How to Tell the Yankees from the Rebels!

How to Tell the Yankees from the Rebels!. . Has someone told you the Union (the Yankees) wore blue and the Confederates (the Rebels) wore gray? If so, you might be confused as were many Civil War soldiers. While Union uniforms were generally blue, some Yankees wore other colors. The Confederacy chose gray for their uniform jackets, but many Rebel soldiers wore butternut, a kind of orangey/brown. Some wore blue jackets. Others wore whatever they happened to have since uniforms were expensive and in short supply., This caused confusion during battles - how did you know who was on your side and who was the enemy?, Captions(clockwise from left): , . United States Army Private , . Officers, especially generals, often modified their uniform to their personal style. Notice the number of different style jackets and hats worn by General Sherman's officers during their March through Georgia. , . This soldier served in the Lynchburg Rifles, 11th Virginia. Notice how his uniform looks nothing like the one to the right. This image is from a hand-colored ambrotype. Color photography had not yet been developed. , . Confederate States Army Private , . Another hand-colored photograph shows a Confederate soldier in a sack coat with rifle, Bowie knife, and unusual head gear. The official uniform included a frock coat, but many soldiers preferred the more comfortable sack coat, shown below. , . These cadets of Ellsworth's Chicago Zouave copied their flashy uniorms after Algerian members of the French army, distinguished by their dash, hardiness, and picturesque Oriental uniforms.