Uniform Inspectors

[Billw12280]

I was looking at an inspector stamp in a Cavalry shell jacket that I will be purchasing and I realized I don't know much about the different inspectors or the inspection process. The stamp is incomplete/partially smudged so I could not quite make it out but the last part of the top line looks like "NOUR". I assumed Ridenour although this is just conjecture and it could be something else entirely(I know what usually happens when I assume). I can make out "US INSP" in the middle line but the bottom line is very smudged and illegible. There also appears to be a handwritten "9 GST" above and to the left of the top line, I'm thinking this is the soldier's regiment and initials although positive identification is most likely impossible.

Does anybody know where I can find a list of the Uniform inspectors and pictures of the stamps they used? I have seen a lot of Uniforms with the Shafer Cincinnati Ohio stamp but I know there had to be numerous uniform inspectors at the depots across the country.

 

[UCVRelics]

I bet @Package4 will know.

 

[Billw12280]

Ok, after many long hours of internet searching and straining my eyes looking at the picture of the stamp in the coat I will be purchasing, I believe I have solved the mystery of the inspector mark. I believe the sleeve lining may have been folded over when stamped and what I thought was a handwritten "9 GST" is actually part of the stamp. What I thought was "NOUR" I now believe is N, the bottom curve of the S, the bottom section of the O, and N. I believe it is the stamp for E.C. Stephenson. This would make the bottom line CIN'TI, O.

This makes me more interested in learning about the various inspectors and their stamps. Obviously there were many other inspectors and I wonder how common the various inspector marks are. As previously stated, I knew of Shafer from Cincinnati but I had never seen an E.C Stephenson stamp from Cincinnati. Were these inspectors active during the same time period or is this a good way of determining what time period the coat was manufactured/received? I look forward to learning more about this subject.

 

[Si Klegg]

Hi @Billw12280, I enjoyed your posts, it's a subject that interests me too. You probably came across this informative Infantry Sack Coat article while you were straining your eyes, written some years ago by Paul McKee and is available on the excellent NJ Sekela web site, but just in case you missed it, here's a heads-up.

It seems Geo.B.Fry is the most recognized of the Inspectors on surviving J.T.Martin contractor coats. J,T.Martin provided over a million sack coats from 1862-65 for the Cincinatti, New York and Philadelphia depots. See inner sleeve markings below:

However, Fry was only active in the last few months of the war Feb 65 onwards, so that will help explain his name on surviving coats. I can't help you on Cavalry Shell Jackets though!

Here's the article:

Notes on the Federal Issue Sack Coat by Paul McKee

 

[Billw12280]

Hi @Billw12280, I enjoyed your posts, it's a subject that interests me too. You probably came across this informative Infantry Sack Coat article while you were straining your eyes, written some years ago by Paul McKee and is available on the excellent NJ Sekela web site, but just in case you missed it, here's a heads-up.

It seems Geo.B.Fry is the most recognized of the Inspectors on surviving J.T.Martin contractor coats. J,T.Martin provided over a million sack coats from 1862-65 for the Cincinatti, New York and Philadelphia depots. See inner sleeve markings below:

View attachment 391069

However, Fry was only active in the last few months of the war Feb 65 onwards, so that will help explain his name on surviving coats. I can't help you on Cavalry Shell Jackets though!

Here's the article:

Notes on the Federal Issue Sack Coat by Paul McKee

Thank you for the reply @Si Klegg. I did run across that article during my search. I actually have it saved in my files somewhere from when I was doing research on sack coats hoping to someday be able to add one to my collection.

This will likely be a daunting task but I am hoping to compile a list with every inspector's name, location, and dates active I can find. I did add Geo.B.Fry to the list, the information about when he was active is very helpful. It seems information is unfortunately rather scarce on this subject so every little bit helps.

 

[Package4]

I bet @Package4 will know.

My apologies, I have been swamped the last couple of weeks, but now back in the home office and able to have my reference material handy. I recall that some of these are referenced in Army Blue and More Army Blue, additionally in the Sack Coat book, that I just can't seem to ever find in my disaster of an office.

 

[Billw12280]

My apologies, I have been swamped the last couple of weeks, but now back in the home office and able to have my reference material handy. I recall that some of these are referenced in Army Blue and More Army Blue, additionally in the Sack Coat book, that I just can't seem to ever find in my disaster of an office.

Thank you for the reply. It has been a while since I've actually read either of the Army Blue books so its probably time to pull them off the shelf. Do you mean For Fatigue Purposes? If so, I did scan through that and found one additional stamp to add to my list. I will sit down and read that one again as well.