The appearance of exuberant patriots in 1861 will become a far cry from the battle-hardened and war-weary veterans stacking arms in 1865. Their journey in between sees them through highs of receiving new gear and lows of marching in bedraggled uniforms. Over the course of the conflict, a multitude of efforts are made by various government and citizen agencies to clothe and equip “their boys in the field” as best as possible.

The guidelines below serve as a general frame of reference for a generic portrayal of infantrymen serving in the Army of Northern Virginia from 1861 to 1865. The AVG applies these guidelines when there is no other guidance that applies more specifically to a particular unit, time, and place.

It is advised that one start with building and honing an impression that works for Mid-War portrayals, as most events tend to focus on the events that took place during this phase. In doing so, you can also technically stretch most components of a Mid-War impression into Late-War events. You can also “backdate” some items in a Mid-War kit to meet Early-War standards (i.e. applying black tape or facings to a “Type 2” Richmond jacket, thus turning it into a “Type 1” in a pinch). As you evolve in your living history journey, you will eventually want to acquire a second garment to allow for greater flexibility, but most of the foundational elements of a Mid-War impression span the entirety of the conflict.

The biggest factors to consider in as impression is the ratio of domestic to imported materials and goods. Records show that Savannah, Georgia was importing British arms and accouterments in 1862 ahead of the Seven Days Battles around Richmond. As such, some imported items like hats and accouterments can be permissible depending on the event/unit portrayal. Longstreet’s Corps is the first of the ANV to receive English Army Cloth (EAC) uniforms in the Spring of 1863 ahead of the Gettysburg Campaign. There is documentation of state-issue garments at the Battle of Cedar Creek in October, 1864. States such as Georgia and North Carolina successfully clothed their troops well into the conflict – the latter of which had warehouses full of unissued uniform goods when they were captured during the final stages of the war.

As such, the AVG offers four stages of material culture evolution to consider when aligning a “generic ANV” impression with the three stages of the war. The Mid-War phase can be broken down into halves defined by the Spring of 1863 when EAC is issued to Longstreet’s Corps. Prior to this, one’s “Mid-War impression” should consist largely of domestic materials and goods with some imported accouterments (again, the use of imported gear and/or captured Federal items is very dependent on unit, time, and place research). If the impression or event is focused on the Gettysburg Campaign or beyond, EAC is more permissible, though domestics are still very appropriate.

Make sure everything fits, can be worn properly, and is positioned/adjusted correctly. If not it can cause issues when drilling, performing as a soldier, and make you uncomfortable. Between this and not “looking the part” will take away from an otherwise quality impression!

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