“What They Wore.”

Recreation of Two Uniform Jackets Linked to the Battle of Spotsylvania

By Richard M. Milstead, PhD.

Part 2:

Recreation of the 1st Sergeant Enoch Whittemore Jr. Jacket

As a commercially produced, “private purchase” garment Enoch Whittemore’s jacket was made to period civilian tailoring standards in terms both of its pattern and its construction. The materials used, as pointed out above, were relatively high-end fabrics as well and the execution was, if not ‘master crafted’, at least professionally made. The photographs below are of the jacket in the National Museum of the United States Army as it appears today from all sides (Figures 10, 11, and 12.)

The basic body shell pattern, made up of six separate panels, is characteristic of that used in civilian frock coats of the first half of the 19th Century except ending at the waist without the frock’s attached skirt. The design of the civilian garment in the second quarter of the 19th Century emphasized fit and an ‘idealized’ idea of shape for a man’s body. Pattern creation for civilian coats was done using torso measurements taken from their customer, through very nearly mathematical layout methods. Adjustments for final fit and stylish appearance were in the realm of the tailor’s “art,” so patterns were usually created for each customer individually.(17) As one author points out: “their [resultant] shape was ‘artificial’ in the same vein as corsets worn by women of the same period. The [frock] coat provided a nearly hourglass figure to the man where a tight seam at the waist enhanced the wearer’s broad chest and wide hips.”(18) This style in the period was implied by the term “pigeon breasted” and was achieved not only through the cut (pattern) of the coat, but through the addition of padding in the chest and stiffened cloth backing, called “chest canvas,” in the front inserted by the tailor during the construction of the garment.(19) From the photographs of Whittemore’s jacket such design intent can be seen in the pinching at the waist and apparent extra girth in the chest exaggerated against the modern mannequin.

The linings of the period in civilian garments usually displayed ‘subdued richness’ in appearance. In the 1860’s well- made coats were often completely lined throughout with facings in the front made from the same wool fabric as the outside body shell. Lining fabrics ranged from heavily glazed cotton to satin or serge.(20) Many frock coats, including Federal enlisted men’s dress coats, were lined in “Alpaca,” which is a blend combining alpaca wool fill with some other fiber such as silk or cotton weft. While usually black originally, many “Alpaca” linings have turned to a dark olive greenish or even brown/green shade due to oxidation of the natural dyes used in their production. Figures 13 and 14 show the lining of the original Whittemore jacket.

The chest the area where padding, referred to as ‘wadding’ in the period, is present was quilted. This was to maintain its position and prevent it shifting with wear. Unquilted areas such as the two back panels are not padded. The quilting pattern in this jacket is simple, diagonal lines of machine stitching but in more expensive coats like those of officers, elaborate designs including crosshatching, sweeping curves and even swirls are seen. An inside pocket in the left breast was provided as shown in Figure 15.

In the second half of the 18th Century the fabrics of choice for men’s coats began changing with tightly woven woolens having a firm, highly “dressed” finish becoming increasingly popular. Such cloth (superfine, broadcloth, etc.) had the advantage that it was so tightly woven and heavily milled that it would hold a cut edge that did not fray or come unraveled.(21) Construction techniques in the first half of the 19th century using such materials took advantage of this and elements of the coat like the inside facings and inside collar construction were applied and overcast down to the body shell over the lining rather than being attached with seaming. Even though some Civil War era woolen goods with less firm weave (e.g., kersey and flannel) were used in soldier’s garments, this method was still used in examples of Army clothing especially that made at the Federal Government’s Schuylkill Arsenal facility. It also continued to be employed by commercial tailoring firms.(22)

For recreation of Enoch Whittemore’s jacket, a pattern was made using one common period layout methodology, Louis DeVere’s 1866 drafting system. This method employs specific torso measurements taken from the customer, in this case the author, to lay out a two-dimensional pattern for the six panel “body wrapper” and sleeves of the jacket. Patterns used for the lining, collar, and facing pieces were derived from the basic “wrapper” pattern.

The recreation Whittemore jacket started with construction of the lining. Figure 16 illustrates the first step in its assembly.

In the picture, the cotton padding is black, the inner lining white. Once in place, the padding was “basted” to the lining using a “herring bone” stitch (Figure 17) to keep from shifting when being quilted (Figure 18.) The inside pocket was then added (Figure 19 and 20.)

