Use of Federal Jackets postwar

[Ian M.]

As an extension of the War Between the States, my interest and research recently has extended into the Indian Wars era. Before the adoption of a new fatigue blouse in 1872, and a different model in 1874, CW-era fatigue blouses/sack coats was the norm in the field.

Does anyone have photographic or documented evidence of the use of 9-12 button shell jackets into that era? I am not referring to cav or artillery piped jackets but the types often issued by states, and the 9 button and SA 12-button varieties seen during the war.

[Mark Susnis]

Ian,
I was out at Fort Laramie, Wyoming last month and quite a few of their site markers have images of Soldiers in the '65-'71 timeframe. Most of the images that I viewed at Laramie are in the possession of the Newberry Library. From the placards that I viewed most of the troops were clad in four button sacks but I really didn't have much time on site. You may want to contact Fort Laramie which is managed by the National Park Service.

v/r
Mark Susnis

[Bummer]

Check out the Morrow photographs of the 1876 campaign--they are published. They show a great variety of uniforms old and new--even bummer caps, oval US plates, and cut down infantry frock coats.
There are a couple of excellent shots of the jacket you speak of in the series of photos of some infantryman dividing up a dead cavalry horse to eat during the Crook starvation march.