Did Confederate officers ever have shoulder boards on their uniforms?

[Thundersnow]

Anyone have a picture or painting depicting shoulder board ranks for Confederates?  I'm working on some projects, and for the life of me I can't find anything.

[Rosas]

they only had the rank on the neck of their jackets and something on the sleeve o.0

[Docm30]

Apparently South Carolinian officers wore non-regulation shoulder straps even though they were forbidden by the Confederate army. You can find photos of Major-General Wade Hampton wearing them while a Confederate officer.

[Duuring]

I got this.



The caption reads: 'Second Lieutenant J. B. Washington [The guy on our left], aide to General Johnson, sits with his old West Point Classmate, Second Lieutenant G. A. Custer, 5th US cavarlry, on the day Washington was captured, 31 May 1862.

If there are any inaccuracies about the caption, don't blame me, I'm just typing it right over.

[Hinkel]

In the first year of the war, many confederate officers used their pre war federal uniform with shoulder bars. In 1862, most of them used the new confederate officer uniforms and ranks. But some of them still used grey uniforms with shoulder bar, mostly artillery officers.

[MackCW]

Because of the lack of regulation very few officers went with shoulder boards. I do have one image from "Armies of the South" where a confederate LT. has shoulder boards on a civilian shirt  .

However the most common look is portrayed by this living historian below.



Simplicity.

[Thundersnow]

The caption reads: 'Second Lieutenant J. B. Washington [The guy on our left], aide to General Johnson, sits with his old West Point Classmate, Second Lieutenant G. A. Custer, 5th US cavarlry, on the day Washington was captured, 31 May 1862.

Fascinating. 

I read it again to realize that that was Custer. 


I was about to comment that either it was my imagination or that 73% of all participants in the Civil War looked just like the guy on the right.

[McEwan]

But sometimes sad.

Life can be dreams,

Life can be great thoughts;
----------------------
Diablo 3 Gold and D3 Gold

Tru words, these.

[Agovich]

Well, according to my own research, some regiments did!

Sources:
-The Illustrated Directory of Uniforms, Weapons and Equipment of the Civil War by David Miller

North Carolina Infantry private

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Some wore epaulettes too, and even 1812 styled uniforms

Auburn Guards officer

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Artillery too

Tenesee Light Artillery

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Cavalry, as well, it seems

1st Virginian Cavalrymen

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And for Union styled shoulder boards I've found a few resources, also from the same book

5th Georgian Infantry, Clinch Rifles

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The Confederate Navy used Union-styled shoulder boards for its officers, too

Commander & First Lt;; WARNING VERY LARGE PICTURE

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And the last, but not least

Admiral Franklin Buchanan, Confederate States Navy

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Maybe I should have put adf.ly to get some moneyz, but naah, feel free to see and download, all are from the source stated above, scanned by me

[MackCW]

Straps and shoulder boards are two completely different things. For instance all Richmond Depot Type 1 jackets had straps. This was one of the most common jackets seen on Eastern Confederate troops in the early stages of the war.

Richmond Depot Type 1

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But these were much different from Union Officer Shoulder boards

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Also most of those examples you provided while correct for 1861-62 were gone by the late summer of 1862 (no more boards for the 5th GA). They looked nice, in fact the 5th GA was named the "Pound Cake" regiment because every single company had a different uniform, but for most of the war they wore the earth tones and insignia (or none at all) the Southern Troops became known for.

[Duuring]

Many regiments, if not all, did indeed lose their fancy pre-war dress within the first year. Which is rather a shame, speaking as a Napoleonic re-enactor.

And you are indeed mixing up shoulder straps (which are meant to keep your crossbelt in place) and rank boards, which show...well...rank.

I think it's safe to say they were used a lot at the start of the war, but as the war went on, and uniformity decreased...so went the boards. Not that that's a real shame. I've always rather liked the collar-distinction of the confederates. Big enough to be recognized by your men, but harder to recognize from a distance.

[saturnplanet]

Im not sure they make a pic for that :/

[Thundersnow]

Great research guys! 

[Duuring]

Didn't my custer-photo pretty much solve the question? 

#takingallthecredit