Altered Mounted Service Jackets - 3rd Iowa Cavalry

[hardeeflag]

This is an image that my wife has. It is believed to be of her G-G-G-Grandfather John Walden and brother Joseph Walden. They Served in the 3rd Iowa Cavalry. I once had a detailed scan of this image but lost it. This is one I just took with a digital camera. I just blew the image up and noticed that these guys what looks to be altered mounted service jackets. You can see the single button on the collar after it was shortened. In John (who I believe is him standing) you can see the remnant of the stitching the yellow tape on the cuff. Either that or the trim is actually dark in which I don't know what color this would be. To me it looks like all the yellow tape has been removed and the collars shortened on the jackets.

[DBVaughn]

Re: Altered Mounted Service Jackets - 3rd Iowa Cavalry

Hello,
I have seen over 100 images from the same federal cavalry unit. The variation in jackets is great. They varied in number of buttons over the war from 7 to twelve. The collars varied from the four stripes to no stripes. the yellow tape at some time present and at other times not (despite the washed out appearance in some of the images of the yellow color on the black and white image.) Collar height also varied. Less likely that they were altered than the contractor and inspector took liberties with the pattern to get more product to the field and out to the troopers. Looking at the quartermaster records for this unit revealed that the received new jackets at about six month intervals. with that level of replacement the variation in styling is understandable
Mark Hess