Uniforms Lowell City Guards

[peacefulanimalguy7]

Recently, I saw Tyler Grecco post on his Instagram an interpretation of what Company D of the 6th Massachusetts wore in 1861. However, I had also made my own version of it before, making the clothing darker based on what's in the photos of Luther C. Ladd. So who is correct, the president of the most authentic living history group, or some high school kid who is working a summer job for reenacting money?

P.S. I don't hate the Liberty Rifles, I like how they're willing to do things I can't do myself.

 

[major bill]

What you need is a period description of their uniform. Without this, their uniform is an open question. Both seem to see a frock coat, but does the photograph show a coatee? The exact shape of the cuff flash ( sleeve patch+) is also an open question. What was the color of the coat/coatee?

 

[captaindrew]

I'm not on Instagram so don't know how it works but I believe you can comment and/or message posters, is that right? Ask Tyler himself what he based his impression on. Most of those guys are good guys, Tyler included, and are more than willing to share their knowledge.

 

[peacefulanimalguy7]

What you need is a period description of their uniform. Without this, their uniform is an open question. Both seem to see a frock coat, but does the photograph show a coatee? The exact shape of the cuff flash ( sleeve patch+) is also an open question. What was the color of the coat/coatee?

I found a description that said "Company C wore gray dress coats, caps, and pantaloons, and yellow trimmings. Company D, the same as C, with buff trimmings." from https://archive.org/details/historycompleter00naso/page/192/mode/2up I guess we interpreted it differently, and I should probably change something in my drawing.

 

[major bill]

I found a description that said "Company C wore gray dress coats, caps, and pantaloons, and yellow trimmings. Company D, the same as C, with buff trimmings." from https://archive.org/details/historycompleter00naso/page/192/mode/2up I guess we interpreted it differently, and I should probably change something in my drawing.

Interesting description. I have done work on Michigan military uniforms. Sometimes, but not always, newspaper accounts use the term 'dress coats' for coatees or tail coats. The normal description for frock coats was 'coats'. The newspapers I studied used the terms, jackets, coats, and dress coats.

So for parade I might get something like this. "First came Company A in their new coats, then came Company B in their splendid dress coats,, last was Company C who, due to the rain, opted to wear their fatigue jackets. The three terms from the reporter show he likely saw three types of coats and jackets. Then later when the same reporter said "The visiting Ohio company wore blue coats, I assumed he was saying blue frock coats.

Uniform study is complicated so just be careful and check as many sources as possible.

Now back to the photograph. I think I see a yellow turn back in the bottom of this photo. Be advised I make plenty of .mistakes, but If it is a frock coat, what is the light color thing at the bottom of the photo?

 

[major bill]

I am not trying to dicourge you. My other issue is the number of buttons. On the reenacting photo there are 9 buttons. Nine buttons were on US Army frock coats and Army coatees so were the most common number of buttons on militia uniforms. I see nine buttons on the photograph (3 covered by the cross belt). So add a button behind the waist belt and another button bellow the waist belt and I come up with at least 10 buttons if not 11 buttons.

Were there 10 and 11 button frock coats? Yes there were. Still the dress coatee usually had 9 buttons set higher than normal frock coat 9 buttons and with less space between the buttons, while frock coats had wider spaced buttons. I could calculate the space between the buttons in the photograph, but at least to me, the buttons are too close together for a normal frock coat.

Again I could be all wet on this. Let us see what our uniform experts have to say.