Shoulder Boards/Straps-US Officer-Civil War-Indian Wars

Listed below is a compilation of US Army Regulations of 1857, 1861 & 1861 ref. 1863 which dictate regulation strap colors. However, for reasons unknown, reenactors and living historians often substitue black for dark blue when wearing General Officer and Staff straps. This is probably due to the fact that modern US Army shoulder boards for General Officers are black, so people just assumed they were the same color in the Civil War. Likewise, most Infantry Officers opt for dark blue when the color for the Infantry was, and is currently, sky blue. However, to accomodate the desires of customers, whereever possible we offer both Black and regulation Dark Blue General and Staff straps, as well as regulation sky blue for Infantry officers. 

Shoulder-Straps: 1537. For the Major-General Commanding the Army–dark blue cloth, 1538. For all other Major-Generals–the same as for the Major-General Commanding the Army, 1539. For a Brigadier General–the same as for the Major-General, 1540. For a Colonel–the same as for a Major-General, as represented in the arms of the United States cloth of the strap as follows: For the General Staff and Staff Corps–dark blue; for Artillery–scarlet; Infantry–light or sky blue; Cavalry–yellow. 1541. For a Lieutenant-Colonel–the same as for a Colonel, 1542. For a Major–the same as for a Colonel, 1543. For a Captain–the same as for a Colonel, 1544. For a First Lieutenant–the same as for a Colonel, according to corps, 1545. For a Second Lieutenant–the same as for a Colonel.