In 1861, at the outbreak of the Civil War, the regular Union Army had an existing set of Dress Regulations, prescribing for infantry both dress and fatigue uniforms.

This set of figures depicts men uniformed and equipped for campaign with the fatigue cap, fatigue sack coat, cartridge box, percussion cap box, bayonet, haversack for rations, wool-covered tin water bottle and single-shot percussion lock musket.

In the early battles of the war there was much confusion due to some Union state units clad in grey, as the Confederates, which was resolved by their adopting the ‘Billy Yank’ blue fatigue uniforms.