UNION ARMY

Infantry
In theory all Union troops in the ACW were issued with regulation uniform items. In practice a large amount of variation was evident. This is a large subject and the following notes are very general, but certainly good enough for the beginner.

Units were issued with dark blue frock coats reaching to the knee. These were often reserved as dress items and were replaced by the four button fatigue or ‘sack’ coat reaching to mid thigh. All jackets were of dark blue wool. Trousers were sky blue.

Headgear could vary enormously. Eastern troops tended to favour the forage cap. This was made of dark blue wool with a stiffened crown. It was lower at the front than the back giving it a distinctive appearance and was completed with a black leather peak. It could be embellished with unit and corps badges but these were not common. Many soldiers replaced the cap with a hat. These came from a variety of sources, mostly civilian, but Western troops tended to favour the use of the official issue tall crowned black hat with all decorations removed and worn without the turnback.

The cartridge box and shoulder strap were of black leather. An oval brass plate was mounted on the front of the cartridge box and a circular plate on the shoulder strap. A black leather belt with an oval brass buckle supported a black percussion cap box to the right of the buckle and a bayonet scabbard.
A black painted cotton haversack was slung from the right shoulder, as was an oval shaped canteen, covered with grey, tan, dark blue or light blue wool secured by a white strap.

Backpacks were issued but often discarded on campaign. These would be replaced by a shoulder roll made from issue grey or brown wool blankets, or a black gum blanket, or grey shelter half.
Infantry officers had a wide latitude in dress often replacing official items with privately made items. In general they wore a frock coat with rank markings placed on shoulder straps. Either dress hats or much more commonly, ‘Mclellan Caps’ replaced were worn. The latter followed more closely the classic french ‘kepi’ style, being lower sided and smarter than the enlisted man’s forage cap. These were often decorated with gold braid. When worn, sashes were crimson.

Musicians wore the same basic uniforms as the ordinary soldier decorated with a ‘frame’ of blue lace across the chest. Drum straps were of white leather. The rims were red with a blue body painted with the eagle design seen on regimental colours.

Each division in the corps had a different coloured badge; 1st - Red, 2nd- White, 3rd - Blue, 4th - Green, 5th Yellow.

Zouaves
Based on North African dress, the Zoauve uniform was flamboyant and distinctive. They wore a decorated short jacket Trousers were baggy and often tucked into white gaiters. All belting was of black leather, with the cartridge box suspended from the waist belt rather than the shoulder strap which was dispensed with. An off white ‘bread bag’ was slung by a white strap across the right shoulder. Headgear was a red fez which could have a white turban wrapped around it, although some units replaced this with a kepi. A waist sash completed the colourful outfit. Officers wore standard uniforms and equipment.