Fatigue jacket - sack coat. Originally blue. Lined. Button fasteners not original. Buttons are mixed. Upper 3-enlisted button and the last one is for officers.
JOHN T. MARTIN/NEW YORK; T.T. Meyer/US Inspector/New York
Object History
All enlisted men wore this in battle and made by the thousands.
Curatorial Statement
During the Civil War, Union army infantrymen wore simple blue jackets known as sack coats. Made of wool, they were warm in the winter but unbearably hot in the summer. They were mass-produced by government contractors but few of them survived the rigors of war. Light blue pants and a small forage cap, known as a kepi, completed the uniform.