Shayna+Soldier's+Clothing

=Soldier's Clothing= toc

**Union**
After confusion struck at the Battle of Bull Run, the North made regulations on what the military was meant to wear. Blue was the main color of the Union, with all soldiers wearing a dark-blue frock coat and dark-blue pants. Those along with a muslin or wool shirt, a sack coat, and wool socks were part of a standard uniform. Almost all articles of clothing held a distinguishing detail to signify the rank of the wearer. From number of buttons on the coat collar, to the size and material of the stripe down the side of the leg, even what design was on the button were used to distinguish the different ranks. Colored detailing as often used to differ between positions, an Artillery jacket would have collars and cuffs edged with scarlet cord. Although there was a Federal code for uniforms, it really came down to the regiments to follow it, and there were often variations.

Confederate
The Confederacy had similar uniforms to the Union, with the same style coat and pants, just grey rather than blue. The Southern military regulations had almost the same rules for clothing as the Northern ones. Ranking was distinguished in the same ways, with color, style, detailing, but the Confederacy also wore badges on their coats to show their rank. A General Officer would have a wreath encircled by three stars, all embroidered in gold on their coat collar, whereas a Major would only have one star on their collar. Because of the lack of supplies in the South, and the North blockading them, Southern soldiers often varied from the regulation uniform, simply because they didn't have access to it. Bringing and wearing clothes from home was the norm for most younger soldiers.

Tools
Soldiers on the march would carry many things with them, often these were the only items they would have access to for a long time. A leather belt was standard issue in both the Northern and Southern armies, where a cartridge box, cap box, musket, canteen, bayonet, and haversack could be hung from. A cartridge box held the cartridges (gun power and bullet) for the musket. The cap box was for wool that would keep the caps in the musket from falling out. The bayonet was a tool that could be fit onto the top of the musket to turn it into a sword for when the enemy was too close to shoot. Canteens were made from metal, with wool on the outside that could be dampened to keep a soldier’s water cool. Canteens could also be converted into a plate for meals. The haversack was a bag that could be worn on one shoulder that held everything a soldier needed. It was initially meant to carry food, but anything could be put in it. Some examples of what you would find in a haversack are, a bible, a newspaper, silverware, a lice comb, a “jaw harp” (musical instrument), a sewing kit, a pocket knife, and pipe and hardtrack.

Zouaves
The term "zouave" comes from the military style of the French army that soldiers copied during the Civil War. The fashion originated with Algerian soldiers that fought in the French army, who had a reputation of being very skilled at battle. Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth brought the look to America in his brigade, The Zouave Cadets of Chicago. The Zouave outift included, but was not limited to, baggy pants, a collarless jacket, a vest, and a fez hat, all articles usually bright red. Being a zouave also included being showy, flashy, and gaudy. For example, the Zouave Cadets of Chicago would often sell tickets to see their drill routine, where they would do flips and tricks, and spirits were high, musical performances! When Ellsworth moved to be the General of the 11th New York Infantry, he brought the zouave mind-frame with him, making Ellsworth's Fire Zouaves (the volunteers in that infantry had formally been fire-fighters). The Confederates had zouaves also, but mainly only in Louisiana, like the 10th Louisiana Infantry. Zouaves are historically known for bringing chivalry and showmanship to war.

Nurses
Dorthea Dix set the Union Nurses' dress code in 1861. This code stated the nurses must be plain looking, over thirty years old, and convenience was the priority. Dix recruited calm farm women who were used to the sight of blood and could endure the suffering of the soldiers. The nurses had to wear brown or black dresses. with none of the fashionable frills of the time (bows, ruffles, etc) and a white apron on top. They wore a plain hat to simply keep their hair out of their face while working. They could not have any accessories, jewelry or hoop skirts on while working. Because the army didn't supply the women with these dresses, everyone looked slightly different. But as long as their dress was within the dress code, it was fine. Confederate Nurses were a little less organized than their Northern counterparts, but they did copy the Union in having comfortable, plain, easy to work in dresses.

Women's Clothing[[image:woman.jpg width="200" height="301" align="right" caption="An average woman during Civil War time. Compare her full skirt and detailed dress to the plain one of the nurses"]]
Women's clothing in the 1860s changed greatly from the previous decade. The hoop skirts were at an all time high -- to make the waist look smaller -- and sleeves kept decreasing in narrowness. Skirt designs were complex and the discovery of aniline dyes (made from coal) made the colors much brighter. Corsets, often made with whalebone, were used to sculpt the body to achieve the popular silhouette of a flat and narrow front and large skirts in the back. Informal day dresses would have a high neckline with lace detailing and long sleeves. In the evening the neckline would be much lower with short sleeves and lace gloves. Skirts were often made of silk. For an outer layer shawls, capes, and cropped jackets were worn, because they were the only pieces that would fit with the large skirts. Fashions were almost all copied from the Europeans looks, but much slower. A popular look in France could come to America about a year later.

Pictures
Gardener, Alexander. //Brigadier General William G. Mank, Union Officer in the 32nd Indiana Regiment, Full-length Portrait, Standing, Facing Front//. 1864. Photograph. Library of Congress, Washington DC. //Library of Congress//. Web. 1 May 2010. [].

"Zouave." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 11 May 2010. [].

Patton and Lee. 1860. Photograph. //About.com//. The New York Times, 2001. Web. 13 May 2010. [].