Jim Martin
"Boiled" Captured Union Uniforms
Sun Jul 8 11:31:09 2001


Larry, this is addressed to you and others currently discussing Confederate uniforms, specifically captured Union uniforms.

In the Trans-Mississippi, especially, it was not unheard of for the troops to be wearing captured Union Uniforms. In certain cases, especially in the Indian Territory, the Native-American troops wore unaltered uniforms, or components thereof, captured in raids (i.e., 2nd Battle of Cabin Creek and others). Because of a desire to have a non-Union appearance and due to complaints from the Federal command many of the troops attempted to "boil" the color out of these Union uniforms.

I have no idea what the resulting appearance was of these boiled uniforms. Is anyone aware of a picture or detailed description of what these captured Union uniforms looked like after they were boiled?

Thanks,

Jim Martin