Spaulding Jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

[CJDaley]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Chris,
Check the posts regarding "chevron placement." One does exist in public display at the Geneva History Center. I think it's Brian Baird that mentions two in a private IL collection.

I guess I shouldn't have said "WE" don't know..."I" don't know...

Thanks for the update...now lets get some detailed pics of those originals posted online someplace boys!

[BrettKIllinois]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

IL issued Mex war styled packs to the early numbers. I know the 36th IL originally had those.

Great pic!

Notice that he has run all of his straps (including his knapsack) UNDER his epaulets. Also, he appears to be wearing a Mex-war pattern knapsack.

[MarkTK36thIL]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Brett, if you get a chance, swing on up the Elgin Historical Society. There's a good chance -that's it's the 36th IL- they've got an original box knapsack from the 36th.
When I got some time this summer I'm going to get some better pictures up of it and the Spaulding jacket.
http://www.b36thillinois.org/knapsack.html

[FlatLandFed]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

I like the modification to the Mex war knapsack -- some loops stitched inside the flap to hold personal items -- I'm guessing for his tooth brush, fork, Bummer's torch, etc.

http://www.b36thillinois.org/knapsack.html

Might try to tackle this for my double bag knapsack.

Do you think the loops were "elasticated" to hold items snugly? Hard to tell from the photo. Might even just be folded over cloth, like a canteen strap?

Obliged,
Paul Hadley

[MarkTK36thIL]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Actually Paul,
It's hard to tell from the picture, but that grayish color above the tape, the wear, and the size of the loop makes me think it was to hold a shaving brush. I would guess the loop on the left held his razor in place.

The tape isn't elasticized, and from what I can tell is just cotton cloth cut to size. I took some cotton tape and made a similar holder for my toothbrush and other gear for Piney Woods and it worked very well to hold those loose items in a handy place.

Very interesting modifications for an old knapsack my brother found just tucked away on a shelf in the museum's storage.

[csuniforms]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

[QUOTE=CJDaley;140709]Don't know Scott, wish I did.

What I do know is every surviving NYS jacket I've seen (5 total) has NYS buttons. None have regular US buttons like Vinton asked for.

We don't know if Vinton ever got these jackets.
We don't know if the contract was altered to change the pattern/design/buttons.
We don't know if these jackets were issued to Fed or State troops.
We don't know...

I've got 2-3 ILL images on my other computer, I'll try to get them onto this thread before too long.

As Dan says, there were tons of variations in these puppies (NYS jackets) Some were made really well out of nice fabric, some were slapped together out of junk fabric. It would be impossible to tell from an image what fabric was used or assembly techniques.

Let's hope an ILL id'd jacket pops out of someone's closet someday to tell us for sure...until then, thanks for starting this thread.[/QUOTE

What people have to realize is that the State of Illinois contracted with over 15 different firms for jackets, gay and blue, in 1861. Some delivered 1,000, some 10,000 or more. The contracts have different delivery dates and the Regiments received jackets at different times through 1861.
This means that what one Regiment received in August of 1861 as issue jackets, could be different from the types issued in November, three months later. Gray jackets are recorded for Regiments up to the 40th Illinois. The NYS style jackets seen on the members of the 13th and the 20th Illinois are I believe Fremont QM issue out of St. Louis as others have indicated. The jacket in the Geneva Historical Society is a very very good example of an Illinois issue contract jacket. The best yet. Dont forget that the Illinois soldiers liked their jackets and continued to wear them through the War. These they bought through the QMB, as unfinished US Cav jackets and paid cash for them. The 17th Illinois did this.

Good Work Boys!

