Recycling uniforms?

[east_beast]

If You Died in the Civil War, Your Enemies Would Loot Your Corpse of Everything—Including Your Underwear

Soldiers snatched souvenirs from a number of dead or dying generals. Confederate commander Felix Zollicoffer was perhaps treated the harshest

www.historynet.com

At Gettysburg in July 1863, soldiers from both sides grabbed trophies from the dead. When a 14th Connecticut soldier stooped to examine a fallen Confederate, a Pickett's Charge victim, he noticed the curly-haired, young man held something in his hand, near his left breast. The soldier broke the Rebel's death grip and examined the object, a daguerreotype of a young woman in her late teens or early 20s. "I prize it as the most valuable relic of my war experience," he recalled years later.

Dang. That's rough.

 

[Rhea Cole]

Yup, I've also seen photos of the coat he wore there among others. They weren't nearly as fancy as most generals, but they weren't a contract depot coat either.

Let's see, if I understand this correctly, Grant had an officer grade version of an enlisted man's uniform made?

 

[jepridgen]

Let's see, if I understand this correctly, Grant had an officer grade version of an enlisted man's uniform made?

It was a simple blouse or sack coat that was close in an appearance to a run-of-the-mill issue sack coat. Grant wasn't up for fancy outfits, but he was still a general. The sack coat or blouse over time has become an actual private's Army coat like one issued from the quartermaster.

 

[peacefulanimalguy7]

Was this done in other wars though? I remember seeing a scene exactly like this in the new All Quiet on the Western Front movie.

 

[jepridgen]

Was this done in other wars though? I remember seeing a scene exactly like this in the new All Quiet on the Western Front movie.

It was definitely done in other wars in a very deliberate process. I'm not a WW1 SME by any means, but I know some who confirmed that particular instance. I've just never heard of organized clothing collection in the CW. Individual scavengers were on every battlefield, but don't recall any deliberate process. This applies to battlefield clothing only (dead and wounded). Captured stores are obviously another thing altogether (from warehouses, wagons, rail depots, etc.).

 

[RetiredCanuck]

Let's see, if I understand this correctly, Grant had an officer grade version of an enlisted man's uniform made?

Well Jarnagin has been making them for years.

C & D Jarnagin Company - Civil War Federal Officers Uniforms

They have a good reputation for historical accuracy.
And there are three versions of frock coats for the Federals. Enlisted, junior officer with 1 row of buttons and senior officer double breasted.
It's not hard to extrapolate that the senior officers would have better fitting tailor made uniforms and better lining material etc.

 

[jepridgen]

Well Jarnagin has been making them for years.

C & D Jarnagin Company - Civil War Federal Officers Uniforms

They have a good reputation for historical accuracy.
And there are three versions of frock coats for the Federals. Enlisted, junior officer with 1 row of buttons and senior officer double breasted.
It's not hard to extrapolate that the senior officers would have better fitting tailor made uniforms and better lining material etc.

Grant wouldn't have had a frock at Appomattox as he himself said he was wearing a blouse. Think more along the lines of the loose fitting sack coat most enlisted wore (by most, probably every single Union soldier had one issued to them and likely wore regularly even in garrison). Grant absolutely had on frocks in multiple pics through Overland and Petersburg campaigns. He just didn't have his baggage prior to meeting Lee.

 

[RetiredCanuck]

Grant wouldn't have had a frock at Appomattox as he himself said he was wearing a blouse. Think more along the lines of the loose fitting sack coat most enlisted wore (by most, probably every single Union soldier had one issued to them and likely wore regularly even in garrison). Grant absolutely had on frocks in multiple pics through Overland and Petersburg campaigns. He just didn't have his baggage prior to meeting Lee.

The very first clothing item in the link I sent was a Federal officers sack coat.

 

[jepridgen]

Oh, I missed that, my bad.