Jackets and adjustments

"I am exceedingly obliged for your exertions in forwarding reinforcements to this army. I like your plan exceedingly of equipping the troops with Jackets, as I am persuaded these may be had, and coats cannot; and tho' they are not quite as sightly, they will serve to render them comfortable." 

--Gnl. Greene to Gnl. Steuben January 7th 1781

Back to our favorite obsession, the US Southern Army in North Carolina. Fort Dobbs timeline hosted Kitty for the first time (as a disgruntled 16th century colonist,) and the fifth iteration of the ragged-ass Continental. A dearth of roads and wagons left them under supplied, but years of experience made them tough with a taste for campaigning.

The above tantalizing clue from Greene's correspondence paints an interesting picture of the time before Guilford Courthouse. Steuben appears to have pushed jackets pretty hard as a remedy to uniform shortages. Quality was lacking, and they were unlined, but better than nothing.

Philip Katcher's Uniforms of the Continental Army, describes rebuilding the North Carolina regiments after the debacle at Charleston. The public store at Halifax had "Pieces Course Blue Frieze," as well as "Soldiers woolen Jackets." Were jackets waistcoats? Did they have sleeves?

As a purely speculative venture Kochan and Phillips serge was laundered repeatedly to give it a frieze-like hand. The jacket is similar to British light infantry types. Cheap and cheerful. It should cover the waistband of the breeches or overalls.

Here is where photographs come in handy. Even with the shadows the body of the jacket looks okay, but the sleeves are way too big. A bunch of material can be removed from the seams to make them snug. Leave some ease around the elbows.

Always good, especially with new projects to look at photos of yourself for fit issues. Similarly a breeze on your hind quarters means your shirt is too short. A blanket cape is a great accessory to shield the public.

Frustration

Words. Details can be maddeningly elusive in the past. The Continental Army coat started out well enough. There were good sources that helped shape the color and style of this coat. Then there weren't. Always good (painful) to check footnotes. Construction of the coat has passed the point of drastic changes. Since details are often few in letters, orderly books, and journals, the meaning of words becomes key. There are coats and there are jackets.

This might look familiar. The white at left is the belted waistcoat. Wrapped around the right edge of the canvas interfacing is the red strip of a lapel. Hooks and eyes get fixed at top right. Only a skirt lining in this coat.

The America Southern army was nearly destroyed in 1780 at Charleston. General Gates did his best to destroy the replacement Army two months later. Gates replacement, General Greene discovered a dearth of roads and wagons in the Carolinas. States like Maryland struggled to get clothes to their nearly naked troops.

"Regimental Coats" arrived in October, and were handed out immediately. In Virginia, good old Baron Steuben rushed supplies, arms, and men South. These fellows wore "jackets with sleeves."

Steuben put a bug in Greene's ear about jackets. Jackets were not as "sightly" as regimentals, but easier to make and better than nothing. Here is the single layer collar turned to the outside. The seam will be covered by the collar. Greene described the jackets as "in the form of British Light Infantry Coats; to come down as low upon the hips as the waistband..."

Since the buttons have short shanks, it's easier to apply linen tape to the lapels--till you get to the collar. None of this is visible when finished. To muddy the waters further, the 1780 Board of War specifications state coats should come to mid-thigh, and have functional lapels, and collar.

Always nice to know what they were supposed to have. There is period imagery of British Lights with square cut jackets as early as 1777. This is probably what Greene is talking about. No lapels, no skirts, "with sleeves" implying that sometimes they were without like a waistcoat. Blue and red is a safe choice for mid-Atlantic Continentals, but not sure. Already ideas are forming for another coat.