1832 Uniform

[Manassas 1861]

I know that the US Army adopted the sky blue shell jacket and folding cap in 1832(33?). But I'm just looking for some period writings for it. Are there any newspapers, or military writings that talk about the 1832 uniform?

 

[RedRover]

Yes. it was adopted by regulations in May 31, 1832 at the behest of President Andrew Jackson, who desired the Army uniform be akin that of the Revolutionary War, at least so far as facings/trimmings, etc. General Orders of June 11, 1832 noted the President approved and commanded the new uniform be established, and all officers were to have it by July 4, 1833.

Major General Alexander Macomb, general-in-chief of the US Army, 1828-1841. Per the President's wishes that the uniform reflect that of the Revolutionary War army, the general's uniform included the buff facings as worn by General Washington. Here's General-in-Chief of the Army, 1828-1841 Alexander Macomb in 1839:

Infantry adopted white trim and buttons, like this infantry private's uniform coat:

Artillery yellow and red trim and yellow buttons, red turn-backs on the tails, etc.

The facings and trimmings of the 1832 uniform reflected the uniform of the Continental army after 1779, like the artilleryman illustrated, with infantry from the northern and middle-Atlantic States (which had white facings) in the background (illustration by H. Charles Mcbarraon):

While the facings, etc. restored those of the revolution as desired by the President, the patterns of the uniform itself included copying the 1829 uniform coats of the British Army (albeit in blue). From a contemporary:
"General Macomb approves highly of the new regulation double-breasted coatee of the British service, with epaulettes for all ranks, and means to adopt it next year; though the citizens think that it is too gaudy for Republicans; however, as it is, they are obliged to tempt the officers by high pay, to remain in the service..."

Trousers for most were changed from gray (pattern of 1821) to sky-blue.

Here's the uniform Regulations of 1835 as printed in the General Regulations of the Army in 1835 (which were in force from Jan. 1, 1837):

General regulations for the Army of the United States : also, the rules and articles of war, and extracts from laws relating to them : United States. War Dept : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

NLM copy, inscription of Dr. H.L. Heiskell, U.S. Army, front flyleaf

archive.org

You will notice there is no description of the fatigue jackets or forage caps. They were not part of the regulation "uniform" but provided as a convenience to the soldiers and to prevent wear and tear on the uniform, etc. The Army merely commenced making the sky-blue cloth fatigue jackets in the sky-blue cloth to match the soldier's new pattern sky-blue overalls. The fatigue dress, including the cloth jackets and forage caps, was increasingly worn to the near exclusion of the uniform outside of parade and guard mount in garrisons.

Dragoon recruit John Hildreth recalled the first time he saw the fatigue dress, as commonly worn, on arrival out west:

Another McBarron illustration, an ordnance sergeant in foreground: A dragoon officer in uniform, and dragoons in the winter cloth fatigues in background.

The modes of the soldiers, particularly on the frontiers, including dress, is described by the army's inspection reports, as given in this excellent book by Francis P. Prucha:

Amazon.com

In a similar vein, viz. the adoption of the Revolutionary War uniform, the US Marine Corps in 1833 re-introduced the Green uniforms of the Revolution. This was short-lived, being replaced in 1839 by a blue uniform similar to the US Army Artillery's for practical reasons (the green cloth was expensive and held up poorly in service).

 

[major bill]

I know that the US Army adopted the sky blue shell jacket and folding cap in 1832(33?). But I'm just looking for some period writings for it. Are there any newspapers, or military writings that talk about the 1832 uniform?

What you are referring to as the 1832-Pattern sky-blue enlisted jacket (often called a jacket, roundabout, stable jacket, or shell jacket by modern writers). Engineers and artillery wore the same jacket with different piping. There was also a white cotton drilling enlisted jacket (this is commonly called the stable jacket). There were officer version of both. In 1832 the Army also came out with the sky-blue 1832-Pattern dragoon jacket (also worn by mounted rifles).

The most striking difference between the roundabout and the mounted jacket was the was roundabouts jackets had 9 buttons and were cut square at the waist, while mounted jackets had 12 buttons and were pointed in the front and back.

General Order No. 24, June 29,1852 authorized the refurbishing of the jackets in storage. These were worn until 1855 when the stock was exhausted. The white cotton jackets were popular in the hot western areas practically in Florida during the Seminole War. Many militia companies used roundabouts for their fatigue dress.

