers[.] current here one is that the rebs are goin to raid the Stars + Stripes and say tha [they] are fighting for the union and we for the Negroes[.] thair is great dissatisfaction through out the whole army on account of the nigger and we place no confidence in Burnside and even [if] a fight take place thousands will get out of it[.] the case would be quite different if all went right[.] in this Book you will findeach days proceding as tha [they] occured dont lose these 2 books are [or] get the writing ruled out you see the book is stared it was done by writing on marches[.] no more at pressent[.] Love to you all[.] From your Son Pt. Joseph Spang."

Letter is dated "Head Quarters Jan 17th 63." 5" x 8". 2 pp., in pencil. Fold marks with light foxing. Else VG and highly legible. Written by Spang to his brother in Pottstown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

"Deare Bro...i am well and hope this will find you all in the same state i send a Memarandom by Richard Rahn we have not bin paid yet great dissatisfaction amonst the men on account of it thousands are dissirting something must be done or this armey will soon be no more if tha [they] pay us let the old man send me 50 cts in postage curancy i must have tobaco cant get along without it thair is a movement on foot a pontoon went up on our right we have marching orders lookout fore news from here maney new regts have arrived here Seigel + Heinzelman are here maney of the old armey swore that tha [they] wont fight til paid i was on gard last night it frose hard and was verey cold 3 rebs who ware on picket left thair posts and avoided the river and gave themselves up tha [they] ware brought here tha are duchmen thay say the rebs will fight to the last only 40000 of thair men ware engaged in the last battel [Fredericksburg] money is plenty on thair side but nothing can be had at almost aney prise coffee is $500 [not sure if he means $500.00 or $5.00] per pound thair govt dint furnish them with coffee or sugar and meat only half of the time...tha say if tha had not got the clouth [clothes] from our dead tha [they] would have bin bad of [off] the Soldiers are mostly down on Old Abe best respects to all...from your Bro. Joseph Spang".

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

[flattop32355]

Can you direct me to a reference on that? I've heard the accounts of Confederates stripping Union dead for all the years I've been in reenacting, but I have yet to come across documentation of such an account in any of the books I've read.

"Perryville: This Great Havoc of War" by Noe.

He speaks of Union dead be stripped by Confederates during the night while the two battle lines lay close together. It is in one of the latter chapters.

There are also the cases when the Confederates used captured stores: Again, after the Battle of Richmond, KY, Cleburne's men put on Federal trowsers, and at the Battle of Perryville were fired upon by other Confederates for a time because of mistaken identity (also referenced in Noe's book).

I've read of others, but do not have the citations for them at this moment.

[gwagner]

I am in on 1!

[bob 125th nysvi]

in September 1862 the south stripped the 125th (and every other surrendering regiment) of everything that wasn't nailed down or the personal possession of the individual soldiers.

Now is there any documentation of soldiers (or the regiment) losing pairs of trousers. None that I can think of but I suspect any extra trousers with the regiment or in the local arsenal buildings awaiting shipment wound up on the tush of some Reb or stuffed in a supply wagon loaded with "the spoils of war" heading south.

So did it happen. Sure did. How often? It would depend on the scenario you are portraying. As always.

[Southern Cal]

In any event, no one let a deal of good trousers go to waste. Weren't after all, sky blue trousers part of the officially adopted uniform of the CSA, whether they were actually supplied or not? Question? Did those regulations apply to state raised units?

[WestTN_reb]

One incident I recall off the top of my head is a battle that our battalion recreates. At the battle of Davis Mills, the Federal pickets were captured by the Confederate troops who had just come from a successful raid on Holly Springs, MS. The Confederate troops were wearing so much captured clothing that the Federal picket thought they were their reinforcements.

[Poor Private]

Seems to me that I recently read where Hills Light Infantry were mistaken for federal troops at Antietiem because they had just came from the capture Harpers Ferry and were wearing so much federal replacement clothing. The only way they were distinguishable was through thier flag.

