Federal Ersatz Overcoats

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Hey all

It is well known the US government was hard strapped to equip is growing armies for the winter months, and they were forced to provide the troops early on with coats made of other than sky blue materials. Does anybody have any written accounts, photos or surviving examples of black, brown, jean, satinet etc coats being used? Thanks!

http://www.historicalimagebank.com/gallery/main.php/v/album02/album22/album109/CWu10ds_Gray_overcoat_copy.jpg.html

http://www.historicalimagebank.com/gallery/main.php/v/album02/album22/album109/CWu72ds_Black_overcoat_copy.jpg.html

[Chip42]

Re: Federal Ersatz Overcoats

While researching uniform and equipment issues for an Adjunct at Fort Wayne, Detroit in 2011, we found a doc. that gives a complete list of purchases and reimbursements by the State of Michigan for the year 1861. (The doc is fun to read because it is a transcript of hearing regarding whether state contracts to supply clothing and equipment were "fixed"....In Detroit? No way!!!!). Here is the link:

http://books.google.com/books?id=x2RCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA47&dq=quartermaster+fort+wayne+detroit+1861&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LJpqUb2BM-nV0QGq2IHQCA&ved=0CFcQ6AEwCDgK#v=onepage&q=quartermaster%20fort%20wayne%20detroit%201861&f=false

There is description inside that discusses "overcoats." Further research found a reference to "petersham" coats. These were black and somewhat similar to the issue overcoat in construction. There is at least one photo of these coats being worn at the Fort by the 1st Michigan Infantry. If I can locate it, I will post. We never were able to find an existing coat within the DHS collection.

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Federal Ersatz Overcoats

These examples aren't exactly what you're looking for since they date to the late-war period, but here are two satinet overcoats. Both are identified.

http://www.oshkoshmuseum.org/Virtual/exhibit3/e30190a.htm

http://www.oshkoshmuseum.org/Virtual/exhibit3/e30224a.htm

The bullet-struck back panel of a jean/satinet Federal overcoat worn by an Ohioan at Stone's River can be found at this link: http://www.horsesoldier.com/products/9013

Attached below is another example of a satinet Federal overcoat. In every example I've seen the fabric is double faced and tightly woven so the warp is not visible on the underside of the material. Ditto for the jean used in a small handful of original examples. The black overcoat is from the Wisconsin Veteran's Museum but I only had time to get a few close shots of the material rather than an over-all study of it.

[DBVaughn]

Re: Federal Ersatz Overcoats

Hello
In an 1861 November 10 letter Frank Rogers of the 8th Illinois cavalry says, ”We have drawn two more coats since we came here. One of them is for everyday wear, and the and for cleaning our horses other is an overcoat. We got them yesterday. They are a little ahead of anything we have seen yet. They are of black Pilot Cloth and there is a cap on them. They are of the same style as the band had on at the Wheaton fair.”
There is an image Chalmers Ingersoll in one of the above mentioned coats in the book Unseen Friends, a letter collection to his wife.(linked below.)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4807385271037&l=8760119ca9

Mark Hess

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Federal Ersatz Overcoats

Brian it is interesting that this sort of thing is NOT just an early war thing as one would imagine. Good stuff!

[Seamus]

Re: Federal Ersatz Overcoats

The officers of the 18th U. S. Infantry rejected non-regulation overcoats.


"Camp Thomas
Headquarters 18th Regt, U.S. Infantry
Columbus, Ohio Dec. 10th, 1861
Col. G.H. Crosman, Q.M. Genl.

Sir,
The Invoice of overcoats just received for this Regiment names these as “Gray” which is not the uniform of the Army and differs from those which one thousand of our men are now wearing. I beg most earnestly to represent that to use these overcoats will draw an invidious destination between the 18th and other Regiment’s – create dissatisfaction and seriously interfere with our recruiting by perpetually injurious comparisons between us and volunteers.

