The Uniforms Of The Confederate Army, particularly its Navy, are a fascinating aspect of American Civil War history. While often overshadowed by the grey and butternut of the Confederate land forces, the Confederate States Navy developed its own distinct regulations for officer and enlisted dress. This guide delves into the intricate details of these naval uniforms, drawing from official records to provide a comprehensive overview.
Undress Coats for Confederate Naval Officers
The regulations for Confederate Navy uniforms meticulously detailed the “undress” coats for sea officers, varying based on rank. These coats were crafted from steel grey cloth, faced with the same material, and lined with black silk serge, emphasizing a somber yet distinguished appearance.
Flag Officer’s Undress Coat
A Flag Officer’s coat was a double-breasted frock coat featuring two rows of large navy buttons, nine in each row. The buttons were precisely spaced, reflecting the attention to detail in naval dress codes. The coat featured a rolling collar and full skirts, cut to a specific length relative to the knee. Cuffs were adorned with gold lace, indicating rank through the number and style of strips. A Flag Officer’s cuff displayed three strips of half-inch wide gold lace, with the upper strip looped and additional small navy buttons in the cuff opening.
Captain’s and Commander’s Undress Coats
The coat for a Captain mirrored that of a Flag Officer, but with a reduction in cuff ornamentation, signifying the difference in rank. Captains wore three strips of lace, including the looped strip. A Commander’s coat was virtually identical to a Captain’s, further emphasizing the standardized style within officer ranks, but featured only two strips of lace and three small buttons in the cuff opening.
Lieutenant’s and Master’s Undress Coats
Lower ranking officers, such as Lieutenants and Masters, also adhered to the steel grey frock coat style, but with simpler cuff designs. A Lieutenant’s cuff featured a single looped strip of gold lace, while a Master’s coat had a single, narrower strip of lace without a loop, indicating a further step down in rank within the officer corps.
Passed Midshipman and Midshipman Undress Coats
For Passed Midshipmen and Midshipmen, the undress coat maintained the steel grey cloth and double-breasted style, but replaced the gold lace with medium-sized navy buttons around the cuff. Midshipmen’s coats were distinguished further by substituting large buttons with medium-sized buttons throughout the garment, reflecting their junior status.
Undress Coats for Confederate Naval Civil Officers
Confederate Navy uniforms extended beyond sea officers to include civil officers such as Surgeons, Paymasters, Engineers, Chaplains, Professors, and Clerks. Their undress coats shared similarities with the sea officers’ attire but incorporated specific distinctions based on their roles and ranks.
Surgeon’s Undress Coat
Surgeons, vital to naval operations, had undress coats similar to Captains, particularly for those with over twelve years of standing. These coats were steel grey frock coats with double-breasted fronts and rolling collars. Cuffs for senior surgeons resembled a Commander’s but replaced the loop with a plain strip of lace. Surgeons with less than twelve years of service had a simpler cuff with just one strip of lace.
Passed Assistant and Assistant Surgeon’s Undress Coats
Lower ranks within the medical corps, like Passed Assistant Surgeons and Assistant Surgeons, had further simplified coats. Passed Assistant Surgeons wore coats similar to junior surgeons, but with a narrower lace strip on the cuff. Assistant Surgeons’ coats replaced lace entirely with three medium-sized buttons on the cuff, signifying their entry-level positions.
Paymaster’s Undress Coat
Paymasters, responsible for financial administration, followed a similar uniform structure to Surgeons, with distinctions based on years of service mirroring the Surgeon ranks. Senior Paymasters’ coats were comparable to senior Surgeons’, while junior Paymasters’ coats aligned with junior Surgeons’.
Engineer Officer’s Undress Coat
Engineer officers, crucial for the steam-powered Confederate Navy, also had distinct uniforms. Chief Engineers with over twelve years of standing wore coats similar to senior Surgeons. First Assistant Engineers had coats with a single, quarter-inch wide lace strip on the cuff. Second and Third Assistant Engineers replaced lace with three medium-sized buttons, similar to Assistant Surgeons.
Chaplain, Professor, and Clerk Undress Coats
Chaplains, Professors, and Clerks wore single-breasted frock coats, differentiating them from the double-breasted coats of most other officers. Chaplains’ coats featured nine large navy buttons in a single row and plain cuffs with small buttons. Professors and Commodore’s Secretaries had eight buttons, while Clerks had only six, further distinguishing their roles through subtle uniform variations.
