This pattern of jacket for mounted troops, cavalry and light artillery, was introduced in 1855 and was the regulation uniform jacket for those branches of service in the Civil War. Few jackets are showier or have more romance associated with them than those made for cavalry service. This one has strong color to the dark blue wool body. All buttons except one are in place, with one false button on the tall collar is missing and needs to be re-sewn. A few have been restitched, which is natural over the years.
The loose-weave gray/brown wool lining is in place and complete, though with expected wear spots over each shoulder. The white sleeve linings are in place and intact, though in the right sleeve some of the stitching attaching the sleeve lining to the body lining has given way, which could easily be restitched. There are a couple of additional wear spots in the lining at the wearer’s upper right, near the arm hole, and at lower left, near the waist. These show up just as slightly threadbare and could have few stitches put in to stabilize them, but do not affect the stability or integrity of the coat.

The sleeve lining at the shoulder also shows a good Civil War US Inspector’s black ink stamp as well as the two dots and Arabic numeral “2” size markings, indicating it is a Size 2 in the army’s standardized size chart. A larger ink stamp reading “WUSTE” is probably the remains of a Western Costume Company property stamp. Theatrical companies and the costume companies supplying them often bought military uniforms at government surplus sales for use in plays and even movies.
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A good, solid example of the regulation cavalry shell jacket. 


[Civil War, Union, Confederate]