CS Officer Impression

[mtodriscoll]

Hello all,

I have a question pertaining to CS Staff Officers.

The CS Regs Page 406 state:
"1471. The facing for General Officers, and for Officers of the Adjutant General's Department, the Quartermaster General's Department, the Commisary General's Department, and the Engineers - buff. The coat for all offciers to be edged throughout with the facings designated."

First Question - Are all "Adjutants" members of the "Adjutant General's Department" regardless of the officer's staff to which the Adjutant is a member? (e.g. Adjutant to a General vs. Adjutant to a Colonel)

Second Question - What color background should be used for a 2nd LT's collar insignia as his role as Adjutant (a staff officer) if he is a member of the militia, and not the CSA regular army?


Just trying to be correct and am confused by all the information out there...
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

[Adjutant]

Re: CS Officer Impression

There is a distinction between acting as an Adjutant and being a member of the Adjutant General's Department. Adjutant is a Regimental level position filled by member of the branch of service of the Regiment, typically a first lieutenant. So for the Adjutant of an infantry regiment the facings would be blue, cavalry yellow, &tc. At the brigade and often division level the Assitant Adjutant General (there is only one Adjutant General in the army) was typically Acting (hense the term Acting Assitant Adjutant General) and was still a member of another branch, typically first lt. and capt (so the AAAG of an infantry brigade would typically have blue facings). At division and Corps level the job would usually be filled by a member of the staff brach and it is here where you might find buff facings. How this helps, let me know if you need any more information.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: CS Officer Impression

Hallo!

Just an aside...

In brief and to over-generalize-

There is also the discussion of how strict or how typically lax the following of "branch of service" uniform facings and rank background were followed between 1861 and 1865.

Curt

[Adjutant]

Re: CS Officer Impression

Good point Curt,

Back when I crunched all the numbers I found the officer's frocks in the Museum of the Confederacy were pretty evenly divided between faced, piped, piped and faced, and plain coats. Of course that is of surviving frock coats in the MOC, and there are all kinds of possible issues with that as a sample (they were the coats kept, etc.) of all CS officer coats! :D

I just noticed that part of the question addresses rank backing. I had assumed that to refer to collar facing. There are few examples of rank backings compared with collar facings. I'll see if I can find my spreadsheet on CS officer uniforms and provide hard numbers sometime this week.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: CS Officer Impression

Hallo!

"I just noticed that part of the question addresses rank backing. I had assumed that to refer to collar facing. There are few examples of rank backings compared with collar facings. I'll see if I can find my spreadsheet on CS officer uniforms and provide hard numbers sometime this week."

I assumed, presumed, he meant the commonly seen "Sutlers' Row" variety Confederate officer insignia where the bars or stars are applied to a "branch of service" coded color backer rather than directly to the collar or color-coded collar facing?

Curt

[FloridaConscript]

Re: CS Officer Impression

http://authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9871

This is a great thread. i re read it just about any time a CS officer question comes up. Brother Ezell has some research to share in post 7 regarding rank insignia on ones collar.

[mtodriscoll]

Re: CS Officer Impression

Wow, what a great link. I'm not sure how that didn't show up in my forum search (I probably used one key word too many).

I think all my questions have been answered.

I was concerned about the sutler-row rank insignia that have a swatch of "facing" behind the bar(s). However, since reading the replies here and the linked post, I've decided to just purchase 1/4" gold braid and attach that directly to my collar, which will already be the correct color (facing) for the militia (black).

That link also answered some questions that have been brewing about carrying of a revolver...

So now I'm off to find a decent purveyor of a double-breasted frock coat in cadet-grey with black facing.

Thanks for all your help,

[FloridaConscript]

Re: CS Officer Impression

Matt,
Glad I could help. Both WW and Co. or the Richmond Depot would be worth a look for a coat. Both are very very talented, friendly folks, and approved vendors to boot.

[Marylander in Grey]

Re: CS Officer Impression

Might I suggest before you run off and purchace a coat that you research the typical uniform worn by Malitia Officers in your area. Cadet Grey is not always the most common color for Malitia Frocks , nor are black facings. Also look at using small stars in lue of lace for displaying rank.
Some areas used the small stars prior to the Confederate regs were adopted. the number of small stars equals the number of bars as to rank a single small star equals 2nd Leiutenant, 2 equals 1st Leiutenant , 3 equals Captain. With the single large star equalling the rank of Major two large equall to Lt Colonel ect...
Another option would be Mexican War style Shoulder boards or Early war style Shoulder Boards.
If you choose the small stars S&S of Gettysburg sell the correct size for the Junior Officer Ranks.
YOS,

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: CS Officer Impression

Time of war has some relevance here. As I recall, Freemantle mentions handsome uniforms on staff officers as late as the Gettysburg campaign, but as you get much later the combination of the blockade and low value of Confederate currency has its impact:

"Even where the money was to be had, the materials for handsome uniforms were not; and it is said that the insignia of rank on the sleeves and collar of a distinguished Confederate general were made by his wife from pieces of yellow flannel which before the war had been one of his children's petticoats."

"Hard Times in the Confederacy” by A. C. Gordon, The Century, Vol. 36, Issue 5, September 1888.

There's an interesting passage on the degeneration of staff officer uniforms in Bartholomees' Buff Facings and Gilt Buttons:

http://books.google.com/books?id=fJP...as_pt=ALLTYPES