I shall be greatly obliged if you will promptly furnish regulation blue overcoats and order the Regimental QM to turn over the “Gray” to Capt. Myers who can easily find use for them. I respectfully request your immediate attention to this matter. Our men are suffering but I am not willing for the saving of a few days to furnish clothing so seriously objectionable.

Very respectfully,
Wm. A. Stokes
Maj. 18th U.S. Inf."

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Federal Ersatz Overcoats

Robert, I am not sure if the mid-late war satinet overcoats were made from "western" procured cloth and manufactured under western contract, cheaper/lower quality cloth provided by Schuylkill or another eastern source, or if the coats were manufactured in the east and sent west. Attached are some details cropped from the image linked below, courtesy of the Liljenquist collection at the Library of Congress. It's a good example of non-regulation material being used for an overcoat but also shows pilling from use (as to a number of blouses from the same collection, but that's another story). The soap box is cool too.

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/lilj/item/2010648966/

[Andy Ackeret]

Re: Federal Ersatz Overcoats

Early Wisconsin regiments (2nd to 6th Infantry) were issued gray overcoats that came from contracts with Jaralawski Brothers and E.D. Eaton, both of New York. Correspondence indicates the overcoats did not have capes, and the Eaton contract indicated a lining of red flannel. Source: Howard Madaus "The Uniform of the Iron Brigade at Gettysburg," which is Appendix III of In the Bloody Railroad Cut at Gettysburg by Herdegen and Beaudot. It's a great article that covers Wisconsin's efforts to clothe and equip its 1861 regiments.

[Bill52]

Re: Federal Ersatz Overcoats

Mr. Lowe

The same Detroit manufactures that had made the black overcoats had also made the State issued blue overcoats. I would expect that if you researched the construction details of blue overcoats you would gain some knowledge on the construction of the black overcoats. Although this is not always true.

I found your post very interesting. I was wondering if you have ever seen the hand written receipts for these items. I have copies of some of the early payments and the receipts detail what Michigan was paying for. For example the receipt to James S. Smith of New York shows how many company letters, silk sashes and artillery bugles etc. were provided. I was wondering if you had ever seen these original receipts.

William T. Carr
Company of Military Historians

[cigichj]

Re: Federal Ersatz Overcoats

Not sure if this helps or not, but earlier today I was flipping through "Eyewitness to The Civil War" and on page 95 is an overcoat made of sky blue jean cloth. The text states that it was worn by Private Edmund Starrett of the 24th Maine Vol Inf. Unfortunately, that's about as specific as it gets, and I can't find any further information on the example (location, etc.) or Mr. Starrett.
Just thought I'd bring it up.

[Agate]

Re: Federal Ersatz Overcoats

If you peruse quartermaster documents you find there's generally two reasons clothing made of irregular cloth was purchased. Either as a method for the QMD to help control or manipulate the market or during a period of exigency.
The following relates to Lincolns call for 600,000 new troops in 1862 and serves well as an example of market manipulation by the USQMD.

WASHINGTON, D. C.,
November 8, 1862.
Hon. E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War:
SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge your letter of October 13, calling for a report upon the provisions made for procuring an adequate supply of clothing and shelter for the troops in the field and for the levies coming into service. At the time of the call for 300,000 volunteers and 300,000 drafted militia in July and August last a large quantity of clothing was on hand. Of the principal articles of clothing there was a stock estimated to be sufficient to supply the troops then in service for from six to nine months. I had the honor on the 13th of August, 1862, to report to you upon the steps taken to prepare for the increase of the Army. I also enclose a copy of a letter of instructions, embracing the draft of an advertisement sent to the officers in charge of the three principal depots for procuring clothing, camp and garrison equipage. These depots are located in New York, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati. The quantities of goods required were so large that to invite at once bids for the whole might have resulted in too great an excitement in the market, and in putting the supply almost entirely in the hands of a few large capitalists or dealers.
M. C. MEIGS, Quartermaster- General.
OR's, Series III, Vol II, page 732.

