This mounted overcoat came out of the Liscom family of Hinsdale, NH, as part of a large grouping of Civil War material acquired twenty or more years ago by Hank Ford, a rather legendary New England antiques dealer. Portions of the Liscom material made their way into the Ockerbloom collection, sold by Amoskeag in 2004, and some manuscript material, including a wartime photo of Lemuel was sold at Cowan’s in 2007. Other pieces went their separate ways, but were preserved with their identifications intact. Brothers Lemuel Franklin Liscom (1841-1913) and Samuel E. Liscom (1837-1913) both enlisted from Hinsdale, NH, and served in Co. A of the 14^th New Hampshire. The large group of material, however, seemed to derive from Lemuel, since an infantry corporal’s frock coat was in the grouping and only Lemuel had served at that rank.

Lemuel F. Liscom enlisted at age 21 on 8/11/62 and mustered into Co. A of the 14^th NH as a private on 9/22/62. He made corporal 5/1/64; sergeant 12/1/64; and first sergeant 4/1/65. He mustered out 7/8/65 at Savannah, GA. The regiment lost 8 officers and 63 enlisted men killed in action or mortally wounded during their service. They served first in the 22^nd Corps near Washington, but in early 1864 they were shipped south to join the 19^th Army Corps, which served in the Army and Department of the Gulf and then moved back to Virginia to see action as part of the Army of the James and the Army of the Shenandoah, fighting at Deep Bottom, Winchester, Halltown, Berryville, Opequon, Fisher’s Hill and Cedar Creek and other engagements. They were eventually transferred to the Department of the South and posted to Savannah from January 1865.

The overcoat is the double-breasted pattern with long cape that was regulation for mounted troops, but not unknown among dismounted troops because of its superior warmth in foul weather. Infantry officers especially made use of them and Liscom’s rank as a non-commissioned officer makes him a likely candidate for one as well. The coat shows definite signs of field use, but is in good condition. There is some dirt here and there, along with scattered moth nips, but no large holes and nothing in our judgment that needs any backing or even cosmetic treatment, which we would discourage in any case on an identified garment. The thread has generally oxidized to a light brown, which is normal, and there are some stray pulls or missing strands, but everything is still tight and the buttonholes are not pulled through. The buttons are all there except one on the adjusting belt. There is some natural unevenness to the lower edge the un-hemmed coat body. The sleeve linings and loosely woven body lining are present, though the sleeve linings have become unstitched from the body lining. The body lining itself shows a number of smaller wear spots and one larger hole at the back from wear that does not, however, affect the exterior of the coat or the integrity of the rest of the lining. The edges of the collar, likewise, show some moth tracking and bites, as well as some abrasion from wear at the soldier’s neck, but nothing very unsightly or affecting the integrity of the coat. Both cape and coat show excellent color.

An accompanying lot of 18 documents belonged to Lemuel Frank Liscom of Company A, 14th New Hampshire Volunteers. All documents relate to his Company A.

The lot consists of:

Clothing roster of May 1865

Clothing statement of August 1864

Clothing statement of June 10, 1865

Clothing statement of March 3, 1865

Clothing statement of March 11, 1865

Clothing statement of February 4, 1865

Scrap sheet with company roster

Clothing statement of April 1865

4 Quartermaster of Supplies documents for items issued to individual soldiers

5 Acting Assistant Quartermaster’s Office, Camp of Distribution at Savannah, Georgia clothing documents for 5 different soldiers

3 handwritten letters relating to issues of clothing

Handwritten song sheet for something titled “DO THEY EVER PRAY FOR ME.”

All the documents come in a hand addresses manila envelope that reads “MAY 24/65 AUGUSTA GA. / COMMANDING OFFICER CO. A 14TH N. H. VOLS. / CLOTHING NOTICES /SAVANNAH, GA.”

Liscom’s obituary says that he served at Petersburg and with Sheridan in the Shenandoah and that he was present at the capture of Jefferson Davis.

After the war he worked as an engineer for the Boston based National Bridge Company. A resident of Hinsdale, Vermont he served in that state’s legislature as a Representative and Senator. He was a member of the Sheridan Post #14 of the GAR, the Golden Rule Lodge of the F. & A. M. and a member of the Red Men and Wantastiquet Grange.

L. Frank Liscom died of Bright’s disease on July 20, 1916 in Hinsdale. He is buried there in Pine Grove Cemetery.

The overcoat is a very good example of a regulation issue uniform and has the additional benefit of a legitimate identification from a well-known group of artifacts descended in a soldier’s family.

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