Green Confederate Uniforms

Kurt G

2nd Lieutenant
Joined
May 23, 2018
I recently watched a video of the 2nd South Carolina String Band playing Dixie . At the start of the video there is footage from a reenactment and a Confederate officer in a green coat . In Troiani's "Band of Brothers" print of Culp's Hill some members of the 1st Maryland Battalion appear to be wearing green uniforms . Finally , I took this image of a reenactor at Gettysburg wearing what I thought was a green shirt . He assured me that he had dyed it himself and that it was NOT green . This makes me wonder if my color perception is off concerning green . I am familiar with the early war Clinch Rifles green uniform but have wondered about seeing green or greenish Confederate uniforms in these other cases . Is it possible some grays could fade to a green color or is it my color perception ?

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Virginia Alexandria Rifles, 6th​ Bn Virginia Volunteers green frock

Virginia Hunter Woodis, 54th​ Virginia Militia, 3rd​ Bn (6th​ Virginia Rgt) green frock.

This what I have in an old data base on green Confederate uniforms.

Virginia, Beauregard Rifles a.k..a.. Lynchburg Beauregards (Moorman’s company Virginia Horse Artillery) grey shirt with green plastron.

Virginia, Montgomery Guard, Co C, 1st​ Virginia Volunteers, green coatee.

Virginia, Emmitt Guards,17th​ Virginia Volunteer Infantry Rgt, Company G, green shell jacket.

Virginia, Kanawah Riflemen dark green frock and trousers.

Virginia, Beauregard Rifles a.k.a. The Zouaves, Gray shirt with green plastron and trim.

Georgia 5th​ Infantry Rgt, officers wore green frock.

Georgia, Muscogee Rifles green frock and trousers.

Georgia, Clinch rifles double breasted dark green frock and shell jackets and hats.

Alabama, Emerald Guards, green frock.

Alabama, Mobile Rifles dark green coatee and trousers.

Alabama, Montgomery Rifles green kersey uniforms.

Alabama, The 6th Alabama Infantry Regiment was commanded by a Mexican-American War vet to start named Colonel John J. Seibels. He made all of the officers of the regiment wear double-breasted green frock coats with Federal eagle buttons on them. General (then Captain) John B. Gordon said they wore these for the first 12 months of their enlistment.

Louisiana, Pelican Rifles, 1860,dark green coat and pants. Also said to wear later in 1860 green dress frock or hunter shirt.

Louisiana, Jefferson Rifles blue frock with green trim.

Louisiana, Delta Rifles, wore green hunting shirts with fringe to include the sleeves.

South Carolina
Charlotte Light Dragoons, green coatee early in war.

South Carolina The Gist Riflemen (Williamston), Green frock and trousers or green hunter shirt.

South Carolina, Rhett Guard (Newberry), 1st​ South Carolina green hunting frock.

South Carolina Montgomery Guard dark green coatee.

Kentucky
Lexington Rifles of wore rifle-green frock coats, caps and trousers.

Mississippi, Mississippi Rifles, dark green frock and trousers.

Florida ? green uniforms.

Texas, Tom Green Rifles gray with green trim.

Tennessee, Memphis Light Dragoons (Co A, 6th​ Tennessee Cav. Bn.) a green jacket.

Tennessee, Tennessee Cadets (Memphis) wore a dark green coat.
 
The jacket I wear is called old richmond gray, it has turned into this shade of green over the years. This color has been documented to be the actual jacket color of the 19th Virginia. While not as green as your photo it has definitely turned to a shade of green.

View attachment 401665
The reflection on what I assume to be the hood of your car is really lovely behind the jacket!
 
The jacket I wear is called old richmond gray, it has turned into this shade of green over the years. This color has been documented to be the actual jacket color of the 19th Virginia. While not as green as your photo it has definitely turned to a shade of green.

View attachment 401665
Great information ! it makes me wonder if Troiani based his images on old faded jackets. He usually does outstanding research and had a large collection of uniforms and accessories .. Still not sure about the reenactor in the video.
 
Funny that you picked up the hood of my car with the clouds and trees reflection. I took many pictures and this showed the green color the best
 
I recently watched a video of the 2nd South Carolina String Band playing Dixie . At the start of the video there is footage from a reenactment and a Confederate officer in a green coat . In Troiani's "Band of Brothers" print of Culp's Hill some members of the 1st Maryland Battalion appear to be wearing green uniforms . Finally , I took this image of a reenactor at Gettysburg wearing what I thought was a green shirt . He assured me that he had dyed it himself and that it was NOT green . This makes me wonder if my color perception is off concerning green . I am familiar with the early war Clinch Rifles green uniform but have wondered about seeing green or greenish Confederate uniforms in these other cases . Is it possible some grays could fade to a green color or is it my color perception ?

