GDG- Union and Confederate Uniform Colors

[Ron Chaplin]

What color is "butternut?"

Ron Chaplin


On 9/28/07, George F <ggatsby79 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
>
>
> Even though you hear the term "Confederate Gray"
> there were many grays used by the Conferates
> throughout the war.  From a steel gray, to a blue
> gray to a brownish gray to a jean gray that is
> very light.  And of course there was blue at the
> beginning of the war and various shades of brown
> too (and not just at the end of the war either).
>
> As to blue - Federal Blue was not as light as
> French Blue but not as dark as Navy Blue. The die
> lots varied greatly - and faded in the field too.
> Enlisted wore dark plue frock coats and trousers
> at the beginning of the war (among other
> uniforms). This evolved into dark blue fatigue
> blouses and sky blue kersey trousers with blue
> fatigue or forage caps or black hats. Officers
> wore a darker blue frock coat and trousers. Many
> shifted to darker blue customer fatigue sack
> coats and navy or sky blue trousers plus blue
> kepies or black hats.
>
> Why not paint it the color of a gun carriage
> rather than blue or gray?
>
> Of course Zouaves wore red baggy trousers (or
> striped ones as with the Tiger Zouaves) so you
> are not limited to Blue or Gray at all.
>
> Cheers,
>
> George Franks
> Bethesda, Maryland
>
>
>
>
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