CS officer's impression ANV

[Illinois Reb]

I will be taking the field this year as a 2nd Lt. in the 17th Mississippi Infantry, ANV and am in the market for an appropriate officer's coat for a late 1862-early 1863 impression. From photos I've seen in books such as Commanders of the Civil War by William C. Davis I see the usual double-breasted frock coat for Lt.'s and Capt.'s. Can anyone give me some pointers as to what to look for in a good frock coat such as cloth, cut, any "farby" features that other's have noticed in the reenacting community that I should keep an eye out to avoid? I've been an NCO as well as a private in the past and am only familiar with uniforms of those in the ranks, so the CS officer's impression is completely new to me.

Also, I've read about the Depot system for enlisted men's uniforms, but what about a for officer's clothing (specifically, for Lt.'s of infantry marching with the Army of Northern Virginia)? I understand that officer's had more of a choice as to what they could wear since they had to pay for their own uniforms, and personal preference often deviated from uniform regulations. I wonder how often converted civilian coats were seen.

Any light that can be shed on this matter is greatly appreciated.

Rich Stonikas
a.k.a. 1st Sgt. Stephen Gregg
17th Mississippi Vol. Inf. Co. D

[Tom Ezell]

Re: CS officer's impression ANV

Setting up an officer's impression is a sizable research project. First of all, don't go out and get a copy of what you see all the other reenactor officers wearing... Do some research -- look at as many images of Mississippi (or in my case, Arkansas...) company officers as you can find, and sort them as best you can to the period of the war. What are they wearing? what sort of sword belts, plates, etc.? What sort of insignia or trim? What sort of cloth are they made of? If at all possible, pick a particular officer and try to match that impression as closely as you can. While there's a broad sampling of images in Echoes of Glory, look also at other sources such as surviving uniforms in various collections, and books such as Blue Acorn's Echoes of Battle series on Chattanooga, Atlanta, and Kennesaw Mountain, which have a wealth of officer images in them. Try to assemble your kit so that it looks like the fellers back in the 1860s, not the stuff typically seen on sutler row. It will probably take awhile, and is not a cheap undertaking, but will be worthwhile in the long run.

John Pagano wrote a good article in the Camp Chase Gazette a while back that I’ve found to be pretty useful (J. Daniel Pagano, “Research, Authenticity, and the Officer Impression,” Camp Chase Gazette, Winter, 1998, pp. 42-48.) This is an excellent reference is putting together your impression.

One of the first things that strikes you, after a review of images of Confederate officers, is the huge number of dress coats being worn. Even considering studio images, dress coats are still the primary coat for a CS officer.

As a rule, sleeves were wide at the elbow, and again, in the majority of cases, the collar rank devices were apparently embroidered or sewn onto the collar pieces during construction. It would've been hard to just rip off the old insignia and put on a new one when being promoted, and so a new coat would have to be procured.

Surviving examples of officer coats show that a variety of fabrics such as broadcloth, satinette, and even jeancloth were used to produce an officer's coat. Kersey and broad cloth are the most common in my observations, with satinette being a nice substitute when these two materials were unavailable. While various shades of grey were used, the majority of original coats that I have personally viewed were of the blue-grey/cadet-grey shade.

As an officer, you are expected to set an example for the men entrusted to your care, and part of that example is to wear the uniform properly. Your uniform coat is probably the most visible part of your impression (along with your bearing), so this is not a place to cut corners. That being said, money, for an officer, was a sign of status, especially in the class-conscious South, and the officer would be expected, at least socially, to dress to his station in the service. Tailor-made clothing, fitted and sewn to the most exacting dimensions, the very best materials available, etc. This is one area where you simply cannot afford to "get by" with converted enlisted items. The quality of his uniform had to match the individual officer’s budget, but he still tried to present as good an appearance as possible. According to CPT Theophilus Perry of the 28th Texas, a captain’s frock coat cost $175 at the tailors in Little Rock, Arkansas in late 1862. Think about having to fit THAT into your monthly pay, and Nick ************'s officers' coats start to sound like a bargain (which, in my small opinion, they are.)

I would definitely advise that you get a frock coat first -- that's the required, regulation uniform, and should be your focus. What I've found through several years of continuing research shows that the 7-button, double-breasted frock coat was worn pretty much throughout the war, both with and without the sleeve braid, and sometimes without the collar bars. If you go for a single coat for your impression, this would be your first choice.

