Union soldiers of the 110th Pennsylvania
Miller's Photographic History |
The typical Union soldier had been a farmer before the
war who volunteered to defend his home and put down the rebellion of
the Southern states. Like his Confederate enemies, he probably enlisted
for the excitement of leaving the farm for a war that most believed
would last only three months, but he also had patriotic reasons. Most
Northern soldiers believed very strongly in the Federal government and
despised the unjust accusations of southern politicians and
secessionists. The departure of the southern states was a rebellion,
and the Confederacy had to brought back into the Union whether they
liked it or not! Most of the first volunteers were twenty years old and
older, though there were others who were considerably younger. Most
northern states required a man to be 18 years old to stand in the ranks
with a musket; yet some teenagers lied about their ages and got into
the ranks anyway. As the need for manpower grew, teenage boys were
accepted as musicians and older men were enrolled as quartermaster
assistants, surgeons, and officers. By the time of the Battle of
Gettysburg, the average age of a Union soldier in the rank and file was
24 though there were also quite a number of older soldiers, including
many in their mid-forties.
"Forage Cap" |
The Union uniform was standardized by War Department orders after the
first Battle of Bull Run in 1861. In that battle some Union regiments
fought in gray uniforms given them by their home states, while several
southern regiments wore blue uniforms. No one could tell exactly who
was on what side! Clothing and equipment was supplied by state
warehouses at first, but then the Federal government took over the duty
of supplying uniforms, arms, food, and equipment. By the second year of
the war, almost every Union soldier in a regiment wore the same uniform and carried the same equipment. Overall, the Union soldier
was very well equipped and uniformed especially when compared to his
Confederate counterpart. He also had an advantage if equipment or
clothing wore out, because it could be easily replaced.
Army blouse |
Union soldiers wore a wool uniform that included the fatigue blouse,
a light-weight wool coat with an inside pocket and four brass buttons
on the front. Blouses were usually made with a wool flannel lining for
added warmth. This coat was meant to be worn when the soldier was doing
chores such as chopping wood or other duties, but many soldiers wore
them all of the time because of their comfort. This lightweight coat
was worn by officers as well, though officers had most of their
uniforms specially made for them by professional tailors. Federal issue
trousers were made of light blue wool, which was very durable. The cap
that most Union soldiers wore was called the forage cap. It was made of wool broadcloth with a rounded, flat top, cotton lining, and leather visor. The men would sew their corps badge
and attach brass numbers that specified their regiment to the top of
the cap. The corps badge was a small flannel cloth badge cut into
different shapes and were either red, white, or blue. The army shirt
the soldiers received was made of wool flannel. It proved to be very
hot to wear and so itchy that most men discarded it, preferring to wear
cotton shirts and underwear sent from home.
Army Shoes |
The army shoes or bootees were made of thick,
blackened leather with heavy leather soles and heels tacked together
with wooden pegs or stitched with thick thread. Some of the first
massed produced leather shoes made specifically for the right and left
foot, Union-made shoes were of excellent quality, and would last as
long as the soldier took care of them. It was a common practice for
soldiers to have small iron horse shoes nailed to the leather soles and
heels to make the shoes last longer and give the wearer traction on
loose soil and pasture land. As for tall leather boots, the Federal
army only authorized boots for Union artillerymen who drove the
artillery limbers and caissons. Some Union cavalrymen obtained these
boots, but they were difficult to come by and very expensive to
produce. Sutlers (merchants who followed the army), charged high prices
for commercially made boots. Usually, officers were the only ones who
could afford to purchase good marching boots.
Cartridge Box & sling |
Every infantryman wore a belt set that included a cartridge box and sling, cap box,
and bayonet scabbard. The belt was made of thick, black leather and
closed at the waist with a large brass buckle with a "US" on the front.
There was a similar brass plate with "US" stamped on it placed on the
cartridge box that hung on the soldier's right hip. This leather box
held forty cartridges, a paper tube filled with a minie ball
and black powder. Cartridges were issued in small packages, each
containing ten rounds. The cartridge box was the safest way to carry
the explosive cartridges, kept in order in the box by means of
removable liners made of tin. Each cartridge box also had a small pouch
that held musket tools and cleaning patches. Union soldiers were
usually given sixty to eighty rounds of ammunition to carry when they
were on a campaign. What could not be fit into the cartridge box was
often carried in the soldier's pockets or knapsack. The cap box,
a small leather pouch worn on the front of the belt, was for the
percussion caps. These were also very explosive and great care had to
be taken when handling them. The scabbard for the bayonet hung
on the soldier's left hip. Also made of black leather, the scabbard had
a loop at the top that fit over the belt. The end of the leather tube
had a brass tip.