[plankmaker]

There are numerous citations of Cornfed troops wearing Federal clothing (Mosby's folks were notorious for it). However, there are also numerous citations of the provost in Richmond stopping individuals in Richmond dressed in Federal clothing and telling them that if they didn't procure appropriate uniform item immediately, that they would have an all expense paid visit to Castle Thunder.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

The Daily Dispatch: April 9, 1863.

Richmond Dispatch
Thursday morning...April 9, 1863.

Mosby's List Raid.
Washington.April 3.--On Tuesday last, the rebel Capt. Mosby visited Centreville with sixty guerillas, dressed in Federal uniforms. On Wednesday a squadron of the 1st Vermont Cavalry came upon then near Drainesville, dismounted. --They received our cavalry with a fire from carbines and lances, which stampaded some of the raw soldiers. The fight soon became desperate — Mosby threatened his men with death if they flinched and himself wounded Capt. Fint five times with his revolver killing him. Lieut. Grant, of the Vermont cavalry, and seven men, were also killed. Our loss was about sixty killed, wounded, and prisoners. Mosby was surprised, but he rallied his men with lightning, like celerity, and when our squadron broke he pursued and hacked them severely. The guerillas mentioned of received a severe sabre our on the forehead. The Vermont carbine companies delivered their fire with good effect, and then opened to let the sure companies charge; but they did not come up to the work.

[tompritchett]

The Confederate troops were wearing so much captured clothing that the Federal picket thought they were their reinforcements.

I also believe that during the Kentucky campaign there was a written exchange between Buell and Bragg where Buell complained about the degree that Confederates were wearing captured Union uniform items and equipment with Bragg replying something to the effect that if Buell had a problem with the situation then Buell should stop making so much equipment available to Bragg's raiders. Again, I am relying on memory and not on notes so I probably have some the details a little fussy but I am sure that others will clarify.

[crowley_greene]

This is all great information. Thanks! But it still seems to all boil down to the necessity to be familiar with the historical event (or theatre/time) being re-created. I just remember in the first week that I got into reenacting, my captain telling me that I could get the federal blue trousers because they would work for either Union or Confederate. That seems to have been too general a statement.

Murray Therrell

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

This is all great information. Thanks! But it still seems to all boil down to the necessity to be familiar with the historical event (or theatre/time) being re-created. I just remember in the first week that I got into reenacting, my captain telling me that I could get the federal blue trousers because they would work for either Union or Confederate. That seems to have been too general a statement.

Murray Therrell

From a western confederate standpoint, there is some confusion I think due to the fact that there is alot of documentation for light and sky blue trousers being issued to the troops. The problem is that most of them were of jeancloth or satinette, and not the higher quality kersey that Federals obtained. There is a big difference in style, construction, and material than your run-of-mill sutler row Fed trousers.

[hiplainsyank]

They received our cavalry with a fire from carbines and lances, which stampaded some of the raw soldiers.

So apparently the 6th PA wasn't the only cav unit issued lances, since I assume the author means that they fired only the carbines, but used the lances to help keep the attackers at bay?

[jeff]

...if Buell had a problem with the situation then Buell should stop making so much equipment available to Bragg's raiders.

Oh now, that is choice.
Should you happen to recall the citation's home, I'd love to read it in it's entirety.

[Southern Cal]

From a western confederate standpoint, there is some confusion I think due to the fact that there is alot of documentation for light and sky blue trousers being issued to the troops. The problem is that most of them were of jeancloth or satinette, and not the higher quality kersey that Federals obtained. There is a big difference in style, construction, and material than your run-of-mill sutler row Fed trousers.

Based on these observations, I had a question about "slave cloth" that the topic search didn't clearly answer. The book "Butternut..."( I can't remember the entire title) mentions early war CSA troops uniformed in blue "slave cloth". Would this mean entire uniforms of blue cotton or jeancloth uniforms as well as encompass light blue cotton and/or jean trousers?

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Based on these observations, I had a question about "slave cloth" that the topic search didn't clearly answer. The book "Butternut..."( I can't remember the entire title) mentions early war CSA troops uniformed in blue "slave cloth". Would this mean entire uniforms of blue cotton or jeancloth uniforms as well as encompass light blue cotton and/or jean trousers?

