Uniform Guidelines
for
North Carolina
Select a year: 1861 1862 1863 1864&65
Select an image: Early War Mid to Late War
Uniform
Coat: 50% N.C. Sackcoat & 50% private contract patterns, pre-war militia and others.
Pants: Same as above.
Hat: Predominately McDowell pattern forage caps. Some plug hats and other styles. Some pre-war militia and U.S.
Overcoat: None
Weapons and Accutrements
Weapons: Almost exclusively pre-war conversion smoothbores (U.S. M1816, M1822, M1835, M1842) provided by the Militia Act of 1808 and stored at the Fayetteville, N.C. armory. Some Model 1841.
Cartridge Box: Almost exclusively pre-war .69 cal. U.S. issue or militia types. Some .54 cal.
Cap Box: Pre-war government issue
Waistebelt: Leather with pre-war militia plates, roller buckles, or other unit-specific types.
Knapsack: Hardpacks
Canteen: Pre-war, private contract types and others
Footwear: Brogans, boots, civilian and others
Note: Bayonets appropriate to firearms for all years. North Carolina produced uniforms for enlisted men were almost exclusively made of jeans cloth material for the entire war.
Uniform
Coat: North Carolina sackcoat, North Carolina shell jacket, other private contract patterns, captured U.S., and civilian.
Pants: Same as above
Hat: McDowell pattern forage caps, slouch, plug, pre-war militia and U.S., captured U.S., civilian, ect.
Overcoat: Some N.C. issue, civilian, captured U.S.
Weapons and Accutrements
Weapons: Many pre-war U.S. modles (converted), imports, C.S., N.C., ect.
Cartridge Box: Standard .54, .58, 69 cal. models, some imports.
Cap Box: Standard issue, some imports
Waistebelt: Black leather or prepared cloth with roller buckle, some pre-war militia and captured U.S.
Knapsack: Hard and softpack types, some imports.
Canteen: Government models, private contractors, ect.
Footwear: Standard brogans and private contractors
Note: 1862, particularly Summer and Fall, North Carolina Troops were less uniformly clothed and more "threadbare" in appearance than any other time during the war. Combination of N.C. issue, private contractors, civilian and captured U.S.
Uniform
Coat: Predominately N.C. shell jackets, some privately contracted unit-specific patterns.
Pants: N.C. issue plain gray, some unit-specific patterns.
Hat: 80% slouch and plug hats (brims worn up) .
20% forage cap and others.
Overcoat: N.C. issue, some others
Weapons and Accutrements
Weapons: Predominately pre-war U.S., captured U.S., imports, some N.C. issue.
Cartridge Box: Standard .54, .58, .69 cal., U.S., C.S., N.C., some imports.
Cap Box: Same as above
Waistebelt: Black leather or prepared cloth with roller buckle, some unit specific others.
Knapsack: Mostly softpack, some hardpack, some imports.
Canteen: Standard U.S., C.S. types, some wooden.
Footwear: Standard brogans, ect.
Note: The lack of uniformity of 1862 decreased in 1863. Supply and demand dovetailed at about the time of Gettysburg. North Carolina Troops ended 1863 looking much more uniform and well equiped than when the year began.
Year: 1864&65
Uniform
Coat: N.C. shell jackets made of jean cloth material. Color: gray
Pants: N.C. issue, plain gray, jean cloth.
Note: The gray color varied somewhat from one cloth batch to another. In the field, as a result of varied conditions, useage, ect., the shade of gray varied somewhat from man to man and unit to unit.
Hat: 80% slouch or plug hat (brim worn up).
20% forage cap and others.
Overcoat: N.C. issue gray.
Weapons and Accutrements
Weapons: 80% Enfields, U.S. M1861, M1863.
20% .69 cal. N.C. rifles, others
Cartridge Box: Standard .54, .58, .69, some imports.
Cap Box: Standard issue and some imports
Waistebelt: Black leather or prepared cloth with roller buckle.
Knapsack: Softpack and some imports.
Canteen: Standard U.S., C.S., N.C., and some others.
Footwear: Standard black and brown brogans.
Note: Leather gear was predominately black. Prepared cloth was gradually replacing leather for belts and cartridge box slings. One half or more of the soldiers used knapsacks. Soldiers were required to keep uniforms and equipment clean and repaired. As the war progressed, the use by North Carolinians of cartridge box plates, waist belts, and cartridge box sling plates declined significantly.