Once you've got the "regulation" impression fixed, only then would I start fishing around for any of the "oddball" stuff like a non-regulation sack coat for field/fatigue wear. In fact, the one "good" frock coat will still be cheaper than buying a run-of-the-mill frock plus a sack coat for helling around in the cane brakes and other tight places. For an officer, the regulation frock is the one-coat-fits-all occasions answer. The caveat that the Colonel of your regiment sets the fashion tone. If he wants all his men to wear dress coats, then by god, they will be wearing dress coats. Colonels that value form over fashion tend to allow the officers to wear what they wish, as long as it lies within the regulations, or at least has some sort of connection with them, and are maintained and worn without sloppiness or disregard to a military bearing.

Keep in mind that an officer procured all of his clothing, accouterments, weapons, etc. via private purchase. The only thing he got from the Governor or Jeff Davis was his pay (deposited on account) and his commission papers. Starting around late 1862 to early 1863, officers were allowed to purchase uniform items through the various quartermaster depots, but he had to pay for it. So a plain Richmond jacket, with the appropriate collar insignia, would be a good item for campaigning and to avoid messing up your “good” uniform. In addition to the other shell jackets mentione above, there's a really nice one in Echoes of Glory that appears to be a North Carolina jacket with the collar bars applied.

For what it’s worth, Dixie Gun Works sells the original 1/4" and 1/8” 10-carat gold braid used for the collar and sleeve insignia. At $19.95/yard for the quarter-inch stuff, it’s less expensive and looks a heck of a lot better than those sew-on patches that the sutlers sell. A yard of the quarter-inch stuff will make two sets of captain’s collar insignia, and you’ll need about a yard of the 1/8” per braid per sleeve for the Austrian knots, should you decide to add those.

My personal solution has been a regulation double-breasted frock in gray satinette, indigo blue collar and cuffs with the appropriate rank insignia and sleeve braid as my service/duty coat. Over the years I've shopped around to augment the collection, and for when I need to put on my “hog-killing clothes” I have a plain gray satinette double-breasted frock with no markings other than the double row of buttons that I use rather than messing up my service coat. Another alternative depending on the time and scenario depicted, it's just a plain Richmond or Columbus-style jacket with no insignia with the only sign of rank being my sword and sword belt.

Gentlemen of the 1850s and 1860s wore habitually neckties or cravats with a dress or fancy shirt, so this will be something that you will want to add to your duty uniform. It may be left off when you change to your hog-killin’ clothes, but you need to wear one on dress parade or normal daily duties.

Outside the jacket/frock coat, I use a pair of nice, handsewn foot pattern trousers (County Cloth Richmond Depot pattern), “biled shirt”, and a regulation kepi (black slouch hat for campaigning). Having tried both, I wear shoes, not boots, and my feet and ankles thank me for that.

The sash is a badge of rank that should be worn over your jacket or frock coat on all duty occasions except stable call and fatigue details. It can be omitted for a campaign impression, and is usually an item that you would leave on the wagon with those white gloves and the rest of your baggage. Wear it for formal occasions (such as dress parade and reviews, memorial services, dances, and other occasions of military ceremony) but it’s usually something that you wouldn’t wear on the march or daily details other than guard mount, duty as officer of the day, or detail to a court martial or some other board.

Get a nice sword belt, as this is one of your most important accoutrements. Officers rarely, if ever, used enlisted cavalry sabre belts. Don't buy them – get a custom rig made, or purchase one from a quality vendor (Jarnagin makes a very nice one; Don Smith of Trans-Mississippi Depot would be my first choice for a custom rig). The U.S. Army M1851 pattern sword belt is the regulation (even for us Rebs, if'n you read the fine print in the uniform regulations), and so a good choice. Scour the antique markets for a pair of proper brass snap swivels.

Get a nice foot officers sword. Your sword is the visual symbol of your authority to lead/command, and it says little for you and your ability if you have a rusty, ratty, sorry-looking symbol of said authority! Defarb it marking-wise, and clean it up and oil it well. Originals are nice, but are becoming very expensive, as well as having that 140-year-old look to them. All of the currently offered reproduction swords are Indian-made... and not one 'vendor' has a 'lock' on the 'pick of the litter', yet, they all sell more-or-less the same quality swords for a variety of prices (sort of like Pakistani-made cartridge boxes or knapsacks). Price (in this case) does not equal quality, and source of purchase does not equal a different point of origin... There's a fellow on eBay who goes by the ID of "bigmick45" who usually has better-than-run-of-the-mill stuff, and he also offers the leather scabbards, sold separately.

