In the first battle of the American Civil War, the Union Army marched from Washington DC to Manassas Junction to put a swift end to the Southern rebellion. In the beginning, soldiers and civilians romanticized the coming war. Civilian onlookers from Washington came with parasols, picnic baskets and wine to watch the Union victory. (Imagine a present day Civil War re-enactment) When the battle turned into a Union rout, spectators and soldiers ran for their lives in what has become known as the "Great Skedaddle" leaving behind weapons and personal belongings in the chaos. Americans viewed the reality of battle as a terrifying, horrible experience, in which thousands of men were killed and wounded. It was evident that the war, which had initially been expected to be a short one, was likely to extend into the following year.
Also evident was the fact that unless some effort was made to dress both armies in distinctive uniforms, there would be continued instances of soldiers from the same command firing on friendly forces. Many soldiers of the 4th Virginia wore parts or complete Union uniforms into battle making them virtually indistinguishable from the soldiers on the other side of the battlefield - like the 4th Virginia, the 1st Minnesota was wearing a similar uniform. This young Confederate soldier is wearing U.S. Army issuesd pants and a 1839 U.S. Army forage cap. |
