I'll take CIVIL WAR UNIFORMS for 200

Frock, Sack, & Shell-What are types of Civil War coats and jackets?

For Enlisted

Frock coats for the enlisted soldier were primarily worn for parade or formal review purposes. There were some regiments and companies that wore their frock coats into battle at Gettysburg such as the Iron Brigade and Berdan's Sharpshooters.

As per the Revised U.S. Army Regulations of 1861 Section 1454. The uniform coat for all enlisted foot men, shall be a single-breasted frock of dark blue cloth, made without plaits, with a skirt extending one-half the distance from the top of the hip to the bend of the knee; one row of nine buttons on the breast, placed at equal distances; stand-up collar, to rise no higher than to permit the chin to turn freely over it, to hook in front at the bottom and then to slope up and backward at an angle of thirty degrees on each side; cuffs pointed according to pattern, and to button with two small buttons at the under seam; collar and cuffs edged with a cord or welt of cloth as follows, to wit: Scarlet for Artillery; sky-blue for Infantry; yellow for Engineers; crimson for Ordnance and Hospital stewards. Narrow lining for skirt of the coat of the same color and material as the coat; pockets in the folds of the skirts with one button at each hip to range with the lowest buttons on the breast; no buttons at the ends of the pockets.

Front of Infantry frock coat

Back of the Infantry frock coat

The following pictures show the black rubberized buttons worn on the enlisted frock of the Berdan's Sharpshooters.

Back of Sharpshooters frock

1457. For Fatigue Purposes--a sack coat of dark blue flannel extending half-way down the thigh, and made loose, without sleeve or body lining, falling collar, inside pocket on the left side, four coat buttons down the front.

This was the most commonly worn uniform coat during the war. It was said to be too hot during the summer and too cold during the winter!

Sack Coat pictured below

Inside pocket seam outlined

Falling collar

1455. All Enlisted Men of the Cavalry and Light Artillery shall wear a uniform jacket of dark blue cloth, with one row of twelve small buttons on the breast placed at equal distances; stand-up collar to rise no higher than to permit the chin to turn freely over it, to hook in front at the bottom, and to slope the same as the coat-collar; on the collar, on each side, two blind button-holes of lace, three-eights of an inch wide, one small button on the button-hole, lower button-hole extending back four inches, upper button-hole three and a half inches; top button and front ends of collar bound with lace three-eights of an inch wide, and a strip of the same extending down the front and around the whole lower edge of the jacket; the back seam laced with the same, and on the cuff a point of the same shape as that on the coat, but formed of the lace; jacket to extend to the waist, and to be lined with white flannel; two small buttons at the under seam of the cuff, as on the coat cuff; one hook and eye at the bottom of the collar; color of lace (worsted), yellow for Cavalry, and scarlet for Light Artillery.

Detail of Cavalry collar lace

Lace along edges of Artillery jacket front

Jacket sleeve point and buttons. The lace would either go between the buttons on this Cavalry jacket or above as shown on the Artillery jacket

Artillery sleeve with lace going above the buttons

Lace trimming around edge of jacket

Lace trimming on back of jacket

For Commissioned Officers

1442. All officers shall wear a frock-coat of dark blue cloth, the skirt to extend from two-thirds to three-fourths of the distance from the top of the hip to the bent of the knee; single breasted for Captains and Lieutenants; double-breasted for all other grades.

1443. For a Major-General--two rows of buttons on the breast, nine in each row, placed by threes; the distance between each row, five and one-half inches at the top, and three and one-half inches at the bottom; standing-up collar, to rise no higher than to permit the chin to turn freely over it, to hook in front at the bottom, and slope thence up and backward at an angle of thirty degrees on each side; cuffs two and one-half inches deep to go around the sleeves parallel with the lower edge, and to button with three small buttons at the under seam; pockets in the folds of the skirts, with one button at the hip, and one at the end of each pocket, making four buttons on the back and skirt of the coat, the hip button to range with the lowest buttons on the breast; collar and cuffs to be of dark blue velvet; lining of the coat black.

1444. For a Brigadier-General --the same for a Major-General, except that there will be only eight buttons in each row on the breast, placed in pairs.

Cavalry Brigadier General frock coat with blue vest worn underneath

Sleeve of frock with dark blue almost black cuff

Dark blue almost black collar with Cavalry ONE Star Brigadier General shoulder board

1445. For A Colonel--the same as for a Major-General, except that there will be only seven buttons in each row on the breast, placed at equal distances; collar and cuffs of the same color and material as the coat.

1446. For a Lieutenant-Colonel--the same as for a Colonel.

1447. For a Major--the same as for a Colonel.

Union Colonel James M. Brown's Uniform Frock

1448. For a Captain--the same as for a Colonel, except that there will be only one row of nine buttons on the breasts, placed at equal distances.

1450. For a First or Second Lieutenant--the same as for a Captain

Infantry First Lieutenant frock