I definitely recommend the leather scabbard for the sword. First, they were the most common type used by the old fellows (the general rule appeared to be leather scabbards for foot officers, metal scabbards for mounted officers, but this will depend on the exact style of sword you select) , plus they are a lot less likely to trip you once the dratted thing inevitably finds its way between your ankles when the battalion goes to the double-quick...

A good bit of thought should be given as to whether to carry a revolver. Many officers did, but just as many did not. It was heavy, pulled upon the belt, and was most often another encumbrage for an officer expected to be able to be many places at once, and quickly. If you MUST have a revolver, buy an 1851 steel-framed Colt Navy, defarb it (leave the serial numbers, but remove the black-powder-only, Made-in-Italy, etc.). The .36 caliber M1851 Colt Navy seems to have been a common choice, being widely available in the handgun and hardware market before the war, and considerably lighter to carry on campaign.

Get a nice holster to fit your particular choice of sidearm. Don't buy or carry the cartridge box or cap box. Officers carried a couple of packs of pistol ammo in their pockets or their haversack, loaded when needed, and got more when required. I have never seen an illustration or image of an officer wearing one (which is not to say it WASN'T done), most preferring by contemporary accounts, to carry a spare packet of pistol ammunition and a few caps in a coat pocket, or in their haversack.

About the only time I pack heat is when I'm on picket/officer of the guard duty or the skirmish line; then it's usually one of the '49 pocket pistols, strictly for personal defense.

As for field and camping gear, most officers, by the end of their first campaign, seem to have settled upon a leather or painted cloth haversack for a "field office" and as a place for their personal effects, and a knapsack or blanket roll, done up as a short roll, or hobo roll, that could be strapped and carried either upon the back or slung with a strap over a shoulder.

Get a proper officer's pattern haversack. This is your office. Papers, forms, pens, pencils, and your small plate, flatware, and a collapsible cup all go in here. Maybe a couple of crackers to tide you over until the trains come up. Key items to have in the haversack:
* Notebook (always have something to write on, and to write with)
* Blank forms (morning report, guard report, passes, blank paper)
* Pencil, pen (and ink in a well-sealed bottle)
* Basic mess gear (flat plate, knife/fork/spoon combo, collapsible cup, toothbrush)
* Pocket watch
* Candle stub, and some matches. (So's you can write and/or read when it gets dark)

I sometimes add a copy of the appropriate drill manual, but not always.

This reference is late-war, but gives an idea of the process in place for officers to obtain clothing from the Quartermaster's stocks:

QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE,
Richmond, January 23, 1865.

The attention of officers and soldiers is called to the following act of Congress and regulations based thereon:

AN ACT to provide commissioned officers of the Army and Navy and Marine Corps with clothing.

The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That all officers of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, on duty in the field, afloat or in batteries, and all officers on other duty who are disabled for the service in the field, by reason of wounds or disease contracted in the service, and officers of the Invalid Corps, on duty, below the rank of brigadier-general in the Army, and below the rank of captain in the Navy, shall be furnished once in every year with one complete suit of uniform clothing: Provided, That the quantity and quality of clothing to be delivered to non-commissioned officers and privates, seamen and marines under existing or future laws, shall in nowise be interfered with by reason of anything contained in this act; and in the distribution of clothing, officers on duty in the field shall, in all cases, have a preference over those on post, or detailed, or office duty, so that when there is not a sufficiency of clothing for all, the non-commissioned officers and privates shall be first served, and next to them the officers actually on duty in the field.

Approved January 16, 1865.
A true copy.
JAS. M. MATTHEWS,
Law Clerk.

OFFICERS.

1. The above act, after securing a supply to soldiers, prefers officers below the rank of brigadier-general, as follows: First, officers on duty in the field; next, officers on duty, disabled for service in the field by reason of wounds or disease contracted in the service, and officers of the Invalid Corps on duty, all of whom draw free of cost; and, lastly, permits other officers to purchase, as heretofore, under the provisions of the old act of February 17, 1864.

