Pre-War Artillery Officer Uniform Question

[BrianHicks]

With the 1851, then the 1854 and finally the 1858 Uniform regulation changes, in the final year before hostilities (1859-1860) what did the regulations state for Artillery Officers in regards to the color of the background material on their shoulder straps? Is it correct to state that this background color would not change with regards to Company Grade or Field Grade Officers ?

[Pvt_Sullivan]

Re: Pre-War Artillery Officer Uniform Question

Brian,

The 1857 regulations state that the color for shoulder straps for Field Grade and Company Grade Officers in the Artillery is 'Scarlet'. To Quote...

1495.... For a Colonel--the same size as for a Major-General, and bordered in like manner with an embroidery of gold ; a silver-embroidered spread eagle on the centre of the strap, two inches between the tips of the wings, having in the right talon an olive branch, and in the left a bundle of arrows; an estuncheon on the breast, as represented in the arms of the United States; cloth of the strap as follows: for the General Staff and Staff Corps--dark blue; Artillery--scarlet; Infantry--light or sky blue; Riflemen-- medium or emerald green; Dragoons--orange; Cavalry--yellow.

1497....For a Major--the same as for a Colonel, according to corps, omitting the eagle, and introducing a gold-embroidered leaf at each end, each leaf extending seven eigths of an inch from the end of the strap.

1498....For a Captain--the same as for a Colonel, according to corps, omitting the eagle, and introducing at each end two gold-embroidered basr of the same width as the border, placed parallel to the ends of the strap; the distance between them and from the borader equal to the width of the border.

I am no expert... but the 1857 regulations place the color for each corps as the same for both Field and Company grade officers.

Now, its time to dig in the 1854 and 1851 Regulations.

[Pvt_Sullivan]

Re: Pre-War Artillery Officer Uniform Question

You can download the 1857 Army Regulations from google books at...

http://books.google.com/books?id=enIFAAAAQAAJ

[BrianHicks]

Re: Pre-War Artillery Officer Uniform Question

Outstanding!

Thank you.

[Matt_E_Wright]

Re: Pre-War Artillery Officer Uniform Question

The 1851 Uniform Regulations are reprinted in Army Blue and call for "scarlet" as well. In the book's discussion of the uniform changes in 1854 they do not mention any branch color change for artillery (to my knowledge the only potential color change in 1854 was the Infantry which went from "saxony" blue to "sky" blue).

Matt Wright