Confederate Blue?

[KYCav]

Probably been asked before but... Sky Blue trousers on Confederates. Your opinions please.

[crazyyankee]

Probably been asked before but... Sky Blue trousers on Confederates. Your opinions please.

I do know that Georgia troops wore sky blue pants. They were confiscated from the federal armories that the state took over. I am also of the understanding that the Governor of Georgia wouldn't share the uniforms it captured with other States.
Also from my understanding that when the Confederacy captured Union uniforms, they would try and dye them and the result was butternut.. But that may just be folk lore, because I've never researched it or seen a report where that was the case.

So the answer as I see it is yes some wore sky blue pants

[RedDemon]

Sir, if you go to the AC... Use the search button, and use the search function here, you will find many articles on this, And learn even more proboly.. Goodluck


Avery Miller

[Mint Julep]

The answer is another question:

In what context and time frame are you posing your question?

There are documented instances of CS troops wearing US manufactured clothing (coats and pants) that was captured and impressed into service out of need. In almost all these instances, the reason they are documented so well is because they created friendly-fire situations that caused casualties, or there are records of orders to dye the clothing to a color that is not that worn by the enemy.

Also, there are documented instances of CS troops being issued medium to light shades of blue pants that were of CS manufacture and NOT the same pants as the enlisted US issue.

So, yes, sometimes history says it is appropriate. And, no, sometimes history says it is inappropriate. Or sometimes history says "blue trousers" but did not mean "US enlisted blue trousers".

I highly encourage you to use the search function, because this question is asked annually and there are some informative discussions about it.

[Mint Julep]

I do know that Georgia troops wore sky blue pants. They were confiscated from the federal armories that the state took over. I am also of the understanding that the Governor of Georgia wouldn't share the uniforms it captured with other States.
Also from my understanding that when the Confederacy captured Union uniforms, they would try and dye them and the result was butternut.. But that may just be folk lore, because I've never researched it or seen a report where that was the case.

So the answer as I see it is yes some wore sky blue pants

Please document anything you have stated here. Primary sources. Links to the ORs. Respectable books on the subject. Anything.

[akcampaigner]

I do know that Georgia troops wore sky blue pants. They were confiscated from the federal armories that the state took over. I am also of the understanding that the Governor of Georgia wouldn't share the uniforms it captured with other States.
Also from my understanding that when the Confederacy captured Union uniforms, they would try and dye them and the result was butternut.. But that may just be folk lore, because I've never researched it or seen a report where that was the case.

So the answer as I see it is yes some wore sky blue pants

Wouldn't the trousers have been dark blue, as that was the trouser color of the United States Army at the time. The only way I could see them being sky blue would be if they were of the Mexican American War pattern.

I would have to agree with Mr. Julep, that the use of Federal clothing is documented to some campaigns. For example if you were portraying Price's Missouri Raid 1864 a Confederate completely clothed in a Federal uniforms would be correct. I would recommend the book Cadet Grey and Butternut Brown. It has a vast amount of information on this and other subjects.

Now the use of blue trousers is documented to the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of Tennessee, but these were of Confederate Depot made (or Commutation). So to answer the main question, yes, a Confederate can wear blue trousers. But they should be of a Confederate or civilian pattern. Another source for sky blue trousers would have been ones imported from England. If you have the Confederate Echoes of Glory, they have several photos of enlisted blue trousers.

[RCR001]

Probably been asked before but... Sky Blue trousers on Confederates. Your opinions please.

My opinion is that they would be more than appropriate in the Trans-Mississippi Theater. Not as much so in the Western or Eastern Theaters. They might be brand spankin' new like they just come off the Illinois Central or patched with bloodstains on 'em. It just depends on what persona you are attempting to portray.

Pefrect for one of Morgan's Green River Boys. JMHO.

[FloridaHoosier]

Moderator note: Opinions do little to answer questions on this or any other forum, unless that opinion is substantiated with some kind of research into why. One of the great reasons for this forum is to share knowledge and research, and no service is done by offering opinions untempored by facts.

[RCR001]

Probably been asked before but... Sky Blue trousers on Confederates. Your opinions please.

I reckon Mort Kunstler was of the opinion that it'd be okay, too.

[Shawn Sturgill]

Just because an artist paints it doesn't make it correct.