2. Care will be taken to observe these preferences. To that end orders will not be given hereafter at this office, under any circumstances, for the purchase of cloth or any article of clothing or for the issue of same.

3. Officers in the field will be supplied through the chief quartermaster of the command to which they may be attached. When the supply will permit, cloth will be apportioned between the armies in the field according to their strength, and will be placed at the control of the chief quartermaster thereof, who will be looked to to distribute the same to the officers entitled and most in need. Other articles of clothing, not exceeding in all one suit a year, may be issued to officers in the field from stores forwarded to the command to which they belong when the wants of the privates will admit.

4. Other officers will draw or purchase, as the case may be, from the nearest depot, but from such supplies only as may be set aside, from time to time, by direction of this office. Mr. Rankin, bonded agent of this department, corner of Fourteenth and Cary streets, will be charged with the duty of issuing and selling, at this point, cloth and articles of clothing to officers. When he has nothing for sale or issue it will be useless to make application elsewhere in this city, all other officers being prohibited from either selling or issuing.

5. The yearly suit of clothing for an officer will consist of a coat and pair of pants or material (four yards, double width), and trimmings therefor, one pair of shoes, one hat or cap, three pair of drawers, three cotton shirts, two flannel shirts, and four pair of socks. Issues on sales to officers will be noted on suitable rolls prepared for that purpose, and in every case the officer shall certify that the articles drawn or purchased are necessary for his own personal comfort and use and that the same will not be in excess of his prescribed allowance. Returns of such issues or sales will be made quarterly to this office. The price of cloth, when sold, will be $20 a yard, double width, and of other articles of clothing as fixed in general orders.

PRIVATES.

6. Men attached to commands in the field will be supplied there, and men who have been retired at the post at which they may be located in orders. Issues to men on furlough and on horse details have been suspended. Men in hospital will be supplied by the issuing quartermaster attached to. All detailed men in Richmond and the immediate vicinity are supplied through Mr. Rankin. Paroled and exchanged men draw at Camp Lee.

7. The interest of the service and the dispatch of public business require that these regulations shall be strictly observed.

A. R. LAWTON,
Quartermaster-General.


O.R.--SERIES IV--VOLUME III, Pages 1033-1034
CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, REPORTS, AND RETURNS OF THE CONFEDERATE AUTHORITIES FROM JANUARY 1, 1864, TO THE END.--#42

=======================

GENERAL ORDERS No. 28.
ADJT. AND INSP. GENERAL'S OFFICE,
Richmond, March 4, 1864.

I. Paragraph V, General Orders, No. 13, 1864, is thus amended:
Officers of the Quartermaster's Department will, upon the requisition of company commanders, issue clothing directly to soldiers and take their individual receipts therefor.

II. Paragraph II, General Orders, No. 67, 1863, is amended as follows:
If any cavalryman "shall not keep himself provided with a serviceable horse, he shall serve on foot," and be transferred to any regiment of infantry from the State from which he volunteered or was con-scribed that the department commander may order.

III. The following act of Congress is published for the information of the Army:

AN ACT to allow commissioned officers of the Army rations and the privilege of purchasing clothing from the Quartermaster's Department.

The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That from and after the passage of this act, all commissioned officers of the armies, whilst on duty in the field, or in the naval service, whilst afloat, of the Confederate States, shall be entitled to one ration in kind each, in quantity and quality, the same as are now allowed by law to privates, and shall draw and receive the same under such regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of War.

SEC. 2. That all commissioned officers of the armies of the Confederate States shall be allowed to purchase clothing, and cloth for clothing, from any quartermaster, at the price which it cost the Government, all expenses included: Provided, That no quartermaster shall be allowed to sell to any officer any clothing or cloth for clothing which would be proper to issue to privates, until all privates entitled to receive the same shall have been first supplied: Provided, That the officer offering to purchase shall give his certificate, on honor, that the articles are necessary for his own personal comfort and use, and in no case shall more than one suit per annum be allowed to be so purchased by any officer: Provided, That no law or army regulation shall hereafter be construed to allow an officer to purchase or draw from subsistence stores, more than one ration a day, or for less price than the cost thereof, including transportation.

