American Civil War

**79thReproductions** · 3rd February 08, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by Amoskeag

Hey 79th
That's a very nice looking coat. I've got all kinds of tech questions about it. I never noticed the collar piping before, the reverse curve is quite unusual. The interior detail is very nice. What do you use for wool? I might just have to order one someday.
I've been doing 5NHV for a LONG! time and I am a self proclaimed "thread counter". I think the clothing of the period is what fascinates me the most and it's nice to have repops of some of the more unique items available. Post More History!

Bob

Ask away my friend! I use Pendleton wool flannel. Its a beautiful wool with a slight twill but all in all very solid. Wool flannel is the only weight able to make the details of the jacket. The interior detail is one of two styles that are seen in remaining 79th pre war jackets.

There is the elaborate design that is seen in the pictures I posted, then a more plain design with horizontal lines spaced 2 or so inches apart.

The collar piping is pretty hard to notice if you are not looking for it in the original pictures!
Here is a picture taken of a 79th Pvt in New York City, around early 1861.

The color on the image is original, added at the time of the picture. Notice the red added on the collar facings, cuffs, pocket watch flap, and trimming of the jacket! Its a good in site to what they deemed important to make color. The red theme of the uniform.

The collar detail can be seen if you look hard enough. Its interesting to note, that when "my" jackets are worn, the same thing happens. One can see a slight glimpse of the piping and "lighting bolt"

He has a handkerchief tucked into the side of his coat, his cap pouch and be seen under his arm, the belt buckle has been blacked out when the color was added and the buttons are exaggerated with gold paint.

The tartan is very green and was done intentionally. There are many references to the "Green tartan plaid trousers" worn by the unit or "Green tartan kilts". The remaining original kilt does have a strong green tartan. It lends credibility to the many accounts of the look of the tartan.
-----------------------------------------------
The next image is interesting, and I hesitated to post it because its very confusing to say the least.

This is a 79th 1st Sgt. The picture was taken possibly the same time as the first one, and possibly in the same New York studio.

This picture has a lot of colorization. The jacket was colored completely blue then red and gold were added later. This is the reason the cuff and collar piping appear to be blue and not white.

The sash is completely painted on. Around his belt, there is no sash but it magicly appears from his belt around his left arm.

The chevrons the 79th were not yellow (Cavalry) they were light blue (Infantry). The color difference is possibly due to the person painting the color on not ever actually having seen the uniform and just choosing the color for looks.

The Epualettes might be completely painted on like the sash. If they are real, the person painting the picture botched them. The 79th wore Horstmann shoulder scales, not anything that resembles these. The post war unit wore something similar to the ones painted on, but are drastically different. It is also possible the paint was added post war, and the post war style was painted on. There are a lot of possibilities! One for sure is that the 79th wore shoulder scales, not the type picture in this picture.

The collar can be seen a bit better in this picture. The base of the facing and piping are clear!

The belt and buttons are painted over, but the size of the buckle can clearly be seen. Its an 1839 "baby" us buckle which is common in other pictures of the 79th soldiers.

I will post more later today, But I have to go to work

Cheers everybody!

**Riverkilt** · 3rd February 08, 01:35 PM

Boy, you might be the lady to sew up tartan jackets....?? Assuming Lochcarron tartan wool would be as easy to work with as the Pendleton...??

And, a question. The back of your 79th jacket has some dohickies that appear to be sort of belt loops to secure the "duty belt" that goes over the jacket...to keep the belt from riding down. Have similar loops on my Grand Illusions Union cavalry jacket...double checking that I guessed correctly...that they were intended to be functional rather than decorative...??

Thanks,
Ron

**79thReproductions** · 3rd February 08, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by Riverkilt

Boy, you might be the lady to sew up tartan jackets....?? Assuming Lochcarron tartan wool would be as easy to work with as the Pendleton...??

And, a question. The back of your 79th jacket has some dohickies that appear to be sort of belt loops to secure the "duty belt" that goes over the jacket...to keep the belt from riding down. Have similar loops on my Grand Illusions Union cavalry jacket...double checking that I guessed correctly...that they were intended to be functional rather than decorative...??

Thanks,
Ron

The belt loop? Or the buttons....... The belt loop is on off the left hip and is completely functional. They were pretty tiny but it makes sense when one realizes that the 1839 belt they were made for was only 1.5" tall!

The buttons on the back serve a good purpose. They hold of the belt like you said to keep if from riding down. The jacket was designed so that when the belt is worn, it would go through the belt loop, rest on the buttons, and the buckle would fall over or close to the lowest button on the front of the jacket. ( The Buckle would be a bit above the sporran cut out)

The buttons on the back of the jacket were not just sewn to the jacket, they were attached through a simple but genius way to help take the weight of the belt better. A wool cord was run through the shank and then sewn to the jacket internally. A neat result of this is the buttons are able to be pulled out to a certain extent!

This picture is not of a 79th soldier but of an example of how to wear the uniform issued out by the quartermaster department. There is a whole set of these images.

This picture shows the idea applied quite well, a perfect example of how the original 79th jackets would have looked with the belts above the buttons.

**Riverkilt** · 3rd February 08, 08:33 PM

Yup, thanks, that's what I meant.

Just laid eyes on mine and it doesn't have loops, has two sort of verticle pin cushions, about 1x3" with the 3" being the vertical. I guess the belt rested on top of them. Each is over the kidney area.

I can see why Sam Browne belts came into fashion...seems an easier way than loops and buttons and pincushions.

Ron

**Amoskeag** · 4th February 08, 04:11 AM

Thanks for the info and photos. Now If I could only "unsee" this thread I could go back to sleeping at night! Must resist blue coat! unghnghgnghgngh!
Bob

**Nighthawk** · 4th February 08, 10:05 PM

I took a pic of my thistle pin. Here it is:

It's terrible, though- sorry for the bad quality. My camera isn't great. I tried a variety of backgrounds, and this was the best I could get.

**79thReproductions** · 6th February 08, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by Amoskeag

Thanks for the info and photos. Now If I could only "unsee" this thread I could go back to sleeping at night! Must resist blue coat! unghnghgnghgngh!
Bob

Hey Thanks! I put a lot of myself into the jackets I make. Here are pictures of one I finished today! All of the buttons are original NY30s from the civil war...from the same jacket. Someone snipped them off and I got a hold of them!

Hand done button holes

This last picture is not the greatest in the world, but is shows the 2nd style of quilting used on the 79th jackets. Horizontal lines :]

**BoldHighlander** · 6th February 08, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by 79thReproductions

Hey Thanks! I put a lot of myself into the jackets I make. Here are pictures of one I finished today! All of the buttons are original NY30s from the civil war...from the same jacket. Someone snipped them off and I got a old of them!

Nice work!

**Amoskeag** · 6th February 08, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by 79thReproductions

Hey Thanks! I put a lot of myself into the jackets I make. Here are pictures of one I finished today! All of the buttons are original NY30s from the civil war...from the same jacket. Someone snipped them off and I got a hold of them!

Well I guess you know the apocryphal story. Said the reenactor as he pointed to the original coat, "FAR-B(e) it from me to criticize, but those buttons don't belong on that coat!"

Nice score on the buttons. This has been a very cool thread.
Bob

**79thReproductions** · 6th February 08, 09:40 PM

They don't belong? -sigh- I can see both sides of the fence. It was a long talk with myself about should I or should I do with out them. They would be sitting in my room doing nothing with no one to see them if I hadn't used them. They have new life now! The reproduction NY30 buttons are not the best in the world and would have taken away from the jacket.

I can rant on about the glengarry if you want! Keep this thing going?