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VERY NICE BOYLAN CONTRACT MARKED CIVIL WAR HEAVY ARTILLERY ENLISTED MAN’S FROCK COAT: THESE REGIMENTS WERE CALLED INTO THE FIELD AS INFANTRY FOR GRANT’S 1864 OVERLAND CAMPAIGN AGAINST RICHMOND AND PETERSBURG

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This Civil War U.S. regulation enlisted man’s frock coat for heavy (or “foot”) artillery is in very good condition, with strong color to the body and piping, and is nicely marked in the upper right sleeve, “1/ J.B. Boylan, Newark, N.J. / Contract Nov. 3d. 1864.” The “1” is an army standardized size designation, followed by the government contractor’s name and the date of the contract, a final form of the marking required by the government so that they could backtrack on any goods discovered to be substandard. We also note a brown ink “1” just to the left of the marking, something we have seen in other Boylan coats, perhaps the mark of an inspector or subcontractor, or a reminder of the size before the contract stamp was applied. Boylan had been in business as a clothier since the 1840s and had numerous contracts with the government for sack coats, marine corps uniforms, veteran reserve corps jackets, zouave uniforms, cavalry jackets, etc. This is an excellent example from his November 1864 contract for 25,000 artillery uniform coats.

The coat is fully regulation with a nine-button front, two-button cuffs, and two buttons on the rear waist. The standing collar and functional cuffs are piped in red, the branch of service color for artillery, with the frock coat signifying heavy artillery versus the short, mounted service jackets for light artillery. The overall pattern was adopted for foot troops in 1858 and was a slight modification of the 1854 and 1855 patterns, using the same collar and cuff design, but returning to a non-pleated waist. The body is dark blue wool, slightly padded and lined with brown polished cotton in the chest and sides, with white muslin sleeve linings and polished cotton pockets in the tails in addition to one in the left breast. The skirts are full length and unhemmed, as is correct. The buttons are the correct general service eagle buttons. The eye is in place at the collar bottom, but the hook is missing. These coats were intended to be worn as dress coats in conjunction with the broad-brimmed 1858 army hat, a.k.a. the Jeff Davis or Hardee hat, but show up in period photos worn in the field and often with the standard issue fatigue cap as well. Rank distinction was made by the addition of chevrons, in branch of service colors, sewn above the elbows.

The coat is solid, complete, has strong color to the body and trim and no visible moth damage. All buttons are in place. There is an opening along the seam on the left rear shoulder that could be easily closed. The buttonholes show only minor wear and there are a couple of wear spots inside to the lining at the arm pits and shoulders, and a short tear in the lining of the left breast exposing some of the padding.

The coat is colorful, displays very well, and would be a key piece in a uniform collection or artillery display. It would also fit well in a collection or display concentrating on the 1864 campaign when many heavy artillery regiments were drawn out of the Washington defences and sent to the field. Usually drilled as infantry as well as artillery manning large guns in fortifications, at full strength the regiments also consisted of twelve companies, each with more men than the standard infantry company and had suffered few casualties in the early years of the war. They played a key role in the climactic battles of Grant’s Overland Campaign, where they not only worked on siege works at Petersburg and manned mortar batteries, but suffered some of the heaviest casualties of the war in fierce infantry combat from Spotsylvania to Appomattox.    [sr] [ph:m]

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