Now for another session of Ian's painting tips...

The Union

Use a very dark blue for jackets(eg Prussian Blue), often the jackets are painted far too light. Jackets would most often be the sack coat, although shell jackets and frockcoats would also have made appearances. Haversack (Breadbag) will most often be black as they were waterproofed. For early war white (Canvas) would be acceptable. The Knapsack (Backpack) would be black, often with the regiments details stencilled on the back!

Canteens would normally be covered in either blue or grey. Either a white canvas or black leather strap is acceptable. Blankets would normally be grey, although blue and red are also acceptable. An alternative is to paint the gum blanket which would have been black. Leather work is black and all fixings would be brass(Cartridge Box Plate, Breastplate, Scabbard Tip, Buttons, Belt Buckle), sharpshooters are the exception as they used black rubberised buttons and tarnished brasswork. Trousers should be sky blue, for early war and some regiments a dark blue as per the jacket is acceptable.

Headwear would either be forage cap (kepi without brim), Slouch hat or Hardee hat. Forage Caps are blue as per the jacket, Slouch and Hardee Hats are Black. Slouch hats where much more prevalent in the Western Armies. In the late war the corp badge would normally have been displayed on the forage cap(A coloured dot at this scale?). Oilskin covers on forage caps/kepi are also acceptable and these would have been black.

Muskets would normally be one of two types. Enfield or Springfield. Unions weapons would normally have been supplied blackened, although a lot of troops burnished their barrels. So metal fixings (not brass)can be left black or painted metallic! All fixings on the Springfield would have been metallic silver (But Plate, Trigger, Hammer and Plate, Barrel, Bands). On the Enfield the But Plate is brass and so is the bit of metal below the muzzle. Zouave uniform varied greatly from regiment to regiment and are too varied to mention here. Interesting uniforms include the semi zouave where just an embroidered shell jacket would have been worn. Greatcoats would normally have been the same colour as the trousers(This can be painted on top of the Knapsack in place of a blanket). Grey was also used and black as well on a couple of occasions. The flags carried would normally have been the stars and stripes(the number of stars may differ slightly) and the Union battleflag which comprised an eagle on a blue field with motifs. For something slightly different the Irish Regiments carried green Battleflags.

The Confederates

The Confederate Uniform Colour can vary greatly. A large proportion would be dressed in grey(Use a couple of colours though) as they were better supplied than a lot of people think. Butternut is best depicted as a sandy colour, although anything up to a dark brown is feasible. There should also be a large amount of Union uniform mixed in! Headgear should either be a Slouch Hat (Black or Brown generally), Forage Cap (If a kepi instead then there will be a band of colour according to service) or Captured Headgear. Not too many feathers and plumes though!!! Haversacks (Breadbag) can be canvas or black, whilst canteens should either be as per union or wooden. Brown leather straps are also acceptable. Blankets can be pretty much what you want, although the odd Soft Knapsack would have appeared. Leatherwork can be brown or black, as can boots, and fixings would have been brass (Generally just Belt Buckles).

Muskets are pretty much as per the union although it is worth noting than many more barrels would have been burnished and so a touch more colourful. Older weapons would also have made more of an appearance, particularly short two band weapons (The number of holdings bands, enfields and springfields had three). Zouaves are as per the Union, each regiment was different. A word of warning, the jacket worn by the Tiger Zouaves was blue not brown as many people think. the brown jacket came from the colour of a jacket that was excavated which had been seriously oxidised whilst in the soil. The stripy trousers are of course okay though. But with plenty more Zouave regiments to choose from and the Tigers being on every tabletop why not have a dabble?

Confederate flags can be slightly more varied than those carried by the Union as the National Flag went through several changes. The classic cross and stars never became the Confederate national flag but instead the battle flag. As a result fun can be had with it. I think a palmetto regiment had one in blue and white.