Uniforms Were waterproof cap covers issued to soldiers?

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Aug 25, 2012
Did either side issue waterproof cap covers? Waterproof cap covers would have been very handy items for soldiers to have but if soldiers had to private purchase waterproof covers, how many men did so? I understand these items do not all that often appear in period photographs, but this might indicate that soldiers were reluctant to wear them when they visited photographs.
 
They were not issue pieces, but many soldiers purchased from private sources. Unfortunately when photographs were taken the weather was clear, so such covers were rarely seen. There are a few photographic evidences of covers or even a rubberized forage cap or kepi.

Officers caps and kepis were private purchase and most of those came with a cover, or the option of a cover.

I believe there is another thread on this, but my coffee hasn’t kicked in.
 
Did either side issue waterproof cap covers? Waterproof cap covers would have been very handy items for soldiers to have but if soldiers had to private purchase waterproof covers, how many men did so? I understand these items do not all that often appear in period photographs, but this might indicate that soldiers were reluctant to wear them when they visited photographs.
In doing other research, I came upon an instance where the state of NY issued cap covers early on. They apparently only issued around 14,000 and later relied on the Federal government for supply. My understanding is that the Federal issue did not include a cover and to date ai have been unable to find an instance where they were issued by the US.
 
Did either side issue waterproof cap covers? Waterproof cap covers would have been very handy items for soldiers to have but if soldiers had to private purchase waterproof covers, how many men did so? I understand these items do not all that often appear in period photographs, but this might indicate that soldiers were reluctant to wear them when they visited photographs.
Update, while researching something else, I reread Les Jensen's wonderful write up of the CS Quartermaster System in the CMH archives. The following from his seminal article:

The issue system provided a table of allowances for specific types of clothing as well as prices that were to be charged for that clothing. If the soldier underdrew the allowance, he was paid the difference. If he overdrew, the difference was taken out of his pay. Prices gradually crept upward as the war went on, but the basic allowance and prices as of October, 1862 were as follows:​

CLOTHING ALLOWANCE FOR FOR THREE YEARS 41​

Clothing
Cap, complete
Cover
Jacket
Trousers
Shirt
Drawers
Shoes, pairs
Socks, pairs
Leather stock
Great-coat
Stable-frock (mounted)
Fatigue overall
Blanket​
1st
2
1
2
3
3
3
4
4
1
1
1
1
1​
2nd
1
1
1
2
3
2
4
4
0
0
1
0
0​
3rd
1
1
1
2
3
2
4
4
0
0
1
1
1​
Price
$2.00
.38
12.00
9.00
3.00
3.00
6.00
1.00
.25
25.00
2.00
3.00
7.50​
 
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