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MODEL 1898 TROPICAL INFANTRY UNIFORM BLOUSE –
SCARCE EARLY PATTERN IN KHAKI WITH BLUE COLLAR, SHOULDER
STRAPS, POCKET FLAPS AND CUFFS: Approved at the
start of the Spanish American War, these khaki colored,
cotton blouses were adopted with the issue of General
Order No. 39 on May 9, 1898. Ordered to be trimmed with
the color of the branch of service (G.O. 51, May 23,
1898), the collar, shoulder straps, breast pocket flaps
and cuffs of these blouses were made in dark blue for
the staff departments and general staff, yellow for
cavalry, red for artillery, and sky blue for infantry.
Providing a very identifiable uniform for each branch,
unfortunately it was this very same distinction that
resulted in a very short service life for these
uniforms, making them quite scarce today. As the
uniforms were subjected to wear in the field, the army
quickly discovered that the wear out period for cavalry
and infantry soldiers in the field was considerably
shorter than it was for artillery and staff department
soldiers, resulting in a serious shortage of replacement
uniforms for the mounted and foot troops while an
overabundance of artillery and staff uniforms sat
unissued in storage. Due to the way in which this
pattern of coat was trimmed, changing the color of the
facings in order to meet the need for uniforms was not
practical. As a result, less than two months later, on
July 15, 1898, the Secretary of War issued a circular
directing that the colored facings be eliminated and
replaced with colored detachable shoulder tabs that
could be issued with the coats as appropriate for the
soldier’s particular branch of service. Nominally made
for less than two months, and then those that were made
being subjected to the severe use and wear of combat
soldiers in a tropical environment, it is not surprising
that these blouses survive today in relatively low
numbers and when found, often show evidence of hard use
in the field. Further reducing the likelihood of
survival was the common practice of issuing new uniforms
to troops returning from the tropics and requiring that
their old uniforms be burned to prevent the introduction
and spread of disease within the continental United
States.
This khaki cotton blouse follows the pattern introduced
by G.O. No.’s 39 and 51, and intended for issue to an
enlisted infantry soldier, is trimmed with sky blue
facing on the collar, shoulder straps, pocket flaps and
cuffs. Overall the blouse shows evidence of use in the
tropics, as all of the facings have faded, however a
brighter blue - closer to what must have been the
original shade - still remains in the protected areas
under the buttons and inside the cuff where the trim is
turned up inside the sleeve. This fading is quite
characteristic of these early uniforms, most certainly
the result of prolonged exposure to the tropical sun and
repeated laundering – including the possibility of being
washed in salt water during the ship board transit to
and from Cuba and the Philippines. (For those of you
who have never been treated to the joy of wearing salt
water washed clothing aboard a ship when fresh water
rationing is in force – well, you’ve been denied one of
the more or less subtle tortures life has to offer.)
The fabric is overall in very good condition with one
small hole (¼”) hole immediately above the right cuff.
The lining inside the collar is worn as can be seen in
the photos, but this does not show when the blouse is
displayed. The most apparent condition issue is the
rust stains scattered over the surface of the material.
Whether these are the result of contemporary wear or
subsequent poor storage, it is impossible to be
certain. However, from experience rust stains that
result from storage normally follow some sort of pattern
where the material was folded and then rested against a
piece of ferrous metal. In the case of the stains on
this blouse, they are scattered with no apparent
pattern, leading me to suggest that the stains may have
been picked up as the soldier leaned or brushed against
corroded metal surfaces, such as certainly existed on
the ships used to transport him to and from the tropical
battlefields. The only fixture aboard a ship that will
not soil a uniform is the inside of an empty coffee cup,
and then only if it has been recently washed, so the
premise that is shipboard soiling is as valid as an
unknown history allows it to be. All of the buttons are
present. Finally, a nice additional feature of this
coat was the discovery of a hank of the original khaki
button thread found in the lower right pocket, likely
provided with every blouse by the manufacturer so the
soldier would have a supply to mend his uniform or
reattach a loose button. After photographing the hank,
I returned it to the pocket and it will accompany the
sale.
Certainly a veteran of far away lands and sweltering
tropical heat, this blouse shows evidence of the
soldier’s service, but given the scarcity of these color
trimmed uniforms it is one that will be a nice addition
to a Spanish American War display. $795
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