Spaulding Jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

[Brian Baird]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Gregg Schuller shared a large part of his research on Illinois jackets, uniforms, etc and I found this interesting letter concerning the 13th Illinois receiving jackets at Rolla, MO:
“A STATEMENT FROM ROLLA.
ROLLA, Missouri, Nov. 29,1861.
Editors of Chicago Tribune:
My attention was called this day to “a Commissioner’s Statement,” dated at Belvedere, Illinois, Nov. 9th, 1861, published in the Northwestern Christian Advocate of Thursday, Nov. 20th, 1861, and signed by D. H. Whitney.
The object of this communication is to correct the false statements made by the writer, and impressions likely to be made upon the public mind from the said Commissioner’s statements. …
As to clothing, allow me to say, every private in the 13th regiment received a suit, consisting of a coat or jacket, pantaloons, shirts, socks, shoes and caps, from the county in which the company was enlisted. The State gave a bounty of six dollars (to be invested in clothing) to every private, and in addition to the bounty, gave every private a coat, pants, hat, two shirts, two pair of drawers, two pair of socks, and a pair of shoes – also gave to the regiment six hundred oil cloth blankets for spreading on the ground to sleep on, and ninety overcoats for the use of the guards in wet weather and cold nights.
Within the last few days our men have been new uniformed again, with jackets, pants, drawers, shirts, socks, shoes, overcoats and caps; the last were furnished by the United States. Now, I ask any sane person if this looks like clothing our soldiers with rags. …
SAMUEL C. PLUMMER Surgeon 13th Regiment Ill. Vols. “
This is from Chicago Tribune, December 9, 1861, pg. 2, cols. 5&6. Courtesy of Greg Schuller.
As this letter states, the uniforms were issued not by the state but the US QM department.
Brian Baird

[ScottCross]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Not an Illinois Jacket image, but here is Surgeon Samuel Plummer, the author of the letter.

[ScottCross]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

As to clothing, allow me to say, every private in the 13th regiment received a suit, consisting of a coat or jacket, pantaloons, shirts, socks, shoes and caps, from the county in which the company was enlisted...

Within the last few days our men have been new uniformed again, with jackets, pants, drawers, shirts, socks, shoes, overcoats and caps; the last were furnished by the United States...
As this letter states, the uniforms were issued not by the state but the US QM department.
Brian Baird

To illustrate this, I'm posting another image from the Rock Island Arsenal Museum. The soldier on the left is wearing a NY Style jacket, and the man at center wears what we generally call a State Issue jacket (no trim and etc.) and the soldier at right is still wearing the Illinois State issue gray Uniform Coat, as described earlier in the letter. It is quite clear that there is a variety of jackets being issued to members of the same regiment, and even members of the same company, which these three men show, being all members of Company D, 13th Illinois.

[ScottCross]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Brian Baird, Paul McKee and myself had the pleasure of viewing the George Spaulding Jacket, which is on display at the Geneva History Center, yesterday. It is in surprisingly good condition concerning its age. I just wanted to share a few quick observations, since I am still digesting everything I saw.

The jacket is made of blue wool (not satinette as it first appeared).
It has an eight button front with eagle 'I' buttons.
It has shoulder tabs, which are lined with brown polished cotton, small plain eagle buttons.
It has a single belt loop, lined with blue wool, small plain eagle buttons.
There are no exterior or interior pockets.
The 1st Sergeant's chevrons appear to be sewn directly to the jacket sleeves by machine.
The jacket is padded in the breast with cotton batting and cotton twill.
The entire jacket, including sleeves, are lined with brown polished cotton.
The body of the lining has a very basic quilting to hold the batting in.

[CompanyWag]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Scott,

Again, the thing that was a surprise to me, was to see that the cuffs were constructed exactly like an issue sack coat...no buttons, no functional cuff, just a vent.

Paul McKee

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

I'm glad you guys got to see it in person. Pretty cool jacket! When we were walking into the meeting room to look at it, from a distance my first impression was that it was a NY state jacket. As exciting as that would have been, I was pretty excited when it wasn't. The little details got me going like the sack coat cuffs you mentioned. Did you notice that the cuffs once had small buttons attached, but are now missing?

