I don't know that the Suth Carolina troops were better uniformed throughout the war, but clearly all six of the regioments of Jenkins' Brigade received new uniforms, apparently all from the same source, in early June, 1864, while at Petersburg. There are a number of descriptions of them, differing somewhat as to the color of the jacket. Henry C. Conner, writing to his wife Ellen on 25 Jun 63, commented on his new uniform, "... which is very nice, but a little too blue, but [and] I am afraid that it will give us some trouble, as Jenkins will want to review us every day or two." Conner Letters, South Caroliniana. Jenkins was a bit of a martinet, and did parade his brigade whenever he got the chance. There was much grumbling by the men.

An article in the Confederate Baptist by the chaplain of the 6 S.C. dated June 25, 1863, indicates that the entire brigade was reviewed by D. H. Hill, "... dressed in full sky blue uniforms and Confederate grey caps."

A letter of J. N. Craig, chaplain of the 5 S.C., printed in the Lancaster Ledger 15 Jul 63, p. 1, describes the brigade as deseed in a "new uniform - grey cap and jacket, with blue pants." Craig was describing the same review as was Chaplain Gwin in the Confederate Baptist.

Two weeks later the Brigade oppsoed Erasmus Keyes' sortie toward Bottom's Bridge. An article in Frtank Moore's Rebellion Record, Vol VII, p. 332 of the Narrative, describes a prisoner, obviously of the Brigade, whose "... uniform was quite new, a bright blue loose jacket and blue pants, with gaiters chasseur de pied fashion [whatever that is!]."

Light blue and gray can easily be misidentified, but "bright blue" confused with gray, I think not!

An article in the Greenville Southern Enterprise 16 Jul 63, p. 1, signed by Legion, obviously a member of the Hampton Legion, described Jenkins' entire brigade as bneing uniformed in "Confederate gray coats and blue pants."

When the brigade went west with Longstreet, the new uniforms caused some problems. Elijah T. Tollison, of Comapny E of the Legion, wrote in his Reminiscences, "... Bragg's men thought we were Yankees on account of our uniforms being different from theirs, and we had to turn them wrong side out." "Reminiscences of Confederate Soldiers ..., Vol II, p. 227, Georgia Dept of Archives and History.
Christopher C. Poppenheim, of Company A of the Legion, wrote to his fiancee on 26 Sep 63, "A great ,many of Longstreet's men are uniformed like our Brigade, that is with dark gray jackets and blue pants. We look like Yankees. In the fight the other day [he refers to Chickamauga] some of Bragg's men shot into some of Hood's Texas Brigade and shot a good many, taking them for Yankees. Some of our Brigade had the same thing happen to them. But now we have turned our jackets and have a dirty white jacket and blue pants." Apparently the jacket was liend with a cotton lining; a white jacket would'nt have been much for campflague.

Augustus Dickert, of the 2nd S.C., confirmed that not only Jenkins but other of Longstreet's troops were uniformed differently; he wrote in his history of Kershaw's Brigade, "Longstreet's troops had recently been newly uniformed, consisting of a dark-blue round jacket, closely fitting, with light blue trousers, which made a line of Confederates resemble that of the enemy, the only difference being the "cut" of the garments -- the Federals wearing a loose blouse instead of a tight fitting jacket. The uniforms of the Eastern troops made quite a contrast with the tattered and torn homemade jeans of their Western brethren." Dickert, History of Kershaw's Brigade, p. 268.

Joseph B. Polley, one of the members of Hood's Texas Brigade, writes an amusing story of how a South Carolinian of Jenkins Brigade chanced to play poker with the Texans one day on the siege liens below Look Mountain, and how his new uniform pants gave away his identity as a South Carolinian -- "Seems to me his breeches are newer'n they ought to be." It is in Confederate Veteran, "Reminiscences of Chattanooga,", Vo V, Jan., 1897, pp. 11-13.