Pre war Mississippi unfiorm regulations

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Aug 25, 2012
Mississippi issued uniform regulations for her militia companies forming the Army of Mississippi in early March 1861. Many states had militia uniform regulations but were unorthodox. The black hats looped up on three sides was not normal militia regulation headwear. The regulations also required gray frock coats and gray trousers for enlisted men but the regulation required non standard branch colors. Infantry and rifles trim was crimson, cavalry was the normal yellow but with crimson going to infantry and rifles, artillery were to wear orange. Mississippi was also one of the few states that required different colored flannel shirts for different branches. Infantry wore red flannel shirts, cavalry wore blue shirts and artillery wore gray shirts.

These regulations were short lived and it is not know how many units obtained the correct uniforms before Mississippi Army regulations changed by the end of the month. Now infantry and rifles were to wear green trim, Artillery red, and yellow or orange for cavalry. In May Mississippi changed its mind again and after that infantry and rifles wore blue trim, artillery trim was red, an cavalry wore orange. The color of flannel shirts also changed in May with gray fatigue shirts for infantry , red shirts of artillery and blue shirts for cavalry.

This makes early war Mississippi uniforms difficult to identify because of the color changes.
 
I can see the confusion, and why the regulations did not long survive. I like the color schemes for the shirts was interesting, but I can see why they failed. I like the idea.
 
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