Hello all,

I'm not a SAW reenactor (although I've done reenacting in the past),
but I am interested in the SAW era. I'm writing in hopes that
someone here could help me with a few questions I have about the era
and military in general. To wit:

a) Who used the khaki M1887 Mills Web Belt? I've been told that
volunteer groups and state militias continued to use them until
either the blue M1894 belts filtered down to them or until as late
as 1907. I was at a museum a while back and as a part of its SAW
display, it featured a uniform, khaki '87 belt and haversack from
the 5th Mass. Infantry.

b) Did only Regular Army troops wear blue wool shirts, or did the
volunteers/state militias wear them as well? I came across
something recently that suggested that some groups - especially
those in the Southwest and Philippines - wore navy colored twill
shirts that were similar to the RA shirts, except in weight. True?

I have a few more, but these are the two that I have really been
trying to answer. Thanks in advance for any assistance.