Osprey Men-at-Arms 170 : American Civil War Armies (1) : Confederate Troops

When the Southern states seceded from the United States to form their own government in 1861, one of their first moves was to organise an army for their defence. It was made up initially of volunteers, many of whom had already served in pre-war volunteer companies. Conscription laws were introduced in 1862, although with many loopholes [including an exemption for newspaper editors]. Most of the South's 500,000 fighting men were young, from rural, farming backgrounds. They served from the time of their enlistment until the end of the war, receiving $11 a month [for a private] in inflated currency, poor rations, and even worse clothing - and this despite the fact that one of the first steps taken by the new army was to design a uniform and establish standards for accoutrements and weapons. The regulations issued by the Confederate Army on 6 June 1861 called for quite a smartly turned-out soldier. In practice, however, the actual fighting officer or man of the artillery, cavalry or infantry was rarely a fashion plate. In part this was due to the South's lack of manufacturing facilities at home, and of financial resources to buy uniforms, accoutrements and weapons abroad in sufficient numbers for all its men. In part is was also due to the naturally independent spirit of Southern men, who would rather wear what they fancied than what was ordered. In this first of five books examining American Civil War armies, Philip Katcher profiles the uniforms issued by the national Confederate government to its artillery, cavalry and infantry troops accompanied by illustrations by Ron Volstad.

Contents

• Introduction
• Headgear
• Coats
• Other Uniform Items
• Zouave and Chasseur Uniforms
• Accoutrements
• Weapons
• The Plates