Quote Originally Posted by Zardoz
I think that website is trying to sell some kilts, not go for historic accuracy! Various units of the Confederate military wore widely different uniforms. I don't think any of them wore kilts, but I'm no expert in this area. I know many officers and men wore parts of their US Army uniforms in the beginning. If you look at the movie 'Gods and Generals' which is a pretty accurate depiction of the first months of the conflict, and 'Gettysburg' also pretty accurate, and you'll see everything from US Army to VMI cadet uniforms, as well as some unique state guard uniforms and homemade / civilian clothing adaptions being worn by Confederate troops.
Give that man a cheroot! Plus ten for observation!

At the beginning of the war, both the Northern & Southern governments did not have funds and/or resources to equip and uniform their forces, so volunteers relied on the individual states, as well as local militia units, to provide uniforms. Some states funded their militias very well, others like Missouri and Iowa did not. So, at the Battle of Wilson's Creek in August, 1861, there were several Southern units wearing blue militia uniforms, such as the Washington Blues of St. Louis and the Belle Point Guards and Reid's Battery of Ft. Smith, Arkansas. The Missouri State Guard had a wide mixture of dress, from uniformed companies, such as the aforementioned St. Louis unit, all the way to farmers in civilian attire, armed with shotguns and hunting rifles.

On the Northern side, you had the US Regulars, dressed in army issue uniforms, and several units wearing militia uniforms -- no two companies of the 1st Iowa Infantry were dressed alike, with one company, I Coy. (The Govenor's Greys), wearing grey tunics. The 3rd & 5th Missouri, composed mostly of German immigrants from St. Louis, also wore grey overshirts. Both grey and blue were popular colours for militia uniforms. While the Federal Army was able to standardize uniforms for its volunteers for the most part (with many exceptions), the Confederate forces never really achieved anything like that, with all sorts of colours (butternut brown and even undeyed white wool jackets for the Missouri Brigade), styles and equipment.

There were some very good impressions in "Gettysburg", and some very BAD ones!

Whilst I have read claims of some Confederate uniforms wearing kilts (the SC Highland Guard comes to mind), I have never seen concrete documentation for it. The most famous example is the 79th New York, which as a militia unit based it's uniforms on the Cameron Highlanders, right down to the Cameron of Erracht kilt, but there is quite a debate among historians as to whether they were ever actually worn in the field during the first months of the war. Most sources say trews, and then later, the standard issue sky-blue kersey trousers.

Cheers,

Todd