Apr
Confederate Gray
The most popular eras for military history buffs and miniature collectors are the American Civil War, the Napoleonic Wars and World War II. In the United States, the Civil War is the top genre. Overseas, Napoleonics are top, with our Civil War and World War II vying for second place. The two foreign countries with the most Civil War collectors are Britain and Germany. Almost every American military miniature collector has a few Civil War miniatures, even if he is not a fan of that era.
Many people assume the Civil War was a matter of Blue versus Gray. In actuality, the uniforms of both sides varied greatly. Take Zouaves, who were dressed in a Moroccan-inspired uniform. Zouaves served with distinction for the French during the Crimean War. Some of the wealthier American militia units adopted Zouave attire. Other units copied various styles, usually French. Some wore colorful chasseur uniforms, for instance. Both sides had Zouaves and a variety of colorful units.
The Confederate forces are generally thought to have worn gray. There are people who talk of Confederate gray as if it is a specific color. They assume it is a light gray used in early uniforms. However, the Confederates used many shades of gray. Uniforms ranged from pale gray to very dark varieties. Part of the variety was the local militias, many of whom had commissioned their own unique uniforms. Part was due to shortages in dyes and clothing, so that clothiers had to use whatever shades were available. One source of uniforms was Britain, who provided medium gray clothing.
Which shade is the real Confederate gray? There may have been an official shade, or maybe not. In practice, the gray uniforms of the Confederacy ran the gamut from very light gray to blue-gray to dark gray. What we can safely say is that Confederate gray is gray. Which shade of gray? Any one of them!
The quandary of Confederate gray illustrates something found in many fields. Nitpickers like to be precise to the point of annoyance. There are things that cannot be nitpicked, no matter how hard they try. These are not a precise thing, but cover a range or variety. They can be anything within that range. There is room within it for variation. No matter how much it varies, it is still the same thing. Look again at the example of Confederate gray. It can be light or dark or medium or slightly bluish, but it is still Confederate gray.
Precision has its place, but there are those situations where precision has no place. No effort of man can make them more precise. Just as we need to be exacting in some matters, so we must be imprecise in others. Wisdom is in knowing the difference.
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The two most popular personalities of the Civil War are Generals Grant and Lee. Sherman, Sheridan, Jackson and others are well-known, but more miniatures of Grant and Lee are sold than any other Civil War general.
