As previously mentioned, uniform issues evolved and changed over the course of the war.

In June 1864, the 26th Va had just returned to Virginia the previous month. Many of the units coming in during that time received new uniform issues from the Richmond Depot, on their arrival around the May-Jun time frame. Unfortunately QM issue invoices generally do not give specifics of cloth or style issued. One batch might be wool, the next could be jean cloth. Much of what was being produced in the summer of 1864 was also of the imported British Blue-Grey army cloth... What is classified as the Richmond Depot Type-II were still being issued, and the newer RD-III's would soon start to emerge also, as well as the imported Tait Jackets a little later... It was a transitional period between the different patterns and cloth materials... I have not found any mid-late war photographs of any member of the 26th or Wises Brigade to give further clue what they might have specifically received around that time frame... What is noted above is what was generally available and known to have been issued in the ANV...

Accoutrements and gear would generally also be of Richmond Depot issues. Waist belts/plates issued during this era would typically be of the simple utilitarian Georgia Frame, Forked Tongue, or Roller buckle types. More durable and cheaper to produce. Excavated numbers and examples of these tend to further support the use. "CS" buckles depending on the type and style, normally tended to be a predominately a western theater item. There was one version of the rectangle "CSA" with a limited issue out of Richmond, that differed slightly from the more common Atlanta Depot version of the same buckle, but these tended to be a bit rare. "CS" ovals are a western theater item generally. The "CS" oval that is an exact copy of the US oval is a collectors fantasy buckle that surfaced in the late 1950's and 60's Civil War centennial era... despite still being used by some reenactors of a buckle that never actually existed...

Frederick