SEC. 3. That no officer under the rank of brigadier-general shall hereafter be entitled to forage, or commutation for forage, for more than one horse, except when on service in the field.

Approved February 17, 1864.

IV. Rations in kind, the same in quality and quantity as are now allowed by law to privates, will be issued to regimental commissioned officers whilst on duty in the field, upon provision returns approved by the commanding officer of the regiment, and to general and staff officers upon their own certificates.

V. One ration a day in kind may be purchased by any officer not in the field, who is upon duty under orders from this office or from any department commander, at cost, including transportation.

VI. Officers retired in accordance with the act to provide an invalid corps, approved February 17, 1864, are not entitled to draw or purchase rations unless assigned to duty by orders under the provisions of that law.

VII. The Quartermaster-General will issue instructions to quartermasters and assistant quartermasters to carry into effect section 3 of the above act and so much of section 2 of the same act as relates to his department.

By order:
S. COOPER,
Adjutant and Inspector General.


O.R.--SERIES IV--VOLUME III, Page 186
CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, REPORTS, AND RETURNS OF THE CONFEDERATE AUTHORITIES FROM JANUARY 1, 1864, TO THE END.

(With appreciation to Brian Koenig for finding and posting this to the old A-C in the summmer of 2003)

This pretty much takes care of the material impression -- but just as equally important is your physical impression, e.g., your bearing and behavior, your mastery of the appropriate drill manual and the Army Regulations, and be able to put those into play, and your ability to inspire & lead men on the field and off... That's a whole 'nother set of lessons.

I'll leave you with some thoughts from a Union officer during the Tullahoma-Chickamauga campaign as to where the uniform stands in your impression:

“If you could see me in my rags and dirt as I am now, you would laugh immensely, and if my dear mother could see me looking so much like a beggar man; my coat is out at the elbows and all the lining torn out, my vest is lost, my shirts all gone but two, and they so small they won’t button anywhere, my boots with huge shiny legs but the soles ‘gone up,’ and my hat the very picture of misery and delapidation, but my boots will hold my spurs, and I have a fine horse and saddle and my regiment a good reputation, and that’s sufficient, for I can look the ‘brass and blue’ ornamental fellows squarely in the face and feel proud of the rags I have won in my country’s service. I would wear better clothes if I could get them, but I am dressed as well as the rest of our brigade, and we are so constantly moving that we can’t get time to ‘go to town’ to get anything better. But it doesn’t matter in the field, for a fine uniform does not make a soldier.”
-- MAJ James A Connolly, 123rd Illinois, Chattanooga, TN, 16 Sept. 1863.

[Illinois Reb]

Re: CS officer's impression ANV

Thank you so much. You have been a big help.

[Adjutant]

Re: CS officer's impression ANV

Mr. Ezell,

Sir I must say this is the most complete, concise summery of an appropriate Confederate officer's impression I have seen. I just wanted to give you my complements and thank you for the fine work and sound thinking.

[Ian M.]

Re: CS officer's impression ANV

Ditto that -- most comprehensive sir.

Question on collar rank for a field shell, particularly late war: was branch of service backing (like a patch onto which the lace was ewn) a common practice or just the lace sewn directly to the collar?

[Adjutant]

Re: CS officer's impression ANV

The gold tape for rank was most commonly sewn right to the color. In all the originals I have seen (granted there may be other examples, I have just not seen them) branch of service was shown through piping or cording, or facings (i.e. the whole collar blue) but not as a backing on the rank. There are some good posts on collor rank, a search should turn these up.

Hope this is helpful.

[Tom Ezell]

Re: CS officer's impression ANV

Ian:

In looking at original coats, and a whole lot of pictures, I have never seen an original example where the gold braid bars were sewn to a colored backing which was then sewn onto the collar. In each case where collar insignia was used, the gold braid was sewn directly to the collar itself. I would avoid the colored LT/CPT patches that you see at the sutlers at all costs. I have seen a few cases where reenactors have taken these little patches and cut the bars out individually and then tried to sew those to the collar... but the thick backing on the patch is derned hard to separate, and it still just doesn't look right.

If you use branch color behind the collar insignia, typically the outer collar is made in the branch color and the insignia (plain braid bars or stars) is sewn to that.

