Nice Uniform Piece

General Butler

First Sergeant
Joined
Nov 16, 2017
Thought you might like the nice blue vest of Capt. Ela from NH. I will take a pix of the front back and buttons. Ela stayed. Capt through the war and was made a Major at the very end. Guess he liked fighting with his boys. Sorry but I can't read the maker of the buttons

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Ha it is pretty nice, a bit sweaty on the back and a couple of small repairs at the top and I can see 2 expansion points on the belt as Ela got larger over time. He was active in the NH GAR so I bet he wore this until he couldnt any longer
 
This is what would be the civilian style and I think yes the color is pretty consistent. But cloth gurus will chime in
 
Very Nice vest and GREAT photos. If you can make out any of the name on the buttons I'm sure were can figure out the maker. I'm sure our uniform guru @Package4 will chime in.
 
Thought you might like the nice blue vest of Capt. Ela from NH. I will take a pix of the front back and buttons. Ela stayed. Capt through the war and was made a Major at the very end. Guess he liked fighting with his boys. Sorry but I can't read the maker of the buttons

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Very nice vest, unfortunately this would be his post war vest, most likely worn for GAR meetings and reunions. Military vests typically have a stand up collar, more and smaller buttons. Light blue is certainly the preferred color for many officers and enlisted.

The wide and vented lapel vest is indicative of civilian and later 1800s fashion.

Would you please post a close up of a button hole, it will help date the vest a little better.

Below is the vest of Col. John Nelson Cromwell of the 47th IL, killed at Jackson, Mississippi in 1863, to show what a stand up collar looks like.


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Sure. Thanks for the info. We thought it was GAR at the time dad bought it from the Ela estate. The buttons are Waterbury Button Co and the holes look machine made.

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Sure. Thanks for the info. We thought it was GAR at the time dad bought it from the Ela estate. The buttons are Waterbury Button Co and the holes look machine made.

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Beautiful piece and definitely post war due to machine stitched button holes, the only machine stitched button holes were on some very late war overcoats.
 
Beautiful piece and definitely post war due to machine stitched button holes, the only machine stitched button holes were on some very late war overcoats.
Great to know. Thanks. What do these tend to bring...an iDd vest from an active officer in an active unit
 
Great to know. Thanks. What do these tend to bring...an iDd vest from an active officer in an active unit
I wouldn’t know what to tell you right now, even before this craziness, Federal cloth was really low, it has really bottomed out. Now you will need to find a NH collector who appreciates GAR material, it really is a bad time to sell.
 
I wouldn’t know what to tell you right now, even before this craziness, Federal cloth was really low, it has really bottomed out. Now you will need to find a NH collector who appreciates GAR material, it really is a bad time to sell.
Well I just got this stuff from dad so it's not going anywhere right at this moment so hanging on to if all males sense all the way around. Did you see the kepi?
 
I wouldn’t know what to tell you right now, even before this craziness, Federal cloth was really low, it has really bottomed out. Now you will need to find a NH collector who appreciates GAR material, it really is a bad time to sell.
Yes, Federal cloth has been low for years, it is a bad time to sell. But a very good time to buy. Just looking for some killer piece to come out of the woodwork...:D
 
I did, would you post pics of that particularly the interior, what is the story behind it?
I recall this came from The White Elephant junk store in Ipswich Mass where he dug out a bunch of CW era stuff as well as a flea market up the road called Ginny's. It never had a brass Insignia as I recall.

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Yes, Federal cloth has been low for years, it is a bad time to sell. But a very good time to buy. Just looking for some killer piece to come out of the woodwork...:D
Woodwork always make for a good find. Stay tuned for several out of the woodwork items that haven't been out in decades and they came from a NE estates sale or a junk shop
 
I recall this came from The White Elephant junk store in Ipswich Mass where he dug out a bunch of CW era stuff as well as a flea market up the road called Ginny's. It never had a brass Insignia as I recall.

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Looks to be a staff officer’s cap, thus no regimental number. Missing the crown stiffener and lining, but highly representative of a period and beyond private purchase cap. Looks to be in remarkably good shape other than the stiffener and lining.
 
Looks to be a staff officer’s cap, thus no regimental number. Missing the crown stiffener and lining, but highly representative of a period and beyond private purchase cap. Looks to be in remarkably good shape other than the stiffener and lining.
Thanks, I think there was a stiffened at one point. Now I am not sure how the stiffeners were affixed but the cloth under the crown shows signs of a substantial which could have held a stiffener and it looks likliif the stiffener had been covered with thin cloth that was knife cut away...maybe
 
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