Meigs instructions to his principle AQM's as noted above are sadly, not included in the OR's. However, if one turns to period papers the advertisements placed can be found.
In Cincinnati, Capt. Dickerson (AQM of the Cincinnati depot) advertised two days after recieving Meigs instructions. In this advertisement we find the usual goods that one might expect. Blouses, trousers, overcoats, shirts, uniform coats ect. made of standard regulation army cloth.

However also mentioned (for the first time in Cincinnati) in the advertisement are knit blouses, knit trousers, knit jackets, knit shirts, knit overcoats and knit drawers.
Meigs makes clear his fear was that just a few large manufactures could control the price paid for the cloth and a monopoly created.

As knit cloth is not manufactured like woven cloth, we can see that an attempt was made to manipulate the market. In other words, Meigs directed the purchase of an alternative material so that the QMD relied less on woven cloth to fill the need for clothing and to keep the prices manageable.

Two weeks later Dickerson announced who he had awarded contracts to in the local papers. As Cincinnati had almost no knit clothing industry, he had substituted mixed citizens cloth (satinet) on many of the awards. Thus accomplishing the objective.

In light of this, that Brian presents to us a portion of an Id'd overcoat made of mixed cloth with a provenance relating to Stone's River takes on an even greater interest.

Using the above as a guide, certain garments made of mixed goods would indeed have been in the QMD pipeline as Cincinnati was the principle depot for the Army that fought at Stone's River.

It becomes clear while looking into later documents, that the QMD propped up, or supported certain industries to a degree so that if other occasions arose where the threat of the cost of certain goods would severly rise, they could somewhat regain or manage a control.

Which is likely the reason why we continue to see moderate contracts for some knit goods well into 1864. This is supported by a review of other goods the QMD was responsible for, not just clothing.

Later contracts in 1863 and 1864 sometimes called for contractors to supply the same style garments with two or three different price points (for say, 40,000 overcoats@ $7.00, 40,000 overcoats @ $6.50) within the same contract. Meaning that they were manufactured of different materials or different grades of the same material. That some of this is mixed material such as satinet is likely given the prices paid.

Exigency.

Garments manufactured of mixed cloth were also procured as nothing else was simply available.
I took the following notes on irregular overcoats from the testimony given to the Van Wycke Committee investigating the purchase of army supplies by the Department of the Ohio from October, 1861-Febuary, 1862. Contained in Vol. 1143 of the Serial Set. As well as from the Quartermaster Generals correspondence housed at NARA.

Pg. 742, Capt. J. Dickerson, AQM Cincinnati
We had no difficulty with our clothing until the latter part of September; then the supply became short on account of there being parties here from Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri contracting (note that these were not nesecarily all state agents but AQM's from other departments as well such as the Western Department under Fremont). We got along to the middle of October, and then we had great difficulty in obtaining clothing at all.
About the 10th of October, I received a dispatch form General Meigs to purchase any material outside of regulation that would make suitable overcoats; that there was not enough in the country to supply the army; that perhaps I might get some from Vinton, in New York. I went to New York for that purpose. On reaching there I found Colonel Vinton could not supply me. Then I went to Boston and purchased material for about twenty-five thousand overcoats, dark satinette and Union goods. I had about twelve thousand of these manufactured in Boston and the balance in Cincinnati. Beside these I bought about ten thousand overcoats that were not regulation coats-blue satinette, regulation in color but not in quality. The purchases made in Boston were made by G. A. Shaw, who was recommended to me by Col. Vinton as an agent, and in the employ of the government.
NARA Series M745, Roll 36, "Main Series, Letters sent by the Office of the Quartermaster General, Volumes 56-57," entry 77/127. Meigs to Dickerson
18 Oct., 1861
.
"If a regiment will agree to accept white undyed wool clothing, and the cloth can be made West, it should be used. Anything in this extremity is better than to wait".
962. Vol. 1143.
AQM Dickerson, Cincinnati
I purchased materials, as stated before in my former testimony in Boston, for about 15,000 overcoats, which were not regulation; it was all cassinets; as far as practicable I got regulation colors, I could get none from the east. I had engaged about thirty-five thousand overcoats, and had ninety-thousand men to clothe.