Tom Arliskas
CSuniforms

[ScottCross]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Getting back to Illinois jackets, in American Military Equipage (Volume II), by Frederick P. Todd, p. 758-759, he states, "The usual replacement [for the gray uniform] was a New York-style jacket, of satinette material, with nine buttons. This jacket also had shoulder tabs, belt loops, and a pocket on the left breast...As bourne by contemporary photographs this style of uniform remained popular with Illinois troops throughout the war..." He goes on to state that "The State Quartermaster provided clothing and accouterments...from April 26, 1861 to July 1862." He gives the number of jackets purchased by the state for this time period as 64,412. He also lists the following contractors for Jackets:

Wineman, Frank & Company (Chicago)
Henry Rice & Company (Jacksonville, IL)
Cole & Hopkins (Cincinnati, OH)
F. Sarimento (Piladelphia, PA) "an unusually large order"

He also states that jackets were issued to the 7th - 131st Regiments.

Unfortunately, Todd does not give sources for any of his information, probably since the book was compiled after his death and other people worked on it. He also gives a rather braod and sweeping description of the jackets, when photographic evidence would indicate that there was quite a variety of styles.

[John of the Skulkers Mess]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

I believe Tom is the one who worked on the Illinois section.

Back to the Geneva jacket: did it belong to Edward or George?

[csuniforms]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Getting back to Illinois jackets, in American Military Equipage (Volume II), by Frederick P. Todd, p. 758-759, he states, "The usual replacement [for the gray uniform] was a New York-style jacket, of satinette material, with nine buttons. This jacket also had shoulder tabs, belt loops, and a pocket on the left breast...As bourne by contemporary photographs this style of uniform remained popular with Illinois troops throughout the war..." He goes on to state that "The State Quartermaster provided clothing and accouterments...from April 26, 1861 to July 1862." He gives the number of jackets purchased by the state for this time period as 64,412. He also lists the following contractors for Jackets:

Wineman, Frank & Company (Chicago)
Henry Rice & Company (Jacksonville, IL)
Cole & Hopkins (Cincinnati, OH)
F. Sarimento (Piladelphia, PA) "an unusually large order"

He also states that jackets were issued to the 7th - 131st Regiments.

Unfortunately, Todd does not give sources for any of his information, probably since the book was compiled after his death and other people worked on it. He also gives a rather braod and sweeping description of the jackets, when photographic evidence would indicate that there was quite a variety of styles.

Hey! I wrote that Chapter many many years ago!! Todd let me do it. All he had was some information on Ellsworth Zouaves and notes on arms, and items from old State Histories and Regimentals on Illinois in the Civil War. Dick Tibbals and I were the CW nuts who were studying the Illinois issue clothing back in the 70's for our Civil War Unit the 46th Illinois. As to the statement, "the usual replacement for the gray uniform was the NYS style jacket". What was infered is that the jacket, "looked like" a NYS jacket, and so we, 'way back in the 70's'-- called it that for want of a better description. The, "looked like a NYS jacket', is replaced today with the, "Illinois contract issue jacket". A lot has been discovered since 1976 on Illinois soldier material culture, and I am sure more will turn up. Just look at what shows up every once and awhile on E-Bay!!! Anyway-- some day I will do a pamphlet or short book on Illinois stuff!!-- But, in the mean time you guys are doing a great job here. You have peeked my interest and if I can figure out how to put pictures on this forum--(being 60 years old now) my computer skills suck!!-- that said back to sharpening my quill pen and loading up the old Browny Starflash to transfer some of those Illinois photos I have to the 'puter.

CSuniforms
Tom Arliskas

[MarkTK36thIL]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

John:
George, but another Spaulding was awarded the MoH at Shiloh from the 52nd.

[Brian Baird]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Does anyone know how Illinois resupplied jackets to troops in the field?

Did they do it thru their own agents or thru the Federal QM Dept?

Brian Baird

[Ian M.]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

I am not trying to take this thread of topic but I have long been looking for dating information on when the basic shell jacket first started showing up among enlisted men, for which pictorial evidence in this thread and other sources would suggest was very prevalent among Illinois regiments. The shell of which I speak as 8-9 buttons, presumably was of wool like issue frocks, functioning cuffs with 2-3 buttons, no epaulettes and no piping.

The item seems prevalent from Spring of 1864 on but when was it actually first showing up on issue, and, to the last point, was it coming through the QM?

