The subject of uniforms is very touch and go to say the least, due to the lack of Quartermaster
records for the Civil War period on the Confederate side.
Prior to the Civil War the Palmetto Riflemen were a militia unit recruited mainly from the German speaking population of Charleston , South Carolina. They wore black leather helmets with a white plume stuck into a silver socket on its top. Trim around the edge was silver, as was the skull-and-crossbones badge. The frock coat was dark blue, as were the trousers, with white trim for enlisted men and silver for officer's. The Company carried a black guidon with a white skull-and-cross bones insignia. This Companies wartime service was as Co C Palmetto Sharpshooters. (source; REF:MEN AT ARMS SERIES 207)
At the outset of War Company "B" the Palmetto Riflemen may have had green facings on collar and cuff's of their uniform coats, when their service came to an end ,and they re-formed into Co "C" Palmetto Sharpshooters they possibly had a reissue of uniform without green facings.
In 1861 private manufacture of uniforms produced several differing styles of uniform, there is no standard colour ,facing or cut .Frock coats and hunting shirts being quite popular, with the Palmetto Riflemen adopting a gray frock coat with white trim for enlisted men and company
grade officers and silver for staff officers and above, this was a first issue uniform ,issued on initial enlistment into Confederate service. The issue dates of green facings are uncertain , but there is a reference in a letter home by one of the men asking for a shirt with green facings dated 1861.
In 1862 the first issue becoming worn, especially by the summer South Carolina State, issues "coats" to the most needy .By September almost all regiments report being in a ragged condition .This is the greatest period of deprivation the soldiers will see in the war. Greggs Brigade clothes itself from the Yankee's stores at Harpers Ferry. The last and largest issue from South Carolina occurred at this time with an issue of 8000 frock coats ,these are sent to Virginia in December.
In 1863, the period we re-enact the Quartermaster clothing provisions had improved somewhat and the image of the "Ragged Rebel" of the Confederate Army that has for so long graced the pages of American Civil War History ,had all but disappeared, with Confederate soldiers in some battles and campaigns described as being better dressed than those in the Federal Army. And a federal infantryman ,who spoke to some pickets of a South Carolina Regiment in Tennessee in September 1863 ,describes them as "better dressed than we are, their uniforms being apparently new.... The Carolinians uniform is bluish grey with sky blue pants." By the spring ,South Carolina troops are on the C.S. depot system and are receiving Richmond type 2 shell jackets, by the time of the Gettysburg campaign .At Chickamauga a D.Augustus Dickert recalls that Longstreets corps was uniformed with a "dark blue round jacket ,closely fitting ,with light blue trousers." During June of this year ,the whole of Jenkins Brigade was reviewed by General D.H.Hill dressed in 'full uniforms of sky blue with Confederate grey caps on their arrival in the Richmond area. Later that month there was another issue of a dark grey jacket and light blue trouser, with 'leggings' issued a month later.
Towards the end of September ,a correspondent of the Chester Standard of South Carolina ,reported that "Jenkins Brigade was the best clad in Confederate service". Around the same time ,Serg't C.P.Poppenheim of the Washington Light Infantry wrote "great many of Longstreets men are uniformed like our Brigade that is with dark gray jackets and blue pants we look like Yankee's, after drawing friendly fire Poppenheim declared..... now we have turned our jackets inside out, and have a dirty white jacket and blue pants. "In the winter of 1863/64 ,Longstreets Corp is sent 14,000 jackets from North Carolina. Those in camp in Virginia receive a considerable quantity of clothing from home.
1864 and South Carolina troops continue to wear the Richmond type 11 jacket although these are superseded by the type 111 in numerous issues, some regiments receiving as many as 5 issues in 1864.Jenkin's Brigade (1st,5th,6th,2nd rifles ,sharpshooters etc) receive the type 111 by the time of the battle of the Wilderness when they are mistaken for union troops due to the dark colour of these jackets .By the end of the Summer all South Carolina troops including those arriving from the coastal defenses are clad in this manner.
1865 see's the type 111 issued until January at least but quantity and quality severely depleted , some South Carolina troops may even have been issued the peter tait jackets. By Appomattox some soldiers are again in need of clothing but very few if any resemble the armed tramp look that is so often visualized and fantasized over.
This is the closest we have come so far to finding out about the type of uniform the Palmetto Sharpshooters would possibly have worn during the period ,June through September, which is our re-enactment season it seems almost certain we would have worn a jacket of the Richmond 11 depot issue with a light blue trouser there is also a reference to 3/4 of Longstreets men wearing a black slouch hat with a 1/4 wearing the gray cap (kepi ? ).
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