Help identify uniform

[hatchet]

While doing family research, I found something I'm trying to verify or disprove. There is a photo of Gen. Grant and his staff where most of the staff are recognized, but there is one unrecognized officer. I may be wrong but I believe the person in this closeup sitting next to Grant on the right side of the photo is the unidentified officer. He is not dressed similarly to the others, and I'm wondering if anyone can identify his uniform, or whether it is even a uniform, and what the shoulder stars signify since they are not like the other officers' shoulder straps. In family papers, this man is identified, with an arrow drawn on a newspaper clipping of this photo. The person it is said to be was the son of a very close acquaintance of Gen. George Sharpe, so, although I'm skeptical it's him in the photo, the attribution has a possibility of truth. A description of his service by his son, and separately by his brother also support the possibility (both saying he served first in the Navy, and later under Gen. Sharpe, with one saying later with Gen. Grant at City Point). Nothing indicates he had a high rank, so I'd be surprised he'd be sitting next to Grant. In searching military records, I can find records of his naval service, but so far, not army service. The full photo can be found here.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Hello hatchet, welcome to the forums.

Great question.

I'm sure someone will be able to identify the uniform.
Paging @Frederick14Va @major bill

 

[Klaudly]

Hard to say, officers instead of the frock coat, often used a more comfortable sack coat similar to that of the soldiers, usually longer with 5 buttons, the ranks were applied directly on the shoulder omitting the shoulder straps.
It can also be a civil coat

 

[Bruce Vail]

I wonder if the guy in the photo is the General's son, Fred Grant

--- Ooops, Fred Grant was 15 in 1865, Does sort look a little like the general though, doesn't he?

 

[GELongstreet]

Here is the full picture; people said to be

Gen. Grant (sitting, left)
Gen. (Bvt.) Adam Badeau
Gen. John A. Rawlins
Gen. (Bvt.) Cyrus B. Comstock
Gen. (Bvt.) Horace Porter
Col. William L. Duff
Col. Frederick T. Dent
Cpt. Henry C. Robinett
Col. Ely Parker (sitting, right)

Don´t know about the order, if any. Not sure about the person in question. However he clearly wears a General's star, not on a strap but directly sewn on what seems to be a civilian suit. Non-regulation insignia were often used by higher ranking officers and the suit could simply be a personal preference ... who should scold a general for wrong clothing?

 

[hatchet]

If the person I'm researching (who may or may not be the man in the photo) was with Sharpe's BMI he may have been a civilian at that time, as apparently some of Sharpe's men were. His family was very close to George Sharpe's before the war, and they would have known each other, I'm sure.
Also, I have a later photo of the man which I can't post because I don't have rights to it, and he does look similar enough to the man in the Grant photo.
In the Navy, he was the captain's clerk.

 

[Mike Serpa]

He looks like Rawlins to me. I've seen other photos with just a single star sewn on the uniform.

Gen. John A. Rawlins, left, Gen. U.S. Grant, center, and an unidentified officer - LOC #34091v

 

[Mike Serpa]

Here is a photo of General William F. Bartlett with the star sewn on. Some people here know a whole lot more about the uniforms than I. They should be able to help.

NARA #529062

 

[Frederick14Va]

The subject is wearing a non-regulation officers sack coat... Many of these were tailor made hence variations thereof do exist. The subject also has Brig Generals Star on his shoulders... In 1862 US army permitted officers to do away with the standard rank shoulder strap... some did, many didnt.... Utilizing the rank insignia itself void of the fancy gold bullion bordering to be a bit less obvious to the enemy.... These are commonly known as "Subdued Rank" insignias.... some were still on a strap without the border worn in the usual fashion... others took the rank device itself and placed it on the top of the shoulder... Variations of where and how these were worn were also present... top of the shoulder... on the collars... on the breast of the coat, on the whim of the officer...

 

[hatchet]

This is great information. Thanks everyone. The arrow on the news clipping of this photo is looking less and less believable despite the resemblance and family connections. It was good to be skeptical.

The man was Severy Bruyn Linderman. His father was a teacher of and then law partner with George H Sharpe. Coincidentally, Sharpe also named one of his sons after Severyn Bruyn. Again coincidentally, President Grant fired and then reappointed S.B. Linderman's cousin (Henry R. Linderman) as Director of the Mint. The news clipping with arrow likely drawn by S.B. Linderman's son was in the Nebraska historical society archives, but it appears it was incorrect.