Wagon colors

[Billy1977]

Hello everybody, I have a two-part question.
1.) I had read that Union supply wagons were painted powder blue with bright red wheels... is that true? Because to me that would look silly, like a child's toy or something from a circus. If this is true, is there a valid reason why they were painted in such a manner?

2.) What colors were Confederate supply wagons painted?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Legion Para]

Civil War Ammunition Wagon in the Collection of the Atlanta Historical Society.

http://www.galenfrysinger.com/georgia_atlanta_civil_war.htm

 

[John Hartwell]

That's the correct Union color scheme. In Legion Para's photo, the wagon is well weathered. Originally, the "powder blue" color would have been more the shade of the box you see inside (rather like the infantryman's trousers). The blue color was standard through the SpAm War, after which khaki was adopted.

I don't know the official Confederate scheme. But, since most of their wagons were supplied by the Union army, or requisitioned civilian farm wagons, I suspect most of them retained their original colors.

 

[StarkvilleCivilWarArsenal]

Hello everybody, I have a two-part question.
1.) I had read that Union supply wagons were painted powder blue with bright red wheels... is that true? Because to me that would look silly, like a child's toy or something from a circus. If this is true, is there a valid reason why they were painted in such a manner?

2.) What colors were Confederate supply wagons painted?

Many thanks in advance.

Yes, the wagons were blue. You can see one by going to the StarkvilleCivilWarArsenal.com and look at the Photo section of the museum.

 

[Legion Para]

Yes, the wagons were blue. You can see one by going to the StarkvilleCivilWarArsenal.com and look at the Photo section of the museum.

 

[Billy1977]

Wow, thanks everybody! Sorry I was gone for a while. Well that's about how I was picturing Union supply wagons from what I'd read. It's not as bad looking in a photo, especially that the red wheels are a darker shade and not so bright red like I was imagining. It sort of grows on you. Any reason why they chose these colors? I would think if they were trying to be reminiscent of the colors of the U.S. flag they would have chosen a darker blue and a little lighter shade of red.

 

[Schwallanscher]

i dare to say the red is oxblood (don't wiki - all they have on this is bovine manure) - it was actually made of oxblood - german wiki has a recipe for ochsenblut - it was cheap and quite good for preserving wood - no idea on the blue, though

 

[StarkvilleCivilWarArsenal]

Wow, thanks everybody! Sorry I was gone for a while. Well that's about how I was picturing Union supply wagons from what I'd read. It's not as bad looking in a photo, especially that the red wheels are a darker shade and not so bright red like I was imagining. It sort of grows on you. Any reason why they chose these colors? I would think if they were trying to be reminiscent of the colors of the U.S. flag they would have chosen a darker blue and a little lighter shade of red.

Just for the record the 1858 Model 6-Mule Wagon contract specifications for paint refers to the red color as "Venetian Red" darkened to a chocolate brown. To what degree the darkening to a brown tint happened is debatable. If you are interested in U.S. Army supply wagons, I would like to recommend a book The Great Blue Army Wagon by Thomas Lindmier.