Women
of the garrison had a less authorized uniform but one that fitted the class structure and
social order of the time. The wives of the men in the ranks wore a plain cotton dress with
apron and a hairpiece called a ‘snood.’ Their shoes were made of plain leather
common to the period. It was in distinct contrast to the more ornate dress worn by an
officer’s wife, in keeping with her position as an upper-class citizen.
Similarly, the civilians employed by the Army of 1867 had their own type of clothing to wear which designated their role within the Army. The schoolmaster wore a black, knee-length frock coat, while the schoolmistress wore a skirt, blouse and jacket cut in a style known as a ‘zouave’ jacket, similar to the uniforms worn by the ‘zouave’ units who served in the American Civil War.
