Uniform help question...

[dpalyka]

What would you say the trim of this jacket is made from?
http://www.cdvps.org/gallery/11inz/U...h_Regt_IN_Vols

I am trying to make this jacket but am unfamiliar with this style...

-Damon Palyka

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Uniform help question...

Hallo Kamerad!

Since no one has replied, I will offer what scant info I have...

You may want to consider checking with the Indiana State Library and the Lane House Museum in Crawfordswville, IN.

Corporal Sylvester Bishop wrote home on December 25, 1861 concerning the new issue that had replaced the former gray:

"Our coats are black with a blue front that buttons up close, which makes it look like a vest."

From the few photographs I have viewed, the "Zouave" trim appears to be blue piping rather than flat worsted tape.

Additional letters written by Bishop in 1862 and 1863 talk about how the men could not draw from army regulaiton clothing but rather had a $42 clothing allowance per year and purchased the Zouave jackets through a private contract for $5.50.

The image posted is interesting, as the "Zouave jacket and false front "vest" does not match my limited knowledge of the post December 1861 through the 1865 Baltimore era. I guess I need to pour through the 11th's images sometime...

Sorry.

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt

[dpalyka]

Re: Uniform help question...

Hallo Kamerad!

Since no one has replied, I will offer what scant info I have...

You may want to consider checking with the Indiana State Library and the Lane House Museum in Crawfordswville, IN.

Actually, I've been there...

Corporal Sylvester Bishop wrote home on December 25, 1861 concerning the new issue that had replaced the former gray:

"Our coats are black with a blue front that buttons up close, which makes it look like a vest."

In the research that I have done, I believe there are 3 primary jackets issued to the 11th ... (for some reason this really seems to piss people off...)
Bishop refers to the second one issued...

From the few photographs I have viewed, the "Zouave" trim appears to be blue piping rather than flat worsted tape.

Additional letters written by Bishop in 1862 and 1863 talk about how the men could not draw from army regulaiton clothing but rather had a $42 clothing allowance per year and purchased the Zouave jackets through a private contract for $5.50.

The image posted is interesting, as the "Zouave jacket and false front "vest" does not match my limited knowledge of the post December 1861 through the 1865 Baltimore era. I guess I need to pour through the 11th's images sometime...

Sorry.

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt

Please feel free to poke around the research that I have done, as for the trim, I have a pattern for the 3month made from and original, in that the trim is cotton Duck. However to me the trim on the coat in question looks like worsted wool tape, but I'm no expert so I figured I'd ask... I have been unable to find a supplier of sky blue worsted wool tape big enough to do this...
Anyway, thaks for your help...

[Company Tailor]

Re: Uniform help question...

I might be able to help a little on this one. What you have here is an Indiana style jacket. Indiana provided clothing, arms and equipment on her own for most of her infantry regiments through the early part of the war and continued to contribute even after the Quartermaster Department took over the equipage of it's federalized units in 1862. The quasi-zouave type jacket you have here was issued generally to Indiana troops and was a source of pride for the Indiana regiments. It wasn't looked upon favorably when regiments from other states followed suit with similar uniforms (heck, they could recognize a natty looking jacket too). Trim varied according to individual units but generally had a perimeter trim in sky blue 1/2" or 3/8" HBT or mohair braid tape. Thats what I've been able to glean from images with a micrometer and magnifying glass anyway. The fleur on each front is a soutache that could be made from anything, most likely wool or cotton. I can pretty definitively state that they are set by hand. Trust me, it's problematic to do it with a machine. I can't say much on the linings. Records don't specify much and the photographers were'nt considerate enough to have their subjects open up their coats for the photos. Similar items from other states were lined with domit, jean or even homespun.

I don't have any of the Indiana images I've scanned over the years on this laptop, but below is a photo of a repro I did a few years ago. There was also an old issue of Military Images that had an article on them. I'll see if I can dig it up. It had some good info.

Very cool jacket. I can definately see why the Injianny troops liked them. I wish a unit would decide to sport them at an event some time.

Hope this helps. Best of luck.

[dpalyka]

Re: Uniform help question...

I might be able to help a little on this one. What you have here is an Indiana style jacket. Indiana provided clothing, arms and equipment on her own for most of her infantry regiments through the early part of the war and continued to contribute even after the Quartermaster Department took over the equipage of it's federalized units in 1862. The quasi-zouave type jacket you have here was issued generally to Indiana troops and was a source of pride for the Indiana regiments. It wasn't looked upon favorably when regiments from other states followed suit with similar uniforms (heck, they could recognize a natty looking jacket too). Trim varied according to individual units but generally had a perimeter trim in sky blue 1/2" or 3/8" HBT or mohair braid tape. Thats what I've been able to glean from images with a micrometer and magnifying glass anyway. The fleur on each front is a soutache that could be made from anything, most likely wool or cotton. I can pretty definitively state that they are set by hand. Trust me, it's problematic to do it with a machine. I can't say much on the linings. Records don't specify much and the photographers were'nt considerate enough to have their subjects open up their coats for the photos. Similar items from other states were lined with domit, jean or even homespun.

I don't have any of the Indiana images I've scanned over the years on this laptop, but below is a photo of a repro I did a few years ago. There was also an old issue of Military Images that had an article on them. I'll see if I can dig it up. It had some good info.

Very cool jacket. I can definately see why the Injianny troops liked them. I wish a unit would decide to sport them at an event some time.

Hope this helps. Best of luck.

Wow that jacket is great... It is more of a 32nd IN one though... There are several of these images in my gallery .
My favorite quote from the Bishop letters is about how other units jackets were looking like the 11ths and when soldiers from other units were caught doing things they shouldnt they would say they were from the 11th... :)
The jacket I am trying to make however is the 3rd jacket (issued after they vetranized)...