View attachment 401604
I can emphatically say that English Army cloth does not fade to green, at least surviving examples do not show any evidence of such. Don depicts the Marylanders at Culps Hill wearing EAC, which may have a blueish gray appearance. Some of the reenactor cloth does fade to a blueish green, in fact I have one such jacket, this apparently is not authentic, based on surviving examples.

All of this aside, there is evidence that the Southern Depot system was in dire straights at different times and accepted all kinds and color of cloth.
 
Many units wore green uniforms. Major Bill supplied a very nice list of CS units that preferred a true green uniform. Most all of them were Rifle Units, but not all. I would like to add another CS unit to his list, the Kanawha Artillery (AKA: Jackson's Battery) wore an all green uniform till they were ordered to change. They were very proud of their beautiful green uniforms and resisted the change as long as they could.
 
Many units wore green uniforms. Major Bill supplied a very nice list of CS units that preferred a true green uniform. Most all of them were Rifle Units, but not all. I would like to add another CS unit to his list, the Kanawha Artillery (AKA: Jackson's Battery) wore an all green uniform till they were ordered to change. They were very proud of their beautiful green uniforms and resisted the change as long as they could.
I will have to add them to my data base. I don't think I have updated the data base for a couple of years.
 
A few years ago we met a reenactor in Gettysburg who was dressed in a green uniform. He was a member of Berdan''s Sharpshooters and explained that color was worn in order to blend in with the foliage.
 
Some green pigments in the 19th century were made with arsenic. This may have resulted in fewer green uniforms and the ordering of a unit that had a green uniform to replace it with another color. You can imagine the sort of things that clothing dyed using arsenic might result in; but if you can't, there's an article that is rather descriptive at the following url:
https://jezebel.com/the-arsenic-dre...rilliant hue of this,arsenic” as it was known.
 
Virginia Alexandria Rifles, 6th​ Bn Virginia Volunteers green frock

Virginia Hunter Woodis, 54th​ Virginia Militia, 3rd​ Bn (6th​ Virginia Rgt) green frock.

This what I have in an old data base on green Confederate uniforms.

Virginia, Beauregard Rifles a.k..a.. Lynchburg Beauregards (Moorman’s company Virginia Horse Artillery) grey shirt with green plastron.

Virginia, Montgomery Guard, Co C, 1st​ Virginia Volunteers, green coatee.

Virginia, Emmitt Guards,17th​ Virginia Volunteer Infantry Rgt, Company G, green shell jacket.

Virginia, Kanawah Riflemen dark green frock and trousers.

Virginia, Beauregard Rifles a.k.a. The Zouaves, Gray shirt with green plastron and trim.

Georgia 5th​ Infantry Rgt, officers wore green frock.

Georgia, Muscogee Rifles green frock and trousers.

Georgia, Clinch rifles double breasted dark green frock and shell jackets and hats.

Alabama, Emerald Guards, green frock.

Alabama, Mobile Rifles dark green coatee and trousers.

Alabama, Montgomery Rifles green kersey uniforms.

Alabama, The 6th Alabama Infantry Regiment was commanded by a Mexican-American War vet to start named Colonel John J. Seibels. He made all of the officers of the regiment wear double-breasted green frock coats with Federal eagle buttons on them. General (then Captain) John B. Gordon said they wore these for the first 12 months of their enlistment.

Louisiana, Pelican Rifles, 1860,dark green coat and pants. Also said to wear later in 1860 green dress frock or hunter shirt.

Louisiana, Jefferson Rifles blue frock with green trim.

Louisiana, Delta Rifles, wore green hunting shirts with fringe to include the sleeves.

South Carolina
Charlotte Light Dragoons, green coatee early in war.

South Carolina The Gist Riflemen (Williamston), Green frock and trousers or green hunter shirt.

South Carolina, Rhett Guard (Newberry), 1st​ South Carolina green hunting frock.

South Carolina Montgomery Guard dark green coatee.

Kentucky
Lexington Rifles of wore rifle-green frock coats, caps and trousers.

Mississippi, Mississippi Rifles, dark green frock and trousers.

Florida ? green uniforms.

Texas, Tom Green Rifles gray with green trim.

Tennessee, Memphis Light Dragoons (Co A, 6th​ Tennessee Cav. Bn.) a green jacket.

Tennessee, Tennessee Cadets (Memphis) wore a dark green coat.
Louisiana- Delta Rifles.

Does any of your research indicate if the green was light, dark, etc.

Thanks.

FPT
 
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