I've found in past research when a document or record says "blue" it can run the gamut of shades for CS uniforms. For instance, there are many navy records that record buying "blue cloth" for uniforms. That can pretty much mean navy blue or darker blue, as that was the universally accepted naval color. For the army, it gets grayer (parden the pun). Diaries and journals account for some of our knowledge, at least for the western troops, that they had some light blue, dark blue, blue gray, and medium (or French) blue for trousers, jackets, caps, etc. Basically, your guess is as good as mine when it comes to decipering just what is blue. As for the slave cloth reference, I've found that it covers pretty much wool jean (and very course and rough jean at that), and it does have reference to entire suits of cloths being made out of it, particularly the darker blues.

[tompritchett]

Oh now, that is choice.
Should you happen to recall the citation's home, I'd love to read it in it's entirety.

Unfortunately, I cannot remember where I read about the exchange but, since it is the one reference that I cannot put my hands on right now, it could Autumn of Glory: The Army of Tennessee, 1862-1865 by Thomas Lawerence Connelly. Once I do find it, I will see if I can find it there.

[Tarheel57]

"Perryville: This Great Havoc of War" by Noe.

He speaks of Union dead be stripped by Confederates during the night while the two battle lines lay close together. It is in one of the latter chapters.

There are also the cases when the Confederates used captured stores: Again, after the Battle of Richmond, KY, Cleburne's men put on Federal trowsers, and at the Battle of Perryville were fired upon by other Confederates for a time because of mistaken identity (also referenced in Noe's book).

I've read of others, but do not have the citations for them at this moment.

The Life of Johnny Reb, pp. 115-116 mentions the extensive use of captured Federal uniforms by Confederates. In 1862 a soldier from Mississippi wrote his mother that he had seen 6,000 Confederate cavalry pass and "every man had a complete Yankee suit..." The book also recounts how a news correspondent noted that "...three fifths of the men are dresses in Federal hats and overcoats."
Forrest's general order of 1864 directed that all captured clothing be dyed or seized and turned into the quartermaster "the coats especially".
Clark's NC Regiments I and II mention that the 38th NC used much captured Federal uniforms items during the march into Maryland, but I do not have the specific pages.

Here is also a relevant article on the use of captured Federal uiforms:

http://www.55thva.org/article00001.html

[Poor Private]

Unfortunately, I cannot remember where I read about the exchange but, since it is the one reference that I cannot put my hands on right now, it could Autumn of Glory: The Army of Tennessee, 1862-1865 by Thomas Lawerence Connelly. Once I do find it, I will see if I can find it there.

I myself have read that line recently in Dee Alexander Brown's book "The Bold Cavaliers" about Morgan's raiders. I can think I can also reference it in one of his other books, "Morgan's Raiders. Since joining the 2nd Kentucky I have been taking the time to read about the unit that I am portraying---Kinda, sorta makes sense.

[CameronsHighlander]

Actually if you are in the Confederate Regulars it would happen very, very freguently since they were issued Light Blue trousers

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Actually if you are in the Confederate Regulars it would happen very, very freguently since they were issued Light Blue trousers

Really? I'd love to see what you have to show that, as everything that most folks have found is that they drew from the same sources as volunteer units, including providing their own clothing during the commutation period. Confederate regulations provided that regulars were to have sky blue trousers, but practice may prove to be altogether different...

[CameronsHighlander]

CS Regulars were uniformed in Richmond Type II (Blue) Jackets and Sky Blue Trousers these are not provisional (Volunteer) units. Following several friendly fire Incidents the Regulars.

During the last two years of the war there were many stories and reports by soldiers of both sides of troops in the Army of Northern Virginia appearing to be uniformed in Blue.

One story written by a Georgian in Hills Corps wrote. He had received clothing that was "blue in colour but not like Yankee Blue" he also complained that his jacket and trousers did not match".

A soldier in the 2nd Georgia, Bennings Brigade, Longstreet's Corps wrote, "sometimes the Govt would get a supply of fine cloth, and we would get uniforms almost to Blue".

Another report by Augustus Dickert Co.H 3rd S.C.Vols. stated the uniforms consisted of "a dark blue round jacket closely fitting".

