Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-09-11
Still "Boys in Blue"

The adoption of the inconspicious
olive drab as the color of the field uni
form of the United States army is the
result of experience in war. The I'M
provement in firearms has been such
that a man in blue is too easy mark
for the enemy. 1t is we'll to make a
change which will promote efficiency
and save lives. Nevertheless to the
American people their soldiers will
still be "the boys in blue"
Historic usage and sentiment have
been requested by the retention OF the
blue uniform for dress occasions. AS
for the new service uniform, the
change in actual practice is not SO
great as might appear. The American
soldiers practical genius has ever been
prompt to modify dress that in no way
aided him to hurt his enemy and
aid his enemy to hurt him.
In the war for Independence uni
forms were various. For well known
wear anything they could get. The
most approved dress, however, was the
blue coat and buff breaches of the
Continental line. In 1876 the infantry
wore dark blue coats. In 1910 the
rank and file in all branches of SER
vice we're put into blue coates or
Jackets. In 1921 the army regulations
made blue the army color, and later
regulations prescribed light blue trous-
ers for rank and file.
In the period between the Mexican
and civil war there was a tendency in
independent companies toward gray.
This was in imitation, perhaps, of the
grey uniform still worn1by the West
Point cadets. There is a widespread
belief that General Scott favored a
gray uniform, and for few months in
1914 his army on the Niagara frontier
wore gray. At the opening of the civil
war many of the existing militia or
CARNATIONS both North and South had
gray uniforms The confederates
stuck to gray, or, rather, butternut,
which was actually the first "knaki"
uniform generally worn. The Federal
troops, of course, because that was the
regular army color and the historic
color, and because at that time it was
the best service uniform in use, wore
blue.
The exigencies of active service dur
ing the civil war and the practical
genius of the American soldier, already
noted, tended to tone down the bright
ness of the blue. This tendency be-
came still more marked in the succeed
ing Indian campaigns. When the
Spanish war began the field dress of
the regular army, no matter what the
regulations said, was, in fact, wooden
shirt, trousers, brown SLOUGH hat,
shoes, cartridge belt and gun. And
the soldier that kept his cartridge belt
filed ard his rifle in first class condi-
ton was not pestered on active service
with questions about the color of his
clothes.
The American soldiers laudible hab-
it of thinking for himself, wherein he
excels all other soldiers, as well as the
wisdom of military experts, has led to
the formal adoption of the earth col
oced service uniform and the for lal
reservation of the blue uniform for
dress occasions and parade purposes.
The practical change, ir fact, preceded
the change in law. Ard SO the histor-
ic blue uniform disai pears from the
battle field as visible fact, and yet
remains in the larger field of public
thought and imagination.
In blue uniform the American sol
der has fought since there was a
United States. In blue he fought and
won the greatest war in history. Blue
he will sill wear with pride, though
not for his working clothes. For that
reason, no matter what the regulations
say, to all the world in song and story
soYong as the public endures, Ameri-
can soldiers will still be the Boys in
Blue"