Union cavalrymen also wore a belt set designed to accommodate
equipment used by the mounted soldier. The cavalry belt included a
cartridge box for carbine cartridges, a cap box, pistol holster, and
had special straps and hooks that clipped onto the cavalry saber.
Artillerymen usually did not wear belt sets of equipment except for
special ceremonies or if they were in special units called heavy
artillery regiments. Many heavy artillery regiments served as
infantrymen in the latter part of the war.
Union Knapsack |
Union Haversack |
Union soldiers carried their personal belongings in a knapsack.
This was made of heavy canvas, painted black to repel water, with
leather shoulder straps to buckle it closed. It was called the
"soldier's trunk" and was large enough to hold a soldier's extra
clothing, personal items, a gum blanket and shelter half (or "dog
tent"). Straps on the top of the knapsack were used to tie on a
rolled-up blanket or overcoat. Union soldiers were also issued a haversack,
made of painted canvas that was to be used to carry rations. Inside the
haversack was a detachable cotton bag that could be removed and washed.
Haversacks were worn over the shoulder and became a handy device to
carry not only pork, hardtack, and coffee, but personal items and extra
packages of ammunition as well. As one can imagine, these became
foul-smelling and saturated with grease after several weeks of carrying
salt pork and other food stuffs, but it could be easily washed and
cleaned or replaced. It was superior to haversacks made in the South
and Confederates prized them if they could capture one.
Union canteen |
The Union soldier's canteen was also superior to
most Confederate-made canteens. The body of the canteen was made of two
pieces of tin with a pewter spout and cork. The body of the canteen was
covered with a cotton and wool cloth which, when wet, would help keep
the water cool. The first canteens proved to be easily dented, so
improvements were made to strengthen the canteen sides so that it could
not be easily crushed or dented. Along with the canteen and haversack,
soldiers would also carry a strong tin cup or boiler for their coffee,
a metal plate, knife, fork, and spoon. Some carried small frying pans
for cooking their rations of salt pork and hardtack.
As you an imagine, all of this equipment weighed quite
a lot with a full cartridge box, three days worth of rations, rifle,
and extra clothing packed on the soldier's back- somewhere between
forty-five and fifty pounds. New soldiers quickly learned what was
necessary for them to carry and what was less important. Campaigns in
the early spring always began with full knapsacks, but the roads were
soon littered with overcoats, blankets, extra clothing, and shelter
tents that had been tossed aside to lighten the load. Wagons from the Quartermaster Department
always followed the line of march and scooped up the discarded items,
which would be cleaned and re-issued when needed. Often troops were
ordered to move in "light marching order" like the soldier at right,
which meant that knapsacks were left behind in wagons. The men would
wrap their blankets and gum blankets into a roll, tied at one end and
slung over the shoulder. Inside each "horse collar" was a collection of
the man's personal items such as writing paper and pen, toothbrush,
tooth powder, comb, soap, and perhaps a small mirror.
Even though the War Department ordered that all Union soldiers be
dressed alike after Bull Run, there were some exceptions. Some Union
volunteer regiments were raised as zouave
regiments and wore a colorful uniform based on a style of uniform worn
by French troops in North Africa and the Mediterranean. They were very
different from the regular Union uniforms and often featured red
trousers and red fez caps with a large yellow tassel. One would think
that these uniforms would be gladly discarded by most regiments, but
there were zouave regiments dressed in this attire throughout the war
such as the 114th Pennsylvania Infantry. This was a zouave regiment
that retained the distinctive uniform throughout their service. There
were even some regiments in the Army of the Potomac than began their
service in the regular Union uniform, but then switched to zouave
uniforms in 1864.
Apart from the zouave regiments, there were other distinctive units in the Army of the Potomac. One was the "Iron Brigade"
composed of regiments from Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana. They were
tough fighters and won their reputation for fighting "like iron" in
1862 during the Battle of Second Bull Run. The "Excelsior Brigade" was
a special brigade composed of New York regiments that adopted the state
motto "excelsior" for their slogan. The Excelsior Brigade fought at
Gettysburg on July 2. There was also the "Irish Brigade", which was
made up of regiments from New York City, Massachusetts and
Pennsylvania. Irishmen, either born in New York or recent immigrants,
filled the ranks of the three New York regiments in the brigade.
Likewise, the 28th Massachusetts and 116th Pennsylvania were also
composed of soldiers who had immigrated to America in the 1850's. And
from Pennsylvania came the "Philadelphia Brigade", made up of regiments
raised in the city of Philadelphia. The 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry of
this brigade was filled with former firemen from the city and
surrounding towns.
Confederates had a number of nicknames for the Union soldiers, but the most popular one was "Yankee" or "Yank".
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