Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-10
THE OLD "ARMY BLUE"
Enshrined in the Hearts of
Uncle Sans Boys.
THE FANCY COSTUMES
HOW SOME VOLUNTEERS WERE
DRESSED IN '61.
New York Highlanders as the ''Clan
ameron''--zouaves Resplendent
THE FANCY COSTUMES

The BOYS in Blue" have been more or
less tunefully eulogized in song and eX-
plotted in story and doubtless the ma
jority of the people who are only acquant-
ed with the war of the rebellion through
hearsay are of the opinion that blue was
the only color that soldiers of that war
ever Wore. This is a strong eXempification
of the fact that history is largely legend
airy. for truly, Solomon in all his glory
would have looked paltry beside some of
the volunteer soldier companies of the war
of the rebellion.
1t must be remembered that the United
States had no great standing army, trinity
uniformed and strictly disciplined, when
the south flew off at a tangent and had to
be punished but instead handful of men,
kept more or less busy at outposts. The
states or few of them at least, had So
called militia organizations, and these were
uniformed as fancy dictated. There were
the New York Highlanders, for instance
This famous regiment descended on Wash
ington in the traditional Highland plaid of
the Clan Cameron Its officers wore kits
and sashes, a Cameron tartar over the
shoulder. the little turban with its plume
and plaid. ard boots with short hose. The
enlisted men wore the short scarlet coatee,
Cameron tartan trousers and blue caps
They had the bagpipes, and the drum
major in all his war paint was never capar-
isoned as fearfuiiy and wonderfully as that
bagpiper. 1t has never entered into the
mind of man to conceive of anything more
distinctly different from the traditional
blue than this.
Invites Nightmare.
To rumnate on all that dry goods in con-
fict at Chickamauga Altoona, or its
probable condition after march through
the swamps with Sherman, is to invite
nightmare Fortunately one does not have
to think about it, for a week of camp life
around Washington convinced the High
landerS that the costume of a fancy dress
ball might do for the Marquis of Lorne
when on dress parade, but was scarcely
fitted for service On the battlefield. In fact
the historian of the company says that
when the regiment started out to the front
the knapsacks containing uniform, jackets
and tartan pants were packed up and left
in camp" The members had donned the
army blue" and never discarded it eX-
'plaidies'' We're brought out for a brief
space. The big fellows sometimes show up
al encampments in the odd rig, ard they
are sure to be noticed.
Some of the militia companies wore hand
some suits of dark green cloth, bravely
tricked out with cordings of red or yellow
and brass buttons, but as a general thing
the state troops wore some shade of gray.
This idea was English. England had eX-
perimented with all kinds of colorS and ma
terials and had decided that medium
shade of gray was the most enduring col
or so the various state military organiza-
lions acted upon England's experience.
The theory was all right, perhaps, but put
ting it into practice, made the effect almost
maudlin, when the various organizations
began to gather in Washington. Some of
the troops wore dark gray and others wore