Formerly in the collections of the Texas Civil War Museum, this non-regulation Union jacket shows legitimate wear, field use, some soiling, and period repairs, but remains in very good condition and is a great example of a non-regulation field jacket often seen in period photos of officers and, to a lesser extent, enlisted men who might still prize its comfort on campaign and in the field, and nattier style if on leave. It is blue wool, waist-length, with a short stand-up collar, the front fastened by seven small size general service eagle buttons with appropriately sized, hand-done buttonholes. It has a 6-piece body; 2-piece sleeves; and, non-functional cuffs, each fitted with two more small general service eagle buttons. There is a ¼” hem along the lower edge and along the wearer’s left lapel. Right lapel was likely worn and was repaired at the time by overlapping it with strip of matching material from ½” below the collar to the bottom edge creating a 3/8” hem on the exterior and interior, with the upper two buttons were resewn in the process. The cuff buttons on either sleeve were apparently torn off during the period of use and later replaced or resewn: both cuffs show two old short, mended horizontal tears just forward of the rear sleeve seam. As positioned now the buttons are almost on the seam. The right cuff shows some incrusted dirt and a 1” tear just to the rear of the seam. Otherwise, the exterior is very clean, has good color, seams, and shows no more than a half-dozen inconspicuous, small moth bites.

The interior shows wear around the arm holes and in the upper shoulders, with other wear along the waist, mainly in the left front.  It is lined in the body with tan-brown coarse fabric, and in the sleeve with slightly better quality off-white material. No markings. One interior pocket in the left breast, opening vertically, starting at the third buttonhole from the top, reinforced above the opening with four loose lines of stitching.

The material is similar to that used in issue sack coats, but the jacket does not seem to be an altered sack coat, frock coat or shell jacket, though the collar is a bit uneven, indicating the maker, though competent, may have lacked for resources. (On the wearer’s left the front edge has a very slight curve at the top and measures 1-1/8” from the top edge to lower seam, where on the wearer’s right, the edge is slightly more angular and measures 1-1/4” top edge to bottom seam, a difference in width that seems to hold true for much of the collar, left side, versus right, so it may well qualify as soldier made if not modified.) The use of the interior reinforcing stitches over the top of the breast pocket to keep if from tearing loose from the weight of whatever the soldier might choose to carry, likely indicate the maker was familiar with the sewing in fatigue blouses. The pocket bag has partially detached inside the lining.

This display very well, would add to a uniform collection or even a display of field gear, qualifying as what some collectors anachronistically refer to as a battle jacket.  [sr][ph:L]

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