CSA Navy uniform plate

[major bill]

Some interesting details are shown in this uniform plate by David M. Sullivan with the art work done by Ronald E. Spicer. The original CSA uniforms of Navy officers were blue. According to the text of the plate the Confederate Navy officers were not real happy with the regulations be switched to gray some "kicked like steer demanding to know." "Who had ever seen a gray sailor, no matter what nationality he served?"
This uniform plate is "Officers, Confederate States Navy, 1862-1865" but my scanner cut off the name.

The uniforms were to be steel gray, but many shades of gray ended up being worn. The Midshipman is wearing a light cadet gray uniform while some wear the steel gray called for by the regulation. The admiral is wearing a light gray uniform. This plate depicts non uniform, uniforms being worn by the CSA Navy. Note that the uniforms, except the color, look a bit like British Navy uniforms.

 

[major bill]

Part of a plate showing CSA Navy officer uniforms of 1861-1862. Note the use of blue uniforms.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

The Confederate States Navy should have stuck with traditional Navy Blue Uniforms for their Naval Officer Corps.

Just my opinion .

 

[rebelatsea]

We have always traditionally thought navy - blue, but that wasn't universally true in the 1860s, CSN apart, the Russian and Austro Hungarian navy uniforms were a shade of green indeed so were Austro Hungarian ships later in the century !

 

[zburkett]

Was this both the deep water navy and the river navy?

 

[major bill]

I understand that CSA Navy officers had to use any shade of gray cloth that was available. It would seem like layer in the war British cloth would have been used.

We see both officers and soldiers in the Confederate Army wearing uniforms made from butternut colored cloth. Safe there exams of Navy officers and sailors outfitted in butternut?

 

[major bill]

An older (at over 50 years old, it is very old) uniform plate showing the Russian Navy during the American Civil War. This is what the Russian Navy which was in the US during part of the American Civil War looked like. Most of the world's navies wore blue uniforms with white often used in warm weather.

 

[BlueandGrayl]

Would look like Union if you didn't spot the Confederate flag.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

Part of a plate showing CSA Navy officer uniforms of 1861-1862. Note the use of blue uniforms.

View attachment 210118

That plate is obviously from life, specifically a surviving picture of the officers of CSS Sumter.

e see both officers and soldiers in the Confederate Army wearing uniforms made from butternut colored cloth. Safe there exams of Navy officers and sailors outfitted in butternut?

I'm not sure "butternut" would have seen use in the CSN. They had their own shoe factory, presumably their own uniform depot somewhere, and they seemed to have been adept in some areas, (see USS Water Witch), at supplying themselves from USN stocks. Another note is that late in the war when the CSN may have been drawing from Army stores the Army was well supplied with blue/gray English Army cloth for the depots in areas where the CSN were near, so that kinda shoots a hole in the theory of "butternut" sailors. But an amusing picture, if they hated gray their reaction to "butternut" would have been a picture.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

Would look like Union if you didn't spot the Confederate flag.

You'd be surprised, the cuff insignia is wrong, and quite off, my suspicion is that Semmes and his officers had the uniforms tailor made in New Orleans before the Sumter shipped off, and in the absence of regulation in those early days, invented the cuff insignia themselves.

 

[major bill]

Would look like Union if you didn't spot the Confederate flag.

I am guessing many continued to wear there US Navy uniforms purhps just adding new insignia. Most navies world wide wore simular uniforms that differed mostly in insignia. Dark blue double breasted frock coats were the norm for naval officers.