Pg. 914, Col. Trimble, 60th OVI.
None of them were regulation overcoats. They were half cotton goods, and there were three or four varieties even of those.

Q. Do you know anything of the overcoats issued Colonel Harris's Second Regiment, Ohio Volunteers?
A. Yes, Sir,
Q. What do you know about them?
A. They were black felt overcoats, which ought to never have been issued.
Pg. 948, Capt. Gill USMSK (United States Military Storekeeper at Cincinnati)
In addition to the irregular clothing which I reported to the Quartermaster General, I find that we have 9,000 satinet overcoats, 8,000 of which are quite good; 10,000 pairs of satinet pantaloons which are good, and 6,000 doeskin overcoats which are good.

Pg. 1490, Tracy & Enders, Cincinnati Clothiers
I took contracts in August with Captain Dickerson, at Cincinnati, for 15,000 pairs, pants, 1,000 cavalry pants, 20,000 skeleton blouses, 15,000 shirts, 10,000 haversacks, 5,000 pairs pants, 18,000 shirts, 20,000 lined blouses, 20,000 lined blouses, 10,000 sky-blue satinet overcoats, 20,000 blankets, 10,000 pairs, doeskin pants, 5,000 skeleton blouses.
Considering all of the above, overcoats of mixed cloth of the regulation color would certainly be appropriate for an Army of the Ohio impression though the departmental reorganization and the creation of the Army of the Cumberland.
---------
Besides an explanation of likely why knit clothing existed, here's something else of interest with regard to the above letter from Meigs to Stanton in the OR's but completely unrelated.

With regard to the way the QMD uniformed the 600,000 new soldiers entering the Army, again the above letter from Meigs to Stanton:

"The 300,000 volunteers will be equipped principally from the articles made up and in store".

This refers to the contracts placed and noted above.

However, the 300,000 drafted men were to be supplied by a different means.

"The first suit of cloth uniform for the 300,000 drafted militia, coats and trousers, will be made from cloth which I have ordered to be sent from the Schuylkill Arsenal to each State, where the garments will be made by the people of the States themselves, under contracts entered into either by U. S. quartermasters of experience, stationed within the States, or by the government of the States. This arrangement has been proposed to the several State authorities and accepted by them. It will in some degree distribute the vast expenditure made necessary by these levies among the families of those who go forth to serve the country. The work will be done, too, more quickly than so large a work would be done with the means at hand at the principal depots".

In Ohio, this clothing hall was established at Steubenville as the women of that portion of Ohio unlike other parts of the state, had previously little opportunity in the way of general relief.

Why, unlike the other halls established (sans Peoria) it remained open through the war is something of a mystery. But given that several counties of that part of the state had threatened succession from Ohio, and had been hotbeds of the Copperhead movement and a refuge for the Knights of the Golden Circle, my guess is that it was likely political in nature.

John

John Sarver

[KPavia]

Re: Federal Ersatz Overcoats

Not sure if this helps or not, but earlier today I was flipping through "Eyewitness to The Civil War" and on page 95 is an overcoat made of sky blue jean cloth. The text states that it was worn by Private Edmund Starrett of the 24th Maine Vol Inf. Unfortunately, that's about as specific as it gets, and I can't find any further information on the example (location, etc.) or Mr. Starrett.
Just thought I'd bring it up.

To elaborate, in Echoes of Glory page 129 is a picture of the same overcoat. The accompanying description says, "Pvt. Edmund Starrett, 24th Maine Infantry. Made of jean cloth, Private Starrett's state-contract overcoat is typical of garments produced by private contractors in the first years of the War. A shortage of sky blue kersey in 1861 and 1862 resulted in thousands of dark blue, black and even brown coats."