[Mark Susnis]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Here's a Sucker Drummer on Ebay from the 39th Illinois...

http://cgi.ebay.com/IDD-Civil-War-CDVs-of-Drummer-Boy-33rd-Illinois-Infy_W0QQitemZ230334649791QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item230334649791&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

v/r
Mark Susnis

Exceptional Pair of Civil War CDVs of 16- year old Kjel Peder Wardrum, who enlisted as a Drummer boy in the famous 39th Illinois Infantry, nicknamed the "Yates Phalanx", after the State's wartime Governor. Wardrum, a Norwegian immigrant and Chicago bookbinder before the war, anglicized his name to "Kale Peter", enlisted with his older brother Charles on March 4, 1862, and served with the regiment until it was mustered out three years later, seeing action in both the western and eastern theatres of the War.

The wartime image of Wardrum has a H.Rocher Chicago backmark and features the boy with his drum and wearing the distinctive Illinois state jacket. The CDV has "Peter Wardrum" written in period pencil beneath the image. The civilian CDV has no backmark, and was either taken directly before or just after the war. It does, however, feature a faint penciled signature of Wardrum: it reads, "For C Wardrum, Peter Wardrum." The CDVs were found in a large victorian era Album along with an 1870s vintage cabinet card of Charles Wardrum.

[Mark Susnis]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Here's another and this one is from the archives of Cowan's Auctions

Regards,
Mark Susnis

http://www.cowanauctions.com/past_sales_view_item.asp?ItemId=14095

a twenty-something volunteer armed with a standard M1816 conversion musket and regulation Federal leather gear including the smaller M1839 puppy paw oval "US" belt plate. He wears an early version of the distinct nine button blue "satinette" Illinois jacket with cloth shoulder tabs patterned after the New York style. The gray slough hat appears to have a darker colored edge band and is probably a practical carry over from the August 1861 state issue to the 7th through 12th regiments that included a "soft felt, grey, moderately high-crowned" hat "cocked at the side." The consignor had identified this image as a member of the Confederate 28th Tennessee Volunteers, however the physical evidence supports the alternative Illinois identification.

Varnished plate in EXC. condition showing above average clarity with black chemical spotting evident in tight field. Housed in complete composition case.

(EST $400-$500)

Price Realized: $460.00

[ScottCross]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Frank H. Whipple was born on July 7, 1836 at Putnam, Washington County, Ohio. He was farming in LaSalle County, Illinois when he enlisted as a private in Company H, 11th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He rose through the ranks to sergeant in Company H, and was promoted to Sergeant Major on January 22, 1864. During the Yazoo River Expedition, Whipple was struck in the head by a musket ball during a skirmish at Liverpool Heights, Mississippi on February 4, 1864. He reenlisted as a veteran and was transferred on July 14, 1865 to the 46th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, but the records from the 46th Illinois state that he was discharged on July 8th. Following the war he farmed in Waltham Township in LaSalle County and raised a family. He died there on October 11, 1919.



His infantry jacket is on display at the LaSalle County Historical Society Museum in Utica. It is a private purchase jacket, not state issue. It is not a Uniform Coat that has been cut down, which some have suggested. It is VERY fine quality jacket and I was allowed to examine it in detail and take measurements and sketches. The great-grandson also gave me a copy image of the owner wearing it. The image shows Whipple wearing sergeant’s chevrons, which would date the image prior to his promotion in 1864. The body of the coat is constructed of six pieces in the body and two pieces in the sleeve. The sleeves and waist are top stitched. All sewing was done with black silk thread. The material is dark blue satinette while the body lining is black polished cotton. The sleeves are lined with white cotton duck. The breast of the jacket is padded and quilted as seen in officers’ uniform coats. The collar stands one inch high. The nine button front has eight officers’ eagle “I” buttons and one staff officers’ button at the top. The non-functioning cuffs have three small eagle “I” buttons. There is evidence on the sleeve showing where sergeant’s chevrons had been sewn directly onto the jacket. According to his grandson, the chevrons were still on the jacket when it was donated.