In this issue.....
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The
Latest News
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Our
most exciting reproduction of the year will arrive this
September as Jenn and I are expecting our second child. Sean (now 2 1/2)
is excited to be an older brother. Jenn is well, but says that names
like Jean or Tailor have not made the short list.
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Our retail
location at 141 Steinwehr Avenue will be open weekends throughout
March from 10am-6pm. The phone number at the store is 717-334-0112.
Hours will be extended starting in April.
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Our sutler schedule is coming together
for the year. Below is our tentative schedule, but if you know of an
event I may want to consider for 2004 or 2005, please let me know.
Our 2004 Tentative Schedule:
April 23-25 |
Neshaminy, PA |
April 30 |
Recon III |
May 7-9 |
140th Spotsylvania
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May 14 |
New Market March |
July 2-4 |
141st Gettysburg |
July 16-18 |
140th Monocacy |
Sept 10 |
Bukittsville |
Oct 15-17 |
140th Cedar Creek |
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What's on Sale?
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This month we are having a sale on Federal Commercial Sack Coats and
Confederate Sack Coats in Conjunction with the AC Forum's "Bully Buy".
For all the details, click the link below:
March Sale of the Month
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March Production Runs
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Commercial Sack
Coats
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Confederate Sack
Coats
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Officer Capes
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Enlisted Lined
Sack Coats
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Enlisted Unlined
Sack Coats
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Tait Jackets
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Federal State
Jackets
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Weller Overcoats
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Military Vests
in 5 fabrics
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CS trowsers in 6
fabrics
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Dark Blue
Federal Trowsers
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Drawers and
Issue Shirts
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Shelter Tents
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Uniform Study:
5th
Louisiana Frock Coat
please click on any image to enlarge
One of the most frequently asked questions we get here is "when are you
folks going to make a CS frock." The answer is, sometime this spring. The
coat we'll be making is based off a coat in a SC museum. We'll have more
details on that in another issue, but this month we thought we'd
feature another coat that we've examined.
The
"Louisiana Frock" is one of most asked about coats in Don Trioani's
collection. Not only is it unique because it is one of only a few surviving
Confederate Frock coats, but it serves as a perfect example of the use of
sewing machines in the deep south. The coat was believed to have been worn
by a soldier in the 5th Louisiana Infantry*. The coat is believed to be one
of the coats issued to the unit earlier in the war.
The
coat
is made from an all wool cassimere
a nd
has
a nine button front complete
with a full set of Pelican
Buttons down the front and four
on the tails.
It has a
6 piece
body, a two piece sleeve and it is lined in the front panels of the coat
with a white polished cotton. It has two tail pockets cut from brown
polished cotton and one inside kidney-shaped breast pocket. The coat
resembles the Infantry Uniform Coat of the US Army very closely in cut and
construction.
The
most striking feature of the coat is the trim. The 1/2 light weight
vertical
ribbing trim is applied to the perimeter of the coat, the collar, the
scallops on the tails and along the back vents by machine and is applied by
hand to the cuffs and shoulder straps.
The
shoulder straps are a single ply of cassimere that have the seam allowance
turned up and covered by the tape. They are non functional and are secured
with a cuff sized Eagle "D" button.
The
collar has a one piece inner collar and a two piece outer collar. The front
facings and the collar are interlined with a buckram to add stiffness
to the construction.
The
skirt is unlined and has no facing piece, but rather is pressed to the
outside and covered with tape (like the shoulder strap). While there is
extensive machine sewing throughout the garment, the hem of the skirt,
setting the lining, the buttonholes and other features are hand done. There
are features that could have been machine sewn to save time, but aren't. For
instance the left side of the vent in the rear is finished by machine and
the right is done by hand.
The
two piece sleeves are lined with polished cotton and are trimmed with a
chevron pattern and single line of trim simulating a functional cuff. The
sleeve is only trimmed on the outer sleeve and was trimmed before the sleeve
was closed as the trim is set into the fore seam of the sleeve.
This coat is in pristine condition and is a fine example of an early war
coat and a ready-made garment. As you can see by the service record below,
the 5th was one of the longest serving units in the war. They were formed in
May of 1861 and didn't come home until May 17, 1865!
*5th
Louisiana Infantry Regiment completed its organization at New Orleans, LA,
in May, 1861 with men from New Orleans and the parishes of St. Bernard,
Bienville, De Soto, Lafourche, and Ouachita. Ordered to Virginia and
assigned to the Department of the Peninsula, the unit totaled 744 men in
April, 1862. During the war it was attached to General McLaws', Semmes',
Hays', and York's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. It participated in
many conflicts from the Seven Days' Battles to Cold Harbor
, marched with Early to the
Shenandoah Valley, then was involved in the Appomattox
operations. The regiment
reported 27 casualties at Manassas Junction, 50 at Sharpsburg
, 53 at Chancellorsville
, and 7 at Second Winchester
. It lost more than thirty
percent of the 196 engaged at Gettysburg
and had 123 captured at
Rappahannock Station
. Only 1 officer and 18 men
surrendered in April, 1865.
If you have additional questions about this coat or frocks in general,
please do not hesitate to ask.
I have approx 50 additional photos of this coat, if there is a feature you'd
like to see, please let me know and I'll be happy to share what
documentation I have.
Top of page
I'd like to thank Don Troiani and the staff at
Historical Art
Prints for allowing us to use the photos in this article
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