First Delaware Cavalry Battalion

[frontrank2]

Napoleon B. Knight of the First Delaware Cavalry Battalion in Westminster, MD - June 29, 1863. Includes a member of the 50th New York Engineers along Main Street. Taken before engaging in combat with Confederate cavalry under the command of J.E.B. Stuart that arrived in Westminster.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:...lry_in_Westminster_before_Corbit's_Charge.jpg

 

[Lampasas Bill]

That's quite a sack coat on the engineer. Do you suppose that his coat had that many buttons, or did the photographer or an assistant paint in extra buttons--they do seem to be a little irregular in size and shape. Hard to tell from the photo. It looks like the buttons and the braid on the cavalryman's collar might have been enhanced.

 

[Cavalier]

I was wondering about what appears to be dark blue trousers on both guys. That would surprise me in 1863 but I'm certainly no expert.

John

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

Napoleon B. Knight of the First Delaware Cavalry Battalion in Westminster, MD - June 29, 1863. Includes a member of the 50th New York Engineers along Main Street. Taken before engaging in combat with Confederate cavalry under the command of J.E.B. Stuart that arrived in Westminster.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Napoleon_B._Knight_of_the_1st_Delaware_Cavalry_in_Westminster_before_Corbit's_Charge.jpg

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William Tharp Company D 1st DELAWARE Cavalry Battalion

 

[Seduzal]

Awesome photo thanks for sharing.

 

[James N.]

That's quite a sack coat on the engineer. Do you suppose that his coat had that many buttons, or did the photographer or an assistant paint in extra buttons--they do seem to be a little irregular in size and shape. Hard to tell from the photo. It looks like the buttons and the braid on the cavalryman's collar might have been enhanced.

I don't believe that's a (four-button) sack coat that the engineer's wearing. I count six visible buttons and a regulation frock coat should have nine, about right for the spacing here. Although frock coats would normally have longer skirts, there was in fact a great variance in their lengths, probably based on the individual contractors that supplied them:

Here are a pair of noticeably different lengths of nine-button frock coats in CDV's in my collection. The one above on the very proper Bostonian is knee-length, while the one below on the Westerner from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin is well above the knee. It's also possible that the one pictured in the OP has been shortened in an attempt to make it more serviceable.

Since the image in the OP is either an ambrotype or tintype, it was normal for them to be as you put it "enhanced" usually by tinting cheeks, or gilding the buttons and belt plates and sometimes other items as well.

 

[ErnieMac]

Our resident cavalry guru @Eric Wittenberg wrote a blog post about Napoleon B. Knight and his actions at Westminster a number of years ago. Link attached: http://civilwarcavalry.com/?p=339

 

[Cavalier]

He was certainly blessed with an appropriately martial name. And he looks the part too!

John