Order regarding officers wearing enlisted items

[PMFerringer]

Good morning,

Does anyone have the order handy detailing the specifics of Federal officers wearing enlisted items? I believe they were permitted to purchase the items for personal use, but only after every man in the command was issued their allotment.

Thanks,
Patrick

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: Order regarding officers wearing enlisted items

It's in paragraph 1166 of the Regulations: "Officers of the army may purchase, at the regulation price, from the quartermaster of their post, such articles of uniform clothing as they actually need -- certifying that the articles so drawn are intended solely for their personal use." The next paragraph also allows them to buy underclothing and shoes for private servants.

Since the government did not issue uniforms to officers (they had to buy their own), para. 1166 refers to the purchase of enlisted uniform items. The list of uniform clothing as well as camp and garrison equipage, and prices of each item, were updated annually, more or less, in General Orders.

I think elsewhere on this forum there was a discussion that showed that later in the war the QMD acquired material for officers clothing and sent it to City Point, but I don't know if this was ever covered by General Orders or was just a special purchase.

On the Confederate side, due to the decreasing value of the CS dollar, General Orders would eventually authorize officers to draw clothing and rations on the same scale as enlisted men.

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: Order regarding officers wearing enlisted items

http://ehistory.osu.edu/books/official-records/129/0186 This contains the Confederate General Order 28 of March 4, 1864 allowing officers rations and the purchase of one uniform a year providing the enlisted have enough.

There's probably some interesting correspondence somewhere about why, given para. 1166, this was even necessary. I suppose the answer would lie in the General Orders establishing and then abolishing the commutation system, some of which you can find here: http://books.google.com/books?id=vn3...tor%22&f=false

[PMFerringer]

Re: Order regarding officers wearing enlisted items

Thank you. The Confederate system is documented well in Cadet Grey and Butternut Brown. The Federal system is interesting. I am curious how many officers took advantage of it later in the war on campaign and if there is any correlation between officers promoted through the ranks vs officers commissioned outright in terms of taking advantage of the system. I will dig through first hand accounts and see if I can find anything.

-Patrick