Uniforms Union kepis on Confederate soldiers

Duane Pringle

Sergeant
Joined
Feb 14, 2016
Location
Joplin Missouri
I have a question for the expert's. I have discovered several photos of Confederate soldiers wearing Confederate battle shirts or uniforms but wearing union issued forage caps. Was this common? I live in Missouri and have dug metal detecting many union buttons in Confederate camps. I am getting into civil war reancting and plan to adorn a union forage cap with Missouri Confederate uniform.

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By late war many Confederate were wearing whatever they could get.
Thanks for the response I definitely believe that, and I think early war was an issue with receiving uniforms. Here in Missouri we had Confederate guerrillas and regular Confederate forces that were clad in peices of union uniforms.I have a union forage cap that I will be wearing with Confederate battle shirt and Confederate trousers I think this is historicaly authentic to the history of civil war Missouri for some of its Confederate soldiers.
 
Thanks for sharing this interesting question but I have no clue! But just wait for a little while and someone will be along to answer your questions.
 
Thanks for sharing this interesting question but I have no clue! But just wait for a little while and someone will be along to answer your questions.
It was not uncommon for Federal buttons to be used on Confederate garments, they had plenty on hand in the south pre-war. There are many examples of original CS jackets with Federal eagle buttons on them.
Thank you for responding another pic with what looks to be union kepi.
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I feel like my uniform choice wouldn't be unrealistic for the times. This is the reason I asked about this dont know if any one else has ever questioned this. I know in real life nothing is cut and dry in war situations.
 
In the early war period it was not uncommon for many southern state forces and local militia that prescribed and wore blue caps (in some cases complete blue uniforms as well). We can find these present in hoards of early war confederate images. This old habit tends to vary in popularity by region as well as by a given regiment. Procured via local contractors/tailors and/or state quartermasters and issued accordingly. Presence thereof doesnt always imply they were captured, or re-purposing Union made gear.

Many of these same state forces were utilizing Eagle Buttons, hence lots of them were still around in quartermaster stocks. A few other times during the war large stocks of eagle buttons were captured and simply sent to the depots and made use of.
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In the early war period it was not uncommon for many southern state forces and local militia that prescribed and wore blue caps (in some cases complete blue uniforms as well). We can find these present in hoards of early war confederate images. This old habit tends to vary in popularity by region as well as by a given regiment. Procured via local contractors/tailors and/or state quartermasters and issued accordingly. Presence thereof doesnt always imply they were captured, or re-purposing Union made gear.

Many of these same state forces were utilizing Eagle Buttons, hence lots of them were still around in quartermaster stocks. A few other times during the war large stocks of eagle buttons were captured and simply sent to the depots and made use of.
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Thank you for your reply these topics are very interesting to me especially having a relative who faught for partisan rangers here in Missouri and gave there lives for the cause.
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Great images by the way, the states had these items in stock when the war broke out and they sure weren't about to let them go to waist. Why many of the early war units were wearing their blue state uniforms.
 
Thank you for all the education on this topic I have a union forage cap I have had it fits good and broke in this is what I will be wearing with Confederate uniform here in Missouri. I will have battle shirt like alot of the gurrilas wore with grey trousers. Just getting into reenacting always have been civil war buff and metal detect battle fields in south west Missouri I have alot of relics.
 
After the Battle of Galveston the Confederates captured caps, jackets, etc from the Yankees. They were wearing them but when ordered to return, it almost caused a donnybrook. What better way to mock their opponents ? It was practice among rebs to wear a captured US buckle upside down. Of course you KNOW what the letters SNY stand for on the union buckle ? SNOTTY NOSED YANKEE :bounce:
 
After the Battle of Galveston the Confederates captured caps, jackets, etc from the Yankees. They were wearing them but when ordered to return, it almost caused a donnybrook. What better way to mock their opponents ? It was practice among rebs to wear a captured US buckle upside down. Of course you KNOW what the letters SNY stand for on the union buckle ? SNOTTY NOSED YANKEE :bounce:This is what my shirt will look like.
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Thanks for the response I definitely believe that, and I think early war was an issue with receiving uniforms. Here in Missouri we had Confederate guerrillas and regular Confederate forces that were clad in peices of union uniforms.I have a union forage cap that I will be wearing with Confederate battle shirt and Confederate trousers I think this is historicaly authentic to the history of civil war Missouri for some of its Confederate soldiers.
I was about to write that these boys appear to be wearing guerrilla shirts, but then I scrolled down and saw your post.
 
I still yet to see monument in person my Daughter has I started this post because it kinda intrigues me some people have told me like it was cut and dry that grey for Confederate and Blue for Yankees. And that is how you see it at some reenacting events but personally after my research I dont think it was that straight forward.
 
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