Confederate Uniforms of Green

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Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Aug 25, 2012
A few Confederate units wore green uniforms. Most of these were militia uniforms and they probably did not last long in active service. The following is a list of green uniforms, but includes some green militia uniforms which were not worn to war:

Virginia Alexandria Rifles, 6th Bn Virginia Volunteers green frock
Virginia Hunter Woodis, 54th Virginia Militia, 3rd Bn (6th Virginia Rgt) green frock
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 coat.
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
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 TennesseeCav. Bn.) a green jacket
Tennessee, Tennessee Cadets (Memphis) wore a dark green coat.


Does anyone have some other Confederate units that wore green uniforms?
 
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Reportedly this trooper was by the last name of Austin and was related to the great Stephen Austin of Texas fame. However that being said this son of the south wears the distinct uniform of the 1st Regiment South Carolina Orr's Rifles which was a grey frock with collar, cuff's and facing's trimmed green and in fact the button just next to his trigger guard is in fact a South Carolina Palmetto. Accouterments are very plain with a cartridge box strap worn across the breast and a small leather belt which is worn on the outside of the coat. His cap box hangs from the belt while a small frame revolver is tucked into the other side. He prominently display his Austrian rifle for the camera with the hammer cocked and finger on the trigger. There is in fact a William Austin listed as serving in the Orr's Rifles who's physical descriptions matches this gentleman almost exactly. Possibly the soldier seen here but we will never know for certain.
(From http://thecivilwarimageshop.com/Sold_Items.php )
 
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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. Meanwhile, his Company D "The Raccoon Roughs" (later Company I) out of my home of Jackson County, Alabama made all privates and NCO's wear coonskin caps with red bands across the front that said "Raccoon Roughs" which they wore throughout the war.

Imagine roughly 100 men advancing across a field at you, the officers wearing huge double-breasted green frock coats, and the men wearing coonskin caps. That's certainly an image to me.
 
Here's the link to a thread on the Clinch Rifles, Co. A, 5th Georgia Infantry:
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/clinch-rifles.77651/

They were originally a prewar militia company, organized in Augusta, GA in 1851 from the Clinch Engine Company No. 2. The 5th Georgia Infantry was organized on May 11, 1861 with the Clinch Rifles as Company A. They ended up serving in the Army of Tennessee throughout most of the war.

campo36-jpg.jpg

Photograph of the Clinch Rifles in full uniform at Augusta, Georgia in March, 1861.
(Miller's Photographic History of the Civil War)

largeClinch%20Rifles.jpg

Don Troiani's depiction of the Clinch Rifles.

Edit: also posted more on them here:
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/th...ry-and-the-clinch-rifles.156108/#post-2014287
 
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We would have to ask someone who knows more that I, but I believe cloth could be dyed green very easly and I don't believe that green cloth witd period dyes were very long lasting in this era. Anyway I doubt green uniforms were worn too long.
 
The Alabama Emerald Guards company or Company I of the 8th Alabama was raised from Mobile if i'm not mistaken. The majority of the company were fairly fresh Irish immigrants. Here is their flag front and back.
 

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Reportedly this trooper was by the last name of Austin and was related to the great Stephen Austin of Texas fame. However that being said this son of the south wears the distinct uniform of the 1st Regiment South Carolina Orr's Rifles which was a grey frock with collar, cuff's and facing's trimmed green and in fact the button just next to his trigger guard is in fact a South Carolina Palmetto. Accouterments are very plain with a cartridge box strap worn across the breast and a small leather belt which is worn on the outside of the coat. His cap box hangs from the belt while a small frame revolver is tucked into the other side. He prominently display his Austrian rifle for the camera with the hammer cocked and finger on the trigger. There is in fact a William Austin listed as serving in the Orr's Rifles who's physical descriptions matches this gentleman almost exactly. Possibly the soldier seen here but we will never know for certain.
(From http://thecivilwarimageshop.com/Sold_Items.php )
Don Troiani's painting of the 1st South Carolina Rifles (Orr's Rifles) in 1861.

orrs-rifles-jpg-jpg.jpg
 
Here's the link to a previous thread on the Clinch Rifles, Co. A, 5th Georgia Infantry:
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/clinch-rifles.77651/

They were originally a pre-war militia company, organized in Clinch County, GA in 1851 from the Clinch Engine Company No. 2. The 5th Georgia Infantry was organized on May 11, 1861 with the Clinch Rifles as Company A. They ended up serving in the AoT throughout most of the war.

campo37.jpg

Photograph of the Clinch Rifles in full uniform at Augusta, Georgia in March, 1861.
(Miller's Photographic History of the Civil War)

largeClinch%20Rifles.jpg

Don Troiani depiction of the Clinch Rifles.



Officers and NCOs of the Clinch Rifles, 5th Ga Infantry in 1861
Officers and NCOs of the Clinch Rifles, 5th Ga Infantry in 1861 2.jpg
 
Some pre-war southern states called for branch of service trim be green. You wold need to check the regs for each southern state. Alabama and Miss come to mind as one that didn't "match up" with the yellow- cav, blue-inf, reg-artillery trim as was the US regs. There may be others.............
 
At one time before the Civil w War the rifle regiment in the U S. Army wore green. This was reserected as the Corps color.
 
7th Alabama Co K Florence Guards had blue frocks faced in green with grey pants corded in green.
6th Arkansas Co K gray shell jacket and pants trimmed in green
3rd Regiment NC Cavalry Company G originally had blue frock and pants trimmed in green (Scotland Neck Mounted Riflemen)
Charleston (SC) Light Dragoons green coatee and pants trimmed in red plastron
Hampton Legion-Various companies in green blouse others in gray frock.

Keep in mind that the majority of these uniforms were very early war and most conformed to the "standard" Confederate issue once the commutation and depot systems started producing clothing.
 
I was updating my data base about green Civil War uniforms and thought some of the newer forum members might b able to add to this.
 
I was updating my data base about green Civil War uniforms and thought some of the newer forum members might b able to add to this.

Georgia - Troup (National) Artillery Green trimmed with red

BTW the original pic in this thread is and was mislabeled. It is not the Clinch Rifles. There is a similar pic that IS the CR, but this one is the Oglethorpe Infantry, D, 1st GA. IIRC. Note the light/sky blue trousers. :smile:
 
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