This Civil War infantry captain’s coat recently came of out an old collection and still has with it a note in the inside breast pocket identifying it as belonging to Henry H. Fetterholf (sometimes listed as Fetterhoff,) who wore it on two tours of duty: as a 1^st Lieutenant while in the 129^th PA Vols, during the time they saw action at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, and later replaced his lieutenant’s straps with these captain’s straps when he went into the emergency militia called up during the Gettysburg Campaign, as Captain of Co. C in the 34^th PA Emergency Militia.

The coat is the regulation pattern, made of dark blue satinette, single breasted with nine coat-size buttons down the front for a line officer, with two more at the rear waist and one at the bottom of each of the two pocket openings in the tails of the coat, and three small ones on each non-functional cuff. These are all infantry officer Eagle-I buttons backmarked by the Waterbury Button Co. and retain a medium bright gilt finish. The coat retains its original gold bullion embroidered shoulder straps with double row borders and rank bars showing lots of original gilt finish and alternating dead-and-bright bullion strands, all on a  dark blue velvet ground, showing nice color and texture. The collar is about 1 ¾” on the back seam and fastens at the lower front with and hook and eye, still in place.

The interior has a hanging tab in the collar, and is lined with white in the sleeves, a pale green, likely oxidized from black, in the body and skirts. The body is quilted and has a single pocket in the left breast. The tail pocket openings are on the outside. The pockets are lined with brown cotton. The sleeves have a fashionable billow at the elbow about 9” wide. The condition is excellent, with no moth tracking or nips. There is some light rubbing to the lining in the shoulders and rear waist, but no fraying or wear, just a tad lighter color. The seams are good. There is one piece missing from the lining, about 3 ½” long along the bottom edge, slanting upwards at each side about 3 ½” with a 1” edge at top. This is not visible from the outside and does not affect the structural integrity of the coat. It looks rather like it snagged and tore and Fetterholf then neatened it up so it would not tear further.

The note in the coat pocket is in pen and looks to date around 1960 or so in a woman’s hand: “Coat worn by Henry H. Fetterholf as 1^st Lt. Co. I, 129^th Pa. Inf. Shoulder straps removed and Captain’s straps put on for service as Capt. Co. C. 34^th Pa. Emergency Militia. / Service in 129^th Pa. Inf. Enlisted Aug. 11, 1862 as 1^st Sgt. Promoted 1^st Lt. Dec. 5^th 1862. Mustered out with Co. May 18, 1863. / Service in 34^th Pa. Emergency mustered in as Capt. June 30, 1863 mustered out Aug. 24, 1863.”

Fetterholf’s pension index card confirms his service in those two units, but the writer of the note seems to have gotten the dates wrong for the later unit. Fetterholf listed himself as a resident of Montgomery County when he enlisted as a First Sergeant in the 129^th, a nine-month regiment. They ended up in the 5^th Corps, and arrived after the fighting at Antietam. His promotion to Lieutenant, however, dating to Dec. 5, 1862, qualifies the coat for wear in the two serious engagements in which the regiment had a part: Fredericksburg, on December 13, where they lost 142 in killed and wounded in the disastrous assaults and a few months later at Chancellorsville on May 3, where they were closely engaged, including in a fight for the regiment’s colors, in which their Major was severely wounded, with 5 enlisted men killed, 33 wounded and 6 missing.

Fetterholf’s service in the 34^th Emergency Militia was in response to Lee’s invasion of the north in the Gettsyburg Campaign. The writer of the note, however, seems mistaken in their service record. Records indicate 34^th was organized at Reading on July 3, 1863, and served at Philadelphia and Reading until mustering out on August 10.

We have discovered only a few details about Fetterholf’s personal life. He was born Sept. 24, 1839, in Pennsylvania and his full name was Henry Hunsicker Fetterholf. He seems to have married in Collegeville, Montgomery County, PA on Jan. 1, 1865, and lived in Montgomery County for the rest of his life. The couple appear to have had two sons and a daughter. His wife passed away in 1915, and he died at Collegeville, Sept. 29, 1928. Church and town records mention his membership in the G.A.R.

This coat is in great condition and the note identifying the owner is dead-real.     [sr] [ph:L]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS.

THANK YOU!