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CIVIL WAR REGULATION UNION INFANTRY CAPTAIN’S FROCK COAT WITH SOME PERSONAL TOUCHES

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This Union infantry captain’s frock coat shows some wear, but strong color, solid fabric and two nice, personal touches. The collar was lowered slightly, either for comfort or fashion, by folding it in along to top edge to rise 7/8” at the back and around the sides, where it then tapers for the last two inches to end flush with the lapel. We also note the addition of a finished buttonhole on the lower left side, just above the waist that might have been for a discreet loop to support the regulation sash, often weighted down by its knots and tassels, or even for a sword sling coming from a belt worn inside the coat.

The coat is made of the standard dark blue satinette, lined with a green silk in the body and skirts, with the body quilted and having a pocket in the left breast, and the skirts having two interior pockets in the tails. The sleeves are lined in a plain white and have a good 8-1/2 billow at the elbow. The body is closed by the regulation infantry-I eagle buttons with Scovill backmarks: nine large on the front and two more at the rear waist and one on either side of the vent in the tails, about midway down. The cuffs are non-functional and have three small infantry-I buttons each.

The condition of the coat is very good, with strong color, solid fabric and tight seams. The lining shows just a small spot of wear at the back of the shoulders near the neck. There is some moth tracking on the lower right sleeve and a bit more on the lower left front skirt that show as lighter color, but only a few small actual nips that are not obvious from the underlying matching fabric. One spot about ½” long, about 4” from the lower corner of the skirt, is on the unhemmed lower edge and shows a bit, though it could be backed.

The coat also has its original, embroidered bullion infantry captain’s shoulder straps that show some wear and losses. They are single bordered with jaceron wire edging, and a light blue silk ground. The borders have oxidized to a silver-gray, but still show alternating dull and bright strands, and the gold color of the jaceron wire is strong. Rank was indicated by small, false-embroidered gilt stamped brass bars. These are missing from strap on the wearer’s left, which shows some fraying from their loss and about ¼ inch of missing light blue at the rear edge. Three of the bars are in place on the wearer’s left strap, all with good gilt finish- two on the front edge and one on the back. The silk on both shows some light wear, more on the right than the left. The use of the separate rank bars may indicate changes in rank to reflect promotions from Second Lieutenant to First Lieutenant and then Captain: we note that the foremost and rearmost bars on the left strap are just a tad longer than the remaining inner bar, which also shows a tad brighter. Matching correct replacements could be restored, and would dress it up immensely, but we have left it as its came to us.

This is a strong example of the regulation infantry company commander’s coat. Like the other line officers in the regiment he was posted by the manuals among his men in the line of battle, though as a Captain he had the honor and additional risk of being positioned in the front rank, with his lieutenants in the rear, third rank, of “file closers,” in theory supervising the platoons. [sr] [ph:L]

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