Blue Confederate Trousers

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Blue confederate trousers

Here is a photo of my Federal and CS blue trousers for comparison. The two pair on the left are obviously US SA. The two on the right are CS sky blue and English import blue gray kersey. Honestly the photo doesnt do the CS sky blues justice. Enjoy.

[PaulJ]

Re: Blue confederate trousers

Hi Robert, great photo. Reference the CS trousers do you recall which cloth was used (and the makers)? I was essentially wondering whether the CS 'sky-blues' would classify as 'Royal Blue' kersey or light-blue jean?

Best regards

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Blue confederate trousers

The CS trousers are of County Cloth K2CS by Randy Pierson and the Federal trouser are County Cloth K2 by Chris Daley.

[fahnenschmied]

Re: Blue confederate trousers

I also wanted to add a pair of royal blue trousers worn by 1st Lt. Robert S. Ellis of Co. C 56th Virginia Infantry. Ellis was killed at Gettysburg on July 3rd. A photograph of his cadet gray frock coat, royal blue trousers, black hat, and a trunk containing his personal effects can be found on pg. 424 of Time Life's "Brother Against Brother." The items are courtesy of Samuel P. Higginbotham II and the photo is by Larry Sherer.

I tried to find this in our library, there is a time-life "Brother against Brother", but it is much thinner than 400 pages. Thus I cannot find the picture you are talking about. Do you have an ISBN for the book? Thanks!

Dave

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Blue confederate trousers

David,

It's the 1995 edition shown at the link below.

http://www.amazon.com/Brother-Against-Time-Life-Books-History/dp/0809478471

[DBURT]

Re: Blue confederate trousers

Just been going through my notes on Caleb Huse and found a little snippet. On April 1st 1862 Huse wrote to J Gorgas from Liverpool saying that the SS Minna had onboard, apart from English accoutrements, 4,500 yards of: cloth, light blue.

Dave Burt

[PaulJ]

Re: Blue confederate trousers

If you take a close look at Conrad Wise Chapman's paintings of the Charleston SC defences painted form March 64 onwards you will see plenty of evidence of (light) blue trousers being worn by the military personnel. He also portrays grey and brown trousers, blue being possibly the most common.

The MOC has a section dedicated to Conrad Wise Chapman's paintings here:- http://www.mocchapmans.org/ (You can even zoom in)

He initially sketched around 30 pictures (though his father helped with 4) in black and white and coloured them later from memory (or notes??). It's possible that his memory played tricks and he exaggerated the number of blue trousers being worn, but if he was painting 'generic' imagined CS regulation trousers on the soldiers why bother to portray significant numbers of grey (and brown) trousers too? Amazing pictures even ignoring the trousers!

[DBURT]

Re: Blue confederate trousers

Huse was shipping tens of thousands of yards of blue cloth for trousers fron the very outset of the conflict from England; as well as the famed 'Army Cloth' for jackets. Research in the McRae papers and other cargo invoices proves this beyond doubt. It must have been a common sight; especially in the first two years of the war, including the battles of Shiloh and Sharpsburg, to see CS soldiers in a blue grey jacket, blue pants and a full set of English accoutrements including the 'ball bag'.

The research proves this beyond a fact.

Dave Burt

[fahnenschmied]

Re: Blue confederate trousers

Just stumbled across this, which some of you may not have seen before - though these were worn by an officer, they appear to be enlisted trousers. I have no idea whether they were produced in North Carolina or not, or whether he was issued them in Virginia or even when he was issued them. But they may be another example of royal blue Confederate trousers.
http://collections.ncdcr.gov/dcr/Pro...17657786114035,