Because they were use up to 1855 this is the best book which covers them and shows the front, side and rear of them in photographs.

 

[RedRover]

The clothing provided to the troops under the 1832 uniform included the following garments.

The Infantry and Artillery recieved only the private's cloth or cotton drilling jackets for fatigue dress. In fatigues, the sergeants in winter were only discernable by the branch colored stripe on their overalls. There was no stripe on the cotton summer overalls. Only in 1847 were rank chevrons authorized on their cloth jackets.

Here's a fatigue outfit of a first sergeant of infantry, ca. 1841 from the Smithsonian. His rank only discernable by his first-sergeant's sash and sword in the cotton drilling summer clothes.

The officers were allowed "shell jackets" as part of their uniform, of white cotton or linen, for hot weather.

The officers of Dragoons were allowed to wear their white shell jackets, or stable jacket, on stable duty, marches, and active service to correspond with the dress of the men, without any necessity for orders by a senior officer.

But the customary dress of the officers off parade was the cloth frock coat (like that worn by Lt. U.S. Grant at left, with compatriot in 1845):

 

[FedericoFCavada]

So the hot weather twilled cotton fatigue jacket was white. More like cotton "duck" or canvas, yes?
Is there any evidence that sky blue was ever produced in cotton, or just in the wool overalls and "roundabout" fatigue jackets?

 

[RedRover]

So the hot weather twilled cotton fatigue jacket was white. More like cotton "duck" or canvas, yes?
Is there any evidence that sky blue was ever produced in cotton, or just in the wool overalls and "roundabout" fatigue jackets?

The white jackets and overalls were made of "cotton drilling." A twilled cotton something like modern chino twill. seams are very narrow in the examples at the Smithsonian. When I had a chance to handle some there long, long, long ago (a VERY long time ago), I recall they were not particularly heavy weight.

Notice how thin the cuff seams are below.

It was unbleached for privates' cotton drilling overalls and jackets.

And bleached for sergeants, or somewhat brighter evidently.

The dragoon drilling jacket below has false pocket welts.

This artillery drilling jacket is perhaps an artillery sergeants cotton drilling jacket. Whiter and has a functional pocket.

In the summer the G.I.s would have worn the white drilling trousers over their canton flannel drawers, and jackets over the cotton muslin summer shirts. Also unbleached for privates and bleached for sergeants.

The sky-blue jackets and overalls were made of cloth, specifically sky-blue colored kersey weave woolens.

 

[Manassas 1861]

@RedRover here's an 1836 by 2nd Lt Henry Prince regarding the use of chevrons.

 

[Manassas 1861]

Now that I look at it, it might be talking about a trouser stripe.

 

[RedRover]

@RedRover here's an 1836 by 2nd Lt Henry Prince regarding the use of chevrons.View attachment 529404

He's not referring to chevrons. He's referring to "stripes" which would have been on his trousers. Prince mentions elsewhere in the text that he wore a soldiers jacket on campaign, and carried a sergeant's sword he borrowed from one of the companies.

 

[Manassas 1861]

He's not referring to chevrons. He's referring to "stripes" which would have been on his trousers. Prince mentions elsewhere in the text that he wore a soldiers jacket on campaign, and carried a sergeant's sword he borrowed from one of the companies.

Lol my bad

 

[RedRover]

Surgeon's steward John Bemrose of the 2nd Artillery, who was serving in Florida during 1835-36, noted once active campaigning commenced, the officers, from General Clinch downwards generally dressed as privates, at least on the march, etc.

 

[RedRover]

Here's Bemrose's actual quote, from "Reminiscences of the Second Seminole War," edited by John K. Mahon, p. 61, regarding December, 1835-January, 1836:

"All soldiers wore forage clothing, belts were even blackened, and officers were dressed like privates from Gen. Clinch downwards. A small lace shoulder strap was the only distinction."

So if Lt. Prince in the Spring campaign was yet wearing his uniform pantaloons with white stripes, he would have appeared somewhat like an infantry sergeant.

Here's a photo of Prince during the 1860s as a general:

Captain George McCall of Prince's regiment, the 4th US Infantry Regiment, noted during his campaigning in Florida in the early 1840s he and his men didn't bother about jackets etc. in South Florida campaigning:

"On all these marches, I carried my seven day's rations in a bag rolled in my blanket and strapped across my shoulders, together with an extra flannel shirt (the only wear on such tramps) and pair of socks, besides my double gun—swords being worse than useless." [McCall, Letters from the Frontiers, p. 398.]

