The uniform, dress, and horse equipments of the army having been changed in many respects since the General Regulations of 1857, the following description of them is published for the information of all concerned:

1. All officers shall wear a frock coat of dark blue cloth, the skirt to extend two-thirds to three-fourths of the distance from the top of the hip to the bend of the knee; single-breasted for captains and lieutenants, double-breasted for all other grades.

18. For officers of the general staff – gilt, convex, with spread eagle and stars, and plain borders; large size, seven-eighths of an inch in exterior diameter; small size, one half inch. (the same applies to Medical Cadets)

26. For officers of the general staff – dark-blue cloth with a gold cord, one-eighth of an inch in diameter, along the outer seam. (Medical Cadets – same as for officers of the general staff, except a welt of buff cloth, instead of a gold cord.)

32. For officers – of best black felt. The dimensions of medium size to be as follows (** this is the Hardee Hat **):

60. For officers of the medical department – medium or emerald green silk net, with silk bullion fringe ends.

For officers of the general staff – dark-blue cloth, one and three eighth inches wide by four inches long; bordered with an embroidery of gold, one-fourth of an inch wide. For majors – one gold embroidered wreath at each end. For a captain – two bars placed parallel to each other at each end. For a first lieutenant – one bar at each end.

For all Officers – black; when a cravat is worn, the tie not to be visible at the opening of the collar.

For all Officers – ankle or Jefferson. (remember, officers bought their own footwear)

Hospital Stewards & Attendants

The uniform of the hospital steward “for fatigue purposes,” that is, for all ordinary duties, consists of the blouse, or sack-coat, and trousers, prescribed by regulations for all foot soldiers. The trousers are to have upon the outer seam of each leg a stripe of crimson worsted lace, one and one-half inch wide. It is advisable that that half chevron described for the full uniform of the hospital steward should also be worn upon the undress coat. He should take enough pride in his personal appearance to keep his clothes neat and his boots clean and well blackened.

The undress cap is the regulation forage cap, similar to that of other enlisted men.

The full uniform of a hospital steward consists of -

1. Uniform coat, which is a dark-blue cloth single-breasted frock, the same as that prescribed by army regulations for all enlisted foot men; except that the cord or welt of cloth which edges the cuffs and collar is crimson, instead of being sky-blue as for infantry, or yellow as for engineers.
2. Trousers of sky-blue cloth, with a stripe of crimson lace one and one-half inch wide down and over the outer seam.
3. Hat, a black felt hat, the same as that of all enlisted men. The cord of buff and green mixed, the wreath in front of brass, with the letters U.S. in Roman, of white metal. Brim to be looped up to side of hat with brass eagle, having a hook attached to the bottom to secure the brim. The feather to be worn on the side opposite the loop.
4. Cravat or stock, black leather, the same as that of all enlisted men.
5. Boots or shoes, the same issued to all enlisted men.
6. Sash, “red worsted sash, with worsted bullion fringe ends; to go twice around the waist, and to tie behind the left hip, pendent part not to extend more than eighteen inches below the tie.”
7. Sword belt and plate, the same as for all non-commissioner officers.
8. Sword, the same as for non-commissioner officers.
9. Chevrons, “a half chevron of the following description, viz.: of emerald-green cloth, one and three-fourths inches wide, running obliquely downward from the outer to the inner seam of the sleeve, and at an angle of about thirty degrees with a horizontal, parallel to and one-eighth of an inch distant from both the upper and lower edge, an embroidery of yellow silk one-eighth of an inch wide, and in the centre a “caduceus” two inches long, embroidered also with yellow silk, the head towards the outer seam of the sleeve.”

To indicate service, the additional half chevrons allowed for all non-commissioned officers, viz., at the expiration of five years’ service, a diagonal half chevron one-half an inch wide, to be worn upon both sleeves of the uniform coat, below the elbow, extending from seam to seam, the front end nearest the cuff, and one-half an inch above the point of the cuff, to be of the same color as the edging on the coat (crimson). In like manner, an additional half chevron, above and parallel to the first, for every subsequent five years of faithful service. Distance between each chevron, one-fourth of an inch.
Overcoat, the same as for enlisted men.
Gloves.—On full-dress occasions, white cotton gloves should be worn.
Scales.—On each shoulder of the uniform coat is worn a metallic scale, the same as worn by all non-commissioned officers and enlisted men.

Besides the stewards, the following classes of hospital attendants may be enumerated: enlisted men, civilians, the hospital corps, female nurses, and laundresses (matrons of army regulations).

The male attendants were formerly all enlisted men, detailed for the duty by the commanding officer on the recommendation of the surgeon.

Recently, however, the Secretary of War has authorized the employment in certain cases of civilians as cooks and nurses, in general hospitals only; and thus a new body of hospital attendants has been created, which is designated the “Hospital Corps.”

Enlisted men selected as hospital attendants may be either non-commissioned officers or private soldiers. It is usual for non-commissioned officers to be employed as ward-masters, or in some similar responsible positions, only, and private soldiers for all other duty.

In either case, the enlisted man, besides his ordinary pay and emoluments, is entitled to twenty-five cents daily “extra duty pay,” which is paid by the paymaster on a roll made out by the surgeon, after the form on p. 31.

The pay and emoluments of these enlisted men as soldiers are obtained from the paymaster, on their descriptive lists, or on the hospital muster roll, duly made out by the surgeon, on forms furnished from the Adjutant General’s office.

The distribution of these attendants as cooks, nurses, &c., and the assignment to each of his duties, is made by the surgeon.

Enlisted men thus employed are under the orders of the surgeon, to whom they are to look up as their commanding officer. They are also under orders of the hospital steward, to all whose lawful commands they must yield prompt obedience. They are exempt from all other duty, but “shall attend the parades for muster and weekly inspections of their companies at the post, unless specially excused by the commanding officer.

Sobriety, intelligence, and cheerful obedience to all lawful commands are indispensable qualifications for hospital attendants, and those who show capacity and industry are generally selected by the surgeon for promotion to higher grades of ward-master and steward.

1477. For Enlisted Men--of black felt, same shape and size as for officers, with double row of stitching, instead of binding, around the edge. To agree in quality with the pattern deposited in the clothing arsenal.

1467. For all Enlisted Men - yellow, the same as is used by the Artillery, &c., omitting the letter in the shield.

For Enlisted Men of Artillery, Infantry, Engineers, and Ordnance – Jefferson, rights and lefts, according to pattern.

*Union soldiers were generally issued four pairs of boots a year. These ankle boots were generally referred to as brogans. They should be made with the rough side of the leather on the outside.*

• Flannel shirt, drawers, stockings, and stable-frock – the same as now furnished.
  
  

  *Three shirts a year were generally issued. These shirts were made of flannel or coarse wool. Cotton shirts were not issued after 1852. The issued shirts had small turn over collars with a row of three buttons on the front up to the neck. Double breasted shirts were also popular and often worn over other shirts.*
  
  

• Blanket – woolen, gray, with letters U.S. in black, four inches long, in the centre; to be seven feet long, and five and a half feet wide, and to weigh five pounds.
• Haversack-of painted canvas, with an inside sack unpainted, according to the pattern now issued by the Quartermaster’s Department.
• Canteen-of tin, covered with woolen cloth, of the pattern now issued by the Quartermaster’s Department.