Vests, Pantaloons, and Shoulder Straps
Beyond coats, Confederate naval uniforms included vests, pantaloons, and shoulder straps, each with specific regulations.
Vests and Pantaloons
Vests for all officers were either steel grey or white, single-breasted with a standing collar and small buttons. Pantaloons were steel grey cloth or white drill, designed to be loose-fitting and worn over boots or shoes, providing practicality and uniformity.
Shoulder Straps as Rank Indicators
Shoulder straps were crucial for indicating rank, especially on overcoats and jackets. Flag Officers’ shoulder straps were sky-blue cloth edged with black and embroidered with gold and stars, with the number and size of stars denoting specific flag ranks. Captains, Commanders, and Lieutenants also had starred shoulder straps, with decreasing numbers of stars corresponding to lower ranks. Masters had shoulder straps without stars, while Passed Midshipmen wore a simple gold lace strip.
Civil officers’ shoulder straps varied by corps. Surgeons’ straps were black cloth with embroidered olive sprigs or leaves, while Paymasters’ straps were dark green cloth, and Engineers’ straps were dark blue cloth with live oak sprigs. These variations allowed for quick identification of officers’ corps and ranks.
Caps and Buttons: Defining Features of Confederate Naval Uniforms
Caps and buttons were essential components of Confederate naval uniforms, carrying symbolic and functional significance.
Naval Officer Caps
Confederate naval officer caps were steel grey cloth with a patent leather visor. Rank was prominently displayed on the cap front. Flag Officers had a foul anchor within a live oak wreath, topped by stars, all embroidered in gold, above a wide gold lace band. The number of stars and width of the gold band decreased with rank, down to no stars for Masters. Passed Midshipmen wore a plain foul anchor.
Civil officer caps also featured wreaths and stars, but with corps-specific symbols. Surgeons used olive wreaths, Paymasters used the same olive wreath, and Engineers used the same wreath but with the letter “E” below the stars.
Buttons: Standardized Design
Buttons for Confederate naval uniforms were standardized in design but came in three sizes: large, medium, and small. The specific device on the buttons is mentioned as being “as per pattern” in the original records, indicating a regulated design, though not explicitly described in this document.
Summer Uniforms, Jackets, and Overcoats
Recognizing diverse climates and operational needs, Confederate naval regulations included summer uniforms, jackets, and overcoats.
Summer Frock Coats and Jackets
In warmer climates, officers could wear summer frock coats and pantaloons made of steel grey summer cloth or white drill. Jackets of steel grey cloth or white drill linen were authorized as service dress at sea, except during general muster, offering a more practical alternative to frock coats in many situations. Jackets featured shoulder straps to maintain rank visibility.
Straw Hats and Overcoats
White straw hats were permitted in summer or tropical climates, except at general muster, providing relief from heat. Overcoats for all officers were steel grey cloth, double-breasted, with navy buttons and shoulder straps for rank. Grey cloth cloaks were also allowed in boats, adding another layer of practicality to naval dress.
Uniforms for Petty Officers and Crew
Confederate naval uniform regulations extended to petty officers and crew, ensuring a level of uniformity throughout the ranks. Petty officers were distinguished by embroidered black or blue foul anchors on their sleeves, depending on whether they wore grey or white jackets/frocks. Boatswain’s Mates, Gunner’s Mates, and similar ratings wore the anchor on the right sleeve, while other petty officers wore it on the left.
The standard uniform for enlisted men consisted of grey cloth jackets and trousers or grey woolen frocks with white cuffs and collars, black hats, black silk neckerchiefs, and shoes or boots. Summer uniforms were white frocks and trousers. Specific uniforms for Boatswains, Gunners, Carpenters, and Sailmakers were also detailed, including steel grey cloth jackets with gold lace loops on the collar, further differentiating these key ratings.
Conclusion
The uniforms of the Confederate Army Navy, as detailed in official records, reveal a structured and hierarchical system of dress designed to reflect rank, corps, and duty. From the intricate gold lace on officers’ coats to the simple foul anchor on petty officers’ sleeves, every element of the uniform served a purpose, contributing to the visual identity and organizational cohesion of the Confederate naval forces. Understanding these uniforms provides valuable insight into the history and culture of the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War.
