Ohio Sack Coats

[Guest]

I have seen pictures of Ohio soldiers wearing sack coats, they are from the 63rd Ohio. They are enlisted but they resemble officers sack coats just without the shoulder straps. I could not find a picture online but the book is The Civil War Sherman's March Atlanta to Sea By David Nevin and the editors if Time-Life Books. They are a bit longer than normal sack coats, almost the length of frock coats. It has a pocket on the left breast and 2 more where normal pockets on jackets are now a-days. I have searched all over the web and this sight but could not find anything. I'm asking if anybody knows why that is. Thank you

[SUVSCV]

Re: Ohio Sack Coats

You may be referring to Private Purchase sack coats that had pockets applied to them that were not issued on regulation sack coats.

Stan Buckles

[Guest]

Re: Ohio Sack Coats

Thank you. And the picture I had of it were actually 2 brothers wearing it in same regiment so that doe make sense.

[Coatsy]

Re: Ohio Sack Coats

You are referring to the Blair brothers of the XVII Corps. I've seen the photo in the Sherman's March volume of the Time-Life series, and Silas Blair is featured in "Echoes of Glory, Arms and Equipment of the Union." Indeed those have been classified by material culture historians as private purchase sack coats.

[Guest]

Re: Ohio Sack Coats

Yes that is it. Thank you. I've been looking for pictures, of it because I thought it would be a cool jacket to try and make but the pictures I have aren't the best to use and I just wanted to get that straight.

[Cameron]

Re: Ohio Sack Coats

I have often looked at those pictures of the Blair Brothers. In fact am doing so now, I firmly believe they are wearing the same coat, I think they shared the coat for the image. If you study the coats closely they exhibit the exact same wrinkles and folds in the exact same places. In particular just to the left of the top button (on the lower part of collar) also about 6 or 8 inches up from the bottom on the right front facing of the coat (our left as we are looking at the picture), also just to the right (our right as we view the image) of their top trouser button. More instances can be found.... I would like to hear what others who have way too much time on their hands think.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Ohio Sack Coats

Hallo!

Silas Blair:





Henry Bair:





IMHO,yes the same blouse, on a number of details. One in particular is teh top button(s), it being not the "infantry" type but looking more smaller "mounted services " jacket size.

However, the play of light off of Silas' upper button (second) is "tricky..."

On an unrelated aside... when doing the 63rd OVI, I had that PP five button blouse reproduced. But, it was made two sizes too big, and I washed it to size it down. Unfortunately, it lost several inches in length making it less so noticeably "frock coatrish" as was the original. (And I also, used the smaller replacement second of the five buttons on a whim..)



Curt
Whose wife's g-great uncle served in the 63rd OVI

[Guest]

Re: Ohio Sack Coats

Yes those are the pictures. They may have well been using the same coat.