ARMY OF THE POTOMAC BRANCHES
ARTILLERY
REVISED UNITED STATES ARMY REGULATIONS OF 1861
1455. All Enlisted Men of the Cavalry and Light Artillery shall wear a uniform jacket of dark blue cloth, with one row of twelve small buttons on the breast placed at equal distances; stand-up collar to rise no higher than to permit the chin to turn freely over it, to hook in front at the bottom, and to slope the same as the coat-collar; on the collar, on each side, two blind button-holes of lace, three-eights of an inch wide, one small button on the button-hole, lower button-hole extending back four inches, upper button-hole three and a half inches; top button and front ends of collar bound with lace three-eights of an inch wide, and a strip of the same extending down the front and around the whole lower edge of the jacket; the back seam laced with the same, and on the cuff a point of the same shape as that on the coat, but formed of the lace; jacket to extend to the waist, and to be lined with white flannel; two small buttons at the under seam of the cuff, as on the coat cuff; one hook and eye at the bottom of the collar; color of lace (worsted), yellow for Cavalry, and scarlet for Light Artillery.
The Artillery Shell jacket (shown in pictures) includes the bolsters or pillows on the back of the uniform. The sword belt would rest on these to help hold it in place. Soldiers would sometimes roll up valuables or money in them as shown in the picture where one is unrolled.
CAVALRY
The Revised United States Army regulations of 1861 Section 1483 also stated that for the Cavalry, the color of the lace (worsted) was to be yellow. The collar was made with 2 buttons as seen in the first picture. The other collar picture shows only one button with the worsted lace band around it. This would have been worn by some Volunteer Cavalry units. One unit in particular that wore the single braided collar was that of the 6th Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry also known as Rush's Lancers. As the war went on, many of these would be replaced by the regular cavalry double braided collar.
INFANTRY
1457. For Fatigue Purposes--a sack coat of dark blue flannel extending half-way down the thigh, and made loose, without sleeve or body lining, falling collar, inside pocket on the left side, four coat buttons down the front.
