Thank you for sharing, and pointing me to this website. I was trying to find the documents that have information on the rations and enlisted uniforms.
off hand, regarding the clothing, The Uniform regulations of 1852 were in effect until 1864, viz:
Navy Uniform regs. 1852
I understand that the only material change in the above was an order from 1859 that the white collar and cuffs on the blue frock were omitted.
the Uniform regulations of 1864, consequently noted:
"The outside clothing for
petty officers, firemen, and coal-heavers, seamen, ordinary seamen, landsmen and boys, for muster, shall consist of blue cloth jackets and trowsers, or blue woollen frocks; black hats; black silk neckerchiefs, and shoes, or boots in cold weather. In warm weather it shall consist of white frocks and trowsers; black or white hats, as the commander may for the occasion direct, having proper regard for the comfort of the crew; black silk neckerchiefs, and shoes; the collars and cuffs to be lined with blue cotton cloth, and stitched round with thread. Thick black cloth caps, without visors, may be worn by the crew at sea, except on holidays or at muster."
During the war, the hats appear to have been generally done away with, and the crews instead wore their caps even at muster... though often decorated with a band marked with the ship's name. Like the crew of the Monitor in '62.
Here men of the USS Mendota wear such "muster caps" with white covers in lieu of the white hat; There's a chap in his "everyday cap" in the center.
Also, besides the blue cloth trousers, the Navy provided blue satinet trousers to the seamen, evidently for work wear. satinett has a cotton warp and woolen filling; the former entirely invisible on the exterior, giving the appearance of cloth. But the interior shows mostly the cotton warp. Some images of seamen show their trousers cuffs rolled up, and when satinett, you can see it... like this chap:
Likely the same with this chap...
Much of the clothing was contract made.
Some seamen, to save some money, just drew cloth from the pursers and made their own clothing, man-o-war fashion, in their spare time.
The wartime Navy rations were fixed by federal law in July, 1861.
From an 1864 American business man's legal guide:
a synopsis of the period laws, into the early 70s:
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