Lined and unlined sack coats.

[major bill]

As per the Regulations and Notes for the uniforms of the Army of the United States 1861. Soldiers received unlined sack coat for fatigue purposes while recruits received sack coats with flannel lining.

So why not either lined or unlined sack coats for everyone? I take it recruits sometimes receive unlined sack coats and soldiers sometimes received lined sack coats. I can understand that not lining the sack coats would save money, but it seems the Army was willing to come up with the extra cash to line the sack coats of recruits.

 

[johan_steele]

That is an interesting question, especially as both lined and unlined coats were issued throughout the war though I believe the lined were the more prevalent.

 

[major bill]

I can not come up with a reason recruits would have been issued a different type of slack coat. To keep them warm? To make them more conferrable?

 

[Package4]

As per the Regulations and Notes for the uniforms of the Army of the United States 1861. Soldiers received unlined sack coat for fatigue purposes while recruits received sack coats with flannel lining.

So why not either lined or unlined sack coats for everyone? I take it recruits sometimes receive unlined sack coats and soldiers sometimes received lined sack coats. I can understand that not lining the sack coats would save money, but it seems the Army was willing to come up with the extra cash to line the sack coats of recruits.

IMHO, not sure it was the expense, but the season, a veteran would already have a lined sack coat and therefore would then be issued an unlined coat, he could use for warmer weather. The recruit would be given a lined sack coat and upon second issue, when conceivably a veteran, would receive an unlined coat.

I think the process started when it was discovered that veterans were removing the linings from their coats in warm weather. The cost savings would then come in to play.

An unlined sackcoat is very light and almost see through with the weave used.

 

[major bill]

It would seem like veteran soldiers would get lined sack coats in the fall and winter. Perhaps they dress in layers.

 

[mofederal]

This interesting, but I think you were issued whatever was the next coat issued after the last one, lined or unlined. I would think it was purely luck of the draw, or even a mix of types together then issued. I would guess it was whatever the Quartermaster Depot issued to the quartermasters in the units. There is also the issue until stocks are exhausted or depleted idea. This was probably before the era of limited standard came in and was adopted.

 

[Package4]

It would seem like veteran soldiers would get lined sack coats in the fall and winter. Perhaps they dress in layers.

I think the purpose of the regulations was to ensure that recruits had a lined coat, thus when they became veterans they already had the lined coat and were issued an unlined coat. Reality was probably much different, somewhere I have the Sack coat book by (Brown?) Soldiers were issued 2 sack coats per year and I assume based upon the contracts that they would receive one of each:
Type Philadelphia New York Cincinnati Total
Lined 558,000 797,000 444,000 1,799,000
Unlined 439,000 442,000 295,000 1,176,000
Not Specified 170,000 284,000 212,000 666,000

Total 1,168,000 1,523,000 951,000 3,641,000

The wild card here are private contractor coats and the not specified (above), but it would appear as if unlined were more prevalent than previously thought.

I can't get the columns to line up, I'll try excel later