USS Monitor Center

[rxtroll]

What were the color of the confederate sailors uniforms? Grey or Blue or a mix?

[monitorkitty]

well - I'm not the best expert on uniforms (so you experts out there speak up!) but my understanding is that while Stephen Mallory, the Secretary of the Confederate Navy wanted gray-clad sailors, many Confederate crews early on were wearing blue (with Confederate buttons, for the most part) because of a number of factors including limited availability of gray (much of it went to the army), and better availability of blue (from existing supplies and English imports).

Anybody else got more info?
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"...the poetry of the profession is gone..."

[Ironclad]

Historic records (Office of pay and Provisions) clearly show that enlisted personnel in the CSN were clothed in blue, black, and grey. Records from Richmond in late 1864 show orders for blue frocks and gray frocks.

A friend of mine wrote his Master's thesis on the sailors in the Savannah River Squadron and discovered in his research that blue and gray were fairly common with a smattering of black here and there.

Link goes to the thesis.

http://www.navyandmarine.org/historicalref/csn_uniforms/

It is pretty doubtful that enlisted CSN sailors were not issued brass CSN buttons. State buttons abounded on CSN officers coats as surviving examples attribute (Catseby Jones - VA, Buchannan - MD) The CSN hard rubber buttons were a late War arrival and were probably limited in "squadron" level distribution.

I had the pleaseure many many years ago of being able to examine a number of examples of CSN clothing in a private collection. The enlisted mans frock and trousers were a light brown (faded and aged light weight canvass) and had stamped brass (japanned) buttons on the trousers and glass buttons on the cuff of the frock.

USN buttons were also fairly common for CSN officers "early" War uniforms. Some evidently even used US artillery buttons (Robert Minor).

The CSN regulations provide specific details about officers clothing. The enlisted regualtions are (like the USN of the time) mostly a guideline for outfitting the sailors.

Sadly the collection (one fo the only kown set of CSN enlisted uniforms in existance) was destroyed in a fire many years ago. I'm glad I had the opportunity to see and examine it first hand.

For additional references, I would suggest the CSN regulations and Todd's Military Equipage.

Jeff
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...onward through the fog.

[James A Miller Jr]

Were there Confederate Marines aboard the CSS Virginia? If so, is anything known about their uniforms?

Also, if some CSS Virginia gunners were recruited from the CS Army artillery men at Yorktown, Virginia; might some of them still be in CS Army artillery uniforms, considering the uniforms shortage?

Jim, Southport, North Carolina

[Ironclad]

[monitorkitty]

It was Company C, C.S. Marine Corps - under Captain Reuben Thom.
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"...the poetry of the profession is gone..."