Construction Information
J. T. Martin Contract Sack Coat
I chose to study and make J.T. Martin contract sack coats after 24+ years of
extensive research of original sack coats. The John T. Martin contract was an obvious
choice because the coat was issued in both theatres of the war. J. T. Martin was the
largest contractor for the Federal government, with plants in New York,
Philadelphia, and Cincinnati and St. Louis. (NOTE: Martin and Brothers was in the commercial clothing business before the
start of the Civil War, so naturally the government went to them right away for uniforms
as they were all ready set to produce. Their first contract was on July 26,1861 by
Major D.H. Vinton, Quartermaster for the New York City Depot for 3,300 infantry uniform
jackets. On August 19, 1861, Major Vinton again contracted Martin and Brothers for 20,000
infantry overcoats and 4000 infantry trousers. JT Martin was also contracted by the
Federal government for the following orders: August 26, 1862 - 50,000 flannel
sack coats (lined), September 18, 1862-75,000 flannel sack coats
(lined), Nov. 11,
1862 50,000 flannel sack coats (lined), February 22, 1864- 25,000 flannel sack
coats (unlined), 60,000 flannel sack coats (lined), August 12, 1864 - 50,000 flannel sack
coats (lined), and March 15, 1864 -50,000 flannel sack coats (lined).
In retrospect, John T. Martin was among
the most prominent contractors to the Federal Quarter Master Department during
the Civil War. He had a wide variety of goods under his name, beginning in
August of 1862 and going through January of 1865. (As Martin & Bro., he had contracts as early as July of 1861. The exact composition of that
partnership is still basically unknown, but their contracts coincidentally
cease when J.T. Martin's begin.)
John T. Martin's 72 contracts included 800,000 infantry
trousers and an additional 230,000 trousers for mounted soldiers, 1,200,000
white and grey flannel shirts, 320,000 infantry great coats and 125,000 great
coats for mounted soldiers, and finally 1,060,000 wool flannel sack coats!
When I decided to reproduce the J. T. Martin sack coat 18 years ago few
had even heard of a contract coat and no one I knew of was even interested
in reproducing one. Contrary to general and even authentic reenacting belief,
the overwhelming majority of Civil War uniforms were not
tailored to perfection. The majority (which surprisingly includes uniform
("frock") coats as well as shell jackets and great coats) were made in such a
rush that the general construction of them left something to be desired in the
workmanship at the very least. The original Civil War Federal uniforms in my collection,
which include a sack coat, two uniform (frock) coats,
two cavalry shell jackets, two
artillery shell jackets and a great coat all show this lack of sewing
"perfection". My reproduction coats are purposely manufactured to match the
"hastily made" appearance of original sack coats. They are made like the
originals. You can compare the construction of the original J.T. Martin sack coat in a
private collection on my "compare with the originals"
link with my replica of that coat.
Some sub-standard reproduction garments on the market today exhibit
some of the following inaccuracies. (This is not an exhaustive list by any means):
1. Some "cookie cutter" sack coats available on the market
today appear to be done by a professional tailor or even worse
they exhibit hand sewing that attempts to show hasty construction by means of gigantic
spacing between stitches. While stitches per inch did vary on original coats the trait
usually exhibited was a "meandering" of stitching. The stitches per inch
remained within a close tolerance.
2. The "REMEASURE" Stamp
In 1866 and 1867 the military embarked on an endeavor to re-check the sizes of
their clothing stockpiles left over from the Civil War. Those uniforms that were
checked and found to be sized inaccurately were stamped with a black "REMEASURE" stamp (and
restamped with a new and correct size
stamp, number one through four) .Unfortunately some modern day makers of
Civil War Reproduction Uniforms use and charge for using
the "REMEASURE" stamp in their
reproduction uniforms.
No uniforms worn, manufactured or inspected from 1862 - 1865 bore a
"REMEASURE" stamp! If you
have that in your uniform, you be basically in the regular army of the Unite
States, stationed out west fighting Indians, not fighting Confederates during
The American Civil War.
Source - Robert Huntoon. Information accompanying Past Patterns # 710 Federal
Issue Trousers [Schuykill Arsenal] 1851-1876, and Mr. William Brewster, Wisconsin Veterans
Museum.
3. A button hole sewing machine did exist during the Civil War
period, but it was mainly used for civilan clothing. Some uniform makers offer
machine sewn button holes using this type of machine. Civil War uniforms with
machine sewn button holes would be VERY VERY RARE. The exception,
rather than the norm so to speak! The odds of an
individual enlisted man being issued any part of a uniform with machine sewn
button holes was 0 %).
Most original sack coats were made from
between 9oz.- 11oz. Indigo dyed wool
flannel that shows an obvious diagonal weave. The vast majorities of sack coats were made
in four sizes and most were lined with approximately 9oz. wool in the body and muslin in
the sleeves.
NOTE: Most
Civil War sack coats were sewn with logwood dyed linen thread. The original color was dark
blue, but changed to a brownish color very quickly. In Ann E. Cordy's,
Investigation of Thread Color Change in American Civil War Uniforms, (Ph.D.
Dissertation, University of Maryland), she states that in an experiment "the logwood
colour thread turned brown within ten hours of artificial aging with light versus no
colour change for the Prussian and indigo with over 200 hours".
An article in Scientific American, August 24, 1861 also
substantiates this color change:
STABLE AND CHANGEABLE COLOURS - FRAUDS
A regiment belonging to this city (of Washington, D.C.) lately returned after three
months' service, and the blue coats of all the companies but one seemed to be as bright as
they were on the day the men left. The exceptional company had not been in service over
eighteen weeks, as it was a reserve raised after the body of the regiment had gone to
Washington; and all coats of this company were entirely new deep rich blue color, but they
had become a dirty drab color on the shoulder and all parts that had been exposed to sun
light. This cloth had been colored with logwood instead of indigo, and it was a fraud, as
logwood can be applied for one-fourth the cost of indigo at the very most. Such frauds
should be traced to their source and the guilty parties disgorged.
1. Correct pattern of a
Federal issued sack coat.
2. Coat made out of 9 oz. indigo blue wool flannel
3. Correct lining and construction of a Federal Sack coat
4. Correct maker and inspector stamps
5. Hand sewn sleeve linings for a J.T. Martin sack coat
6. Hand sewn button holes.
7. Correct Federal eagle buttons (Jim Kindred, Military
Warehouse)
8. Finally, the appearance of a hastily mass-produced
uniform simulating an issued sack coat of the Civil War.
(I would like to give thanks to Mr.Paul McKee, Mr.Scott Cross, Mr.Brian Baird,
Mr. Ken Smith, Mr.William Brewster , Mr.David Jurgella, Mr. Robert McAfee of West
Point Nation Military Academy Museum, and a special thanks goes to Mr. Don Kloster
and Mr. Dan Stanton of the Smithsonian Institution
for their help with research on
original sack coats).