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CIVIL WAR US CONTRACTOR AND INSPECTOR MARKED ARTILLERY SERGEANT’S TROUSERS

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This pair of Civil War regulation US Army dismounted trousers has a wonderful, dead-real, period black ink maker’s stamp on the waist band: J.T. MARTIN / JAN’Y.2’65” along with both a single size one dot, and a “1” as well. Martin was a prolific supplier of uniforms to the government during the war, producing some 785,000 pairs of dismounted trousers alone, along with many other uniform items and blankets. As experienced collectors know, despite the large numbers of trousers produced, very few survive- every soldier likely wore out several pairs in service and after the war they were too useful around the farm and as work clothes to merit preservation, and hardly the sort of thing most families would consider a valued memento of a relative’s military service. This pair not only still has the contractor’s stamp, it also preserves a somewhat blurred but partially legible US inspector’s mark stamped slightly askew on the waist band as well. This is a three-line stamp. “ER” is clearly visible on the upper right and “INSP” at the right of the middle line. A black-light or comparison with other inspector stamps might give a firm identification, but it was someone tasked with inspecting Martin’s goods in any case. Even more uncommonly, these trousers bear1-1/4 inch wide red stripes down the outer seam of each leg indicating not only that they were issued and worn, but worn by an artillery sergeant.

These follow the standard pattern for US dismounted trousers with the usual minor differences in construction noted by collectors in the few other surviving J.T. Martin examples. The waistband is fastened by one large stamped tinned iron button at the front; the fly is fastened by five slightly smaller ones; four are more positioned around the exterior of the waistband to secure suspenders, two of these at the rear on either side of a shallow V-cutout vent that has small sewn grommet hole on either side for use of adjusting lace or string. The waistband in lined in unbleached cotton drill 1-3/4” wide, with an interior lining of the fly behind the buttons in the same material, as are the pockets- one on each side opening vertically along the side seam, and a smaller watch pocket opening horizontally along the bottom of the waistband seam. The button hole sides of the fly, inner and outer, are lined internally with black polished cotton, oxidizing slightly toward brown. The cuffs are lined with the same material, all in good condition, 4-1/2” tall, showing more fully as brown. The back has narrow, trapezoidal gussets between the waistband and the seat, the shape observed on another pair of trousers from this contract (Among other sources, see the informative and entertaining Columbia Rifles Research Compendium for details.)

The trousers are untouched, never conserved or having moth holes backed, but solid, with strong color and display impressively. The left rear seam of the waist band is open for about 5” running from near the rear vent and below the rear suspender button. Both grommet holes are there for the adjusting string. The edges of the vent are a bit worn. There are scattered pencil point or pencil eraser size moth nips that don’t affect their integrity or much of the visual appeal. The only larger holes are one on the front of either leg, just below the level of the crotch, on the (wearer’s) left leg measuring about 1 by ½ inch and on the right another about the same size, but partially joining a smaller one. The left leg shows some scattered nips further down and few on the back, only one about ¼” by 3/8.” The right leg shows a few more scattered moth bites further down the leg at the knee and front and back of the upper shin, several about ½.” Again, none of these have been conserved or backed with matching fabrics. We have left them completely as we got them. Please see our photographs.

These would make a wonderful addition to any uniform collection, but we could not think of a better addition to an artillery display. As Kautz’s 1864 customs of service remarks: “The sergeant of artillery is generally chief of piece. . . In battle, the importance of the position of chief of piece can scarcely be overestimated. No individual soldier in the army is required to be so cool or under stronger obligations to preserve unimpaired all his faculties. The proximity of danger, the deafening uproar, the confusion of frightened horses, and the sometimes fearful effectiveness of the enemy's artillery upon his battery, test his capacity for the position to the utmost; and to remain collected, and go through the sighting and direct the loading and firing of the gun without excitement or mistake, at such a time, is undoubtedly the most sublime achievement of the individual soldier. To estimate the distance, sight the gun, direct the length of fuse and kind of shot, with such rapidity as is sometimes necessary, and all the while be able to check the excitement, and prevent the errors of the cannoneers, is a task that has no parallel in the service.” The emphasis is ours, of course.

This a very rare item of uniform that would be worn by an equally rare soldier of character.  [sr][ph:L]

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