Description
Original Item: Only One Available. Not surprisingly when one considers that the Americans were considering French military uniform design in the early 1850’s, French military garb was finding it’s way to American shores to be placed into the hands and on the backs of Union Army troops almost immediately upon outbreak of the American Civil War. Large quantities of uniforms and equipage were purchased by such well known American military suppliers as Tiffany, whose buyers arranged shipment to an eager market in this country. Newspapers of the largest Eastern cities were expounding upon the snappy French Chasseur and Zouave uniform fare.
In 1861 the Federal government contracted with the Godillot firm in Paris (the sole manufacturer of uniforms for the French Army) for uniforms for 10,000 men. Not unlike the government contracts of today however (some things don’t change) the purpose and specifics of the contract was subject to some controversy with the vast majority of the equipment passing to state use.
This specific jacket is marked with a French ink stamps in the jacket lining, with a makers mark that is faded, and possibly size markings: 48, 106, and 66. On the inside of the right it is marked X11 /…
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