I'm still not sure what to make of the stylistic similarities it has in common with NY state jackets. My pet theory is that perhaps the firm that produced the Spaulding jacket had a NY jacket to compare it to...something like the "sealed pattern" uniforms at Schuylkill Arsenal. Maybe the local manufacturers retained some features out of functionality but cut back on the superfluous stuff like trim, exterior pocket, and the NY style chest linings that would generate a lot of hand-sewing. The way the jacket is constructed also seems to hint at a streamlined mass-production technique, i.e. the interior machine and hand sewing is in brown thread, topstitching is black thread, and the buttonholes are black silk. I can see a building full of people cranking these things out through piece work.

[ScottCross]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

The way the jacket is constructed also seems to hint at a streamlined mass-production technique, i.e. the interior machine and hand sewing is in brown thread, topstitching is black thread, and the buttonholes are black silk. I can see a building full of people cranking these things out through piece work.

Brian,

I couldn't agree more. The amount of machine sewing on this garment and the incredible amount of top stitching (with very little handwork, no flat felling of seams, & etc.) just screams mass production. It was very simply made, but still retained some finer features you would not see on most Federal government contracts. The button holes were very well done, about 32 stitches per inch I think, and at least it did have padding in the chest and some quilting.

And yet...NO POCKETS!

[CompanyWag]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

...The little details got me going like the sack coat cuffs you mentioned. Did you notice that the cuffs once had small buttons attached, but are now missing?

I believe you are quite right. The remnants of the button thread can be seen in the attached image. I was also surprised that the fabric appeared to be the same as sack coat wool with a very bold diagonal twill weave. No fine broadcloth or satinette here.

We were fortunate that the museum alllowed me to bring in studio lighting to photograph the jacket. Without that, taking any detailed shots would have been hopeless with the low ambient lighting in the gallery.

Paul McKee

[John of the Skulkers Mess]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Bravo!

Which side was the belt loop on? Was there any indication that there was one on the other side at one time?

Me jealous?!?!?

:cry_smile

[Brian Baird]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

John,
The belt loop was on the left side. There was no sign that there was one on the right.
The coat buttons are "I" buttons but are the size of officer's buttons, not sack coat size and there are no marks on any of them.
Brian Baird

[csuniforms]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

In the field records at the Springfield, Ill. State Historical Society are the papers of the the 17th Illinois Infantry. In those papers is a memo for payment for "jackets" [1863] in lieu of the standard issue blouse or frock coat, under special orders US Quartermaster Dept.-- They were buying jackets-- artillery and cavalry cut-- without the lace--with subtle sewing configurations, for a special price from the Quartermaster. This is the same process used for those Regiments who wore Zouave uniforms issued by the US Quartermaster.
Also,you have to remember that the State of Illinois had over 15 different suppliers of jackets, with a probable 15 different shades of blue and gray and construction. This supply system continued into early 1862 when the Government took over. -- F. Sarmiento & Co. in the latter months of 1861and into 1862 were shipping regular QM goods like frocks and blouses, Artillery and Cavalry jackets, in huge quantities under contract. That is why you see in photos the Illinois Regiments numbered in the 70's thru 100's range, in frocks and caps and Hardees.-- I have the figures in my notes.
In my humble opinion, without an extant suriving example to work from, you can use period photos to reproduce the jacket. We do have at least one description of the cloth as, "blue satinette". The variation in jackets viewed in photos is confusing, but I am doing work on dating the photos to the issue dates and the different contract suppliers for jackets. Using the New York jacket as a pattern is fine for the troops serving in Missouri under Fremont, but in those Regiments we also see differences in cut and trim. Fremont was involved in issuing clothing for his Army in Missouri-- and some of the jackets came from out East, or they were using that NYpattern at the QM Depot in St. Louis.

CSuniforms
Tom Arliskas

[Mark Susnis]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Check out this latest offering on Ebay:
The cardboard frame / holder around this image is obviously post-war however check out the image for yourself

http://cgi.ebay.com/Outdoor-Illinois-Civil-War-Soldier-Tintype-Armed_W0QQitemZ250602333633QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3a591025c1

v/r
Mark Susnis

[Ian M.]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Bad link -- eBay shows "Item Removed"

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

Ian,

This should work: http://cgi.ebay.com/Outdoor-Illinois...item3a591025c1

Anyone who is interested in the Spaulding jacket or state jackets in general should stay tuned...

[Ian M.]

Re: Spaulding jacket/Illinois Infantry Jackets

It sure does. Interesting photo. Shows to be a 9-button front with shoulder straps and stand collar. Tried to make out cuff detail (buttons, no buttons?) and whether it had a belt loop(s), but simply could not. Great find though. Anyone else see details I'm missing?