Even union troops had trouble distinguishing Longstreet's men from their own. Lt C Clark of the 125th Ohio on viewing Kershaw's Brigade at Chickamauga ordered his men to hold their fire saying, "at a distance they appeared to wear dusty blue". A volley by Kershaw's men ended the confusion.

So where did this Cloth come from, and what did it look like?

In December 1862 Major J B Ferguson was sent to England to become the Quartermaster Departments first foreign agent. The Sixty year old Ferguson’s initial orders were to buy as many blankets, shoes and woollens as quickly as possible.

According to surviving records the first shipment of this cloth was purchased by Ferguson, in Manchester – where he now had his base - in April 1863.This was purchased according to Ferguson “from sixteen Yorkshire woollen mills”. And in a letter written by C.S. Secretary of War James A Seddon to CJ McRae, dated July 4th 1864. Seddon informed McRae that Maj Ferguson could supply cloth from “Lancastershire (sic) ( Lancashire) and Yorkshire”.

It was widely used by the British Army for uniform trousers and greatcoats hence the term it became to be known as in Richmond "English Army cloth".

The first major shipments of this cloth, arrived at the warehouses in Richmond on July 9th 1863. Records show that this shipment consisted of 18 bales totaling 3,336 yards of 1 1/2 yard wide blue gray kersey.
However small amounts of this cloth did arrive prior to this date, in a letter written in April 1863 by Q.M. Major Richard Waller of the Richmond Dept mentions the purchase of English cloth "A small portion of which has now arrived". Major Caleb Huse, whilst engaged in purchasing goods for th QM Dept in 1861 –62, also imported large amounts of cloth supplied by S Isaac Campbell & Co of London.

In a report by Josiah Gorgas C.S Chief of Ordnance entitled. “Abstract of Summary of Supplies purchased and shipped by Maj Caleb Huse Dated Feb 3rd 1863, mentions that 78,520 yards of Cloth had been received, some of which we now know was the Blue Grey “English Army Cloth”

So what did the colour look like? Various descriptions have come to light one states "it was a variably toned blue gray wool with a dark hue".
Another went on "The shade of cloth varied from a dark grey to a blue grey, to a shade that looked very much like Dark Blue.

When examined closely the material is variably toned, but when viewed under magnification the wool is revealed to be a combination of both dark blue, and light to medium gray fibers.

The wool was apparently dyed in two colors and then carded together before spinning into yarn.

As synthetic dyes came into use in England at the time of the Civil War, it is likely they were used in the making of this cloth. Another pointer to the fact synthetic dyes were used is the fact that surviving jackets show very little signs of fading. Evidence of good solid English synthetic dyes.

Records indicate that the Quartermaster's Department in Richmond did not begin to receive any large quantities of the Blue Grey kersey until October 1863. By the spring and summer of 1864 the amounts running the blockade were huge, for example on June 10th 1864 4,574 yards of "English Army Cloth" came in, followed by 4,983 on June 13th, 3 days later 2,983 more came in, so that in one week the Richmond Depot received 12,540 yards of blue gray "English Army Cloth".

This was probably typical, although some week's smaller quantities were received.

By the summer of 1864 the Richmond Depot was becoming virtually reliant on this imported English kersey for uniforms. Even though some smaller quantities of jeans, cassimere and kersey were still being produced by domestic sources.

By the time of General Grant's arrival at the gates of Petersburg, A.N.V. uniforms were largely made of the blue gray kersey. In the last half of 1864 up to the war's end, upwards of 75,000 jackets and tens of thousands of pairs of trousers were made of this cloth.

Known as the Richmond Depot Type III by the Les Jenson Typology these jackets were the same as previous styles produced by the Richmond Depot but lacked shoulder tabs and belt loops.

This same English Blue Grey kersey was used by another manufacturer to supply uniforms for the Confederacy. This firm was Peter Tait and Co of Limerick Ireland. Tait was a Scotsman who founded the company in 1852 and by the end of the Crimean War was the biggest uniform contractor to the British Army.

