Union Army Frock and Sack Coats

[realgonedaddy45]

Does anyone know of any accounts where soldiers talk of carrying their frock coat and their fatigue blouse simultaneously? Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I recall correctly, the frock coat was intended to be the soldiers main jacket, while the sack coat was supposed to be for fatigue duties, hence the name fatigue blouse. However, due to their relative easy production of the sack coat, it eventually "phased out" the frock. This leaves some period (especially early war) where it seems likely that soldiers would have been issued both jackets and carried them. In a letter home from late 1862, William White of the 69th Pennsylvania writes that “some of the boys lost their new jackets in their knapsacks... just before they went into the fight.” (I assume they were ordered to take them off). They must have been wearing their fatigue blouses and had their Zouave coats (in place of frock) in their packs... This is the closest account that I know of, but was wondering if there are any more direct or explicit records.

[PhiladelphiaBrigadier]

Re: Union Army Frock and Sack Coats

While the practice of issuing both fatigue and dress uniforms was common place in the Regular Army, 1861 and in newly outfitted regiments, this practice was seldom implemented in the field outside of winter quarters. It’s no secret that even when it was employed, soldiers more often than not took it into their own hands to dispose of whichever garments seemed unnecessary. In John Billings Hardtack and Coffee, he recalls how at the start of a campaign, soldiers were often faced with the decision to,

“leave the dress-coat and wear the blouse.”

Even in the Novel Si Klegg and his Pard, the authors emphasizes the willingness of soldiers to discard the dress coat on page 97 when he mentions that,

“On the first march the dress coats disappeared rapidly. They were recklessly flung away to lighten knapsack and ease aching shoulders, or were traded off to the negroes for chickens and other eatables.”

In the case of the 69th, we have all the information to confirm or deny the issue of both blouses and Dress coats simultaneously. Additionally, it was common practice for those regiments of companies uniformed in Zouave Dress to be expected to maintain it for both Dress and fatigue purposes. Like many other new commanders, Joshua Owen aspired for uniformity and soldier bearing in the first weeks of his command. General Order No. 1 issued by Owen on September 19th 1861 states that, “commanders of companies will direct their men to wear their blouses on all occasions except on dress parade, when they must wear the uniform jackets.”

This order was given under the supposition that the regiment would consistently be outfitted with both fatigue and dress uniforms, yet as clothing returns, clothing books, letters and special orders tell us, such was seldom the case in the 69th.

One example would be on March 21st, 1862 previous to the Peninsula campaign when Captain James O’Reilly wrote
his brother that the regiment “are all in good health and with their New uniforms of light blue pants and dark blue frock coats trimmed with light blue will cut a great dash I tell you.”

O’Reilly makes no mention of a Blouse. On this occasion, the regiment was outfitted with dress coats only.

In the case of William White, whose clothing book page I personally examined in Harrisburg last Friday, White definitively was not issued a blouse on June 21st 1862 at the time of his last clothing issue before the Seven Days. On that very day, White wrote to his parents, “we have got a whole new rig, new shoes, stockings, pants, vest, jacket, and cap and leggins’ with green cord instead of red.” White makes no mention of a Blouse and neither do the returns.

Two weeks later on July 4th, White wrote his parents of his whereabouts during the Seven Days battles. Including in his description is his account of Savage Station, before which he recalls how the regiment dropped knapsacks and many men oppressed by the heat removed their jackets and stowed them in their knapsacks. White states,

“I lost my knapsack, blanket, tent, India rubber blanket and everything in my knapsack. So did all the boys. Some of the boys had their new jackets in their knapsacks but just before we went into the fight, I put this portfolio into my haversack. Only for that I would not have neither paper, envelopes, stamps, nor I have got any money to buy any.”

White however, does not mention that he personally lost his “new jacket.” Nor is there any evidence of him having received a Fatigue Blouse in the weeks prior to Savage Station. Another who spoke to the oppressive heat was Charles Williams in the same Company who remembered,

“We lost everything we had on our last march. My Knap-sack with everything I owned was burned up. It was so warm we could not carry them so we had to burn them up so as the enemy would not get them.”

Lacking from any of these accounts however, the the mention of switching jackets. Even the regimental historian, Anthony McDermott, also if Company I, omitted any mention of it in later writing that,

“The government has in this case treated the men very meanly by charging them for the clothing to replace that is so lost.”

While there is no evidence of the 69th carrying both fatigue and dress uniforms during the Seven Days, there is ample evidence of soldiers during the Sevens Days plunging into combat wearing only shirt sleeves. The Comte de Paris himself even noted that at Gaines Mill,

“The Irish Brigade, (I find it notes in my diary) came in shirtsleeves, yelling at the top of their voices. The assailants were very tired and when they saw the strong line of Meagher’s Brigade, they delivered another volley and stopped.”

In light of this, accounts relating to other regiments in the Seven Days Battles, other accounts mentioning dropping jackets by the 69th (Charles McAnally, Gettysburg), I see no reason to believe that many of the 69th continued into the the Battle of Savage Station in nothing but their shirtsleeves and accoutrements. I also believe however that it is also very likely that many were able to find replacements shortly after the battle between the retreat from Savage Station, Glendale and Malvern Hill.


Sources:
William White Letters
Paddy Owens Regulars
The History of the Philadelphia Brigade
To the Gates of Richmond
A Brief History of the Sixty Ninth Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers
Duty Well Done

-Conor Timoney
Liberty Rifles