From: COWAN@ssrl01.slac.stanford.edu (Paul L. Cowan)
Subject: Uniform confusion (was Re: butternut)
Organization: CALIFORNIANS ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 14:24:19 GMT
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In <Bv99zr.GHx@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> tbarnes@silver.ucs.indiana.edu writes:

---------------- Description of "butternut" color deleted -----------
: I am also interested in instances where grey clad troops fired on
: friendly blue clad troops (either side). I know that the N.Y. militia
: and an Iowa militia unit were dressed in grey and that the Washington
: Artillery (Louisiana) and the N.C. militia were dressed in blue at the
: start of the war. A lot of Zouve units also wore essentially
: interchangable uniforms. This must have generated great confusion on the
: battlefield. 
: 	I know of at least one instance (at First Bull Run/Manassass)
: where blue clad southerners were mistaken for northerners, there must
: have been many other instances before a semi-standardized uniform got
: worked out for each side.
---------------- Discussion of CSA flags deleted (OK Murph?)-----------
: 	Have fun,
: 
: 	Tom.

Bull Run had a lot of instances where the similarity of uniforms
caused confusion, but I always thought the most significant of these
involved Col. J.E.B. Stuart.

At the hottest point of the battle. Rickett's battery was moved far
forward of the Union lines near the Henry house. Various infantry
regiments were sent forward at different times in piecemeal attempts
to support it (later, to recapture it). One of these was the famous
New York City Fire Zouaves. As they marched forward (into no-man's
land) Stuart spotted them and mistook them for a CSA Zouave regiment
which he assumed was retreating (since it was marching toward CSA
lines). Stuart led his men forward at full gallop shouting something
like, "Don't retreat, we'll support you!" When he realized his error,
he decided he had no choice but to continue to charge headlong, into
the Union Zouaves. The move was fully successful (from Stuart's point
of view) and the Zouaves were routed. (I believe this story is in
Foote).

The lost of Rickett's battery marked the turning point of first
Manassas, but I feel that there is an even larger way that this
occurrence (if true) had a profound impact on the war. I speculate that
this incident may have taught Stuart, at an early stage of the war,
the potential value of the type of reckless cavalry charge that
ultimately made him famous.  U.S. Grant related how, on one of his
earliest maneuvers of the war, he cautiously approached a CSA
defensive position, only to discover that his opponent had retreated.
Grant said that this taught him that his enemy was as afraid of him
(Grant) as Grant had been afraid of his enemy. I strongly suspect that
Stuart learned a similar lesson at Manassas, but since he never had
the opportunity to write his memoirs, we'll never know for sure.

BTW, thanks to everyone who confirmed the color "butternut" as a shade of 
brown.


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