Uniforms Green uniforms for the Garibaldi Guards (First Foreign Rifles)?

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Aug 25, 2012
Today's mail brought 20 Civil War uniform postcards,10 Confederate uniform postcards and 10 Union uniform postcards. These postcard were put out in 1990 by Edwards, of Chickamauga Georgia with E. Chirko signing the cards as the artist. Not much new here and the uniform postcards show well known uniforms that have been covered by many artists. Still the 20 Civil War uniform postcards are "fun" and not real common. My biggest question about the postcards is the card showing the Garibaldi Guards in a green uniform. I thought their uniforms were blue.

card 2.jpg


So were their first uniforms green or blue? Perhaps I need to look through my reference books.
 
In a colorized picture Col Frederick G D'Utassy 39th NY Garabaldi Guards shows him in a blue uniform. Not sure how accurate that is. I have a B&W picture of Capt. Louis B Tenner of the 39th but that doesn't help
 
I've seen illustrations from the Italian Wars for Independence showing green coats so maybe the illustrator got confused , or he ran out of blue paint . I had a GGgrandfather in the 39th New York and have several references on the regiment . I've never seen an illustration or heard a description of a green uniform .
 
The May 26, 1861 edition of the New York Times apparently says "Their uniform is a suit of blue-black, the pants having a red stripe, and the facing of the frock coat being red." Couldn t see the whole article as I don't have a subscription. I also saw a couple sources that said they wore red battleshirts, like Garibaldi's troops in Italy.
 
Garibaldi Guards wore dark blue uniform. Many years ago, in fact, I found illustrations that showed both blue and green uniforms, but it is now accepted that these were blue and I have never seen the color green again in recent illustrations.
 
Garibaldi Guards wore dark blue uniform. Many years ago, in fact, I found illustrations that showed both blue and green uniforms, but it is now accepted that these were blue and I have never seen the color green again in recent illustrations.
This postcard is from 1990.
 
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