May 2004

• Invalid Corps Jackets
• Sale of the Month!
• The Latest News
• Product Development
• May's Production Runs
• Past Issues Online

The Latest News

Our retail location is at 141 Steinwehr Avenue in Gettysburg. May Store hours will be: Fri. 10 - 5; Sat. 10 - 9; Sun & Mon 10 - 5 The phone number at the store is 717-334-4429. Hours will be extended further in June.

Our sutler schedule for the month is as follows: 140th Spotsylvania, May 7-9 This looks as it it'll be big event in the east here so I'll be there set up on Sutler Row that whole weekend. The weather looks promising so please look for my tent (the only Hospital Tent on the 'Row') For more information click here: http://www.spotsylvania140th.com/ New Market Preservation March: Friday May 14th only This is NOT the reenactment, but the preservation March. I'll be set up there from about 2pm until Midnight on Friday near the registration. If you are going to the event, or going to the reenactment, please stop by. For more information, please click here: http://newmarketatwar.com/

Product Development

	A few items have been in the works for a while and I've been reluctant to mention their development as I wanted to make sure they would come to fruition. Below is a short list of items we'll be adding to our inventory this Spring/Summer: Silk Hat Cords in Blue, Red and Black 5th NY Zouave uniforms including jackets, shirts, sashes, pantaloons, fezes and chevrons. Selden/British Issue Shirts

May Production Runs

• CS Frock Coats

• Commercial Sack Coats

• Fatigue Blouses

• English Import Overcoats

• Federal Trowsers

• CS Kepis

• Tait Jackets

• CS Trowsers in 8 Fabrics

• Military Vests in 5 fabrics

• Shelter Tents

The article below is an excerpt from a larger article on Invalid Corps Jackets published on my website. There was some discussion recently on chat forums about these coats. To view the entire article, please click here: http://www.cjdaley.com/vrc.htm  

In 1999, I had the opportunity to inspect and document a Invalid Corps jacket on display at Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, PA. Since then I have examined and photographed 4 other Invalid Corps Jackets and I am currently working on a database to catalog extant Invalid Corps Jackets. This Invalid Corps jacket is not identified to a soldier, but was purchased by Gettysburg National Military Park from the New York Historical Society.

Jacket is complete. This garment is an excellent example of a Type II Invalid Corps Jacket. All body pieces, buttons and trim are intact. Jacket shows no tears in body or sleeve lining. Jacket is hand sewn throughout. Button holes show no wear. It has a six-piece body and a two-piece sleeve. The length of the jacket from the base of collar to the bottom is 21". The side seam from the arm hole to the bottom is 13 1/2" and the length down the back along the center back seam is 23 1/8"

The jacket is trimmed throughout with 1/2" worsted wool blue lace. It is trimmed around perimeter of collar, around jacket perimeter from base of collar on buttonhole side around to bottom button on button side. On cuff in a chevron pattern. The collar exhibits a 4" double row of lace on the collar to simulate a false buttonhole.

The jacket has a four-piece collar. The height of the collar is 2 1/8" in the front and 2 1/4" in the center. There is a single black metal hook-n-eye set 1/2" up from the base of the collar. The side vent is 3 1/8" deep and 1/2" wide at the bottom.

The width of the vent facing is 1 1/2" wide. The sleeve lining consists of two different fabrics. Both are green polished cotton with a white pattern printed on them. The first is in a "basket weave" pattern the second is a "grid" pattern. The sleeves linings however are not matched. The upper sleeve lining of the left sleeve matches the under sleeve lining of the right sleeve and visa versa.

(Note: Another jacket formerly owned by Dean Nelson had sleeve linings made from fabric identical to the basket weave pattern in this garment. On this example from the Schuylkill Arsenal, both the upper and under sleeve lining are made form the same fabric.)

The left sleeve is marked "S.A. 2" in dark red ink. The body lining is a plaid domet flannel material. The lining of the body is 5 pieces, there is no center back seam as seen in the body.

The functional shoulder straps are 5 1/2" long in the front, 6 1/4" in the middle and 5 1/4" in the rear. They are trimmed with 1/2" lace and have a 3/4" buttonhole. The facing piece is also raw edged. It is topstitched 6-7 stitches per inch 1/4" along the shoulder seam.

The pocket bag material is also cut similar to the sleeves. The upper fabric is different than the under fabric. The opening of the pocket is 5 1/4" wide. All facing pieces are overcast raw edged to the body. The only top-stitching on the body is on the button side of the jacket. This stitching is 1/2" from the edge and is 6-7 stitches per inch.

The jacket has a 12 button front. The top buttonhole is placed 1" down and 3/4" over and the bottom button hole is placed 3 1/8" up and 3/4" over. The buttonhole spacing is between 1 1/2" and 1 3/4" apart. All buttons on the jacket have a Scovill back mark.

The cuff lace measurements are as follows: Front of sleeve is 1 1/3" up from the bottom, the middle of the lace rises to 4 1/2" and the lace falls to 1 5/8" at the rear of the cuff. The sleeve has a separate facing piece that is 1" deep and is raw edged.

The length of the sleeve is 25", the width at the cuff is 5 7/8" and the width at the elbow is 8"

The author would like to thank the staff at Gettysburg
National Military Park for permission to use these
photographs in this article.

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What's on Sale this Month?
Confederate Single Breasted Frock Coats
please click on any image to enlarge

*Delivery on CS frock coats will take 4-6 weeks depending on availability and size.
To order a coat, please proceed through our inline check out system.
Credit cards will NOT be charged until the coat is shipped.
We are currently only making these coats up to a 50" Chest, but may expand our size offerings as demand warrants.

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