Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-17
DULL UNIFORM DUE TO LEE.
Confederate General First to See Dis
advantage of Glitter.

From the New Orleans Times Democrat.
Gen. Robert e. Lee was the first man
who discovered that all ARMIES We're inn
properly uniformed observed a we'll
known army officer ''and he was so strong
ly convinced that he was right that he
abolished the blue uniform worn by the
cadets at West Point and substituted gray
which has been worn ever since in it's
place. General Lee was in command of
the Military Academy at West Point some
years before the civil war, and it was here
he put his ideas and reforms into opera
ton. He was, according to the records the
first officer in any army who favored in
conspicuous uniforms
THE khakis. drab and blue. which are
universally used by the armies of the
world today as campaign uniforms are the
direct results of his original thought and
consideration. Other officers may have
thought along the same lines with him. but
he was the first to start the reform. OF
course, he met with violet opposition. for
soidler people as rule in favor of as
much display possible but he never let
up The first organization that adopted his
suggestion was the famous 18th Regiment of
New York city, and which has worn gray
since followed soon by the equally famous
9th Regiment of Baltimore MARYLAND Ma
tional Guard. Others soon fell into dine
Only recently. in studying over the re-
ports on this subject On file in the War De-
partment at Washington, ran across the
report of then Major Lee His only fauIt
In the matter, like those of all pioneers,
was that he was fifty years ahead of his
times, which always has been and | pre-
sumo always will be an objectionable sim
IN these reports Major Lee not only urged
the aDontlon of conspicuous uniforms for
campaigns, but he went even further in
recommending that arms, accouterments.
cannon, and all the things used in the busi
ness of war should be without polish or
glisten.
His idea has been universally adopted
py all the armies of the world and TODAY
1t would be a violation of all rules for a
soIuler IN campaign to have anything
ABOUT him, even to a button on his cloth
ing, which has even the slightest nolish
or even susceptible of polish. For play sal
oLerS and dress padades fancy colors moi
asn. ana glisten will do we'll enough. but
Tor campaigns it is a thing of the mast
HAD the armies of Europe discovered this
years before they did their lists of killed
and wounded would have been considera,lv
less than what they were.
Nane-tenths of the people of tha portb
and south think that gray had some con-
nection with the south on its own account
never dreaming that gray was first worn
IN IN, the north by the cadets of West Point.
WHere III is stHd used as a dress uniform
and by the leading military organize lions
OF the north, notably in New York and
Boston. Gen. Lee when called UNION to
organize the army of the south put into
practica! operation the ideas he had formed
long before he had even dreamed of the
civil war This explains also the reason
why he was less strict in having the so1
diers OF the confederate army wear their
pretty clothes during the war. He HAD
Iound out by his study and observa tfon
that the less show and display mean t1,e
less casualties and he sought the latter
me campaign uniform of today the world
over Is his ideal, and he did all he could TO
carry 1t into effect eouiu ~