This impressive item is a section of sky blue jean wool that once formed the back panel of an Army overcoat worn by Corporal William Sherer of Company E, 101^st Ohio Infantry. The piece meas. approx. 38.00 inches long x 20.00 inches wide. This is the entire back panel of the coat from the base of the collar to the bottom edge. At the center of this piece is a vertical seam that would normally run down the back center of a finished overcoat. Also, both edges of this piece show remains of stitching that would have formed the left and right side seams. Toward the top, the panel flares out a bit on each side to form the back shoulder area.

The outstanding feature of this piece is a hole that meas. approx. 1.00 inch x 0.75 of an inch that has embroidered lettering around its edge that reads “TORN BY A BULLET.” This lettering is done in red thread. If the panel were on a coat that was being worn this bullet hole would be in the right side of the back. Corporal Sherer’s Pension records do indeed indicate he was wounded in the right side of the back at Stones River. According to a document found in his pension records written by the Regimental Surgeon he “… was wounded in the right side of the backbone, near the 2^nd Lumbar vertebra by a Minnie ball from the enemy for which he was sent to hospital at Nashville, but the wound not proving serious he was only absent from his command three or four weeks…”

Beautifully embroidered 2.50 inches above the bullet hole is a wonderfully done US flag made to look as if it were waving from a pole. The pole is made of white thread with dark blue thread at center and is approx. 9.75 inches long ending in a point at the top. The flag itself is done with thirteen alternating red and white stripes and uses the natural blue surface of the coat for the canton which holds thirteen perfectly embroidered 5-pointed stars. Overall the flag meas. approx. 4.50 inches on the hoist x 7.50 inches on the fly. The red thread has faded some from age but the work is fantastic. About 12.50 inches below the bullet hole and flag is the partial outline of a spread-winged eagle done in simple white thread. The wingspan is approx. 9.00 inches across but the lower wings and the eagle’s body are not completed. All that is present is the head of the eagle, the top of both wings and some neck feathering.

The material is in good condition but it does have numerous small sections where the blue wool weave was either eaten by moths or wore off leaving the cotton warp exposed. Besides the bullet hole there are approximately a dozen other holes of various sizes. Most of these are stress separations and none are very large. The biggest meas. approx. 2.00 inches x 0.50 an inch. Again, these are not gaping holes but more narrow stress separations that only open if the fabric is pulled.

There are also three repairs to the piece. The first appears to be from the period and meas. approx. 4.00 x 2.00 inches. This was originally a hole that has been patched with similar material. It is well done and still holding strong. The next repair is an “L” shaped tear that has been sewn shut. This repair meas. approx. 1.50 x 3.00 inches. This is not as well done as the first repair but it is still holding tight. These two repairs are about 3.00 inches apart and are separated by the center seam. The third repair is also “L” shaped and is along the bottom edge. It meas. approx. 7.00 x 4.25 inches.  These three repairs as well as most of the exposed warp are on what would be the bottom edge of the panel and away from most of the decoration.

With the item is a note from one of Mr. Sherer’s relatives that reads “WILLIAM SHERER’S COAT WHEN HE WAS IN THE ARMY. FATHER OF NANCY B. DAPPER. IT SHOWS WHERE IT WAS A BULLET WENT THROUGH HIS COAT.”

Also with the item is extensive documentation including correspondence with Pvt. Sherer's granddaughter when the relic first emerged from the family in the mid 1990's. In this correspondence the piece is referred to as a leg from Corporal Sherer’s trousers but this is not the case. The item was matched against the back of a greatcoat that we have here in the shop and matched perfectly. Also accompanying the item are copies of two photos of Corporal Sherer later in life found on the Internet as well as his Military and Pension files.

William Sherer was born April 22, 1842 in Polk, Ohio. When he enlisted in the Army on August 11, 1862 he is described as 20 years old, standing 5’ 7 ¼ “ tall with a light complexion, gray eyes, dark hair and was by profession a Farmer. He was present with his regiment for the battles of Perryville, Stones River, the Tullahoma Campaign, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Tunnel Hill, Rocky Face Ridge, Dalton, Resaca and Dallas. On June 1, 1864 Sherer came down with conjunctivitis and was sent to a hospital in Jeffersonville, Indiana and then to one in Knoxville, Tennessee before returning to his regiment in late October or early November. Sherer was present for the battles of Franklin and Nashville and was promoted to Corporal on March 1, 1865. He was mustered out on June 12, 1865.

After the war he returned to Ohio and on May 10, 1866 he married Sarah Jane Beltz and raised 8 children. One of his children was Nancy B. Sherer, (later Dapper), who is mentioned in the above note that comes with the item. He had continual trouble with his eyes and pain in his back for the rest of his life. He died on August 28, 1917 and is buried in Fairview Cemetery, Galion, Ohio.

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