Unknown greatcoat

[Billy1977]

Hello everybody, yesterday I found this photo of Union infantrymen in greatcoats but when I looked at it up close I could see that the greatcoats they were wearing were like nothing I've seen before. The collar on them almost looks like that from a cavalry or artillery shell jacket. I looked at my picture of an early-war Massachusetts state issue greatcoat to see if maybe that's what it was but no dice, it's definitely a different kind of coat. Here's the photo and hopefully someone here has seen this kind of coat before and can identify perhaps this unit in the photo that's wearing them. Thanks in advance. If you click on the thumbnail and then right-click to open it in another tab it will blow it up large enough to see it clearly.

 

[Package4]

Hello everybody, yesterday I found this photo of Union infantrymen in greatcoats but when I looked at it up close I could see that the greatcoats they were wearing were like nothing I've seen before. The collar on them almost looks like that from a cavalry or artillery shell jacket. I looked at my picture of an early-war Massachusetts state issue greatcoat to see if maybe that's what it was but no dice, it's definitely a different kind of coat. Here's the photo and hopefully someone here has seen this kind of coat before and can identify perhaps this unit in the photo that's wearing them. Thanks in advance. If you click on the thumbnail and then right-click to open it in another tab it will blow it up large enough to see it clearly.

View attachment 121406

Most likely early war state issued overcoats, the muskets and forage caps are indicative of early war state issue. The federal government had enough on hand to clothe 16,000 troops at the beginning of the war; the states had to clothe their troops for the most part until the federal arsenals in Philadelphia, Cincinnati and St. Louis could catch up, along with the myriad of contracts extended to commercial clothiers.

 

[Package4]

Hello everybody, yesterday I found this photo of Union infantrymen in greatcoats but when I looked at it up close I could see that the greatcoats they were wearing were like nothing I've seen before. The collar on them almost looks like that from a cavalry or artillery shell jacket. I looked at my picture of an early-war Massachusetts state issue greatcoat to see if maybe that's what it was but no dice, it's definitely a different kind of coat. Here's the photo and hopefully someone here has seen this kind of coat before and can identify perhaps this unit in the photo that's wearing them. Thanks in advance. If you click on the thumbnail and then right-click to open it in another tab it will blow it up large enough to see it clearly.

View attachment 121406

The forage caps almost look like they could be made of cotton, or very flimsy wool, by the way they fall. They could be made without a crown disk thus giving them that appearance.

 

[Billy1977]

Thanks Package4. I was kind of thinking it was most likely an early-war photo but you were able to spot things I didn't pick up on. At first (and going from memory) I thought it might be an early-war Massachusetts state issue coat but when I looked at my photos of them they didn't match as you can see here.



But I think you're right, it's some kind of early-war state issue.

 

[Billy1977]

Who were the Cadwalater Guards? I found an illustration of one of their enlisted men in Officers and Soldiers of the American Civil War, Vol. 1 by Joineau and Mongin (though it misspells it as "Caldwater Guards") and though he's not wearing a greatcoat the collar of his frock coat looks about identical to the greatcoat collar in the photo.

 

[Package4]

Who were the Cadwalater Guards? I found an illustration of one of their enlisted men in Officers and Soldiers of the American Civil War, Vol. 1 by Joineau and Mongin (though it misspells it as "Caldwater Guards") and though he's not wearing a greatcoat the collar of his frock coat looks about identical to the greatcoat collar in the photo.

They were a militia company from the Philadelphia area before the war, in fact they were more commonly known as the Cadwalater Greys and enlisted 84 men for the war with Mexico in July of 1846. Originally formed by Thomas Cadwalater during the War of 1812.

 

[major bill]

Militia companies and states at the beginning of the war provided overcoats. These overcoats did not always follow the style of standard US army overcoats. Although some information about these overcoats does exist it is spread out in general uniform information. I am not aware of a book the covers early war state issue overcoats in any depth.

 

[Billy1977]

Major Bill said: "I am not aware of a book the covers early war state issue overcoats in any death."

Well that to me sounds like a great idea for a book. It could also cover other state-issue items in addition to greatcoats, like Massachusetts pattern haversacks, "SNY" belt buckles for New York troops, "OVM" buckles for Ohio troops etc. It could be illustrations of all the state-issue uniform and accoutrement items that can be found, all gathered in one place. Makes me wish I had my own publishing company.

 

[major bill]

Rally Round the Flag 'Uniforms of the Union Volunteers of 1861' by Ron Field does have some overcoat information for Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Hew Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, and Maine. A book specifically about state issued overcoats would be great. One of the problem would be if there is enough information for such a book? for example I do Michigan made uniforms and there is only some information.

For the First Three Month Michigan Volunteer Infantry and 2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiments the state purchased strong dark blue Petersham cloth from New York City and made overcoats with capes. The Third Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment received Gray overcoats. I also know some later Michigan regiments were given black over coats. No photographs exist of any of the over coats except for a couple photos of the back over coats.