A contract for the gray uniforms was awarded to Lewis Porter, a former senator and local Grand Rapids clothing merchant. Porter apparently had the uniforms made in Cincinnati Ohio the uniforms were also reported to have been made up in Detroit and Grand Rapids. The uniforms consisted of gray satinet roundabout jackets, pants and overcoats with ‘jaunty little’ gray caps.

As seen in a period photograph the gray jackets had ten buttons, shoulder epaulettes with small buttons and apparently plain cuffs. The jacket had a standing collar. The forage caps were gray in color and had a metal “I” for I Company centered at the front of the cap. Gray trousers were worn, apparently without seam stripes for sergeants and corporals.

The Barry Pioneer reported that regimental members on leave wore uniforms of grey cloth. The Cleveland Herald described the 4th Michigan Infantry as it passed through Cleveland on June 16 as being gray uniforms like those worn by Wisconsin. The Detroit Daily Tribune published on July 4 1861 a letter that describes the 3rd Michigan as being in thick grey uniforms. In a letter one member of the 4th Regiment, which itself wore cadet gray uniforms, refers to the uniforms of the 3rd Regiment as light gray. So even if the exact shade of gray is never given but is likely light gray or at least lighter than the cadet gray/light gray uniforms of the 4th Regiments.
The quality of the 3rd Regiment’s uniforms was questioned in Michigan newspapers but Mr. Porter who had supplied the uniforms insisted that they were made up the required government standards. Latter that fall Daniel G. Crotty again raised the issue of the quality of the uniforms when he wrote “For at this time we throwing off the dirty, shoddy suit of gray, furnish us by a shoddy contractor at Grand Rapids.” When the regiment left Grand Rapids they placed bouquets on their bayonets.

Officers wore the Michigan version of the standard blue officer’s uniform.

Michigan issued them State arms. They received 204 rifled muskets and 760 smooth bore muskets. The Michigan Adjutant General’s Report of 1861 indicates they had been issued smooth bore muskets. The Cleveland Plaindealer stated that the 3rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment was armed with the latest pattern smooth-bore muskets with the two flank companies having the latest pattern U.S rifled muskets (Article reprinted in Detroit Free Press, January 8 1861). Another source indicates they were issued Austrian muskets in .54 and .55 calibers.

Bill Carr