Tait was using the blue gray kersey at the time of the Civil War for British uniform trousers and greatcoats. Peter Tait & Co bought a lot of his cloth from the firm of Joshua Ellis & Sons of Dewsbury, Yorkshire. Tait in all likelihood used many of the same firms in Lancashire & Yorkshire as Maj JB Ferguson did, to procure his other supplies.

Tait's distinctive jackets complete with a double row of stitching on the button side and lack of center seam at the back of the jacket began to arrive in the South in the autumn of 1864.

A surviving quartermasters book records the arrival of 4,400 jackets and trousers on December 29th 1864 as part of the Collie and Tait contract.
As both the Tait jackets and trousers and the Richmond Depot Type III jackets were the final uniforms issued to the army of Northern Virginia, both were made of Blue Grey kersey, it was probably the only time the A.N.V. ever achieved any kind of uniformity - in color at least.

Sources:
• Correspondence with Ron Field
• The New Richmond Depot Catalogue - Chris White Citing Record Group 109 Nat Archives
• Regiments and Uniforms of the Civil War - Don Troiani
• A Survey of C.S. Central Govt Issue Jackets - Les Jenson
• Confederate Industry Harold S Wilson
• OR Series IV vol II pages 383-85
• OR Series IV vol II Pages 525-29
• McRae Papers Authentic Campaigner Website.
Written by David Burt 2007

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Great cited sources, but work a little on your cutting and pasting - there was some cut off sentences in there. The question is still , how much sky blue trousers were really issued? There was a shortage of true sky blue material after the first few months of the war, and there was none to be had. That is one of the great reasons for the commutation system being adopted and the subsequent import of so much British Army cloth (blue/gray kersey). Get yourself a copy of "Cadet Gray and Butternut Brown" for a real eye opener on the issuance (or lack thereof) of CS clothing. I still contend that outside of the occasional reappropriation of US clothing through capture, there was very little CS produced sky blue trousers for the regulars and it wasn't until late 62 or early 63 that you began to see a larger run of differing shades of blue trousers, almost always in jeans, satinettes, and the like.

[tompritchett]

The question is still , how much sky blue trousers were really issued? There was a shortage of true sky blue material after the first few months of the war, and there was none to be had. That is one of the great reasons for the commutation system being adopted and the subsequent import of so much British Army cloth (blue/gray kersey).

It should be also noted that there is a big difference between the blue-gray/dark blue associated with the imported cloth and uniforms from England and the sky blue the original poster was asking about.

[FloridaConfederate]

As Ross alludes there is drastic difference in the Federal Blue and CS blue trousers in color, makeup and material. I took a photo and showed the difference here once. Search it.

I have a pair of "Richmond" trousers replicated from MOC/EOG by Ben Tart. I am hesitant to wear them in the circles I renenact in as most don't know what they are and think they are Federal trousers.

I have been stopped in CS camp on more than one occasion at Florida Streamfests and asked why a "Yankee" was in CS Camp when visitors spotted me with an EBGK Roundabout and the Saxon Blue CS trousers. I used to wear that late war setup w/ a 58 Dress Hat to SCV parades and they would get all huffy.

Chris Rideout
Tampa, Florida

[Tennessee Boy]

There is an intersting article on Federal trousers in Confederate ranks on the 55th Virginia website, here in the UK. 60 seconds on google will find you the article!!

Ian
55th Viraginia

[CameronsHighlander]

I usually wear them for Battles Following Gettyburg as I figure that the Supply began to dry up from home and it would be easier to just take them from the dead

[Rob Weaver]

So, I've never needed to galvanize, even though I have a decent Confederate jacket and forage cap. If push came to shove and I needed to switch sides to make numbers, would my Federal trousers be a deal-breaker?

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

I usually wear them for Battles Following Gettyburg as I figure that the Supply began to dry up from home and it would be easier to just take them from the dead

That is a much easier approach than actually researching contemporary accounts, journals, and archived supply records such as the McRae Papers. Immediately after Gettysburg, a funny thing happened to CS supplies in the east - they got a bunch of stuff. Heard of Longstreet's Corps and their new blue/gray uniforms? When one person just "figures" instead of crack open a book or three, there are several hundred more who take the same approach, and you end up with several hundred CS reenactors still wearing federal trousers cause its easier.