Recognize this uniform

[Jimmayo]

Posting this for a friend who wants to know more about the uniform. The soldier is Cpl Enrique D’Hamel 2nd Texas Reg. Mounted Rifles Co. D San Elisario Spies and Guides. It seems that I have seen an image of a similar uniform but can't place it.

He wants to have one made and is wondering about material (color of uniform and cuffs) and type of material. I know there must be some Texans out there who know something that could help. It is really a neat image with the huge knife and the double barrel shot gun.

Here is a little ancedote to go with the image

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/civil-war-cubans/tenderfoot.htm

Thanks

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Recognize this uniform

Hallo!

Dunno.

IMHO, it is reminiscent of the black trimmed coats some Texans had after the summer of 1861.

However, depending upon the "emulsion" we may be looking at yellow. :)

Curt

Q: Curt, do you know any other big words besides "reminiscent?"
A: Yes, "marmalade."

[rebjeb04]

Re: Recognize this uniform

I know he is from Texas, but this looks like coats worn by some Tennessee boys. I think the 20th Tennessee. Although, like Curt said, you could be looking at yellow or even red. I have always heard that red shows as black too.

[Milliron]

Re: Recognize this uniform

It also rather looks like an 8th Va. frock coat I handled in a bookstore in Lexington in 2005.

[Clark Badgett]

Re: Recognize this uniform

Also looks very similar to the light blue trimmed 4th KY frock at Murphreesboro, which in all honesty was probably a prewar Ky State Guard uniform. For what it's worth the 4th KY frock is in all intents and purposes just a Cadet gray version of the regulation US frock. Even has provisions for the attachment of the shoulder scale mounting devises.

[PVT.THIB]

Re: Recognize this uniform

So its been established that the coat could be from the states of Tennessee, Kentucky, or Virginia, but we know its from Texas. Anyone know anything about this Texas coat? I am very interested.

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Recognize this uniform

So its been established that the coat could be from the states of Tennessee, Kentucky, or Virginia, but we know its from Texas. Anyone know anything about this Texas coat? I am very interested.

...I was considering a link to an image of a similar NC pattern
(Gilliam?, Raleigh '61-'62?) ...

Sometimes those of us that seek to answer such intriguing questions use the process of elimination to solve the problem. The fact that the jacket shares similar traits with others of the period, but not the local, isn't working around the topic.

We are all very interested too.

[Clark Badgett]

Re: Recognize this uniform

I would hazard a guess that the pictured frock was loosely based on an outdated 1850s styled regulation frock. The collar seems to be taller, and the sleaves much tighter and straighter than 1860s styles.

There is not a whole lot you can assertain from a small photograph, just the basics. Unit QM records, memoirs and extant clothing/equipage examples are where you get into the meat and potatos.

[FloridaConscript]

Re: Recognize this uniform

A better question is how did the Virginia, Tennessee, Little Rock etc patterns differ from one another? I doubt that each state "invented" a frock pattern sometime between 1855-1861 for use among volunteers.

[Clark Badgett]

Re: Recognize this uniform

Actually each state may not have invented a frock pattern, but when local militia companies were inclined to actually have something that resembled a uniform they found a taylor that could make them. If said taylor was stylistically conservative his final product could very well be slightly out of date, or the example provided for him to pattern off of could have been something left over from the war with Mexico, or something from a few years earlier before the Army updated it's patterns. Early stuff is all over the place.