"Louisiana shell jacket"

[Andrew Kasmar]

Hi,

Does anyone know how many inside pockets there are in the "Louisiana shell jacket"? Also does anyone know what style of pockets are in this shell jacket? Thanks.

[LibertyHallVols]

This jacket was sold by The Horse Soldier in Gettysburg some years ago. They maintain an image (the same one you've attached) and description on their website in the "archives" section:
http://www.horsesoldier.com/catalog/c0052.html


The jacket is constructed of butternut wool jean material. The present color is a light gray with a slight greenish tinge. It is a six piece body, two each to the front, back & side panels. Nine button front with locally manufactured Louisiana State Seal buttons of two patterns - the majority are Alberts LA8E, one being LA11. Small LA1's are on the shoulder straps. The cuffs are plain without a functional slit. The jacket is trimmed around the top of the collar, down the front, on the edge of the shoulder straps, and on the cuffs with dark green worsted tape (Personally, I think it started as black and has faded to a green color). Both sleeves carry corporal's chevrons of the same worsted tape. The lining is an unbleached cotton tabby weave. The front portions of the jacket are also padded with cotton batting. The jacket has an inside patch pocket on the left side. Unfortunately, the coat has had encounters with moths, who have devoured much of the wool, leaving the cotton as strings in places. Despite this damage, the condition is otherwise good. The coat bears some resemblance to other known Louisiana jackets in terms of material and trim.

Note the padding in the front. I presume this is similar to what would be seen on a frock coat. To truly reproduce the jacket, one would want to know the pattern of the stitching on the quilting in the front.

I hope this is helpful.

[Andrew Kasmar]

Hi,

Thanks for the information.

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

This jacket was sold by The Horse Soldier in Gettysburg some years ago. They maintain an image (the same one you've attached) and description on their website in the "archives" section:
http://www.horsesoldier.com/catalog/c0052.html



Note the padding in the front. I presume this is similar to what would be seen on a frock coat. To truly reproduce the jacket, one would want to know the pattern of the stitching on the quilting in the front.

I hope this is helpful.

Agreed...in order to reproduce this coat, one would need to know the "style" of padding in the front of the coat. I've examined a few jackets now, that have had cotton/wool batting in the front of the coat (purpose to give the coat a more rigid body). Not all jackets though use a quilting method for the padding...some (as in the jackets I've examined) simply have the batting sandwiched in between the outer panel of the jacket and a full inner panel of the body material...As noted...without seeing the interior of this jacket, it's hard to say which method was used.

In reference to the original question:

Does anyone know how many inside pockets there are in the "Louisiana shell jacket"? Also does anyone know what style of pockets are in this shell jacket?

Pockets range from 1-2 in most of the jackets (not exclusive to LA) I've seen or read about. The number of pockets have been interpreted in a variety of ways...and can be factors of who was assembling the jacket, how much time they had, post-issue modification "field-modified", private purchase (the purchasee thus having more input into the construction of the jacket)...etc. I don't have my books/notes at hand on the Page Lapham jacket (Richmond, VA guy who joined the Washington Artillary of New Orleans)...does anyone know how these jackets relate in construction?

Style Pockets...same issue...without images of the interior of the jacket...it's hard to say.
Paul B.

[Andrew Kasmar]

Hi,

Thanks. You do bring about some interesting thoughts on what type and the amount of pockets in the shell jacket. I am most likely going to add one on the left side, as per the original, and I will most likely add a field added pocket on the right side of the jacket. Thanks again for the information.

[Brian Wiswell]

>The jacket is constructed of butternut wool jean material. The present color is a light gray with a slight greenish tinge.<

Could it have originally been gray and over time it faded to butternut/light brown: “The present color is a light gray with a slight greenish tinge”. Fading from butternut to gray/green isn’t what I’ve read that usually occurs? I have read many times that the natural gray pigments did have a tendency to fade from gray to light brown.


What are your thoughts, guys?

I am interested because I am in a Louisiana unit.

Thanks for posting the picture!

Brian Wiswell

[Andrew Kasmar]

Hi,

I think that these two jackets were made by the same firm, so the orignial color may be the same as this frock coat. Here is a link to some information on the frock coat http://www.cjdaley.com/5thlafrock.htm . In Don Troiani's Civil War it talks about this frock, and that there were jackets that were also issued to the 5th LA.

[DougCooper]

Hi,

I think that these two jackets were made by the same firm, so the orignial color may be the same as this frock coat. Here is a link to some information on the frock coat http://www.cjdaley.com/5thlafrock.htm . In Don Troiani's Civil War it talks about this frock, and that there were jackets that were also issued to the 5th LA.

Careful Andrew - there is no evidence for what you are asserting (made by the same firm). The frock is satinet and the jacket is jean. The best info on the jacket is it was issued to the 7th LA and the frock of course to the 5th LA. The Louisiana units often sported entirely different uniforms for each company, let alone between regiments. Check EoG for a sampling. The Crescent regiment alone had great diversity in cut, trim color, etc.

[Andrew Kasmar]

Hi,

I was not trying to say for a fact that these were made by the same firm for sure, but rather just putting a thought out there. I also know that one is made out of jean and satinet, I was mainly thinking that if they had been made by the same firm they have used the same dye. Setting this all aside, after re-readying my post, I did make my thoughts sound too much like facts, and rather than just thoughts.

[coastaltrash]

Andrew,
There are images of Mississippi troops wearing frocks identical to the famed Louisiana frock as far as trim is concerned. Just looking at the images, the Louisiana Frock trim appears to be applied with more skill than the trim on the shell jacket, and yes applying that correctly takes skill in case there are any people that doubt that reading this reply.

[Andrew Kasmar]

Hi,


I agree, putting trim on correctly takes alot of time and skill!!!!!!

[Peachfuz]

Another jacket that might be of interest to you is the “other” Jenkins brother, James W. James enlisted in Co. A, 1st LA Battalion. He was KIA at Lee’s Mill, VA on May 10, ’62. There was a photo of Sgt. Page M. Baker of the Louisianan Guards wearing an identical jacket found in the pocket.

[Andrew Kasmar]

Hi,

Thanks for posting the picture, that is a really cool jacket.

[PvtHull48thovi]

I have a repro of this frock simply because I potray a louisianian, and the repro I have is a drak butter nut, and in Echos of Glory a series of books Me and my father own, the color of the louisiana frock is a little lighter color than mine but close to it!

[Secesh]

The original frock may have originally been a shade of gray which has oxidized over time....