US volunteer Trouser Color 1861

[ContinentalMorganGuard]

I'm sure this has been answered before, but here goes. The order to issue sky blue trousers came out on December 16, 1861. So, does that mean that Federal volunteers troops were typically issued dark blue trousers as called for in the 58 regs? Or did the order come after the fact of sky blue being issued?

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: US volunteer Trouser Color 1861

Hallo!

In brief, dark blue was the color in the 1861 Revised Regulations until changed by G.O. 108 (12/16/61). And then as G.O. 108 was circulated and applied.

As was the practice, the Quartermaster allowed for prior stuff to continue to be issued until used up and gone. So, much was initially dependent upon what stocks of what were in inventory and when in the moment the "arsenal/depot" actually issued the goods.
(With a wink and a nod to all of the problems and complications of hastily assembled and bought off-the-shelf styles, colors, and patterns from suppliers to meet the crazy explosion of demand in 1861.)

And some units got "redone" trousers. IIRC, the 7th OVI received an issuance of dark blue that were bleached and redyed sky blue. But it was done poorly and the end result was trousers with a greenish cast.

Curt

[rmilstead]

Re: US volunteer Trouser Color 1861

I am confused (which these days is getting to be a more or less continuous happening). Did the '58 Regulations specify sky blue or dark blue for enlisted trousers for branches other than Light Artillery? Both pairs of trousers in the Danish Exchange collection provided by the US Army in 1858 as representative of the Infantry and Cavalry uniforms at that time were in sky blue but with pleated fronts which are unlike any other Government issue versions that I am familiar with. I believe that the items sent to Denmark were products of the Schuykill Arsenal operation which is also known to have done some level of modification and experimentation on uniform patterns as part of its operations. Perhaps the Danish trousers were either prototypes or "specials" but it would say that sky blue was what they were wearing in '58 as per the Army . It has always seemed strange that they changed to dark blue and then back again so quickly but when did the change actually occur? Clearly, however, there may also have been stocks of sky blue pants in some government store rooms as well.

Dick Milstead
Hardaway's Alabama Battery
The Company of Military Historians

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: US volunteer Trouser Color 1861

Hallo!

I will have to see where my copy of the 1857 regs are buried and report back.

If I recall correctly, the 1857 regs continued the 1851 regs that said trousers (changed to "trowsers" in 1857) were to be "of white and light blue mixed, commonly called sky blue mixture..."

This was threads/yarns of (darker by degree) indigo dyed blue woven with threads/yarns of white to create the illusion or look of sky-blue. That changed in 1861 as well when they went to the cost/production expedient of piece dying just sky-blue color instead).

Dark blue trowsers were ordered in March of 1861 and ordered changed to sky-blue in December 1861.

The "pleated" trousers were the 1855 pattern.

Anyone who has a copy of the 1857 Regulations and hand and can post before I go through dozens of boxes of books please do.

:) :)

Curt

[Silas]

Re: US volunteer Trouser Color 1861

Link to specific page of the 1857 regulations which discusses trowsers and color : https://archive.org/stream/0255005.n.../n473/mode/2up

[rmilstead]

Re: US volunteer Trouser Color 1861

Curt, Silas,
Thanks for clarifying.

Dick Milstead

[Pennvolunteer]

Re: US volunteer Trouser Color 1861

Specifically to address volunteer unit trouser issues, we portray the 24th Missouri Infantry, who held Elkhorn Tavern when Van Dorn attacked at Pea Ridge in March of 1862. Our Captain, Cal Kinzer, has documented that the 24th Missouri had Hardees, State Jackets, and a mix of both dark and light blue trousers at Pea Ridge, I recall he found it was about 70/30. So, when we do early 1862, we mix it up to show that impression.

[Bill52]

Re: US volunteer Trouser Color 1861

Michigan received 3000 pairs of black trousers from the federal government in the summer of 1861. Up to about that time Michigan supplied her own regiments with dark blue or gray trousers.