Dixie Gun Works sells 10 karet gold braid, plated onto metal tinsel, that is apparently the same stuff sold into the Confederacy in the 1860s. The European firm that manufactures this braid has been in business since 1830 and their records show that this same braid was shipped to Mobile, Savannah, and Charleston during the 1860-65 period. It comes in 1/4" width (for the collar bars, stock number MG0603 @ $25/yard) and 1/8" for the sleeve braid (stock number MG0602, $22.50/yard), and is a solid match for the braid found on original coats. This is the stuff that I have gone with, and even at the above prices you can get two or three sets of captain's insignia out of a 1-yard length, making it not only more authentic, but cheaper in the long run than the sutlerville patches.

As for installing it on the collar, Becky Nall gave some good how-to advice on this forum four or five editions ago:

1 . "Braid Sources and tips"
Posted by Becky Nall on Jul-28-99 at 11:33 PM (EST)
...
Another tip I might as well pass along.....

When applying braid to your collar, it is a royal pain to turn the ends of the braid under. I felt that there had to be an easier way. So the last time I went to examine some uniforms at the Alabama State Archives I paid extra close attention to the application methods used on the insignia braid, sure enough, small slits were cut in the fabric and the ends of the braid are inserted into them and then sewn down. Dahhhh, why didn't I think of that!

Hope this is of help,

Becky Nall
Cotton City Tailors
Mobile, Ala.

As for field-grade rank, W.K. Osman of Minneapolis has excellent copies of the embroidered stars used for major through colonel. Another option that I've seen used sometimes here in the West is probably a precursor of modern-day pin-on rank, where the officer had his stars hammered & cut out of silver coins, which were then pinned onto the collar... The old Confederate Veteran magazine back in '98 or '99 showed an example where an SCV member was showing off his general officer ancestor's wartime coat, and had the insignia made by a jeweler in this way.

[Ian M.]

Re: CS officer's impression ANV

I read somewhere recently that NCOs and officers, particularly in the later war years, often left their field attire devoid of any rank indication. I tried to find the source to quote and cite here for the benefit of comment but have so far been unsucessful (will post it if and when I find it).

In any event, what's the view of the board on this? Does this ring true?

I can see it as being a combination of not wanting to stand out in a crowd and/or a wartime measure when other items took priority. It would seem to extend well from the fact that officers increasing wore simple attire and depot issued items later in the war for austerity and availability.

I suppose, if this view is correct, the only way to tell NCO or officer from enlisted would be their equipment carried and, of course, their attitude.:D

[Tom Ezell]

Re: CS officer's impression ANV

The use of subdued rank, or no rank insignia at all did become more and more common as the war went on. It would depend on the unit, since if the commander wanted folks to wear the proper rank insignia, then by golly measures were taken to ensure that the appropriate folks put it back on. There are numerous orders, especially in Union units, noting the problem and telling NCOs and officers to put their rank insignia back on.

Confederate practice is a little more difficult to document. The year before last I did a little survey based on the collection of officer frock coats in the collection of the Museum of the Confederacy, and described/documented in the little uniform catalog that they publish. The Museum of the Confederacy’s uniform collection contains 66 uniform coats that belonged to company or field grade officers, e.g., between the ranks of lieutenant to colonel. 55 (83%) of these coats are double-breasted frock coats, 3 (4.5%) are single-breasted frock coats, and 8 (12%) are shell jackets, either privately purchased or converted from enlisted issue jackets.

Of the double-breasted frock coats, 47 (85%) have the insignia of rank affixed to the collar. 37 (67%) have the appropriate Austrian knots on the sleeves to indicate rank. 3 have abbreviated “chevrons” of braid near the sleeve cuffs to indicate rank. 17 of the 55 coats (31%) have branch-colored facings on the collar and/or cuffs.

40 of the 55 coats are made of cadet gray broadcloth, 13 are made of jeans or satinette, with 4 specifically made of satinette.

Of the 8 shell jackets in the collection, 5 have collar insignia and 7 have sleeve braid as an insignia of rank. 5 of the 8 are made of cadet-gray kersey, including one which is a converted “Peter Tait” enlisted issue jacket; 3 are made of jeans.

Of the 3 single-breasted frock coats, 2 have collar rank insignia, none have sleeve braid, and 1 is made of jeans.

While it is a limited sample, this gives a pretty good indicator of the relative commonality of this stuff...

Tom