The lining assembly was completed by adding the un “wadded” back panels (Figure 20 and 21.)

Next the basic body shell “wrapper” was assembled (Figures 22.)

The jacket’s stand-up collar was made of two-piece wool outer and inner collars. The interlining was made from stiffened canvas. The interlining was basted to the outer collar, trimmed back, and the top and side edges of the outer collar tacked down over the canvas (Figures 23 and 24.) Excess canvas was also trimmed back along the neckline. This turned edge is where the applied inner collar would be sewed to complete the final collar assembly later on in the construction. The collar was then ready to be attached to the outer shell of the jacket.

Before attaching the outer collar to the body, the “chest canvas” was added to the inside of the front panels. These pieces were made of stiffened linen and basted in place along its edges. Figure 25 shows the left side piece which has had the locations for future buttonholes cleared away, tacked around the edge. Once in place, each panel was secured to the front with ‘herring bone” basting stitches (Figure 26.) Last, the outer collar was attached so the body shell was ready for the lining (Figure 27).

The lining was pinned to the body shell by overlaying it with all seams aligned. and the edges matched along the front, at the hem, and at the neck periphery. Once positioned, the lining was basted to the body shell (Figure 28.)

After the lining was set into place, the front and bottom (hem) facings were positioned along with the inside collar (Figure 29) and these also based in place. Finally, these pieces were overcast down both to the body shell and the lining (Figure 30.)

Before constructing the sleeves, Whittemore’s 1st Sergeant’s chevrons were recreated. Several features of the original insignia are noted (Figure 31.) First, the originals were not made from woven cloth tape as usually encountered but were cut from whole cloth sewn to a dark blue backing. Second, the 1st Sergeant’s lozenge was also cut out whole but from white fabric and its backing was separate from that of the chevrons.

The stages in recreating the chevrons are shown below. The cut pieces were first pinned to the backing and then basted to it (Figure 32,) then the pieces were machine stitched to secure them (Figure 33.)

Construction of the sleeves involved attaching the chevrons onto the top side of each sleeve and then joining the lower side to the top (Figure 34) along the short side. The long side was then sewn together completing the sleeve.

After assembling both sleeves, the linings were assembled in the same way and the lining arranged with each sleeve for final assembly (Figure 35 and 36.)

Before setting the completed sleeves into the body, buttonholes were marked on the left front panel (Figure 37,) then cut, and each bound using buttonhole stitches (Figure 38.) Finally, the buttons were attached, and the small Sixth Corps badge sewn on the chest to complete the body shell assembly. As with the original, the badge was a “sutler” made item purchased commercially (Figure 39.)

At this point ready the jacket was ready for the sleeves to be added. Proper alignment of the sleeve was insured by positioning the back or outside) seam of each sleeve in the armhole in back between two body seams, one which connects the side and back panels and, the other, the shoulder seam (Figure 40.)

Once aligned with the body, each sleeve was set into its armhole and pinned to the body shell around the edge of the armhole. The sleeve and body linings were pulled back and the sleeve sewn to the body (Figure 41.) After that was completed, the sleeve lining was closed to finish the sleeve by sewing it over the body lining around the armhole inside (Figure 42.)

Figure 43 shows the original Whittemore jacket and cap in the Troiani photograph and Figure 44 the recreated jacket staged with a similar cap.

Endnotes

17. Norah Waugh, The Cut of Men’s Cloths – 1600-1900, New York, NY (Routledge – Taylor & Francis Group, 1964), (afterward Waugh) 112-113.

18. Fashioning the Soldier, 49.

19. R. I. Davis, Men’s Garments 1830 -1900 A guide to pattern making and tailoring, Studio City, CA (Players Press,1994), ix – xiii.

20. Ibid, xi

21. Waugh, 121

22. Both civilian and military garments in the Civil War era were constructed in a number of slightly different ways, The widespread availability of sewing machines beginning in the 1850’s altered many of the techniques employed by tailors and ready-to-wear clothing manufacturers. A number of the civilian produced military frock coats and jackets the author has studied reflect changes to the basic techniques, if not the construction strategy, described here due to machine sewing technology. All of the methods and construction details described are, however, consistent with period methods and results.