A strong example of the colorful, regulation Civil War jacket for a bugler in a battery of light artillery that would have served in the field attached to an infantry command or to a cavalry command as horse-artillery. These are perhaps the most visually appealing regulation Civil War uniforms and are scarce, with only two buglers allotted to each battery, men who were essential to its performance in the field by relaying the battery commander’s verbal orders to all the gun crews, limber and caisson teams, and other personnel of the unit. This shows just some slight wear to the buttonholes and some scattered small holes to the lining inside in the upper shoulders and the back, below the collar, indicating some use. It has no moth damage, retains strong color to the blue wool body and red worsted wool piping of the exterior, all buttons are place, and the lining is not only the plaid lining characteristic of Schuylkill Arsenal products, but the jacket has a very clear, ink “SA” stamp in the left sleeve at the shoulder along with a “4,” indicating it is the army’s largest standard size, with the numeral supplemented by four large ink dots in either shoulder.

All buttons and trim are in place: twelve small general service eagle buttons down the front, two on each side of the collar and two more on each cuff. The coat is piped in red worsted wool tape sewn to the collar, lapel and waist to mark the branch of service as artillery. The trim runs along the top, bottom, and front edge of the collar, and forms two false buttonholes on either side with double rows. The red piping extends down the wearer’s left lapel and runs around the bottom edge of the jacket. The functional two button cuffs are given an inverted red chevron, and the back of the jacket is trimmed with red arcs from each arm at the shoulder running down to the rear waist, meeting a cloth belt-support bolster at either side, which are trimmed at top and bottom with red also. Most impressive and eye-catching, however, is the red, grid-iron pattern of piping on the front, marking the wearer as a bugler by creating the red outline of a plastron front with stripes running edge-to-edge across each button hole.

The body is lined in a red, orange and blue plaid and the sleeves are lined in white. In addition to the “SA” arsenal and size stamps, the left shoulder has a slightly blurred number or initials that are likely those of the seamstress who assembled the jacket as part of the piece-work system used by the arsenal for its uniforms, or the inspector who passed it once it was completed and returned to the arsenal.

The color of both the exterior and interior is strong and shows no moth damage. The buttons show some age patina, but all are in place and regulation small size general service eagle buttons. The buttonholes down the front show some wear to the piping from being buttoned and unbuttoned, particularly to the lower two, where strands of the worsted wool tape have separated, though no tape is missing. The interior likewise shows some evidence of wear in small holes to the lining of the upper shoulders and back, along the lower edge of the collar. None of these are large and they are not very noticeable, blending in with the plaid design of the fabric. Please see our photos.

This a scarce and very colorful regulation issue uniform that is a key piece in any uniform collection and essential in any artillery display. It would look great with a regulation bugle and saber belt. It is both historically interesting and visually striking.   [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!