McCall as a Union general:

 

[Manassas 1861]

@RedRover do you know the seam stripe widths and accoutrements for corporal through sergeants?

 

[RedRover]

@RedRover do you know the seam stripe widths and accoutrements for corporal through sergeants?

Yes. The 1832 Army uniform included 1.5 inch wide branch colored stripes for sergeants; white for infantry, and red for artillery. Corporals had no trouser stripes. Corporals' coats and trousers were the same as privates, but they wore epaulettes with 1/8th inch wide fringes, where the sergeant's fringes on their epaulettes were 1/4 inch.

The non-commissioned officers wore the same accoutrements as the privates, with the exception of sergeants who wore swords. Either a shoulder or waist sword belt. During the 1830s the sergeant's sword belts had branch plates... From 1834 the new artillery short swords were to be used by infantry sergeants too.

For infantry;

Artillery...

And for sergeants other than infantry/artillery, a general service plate...

Sometime around the late 1830s the double-plate buckles were were out and simple universal clasp buckles adopted.

In 1840 a new pattern non-commissioned officer's sword was adopted, which was generally to be worn on a shoulder belt. Here's an infantry sergeant ca. 1845: otherwise he wears the 1839 infantry accoutrements, including cartridge box belt and waist belt.

 

[Manassas 1861]

@RedRover one last question.when in fatigue dress, how can you tell a private and a corporal apart?

 

[RedRover]

@RedRover one last question.when in fatigue dress, how can you tell a private and a corporal apart?

There was no distinction in the fatigue dress of the corporals and privates for artillery and infantry. The corporals were provided "privates overalls" and privates cloth and cotton jackets. Their uniform coats were also privates' coats, but provided with corporals' epaulettes.

Here's a 3rd Artillery Regiment corporal, ca. 1845. His coat cuff appears to have two button loops, as on the privates' coat, but he has epaulettes, so appears to be a corporal.

A sergeant of artillery would have three cuff loops, and the stripes on his trousers...

Sergeants in cotton drilling fatigue dress were only distinguishable by the quality of the cotton drilling, unless they wore a sword.


The dragoons were provided with distinctive sergeant's cloth jackets for fatigue after 1832.

From an 1845 illustration, a couple of dragoon sergeants in cloth fatigue and a bugler:

Dragoon sergeants' overalls had two yellow stripes on the outside of the leg. Corporals and privates one.

Here's an example of the Dragoon privates' cloth jacket, worn by James Bell with the 2nd US Dragoons in 1847:

Dragoon corporals would have worn the private's cloth jacket in fatigue. So, like in the other branches, in fatigue dress the dragoon corporals and privates were dressed identically; all being "rank and file."

So regarding the chevrons on the enlisted men's uniform coats: the artillery and infantry wore chevrons, points-up, on their coat sleeves for every five year enlistment completed.

While the Dragoon uniform coat (And dragoon sergeant's cloth jackets, as noted above), included chevrons for rank, points-down; three for sergeants, and two for corporals.

 

[Manassas 1861]

Ok, thank you so such!

 

[RedRover]

Ok, thank you so such!

So, relative to fatigue dress for artillery and infantry, etc. it was in 1847 the Army established chevrons to be worn points-down on the jackets to show rank. But notice the uniform coat for infantry/artillery was still to bear chevrons for each five-year enlistments served.

k

Here's an illustration by Dragoon veteran Sam Chamberlain showing some N.C.O.s on foot with the points-up 1847 jacket rank chevrons...

The dragoons uniform however retained the points-down rank chevrons for sergeants and corporals. Illustrations by Sam Chamberlain, a dragoon in the war with Mexico, show dragoon corporals wearing corporals' chevrons applied to their undress/fatigue jackets ca. 1847.

Not odd, perhaps, in that period. The inspector General of Scott's "Army of Mexico" noted after the close of the campaign many divergences from the letter of the regulations relative to insignias...

In 1851 the Dragoon's (from 1832) points-down rank chevrons for Non-commissioned officers rank insignia were established for all branches, and in branch color.

 

[RedRover]

Double post.

 

[Manassas 1861]

@RedRover you said that dragoon corporals looked identical to privates. I'm just a bit confused when you mentioned chevrons for fatigue and uniform. So a dragoon corporal did, or didn't wear chevrons?