What percentage of confederate infantry wore grey?

[Ric]

I'm currently working on a small ACW project and was wondering if anyone knows what percentage of confederate infantry wore grey uniforms? I know that a lot of them wore whatever they owned, and that some wore blue but a ratio could be helpful!

Cheers

[GordonY]

Surprisngly high ratio if the sources quoted on TMP on this very subject are to be believed. The whole Butternut/Homespun thing  owes its existence apparently more to the reenactors than to any actual evidence. But set against that theres the whole "Elephants are grey" aspect of the hobby, we know that Elephants are'nt actually grey but any other colour just looks wrong on the tabletop so feel free to add as much butternut as you wish.

[Ric]

Awesome Gordon, thanks!

[FierceKitty]

Surprisngly high ratio if the sources quoted on TMP on this very subject are to be believed. The whole Butternut/Homespun thing  owes its existence apparently more to the reenactors than to any actual evidence. But set against that theres the whole "Elephants are grey" aspect of the hobby, we know that Elephants are'nt actually grey but any other colour just looks wrong on the tabletop so feel free to add as much butternut as you wish.

I see 'em quite often, and I'd call 'em gray.

[GordonY]

African ones look a lot more beown than grey, but painting them like that just doesnt look right. Hence Mid-Grey big thing, must be a heffalump!

But anyway have a read of this thread http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=96439 pretty much says whatever you think looks pretty.

[Hertsblue]

Oh, look, TMP is down for maintenance again (09.00).   

[Fenton]

Oh, look, TMP is down for maintenance again (09.00).   

It does it every morning between 8.30 and 10am approx

[Ric]

Yeah tmp always seems to be down, ive noticed that it's been very quiet there of late, think folk are a little fed up of the down time and that 'your welcome boys' guy...

Back on topic, ive pretty much went with grey and a couple of browns, yellows and reds, ive probably spent more time decorating their shoulder bags than the uniforms!

[FierceKitty]

African ones look a lot more beown than grey, but painting them like that just doesnt look right. Hence Mid-Grey big thing, must be a heffalump!

But anyway have a read of this thread http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=96439 pretty much says whatever you think looks pretty.

I can't find the elephants on that page. Do I need new specs?

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

To bring it back to the question, it also depends on which state you are talking about, Virginia Rgts would be in proper uniform, but those from Georgia wouldn't. Virginia was rich, Gerogia wasn't, so rgts could be properly uniformed.

IanS

[Ace of Spades]

If I may add some comments after spending quite some time studying the subject... It depends much more on the period and theatre then on the State the troops came from. Relatively rich states like Virginia initially also had to cloth the most men being the state that sent most troops to the war (with North Carolina being close as second!); availabilty was much more important than whether any money was on hand. Also; virtually all troops in the Eastern theare (Army of North Virginia) were equipped from the Richmond QM Depot; supplying standardized jackets and trousers to all troops in the ANV regardless of their home state, not just Virginia.
At the beginning of the war grey wool and dye was still available and the effects of the Union blockade were not yet so severe; also the grey wool uniforms that militia units wore before the war started lasted for about a year (jackets and coats that is) so up to the Peninsular campaign in 1862 grey wool would still be common.
During 1862 the supply situation started to deteriorate; with the ANV fighting two campaigns in one season and the Union blockade starting to take effect. The fact that there was hardly any wool production in the South made the Confederacy rely on the wool/cotton mix called jeancloth or 'homespun' which they then also had to dye themselves. The lack of grey dye made for the local production of dye resulting in several shades of greyish brown colours. There still is a discussion whether the originals would have been greyer then the surviving examples in musea although it is generally accepted that shades varied from brown through sand to grey. Quantities of grey cloth were still smuggled through the blockade though and a certain percentage of wool grey jackets could still be seen in 1862/1863.
The situation got better in 1864 with larger quantities of grey cloth and even complete uniforms coming mainly from Britain (Ireland) got through the blockade. The shade of grey was changing toward a color called Cadet-Grey; a lighter version of which can be compared with RAF grey/blue and also a darker blue grey shade. During 1865 the supply situation actualy improved so much that even officers, who were usually asked to supply their own uniforms, were enabled to draw supplies from the Richmond QM Depot.
For armies in the West grey would gradually get less and less available with the Mississippi in Union hands thus cutting supplies from the East and all ports West of the Mississippi being pretty well blocked. Thus making the QM depots rely more heavily on local products.
So it really depends on what you want to portray; for a mid-war unit in the ANV a mix of grey 50% and butternut 50% would in my opinion be pretty good since even jeancloth could be supplied in grey. If you want to portray an early war unit I would go for 80% light to medium grey. Late war up to 70% in cadet grey, the rest in different shades of 'butternut' and even mix in some sky blue trousers captured from the Yanks!

Hope this is of any use.

Cheers,
Rob

[Leman]

Some Union observers reported that the ANV at Gettysburg was much better dressed than it had been at Antietam, suggesting that the worst period for ANV uniforms being standard was 1862 through to early 1863. This would be the period when the 1861 uniforms were wearing out but the government depots had not yet swung into full effect. Two additional points for the Army of Tennessee:

* an order was issued in 1863/4 that captured Union trousers be dyed as too many Confederates were suffering from friendly fire;

* many uniforms for this western army came from the Columbus depot which often issued waist length grey jackets with blue collars and/or round cuffs. This was a mid-blue rather than sky blue.

Hope this helps.

Finally a painting showing French's attack (Confederate) on Corse's troops (Union) at Allatoona in October 1864 shows a 50/50 mix of grey and mid-brown uniforms. Interestingly there is no mixing - the uniform is either all grey or all brown.

[Ric]

Thanks Ace and Dour for your In depth answers, certainly very interesting and gives me plenty of direction, thanks a bunch!