The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1917-11-30
CARB OF OUR ARMY
How Uniforms Have Changed
Since Colonial Times.
EFFICIENCY NOW THE RULE.

The Picturesque Dress of the Cont.
nentaIs and the BearsI<in crests of
1912 Would Look Sadly Out of Plaoo
In These Practical Days.
There is little in the businesslike,
simple uniform Of the American sol
der reminiscent of the colorful, BIZ
Earre garb of the early army of the
United States.
From the time of the Revolutionary
war or soon thereafter the tendency
was steadily toward simplicity, but it
was not until after the war with Spain
that khaki was adopted and the easily
visible blue trousers and shirt dis
tarded
Today the American soldiers uniform
is designed for comfort. serviceability.
protection from both weather and dis
covery by the enemy-in short, for ef-
1cient service What some Of the pic
turesque old uniforms were devised for
is more than one can say unless it was
for their picturesqueness.
Washington's armies. when they had
uniforms, wore the familiar Cont
nentals' of bluff and blue or gray but
regiments from different states had for
the most part uniforms Of their own.
The majority wore whatever clothes
would protect them without regard for
uniformity One part of the American
troops who received the surrender of
CORVALLIS ut Yorktown were in uni
form, but the most of them still wore
rags Of homespuu
The uniform for the period between
1902 and the war Of 1912 reflects the
style adopted by European armies for
the time The three cornered cooked hat
Of the revolution had been abandoned,
and the officers wore chapeaux bras.
while the enlisted men Of the infantry
and artillery wore round leather hats
with bearskin crests, creating a very
picturesque effect.
During the war Of 1872 several types
Of uniform were worn by the American
forces. There was little left to remind
one Of the Revolutionary war Instead
OF the long cutaway, enlisted men wore
single breasted, close buttoned coats,
with the skirts fashioned after the ci
william dress coat of the day. Faclngs
disappeared, and the collars became
enormously high, rising to the tip OF
the ear Hats were high, some infan-
try wearing headpieces much like those
worn by the cabmen of the days Just
preceding the taxlcab.
j Goats OF the infantry and artillery
were uniformly blue and were modified
somewhat in shape by an order issued
In 1918, the long tails being found in
convenient in tle field and in fighting
through wooded country and under
brush. The word "coatee" was coined
for the new garment, and the only
trimming consisted of tape on the col
Lar. The high hat was changed to the
bell crowned leather shake, and worst
cd or leather pompoms replaced feath-
ers.
Distinction between dress and field
uniforms began to be made about the
time OF the war Of 1912. The full dress
consisted of the hussar jacket, and the
skirt had a double plait In each fold
The collar and sleeves were worked
with silver braid The trousers were
white cashmere or buckskin for pa
rade and dark blue for service.
Knee breeches sometimes were worn
| on social occasion, with yellow knee
buckles instead Of strings, yellow buc-
kles In the shoes and a chapeau bras
instead of a cap. The waistcoats were
Of white cloth in winter and Of Jean or
nankeen in the summer.
When the Mexican war began a dis
t1nctive campaign uniform was adopt
ed The fiat, soft forage cap cane into
prominence, and the frock coat was
worn by officers. Men and officers
alike discarded cross belts, but wore one
body belt and a waist belt. The artil-
lery wore Jackets, which did not entire
" disappear from the service until
after the war between the states
: The influence of the French victories
In Italy was reflected in the zouave
dress that was fashionable when the
war of the sixties began, and the dark
blue blouse and sky blue trousers of
our own service of that time fixed for
years the fashion of state troops from
one end Of the country to the other.
| After that war it was some time be-
fore the trappings which had been
abandoned for field work were re
stored
In the eighties the uniform was much
as 1t was during the Spanish-American
war, except that men and officers wore
| helmets much like those of the London
! bobby of today, instead of the slouch
felt campaign hats rsed in Cuba The