Identified Civil War/Indian Wars Frock Coat Cpt S A Townsend
Item #: WR329
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This is a nine button officer's frock coat from the Civil War period that was carried over into service in the Indian Wars, identified to Captain S.A. Townsend. The coat is in very good condition, having just a couple of small moth holes in the small of the back. There is also one small section of stitching at the left waist where the left skirt and body panel join that has broken, approximately 3/8" long. The dark blue wool material has not faded or degraded in any way. The construction of this frock suggests it is a private purchase rather than a government issue. The sleeves are tailored, being 7 1/4" wide at the elbows and tapering at the cuff. The skirts measure 19 12" in length and are machine hemmed. The collar is 1 1/4" and shows honest wear. The collar is closed by a single closure hook at the bottom of the collar. The front of the single breasted coat has 8 General Service buttons, 5 of them have no back mark, one back marked Goodwins 1875, one R&W Robinson and one Pettibone MFG Co. All the buttons have the eagle facing right, surrounded by 24 stars. The one odd button is from the Culver Military Academy, which carries the Pettibone back mark. This military academy, located in Culver, Indiana, was established in 1894. I'm still doing research on Townsend, so I don't know the connection with him and the academy. Each non functioning cuff has two General Service buttons, two with no back mark, one back marked Waterbury Button Co. and the other back marked D. Evans & Co. Extra. On the back of the frock are four more General Service buttons, two at each vent. None of the four are back marked. There is one interior pocket, a vertical one on the inner left breast. The vents also have a pocket each. The pockets are lined with brown muslin cotton. The interior of the coat shows more of the quality craftsmanship that went into it. The body of the coat is lined with a black polished cotton. The sleeves are lined with off white cotton ticking with blue and brown stripes. Instead of shoulder straps, this frock has epaulets on the shoulders. The rank and regimental insignia have been removed. The fringe is still present, but shows some definite wear! A set of generic brass Cavalry brass is sewn onto each All the panel seams are tightly stitched together, and show no signs of hand stitched repairs. The bottom of the coat is machine hemmed. There is not a makers label sewn into the back of the collar, but instead a laundry tag. Sewn in read thread, it reads "CAPT. S. A. TOWNSEND, 7th CAV." Pinned to the left front of the frock is some kind of award or recognition badge. It is made up of a round metal disk with a five point star center on it, with the number 7 imposed on the star. A piece of red silk material surrounds the badge, with two red, white and blue strips of silk extending from the bottom of the badge. The badge has not been removed to look for any information.... yet! As I discover more information about Captain Townsend I will update this listing. As it stands, this is an amazing Civil War era frock coat that survived the war well enough to have continued service in the frontier Cavalry!
Your Price $4,375.00 USD
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