Slightly slower than normal speed. Thank you!
When the Civil War began, the North and the South were not ready for a major war against each other. As a consequence, soldiers did not wear a specific uniform. At first, uniforms were given to the soldiers by the states and local cities. The materials, colours, and styles varied a lot and often depended on where a soldier came from.
But very quickly, the lack of consistent uniforms led to confusion on the battlefield. In some early battles soldiers often shot people from their own side!
Soldiers from the Union started wearing navy coloured uniforms in 1862 whereas Confederate soldiers began to wear grey in 1863.
The Union uniform consisted of a dark blue wool coat with light blue trousers and a dark cap. Soldiers form the Union typically wore shoes that went up to their ankles. Their coat often had bright buttons that sometimes indicated the rank of the soldier or what state they represented. Soldiers also wore badges indicating their rank.
The Confederate uniform was not as consistent as the uniform of the Union. At the start of the war, many Confederate soldiers just wore their own clothes into battle. Then, they chose to wear a waist length grey coat and light blue trousers.
But many Confederate soldiers did not have adequate uniforms because the materials were expensive or because there were not even enough materials. Thus, Confederate soldiers often wore combinations of what they could find and steal as well as their own clothes. They also didn't have very good shoes and sometimes had to go without any shoes at all.
Civil War uniforms were mostly made from wool. As a consequence, many soldiers suffered from heat exhaustion on long marches during the summers.
The typical soldier had a musket or rifle and possibly a knife or a sword for close combat. Some rifles had bayonets at the end that they would use for close combat. Officers often had pistols and a sword to fight with.
Soldiers also carried a backpack which contained a blanket, a fry pan for cooking, and a canteen for water. Other objects often included a comb, a sewing kit to repair their uniforms, silverware, a Bible, and a pocket knife.
if this is too fast, I will record it again.