[CIVIL WAR]. Staff captain's frock coat.

Navy blue nine-button, single-breasted Captain of Staff frock coat with Captain of Staff shoulder straps, nine Scovill Manufacturing Co. staff coat buttons, and three New York State "Extra Quality" cuff buttons on each non-functional cuff. Velvet stand-and-fall collar. Matched straps are navy blue cloth with single gold bullion border and gold captain's bars. Sleeves 8 1/4 in. width. Skirt approx. 16 in. Four coat-size buttons on rear vent at waist and tail with Scovill Manufacturing backmark. Sleeve, body, and pocket linings in place. Inside with polished cotton lining and sleeves lined in white cotton. Interior pocket at left breast and pockets at the tails. Leather banded inner belt mechanism with working clasp. Label at top center of lining "Manufactured by / E. Hughes. / Washington, D.C."

The 1864 and 1865 City Directory for Washington, D.C. lists an "E. Hughes / 232 Penn Ave" under "Clothiers and Merchant Tailors." The only other "E. Hughes" to appear in a Washington, D.C. directory through 1879 is "Emma Hughes," a dressmaker, indicating that the individual identified on this frock coat was likely not manufacturing coats in the city post-war at least under this coat's label name.

Coat with scattered mothing and light soil, but in overall good condition.


The Civil War and American Militaria Collection of Bruce B. Hermann