New York State Jacket Buttons

[bhutton]

I've been researching the correct buttons for my New York State Jacket, it currently was supplied with eagle buttons without any cuff buttons , I've since looked at some of the more authentic vendors reproductions and they all seem to have state buttons with (2) cuff buttons on each sleeve. I want to change the eagles for state and add cuff buttons, but then I was reading 'Archealogical Perspectives ...' book and noticed in Chapter 4 that the discovered NY Irish Brigade graves in 1988 at Antietam contained Eagle buttons, the quantities suggesting NYS Jackets and records indicate that this was what they were outfitted with.Which buttons would be correct? Thanks for any help

Robert Hutton
67th NY

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: New York State Jacket Buttons

Others are much more expert on this than me, but I have understood that NY jackets were usually issued with NY butons.

That said, a soldier who lost one or more NY buttons in the field may have had a challenging time finding replacements, and would probably have resorted to the correct-sized eagle buttons as replacements.

[FranklinGuardsNYSM]

Re: New York State Jacket Buttons

I've not personally seen a true "New York" jacket (meaning one made by and for New York troops, though we know garments similar in style to have been produced elsewhere) in person or in photographs that has anything but three-piece "muffin" New York State buttons.

In fact, there seem to have been enough to go around, so much so that true New York uniforms sometimes end up on "outsiders." Such was the case of the 71st PA in October, 1862. They received an issue of coats "made for the N.Y. Infantry regiments" and "comparisoned with buttons of the 'Excelsior brigade,'" according to a Co. C soldier.

[minieball]

Re: New York State Jacket Buttons

From a relic hunter perspective, NY state seals are probably the most commonly recovered state seal button in the eastern theater.

Todd

[fire_zouave]

Re: New York State Jacket Buttons or Pennsylvania units wearing New York Jackets.

While scanning through "I Never Again Want to Witness Such Sights": The Civil War Letters of First Lieutenant James B. Thomas, Adjutant, 107 Pennsylvania Volunteers I found this line written on October 23, 1862, "we have received our new clothes and the boyes look well- light blue pants, N. York state jackets, good wollen shirts with pockets in, good blankets & overcoats- new knapsacks, canteen & haversack."
To tack onto what Marc Hermann wrote about the 71st PA, located in Gary Lash's Duty Well Done:The History of Edward Baker's California Regiment (71st Pennsylvania Infantry are pictures of George Washington Beidelman (Co C) and George W. Harper (Co P) wearing NY jackets. The picture of Harper is dated to April of 1862. In both pictures the subjects are wearing their overcoats. The buttons appear to be the size of sack coat buttons.
This begs a few questions. Was the government buying the jackets to make up for a lack of frock coats for the winter and how prevalent was this practice?

[JustRob]

Re: New York State Jacket Buttons

A viewing by members of the 69th NYSV Historical Association of the New York State Jacket at the West Point Museum clearly showed that it had New York State "Excelsior" buttons.

Said jacket was worn by a New York soldier wounded during the Battle of Malvern Hill on July 1, 1862.

[Guy Gane III]

Re: New York State Jacket Buttons

My guess for the Eagle button find is that they may have come off of an issue frock coat. Some pictures show that NCO's wore them.

Knowing which units were buried where, could also help. QM reports could show where the eagles came from, indefinitely.

Good luck,

[Bob 125th NYSVI]

Re: New York State Jacket Buttons

From a relic hunter perspective, NY state seals are probably the most commonly recovered state seal button in the eastern theater.

Todd

Which would make a lot of sense as NYS raised the most regiments to serve for the union and a number of units were equipped with the jackets upon leaving NYS service for Federal service.

And even from re-enacting experience most of kno what it is like to lose a button and have the matching one on hand in the ole housewife.

Once lost they would be replaced by whatever the soldier could get his hands on to avoid the NCO's wrath at th enext inspection.

[JustRob]

Re: New York State Jacket Buttons

I have records of the Irish Brigade receiving New York State Jackets as late as October 1863.

FYI, I'm confused about the Irish Brigade Federal Eagle buttons at Antietam. From the reports I read, the NPS determined that the four soldiers were probably members of the Irish Brigade because of the location of the bodies and the presence of rosary beads, New York state buttons and .69 caliber “buck and ball” ammunition.