The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1917-10-25
(,ARB OF OUR ARMY
How Uniforms Have Changed
Since Colonial Times.
EFFICIENCY NOW THE RULE.

This Picturesque Drc5s of the CONT
nsntaIs and the EearslSin crests of
1912 Would Look Sadly Out of Place
In These Practical Days.
There is little in the businesslike,
simple uniform Of the American SOL
Cier reminiscent Of the colorful, BIZ
zarre 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 1t
was not until after the war with Spain
that khaki was adopted and the easily
visible blue trousers and shirt dis
carded.
Today the American soldiers Uniform
is designed for comfort, oarviceability,
protection from both weather and dis
covery by the enemy-in short, for eff
ficiant service. What some Of the pic
turesque old uniforms were devised for
is more than one can say unless it was
lOT THEIR plcCuFeSQueueSS.
Washington's armies, when they had
uniforms, wore the familiar "Conti-
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
khr ~
CORVALLIS at Yorktown were in uni
form, but the most of them still wore
rags Of homespun.
The uniform for the period between
1902 and the war Of 1872 reflects the
style adopted by European armies for
the time. The three cOrnered cooked hat
Of the revolution had been abandoned,
while the enlisted men Of the infantry
and artillery wore round leather hats
with bearskin crests, creating 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. Facings
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 taxicab.
Coats 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 the 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
ed or leather pompoms replaced feath-
ers.
Distinction between dress and field
uniforms began to be made about the
time of the war Of 1872. The full dress
consisted Of the hussar jacket, and the
skirt had 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 chapeau bras
instead of cap. The waistcoats were
of white cloth in winter and Of jean or
nankeen in the summer.
When the Mexican war began dis
tinctive campaign uniform was adopt
ed. The fiat. soft forage cap came into
prominence, and the frock coat was
worn by officers. Men and officers
alike discarded cross belts, but wore one
body belt and waist belt The artil-
lery wore jackets, which did not entire
ly disappear from the service until
after the war between the states.
| The influence Of the French victories
I'm 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
II
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 it 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 SLOUGH
felt campaign hats used in Cuba. The
coats were dark blue short frock coats
and the trousers light blue. Stripes on
the trousers denoted the branch of the
service, and in the case of the officers
plumes on the helmets were used.
In the Spanish-American war the uni
form consisted of a dark blue coat
(shorter than the frock coat, blue fan
mel shirt and light blue trousers
Stripes on the trousers denoted the
seryice-white for infantry, yellow for