The evening times., 1896-11-06
UNIFORMS FOR THE ARMY
History of the Evolution of the
Costume.
OUR ADOPTION OF THE BLUE
Early Order of Gen. washington
Called Out by the Need TO Dis
tinguish Between Red Coat and
Continental-WhaJ Our Soldiers
Looked Like at Various Times.

From the picturesque garments OF the
Revolutionary soldiers to the Quaker
like appearance OF the ''Doys in blue
To-day, tue phases OF Umted States uniforms
aresnown by tile lay II CURES III the corridors
Of the War Department.
but between The Two extremes named
there have been many cnaH5es uI WHICH
tne general pubic knows nttic or nothing.
Up to a few years ago there were no Of
fcial records Of THESE numerous iancies,
but in SS9 Lieut.. ii. l. Luding1on OF the
quarternastcr generals department. was Ill
recuedto com piIe a book upon the Uniforms
OF the Army Of tho Injured states.
This was completed after several years
haru Work. ltIs composed OF ali TIE ofuers
relating to the ciuUning oil the army, to-
getner with illustrations showing the GIli-
forms at different stages in our history.
III the very Hrst, when the aiiutc lien
of the Revolution We're hurriedly called
together, moSU of the soldiers, OF course,
Possessed no uniforms. others Wore the
reucoats OF The brush army.
ThecoBfusion attendant upon nsuch a state
of affairs Is well shown by the first order
issued with reference to clothing worn by
United States SOldiers-
The oraer was sent out by Gen. Washing
to1 December IL, 1915, and read as IOl-
lows:
,ueneraI orders, headquarters, 11th De-
cember, 11Io.l
As the Continental army have, Unfortu-
nately, no UNI orins, ana consequently many
Inconvenience must arise from not belnS
able al ways 10 distinguish the Commissioned
and the non n-commissioned from the privates,
il is desired that some badge or distinction
he Immediately prov NIGed lor instance, that
the f!eid-ufriccrs snail have rcG-coiored
cUCkaGeS III tLeIr hats, the captains yellow
or bu1r, the subalterns green. They are to
furnish themselves accordingly 1he ser
geanls shall be tedistinguished by an epaulette
or stripe upon their right shoulder the
corporals by one OF green.
ACT Or The FIRST CONGRESS-
In November, 1875, Congress. having OBJ
tanned the views Of the New England gov
ernors and of Washington, resolved that
the clothing Of the army be paid for by
s,oppages out OF the mems pay. 1t also
orueIed that they should be dyed brown, and
dis tine tons or the regiment be made IN the
facings. Brown, therefore, for the time
being, became the regulation col or"
The fashion Of the uniform was modelled
more orleshcI Osely upon theordmary cio mes
WON at that time. The coat was long
cutaway, faced with white, the vest and
breeChes were Of buff and wnat Is dc scribed
III the order as The fashionable military
cooked hat" finished of the uniform.
After the Revolutionary War had pro-
gressed a few years blue became tn pre-
scribed color of the coats of the American
army, probably in opposition 10 the Brit
isA red
Another fact which undoubtedly had
much 10 do with its adoption Wa that II
had alw avs been the characteristic color
OF The Wings, who opposed the Tories.
The only differences in the uniforms of
troops from different States was in the
color OF the facing Of the coat. The dis
tinguishing colOrs of each State Were pre-
scribed by the Continental Congress.
In 1TS2 the Secretary OF War directed
that the clothing OF the W hole army should
be uniformly blue, faced with red. but as
the cloth was slow in coming over from
England, and the uniforms were wearing
out, the boys were directed to turn and
repair th cir coats
An amusing order is recorded Just after
this. 1t read: THE regiments which
have not turned and repaired their coats
are TO draw lots for the scarlet cloth which
arrived from England yesterday This
relieved from the hated red the regiments
VINO were industrious and had repaired
their coats. II was during the perlud of
the confederation that the troops retained
substantially their Revolutionary Uniform
a qualification OF patriotism. however, at
the expense OF comfort, and doubtless
caused much grumbling
UNIFORM UNDER JEFFERSON
In 1902, under President jefferson, the
uniform coat OF the line was of dark
blue re.cbing to the knee. 1t was of Revo-
lutionary cut, with scarlet iapeIs, cuffs,
and standing collar. For the infantry it
had a white lining, white facing, and
white buttons; for the artillery, scarlet lin
Ing, scarlet facing, and yellow buttons
The cooked bat was changed to a round
one with u three-inch brim and strip Of
bearskin ocross the crown.
In 1902 also the old breecbes We're
changed to sEin-tigbt pantaloons and short
CATERS. Knapsack We're introduced for the
first time in this year. No further change
In the uniform wasintroduced until 1910
From 1910 to 1913 the men Wore a
modern stovepipe hat with 4 white plume
In the side, making them look sufficiently
ludcrous to modern eyes.
In 1913 long trousers Were introduced
In place of the skin-tigbt pantaloons Worn
previously. The silk hat was replaced by
one of leather, having the same shape,
except that it bad visor instead of the
brim.
The colored facings We're all done away
with in 1sl6. and the army became the
boys in blue"
In 1921 the regular army button resem-
bling very much the one in Use today, was
for the first time introduced. The buttons
for the artillery were to be OF yellow metal
with spread eagle and a letter a. in-
scribed upon it.
THE ARMY BUTTONS.
For the infantry the button was TO be
OF the same design. but of white metal and
with the letter ~ in place Of A.
In 1851 the color of the trousers was
changed from dark blue to the lighter shade,
which is worn today
A cloth cap was also adopted. This cap
reSembled Some what the army cap as we
knowit, exceptinits height, which was five
inches.
This left the uniforms substantially as 1t
is today. The only changes which were
made after this was in headgear and minor
details.
In 1853, the cap was exchanged for a
soft felt hat, such as is Worn by the
cavalry. The left side of the hat brim was
pinned up by large gilt eagle.
Another change in headgcar was made
in 1850, when the hat was changed for u
helmet. in both artillery and infantry.
Finally, in 1858, the regula ion uniform
as we know il today was adopted. The
cap was scaled down to the convenient
size which is now prescibed, and a stripe
placed down the side of the trousers.
This will probably end all orders on the
subject of uniforms unless there should
come about a radical change III the fashion
OF men apparel.
For it is conceded by most military au-
thorities that the uniform of the enlisted
man of the United States army today is as
convenient and serviccable as that used