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INDIAN WAR PERIOD PATTERN 1882 &
1884 ENLISTED MAN’S TROUSERS – VERY SOLID SPECIMENS OF A
SCARCE UNIFORM PIECE:
Due to the prolonged periods of daily wear by the
soldiers, the affects of the environment on the
frontier, and the obvious utilitarian value even after a
soldier’s discharge, 19TH Century US Army
uniform trousers have not survived in large numbers, and
are in fact, quite scarce. I have been fortunate to
have acquired these pairs from a very old collection –
the first Indian Wars era trousers which I have had the
opportunity to buy in a very long time.
Due to the several changes in pattern to which the
uniforms were subjected during the Indian Wars era,
several features of earlier patterns such as the number
of buttons or pocket design and placement bled over into
subsequent patterns.
This was the result of the
Quartermaster’s efforts to exhaust the quantities of
existing stocks of clothing before producing a newer
pattern. Where possible, the new changes ordered for
uniforms – in this case, the trousers - were
incorporated in those currently in the manufacturing
pipeline or those which had not yet been made up or
issued.
In
the best of circumstances, there were no distinct lines
of demarcation in the issue or use of any of the
clothing, weapons, or equipment during the Indian War
era, as is documented in period photographs. Driven by
limited finances and huge stocks of material left over
from the Civil War, the army made every effort to use up
the existing inventory prior to even manufacturing new
material, much less issuing it.
So when the army came to
the point of manufacturing new uniforms such as these
trousers, and the patterns changed as often as they did,
it is no surprise that some combinations of features of
the different patterns is often encountered in surviving
examples of these Indian War period uniforms.
Further fogging the identification of distinct patterns,
there were issues of uniforms provided to the soldiers
in kit form, which would be assembled by local company
level tailors. In the process of assembling the
uniforms, a certain level of custom tailoring by the
soldiers was not only tolerated by their company and
regimental officers, but based on period photographs,
this practice may very well have been encouraged to a
point, as the soldiers sought to make their uniforms
more stylish or functional. The practice of local unit
assembly and the allowance for custom tailoring allowed
for considerable latitude which resulted in combining
features of different regulation patterns. These
characteristics are well documented and described in
John Langellier’s More Army Blue – The Uniform of
Uncle Sam’s Regulars 1874-1887 .
Langellier includes valuable historical
context such as the following found on page 180, note 37
wherein Quartermaster General M.C. Meigs recorded the
following on October 26, 1881, “An attachment from the
regimental quartermaster of the Nineteenth U.S. Infantry
indicated that after examining the trousers of 140 men
in the command he was ‘unable to find one who wears
the trousers issued to him by the Government without
first having them made over in some way, most of them
with spring bottoms [a cuff style in fashion at the
time that flared at the front] and waistband tops,
for which a company tailor charges from 2 to 3 dollars
per pair.’ The quartermaster went on to assert that
‘the trousers with spring bottoms are the fashion for
enlisted men, and have been so for many years….’ and
observing further that there ‘were but few enlisted
men in this company who wear suspenders”
The pattern designation of these trousers have been
determined through the premier research collated by
John Langellier and published in his
MORE ARMY BLUE, The Uniform of Uncle Sam’s Regulars
1874-1887. This volume and his earlier ARMY
BLUE, The Uniform of Uncle Sam’s Regulars 1848-1873
are excellent works and are highly recommended as “must
have” editions for your library.
These trousers are being offered as
separate pieces here, and each is described in detail
below and accompanied by an individual set of
photographs. Overall, these are very impressive
specimens of the desirable Indian War era uniform
trousers which would never need to be upgraded, and they
would be an attractive addition to your collection.
NOTE:
To say that photographing wool cloth is a challenge is
an understatement. In order to highlight the features,
I have to adjust the contrast of the various photos and
at times the result makes the cloth appear to have faded
or discolored. The cloth making up these trousers is an
even blue color as is seen in the overall full views,
the odd coloring coming out when the smaller details of
the coat are photographed so as to be visible.
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NO. 1
PATTERN 1882-1884 TROUSERS:
Per General Orders No. 108, Headquarters of the Army,
dated September 4, 1882, the Pattern 1882 Trousers were
described as being made of wool of a “sky blue mixture”,
having a 2” wide waistband, to secure around the waist
with one button in front, and have two front pockets
with the opening at the top. While this style was
approved by General of the Army Sherman in 1881, the
actual specifications were not adopted until October 8,
1882. The Pattern 1882 Trouser proved to be short-lived
due to a subsequent replacement being introduced in
January of 1884, resulting in only limited quantities of
the Pattern 1882 Trousers being made in 1883.
This pair of Pattern 1882 Trousers
presents in a medium blue, noticeably darker than the
lighter “sky blue”. This darker hue is consistent with
the records of the time and existing specimens. Based
on comments from the field, apparently there were
different shades of blue material used to produce the
trousers, leading to comments from the field as the
trousers were issued and the non-uniformity of the shade
of blue was noted. A color photograph on page 153 of
MORE ARMY BLUE, The Uniform of Uncle Sam’s Regulars
1874-1887 shows a pair of Pattern 1882 Trousers in
this same shade of blue.
In the manner described above, this pair
of Pattern 1882 Trousers features two additions which
were introduced with the Pattern 1884 Trousers – a watch
pocket over the right front pocket, and a pocket over
the right rear hip. Both of these pockets are finished
very well and were likely faced with the material taken
from the bottom of the legs where the trousers were
hemmed to fit the soldier. Whether these pockets were
added at the clothing depot before they were issued, or
were done at the local post by the company tailor, they
were very well executed and appear to be original to
these trousers. It is also worth noting the trouser
cuffs have the distinctive “spring” or flair described
in the period correspondence above – another indicator
that this pair was custom tailored for the soldier.
These are nice features as they serve to illustrate how
the patterns melded into each other and were tailored by
the soldiers as described above.
This pair of
trousers were obviously issued and worn, but they were
well cared for and they present in excellent condition.
The wool
material is in overall excellent condition, both clean
and strong with no weak points.
The only flaw in the
material appears on the front/side of right knee where
there is a very well executed “blind” repair to the
material. It is so well done using the same material
that it blends in very well and is all but invisible.
All of the original fly and suspender buttons are
present, the back adjustment belt and buckle are full
form and intact, and all of the seams are intact.
The white cotton pocket bodies and the lining at the
waist are all intact with no evidence of severe wear.
The edges of the pocket openings, the fly, and the
bottom hems are all fully intact with no wear or
fraying.
Of special note, and adding to the
value, the inside of the cotton waist band bears a
partially legible New York Clothing Depot ink
stamp. Jeffersonville Quartermaster
Depot dated ink stamp (see arrow in photograph below).
While the entirety of the stamp is not legible there
are enough of the surviving characters that I can
recognize the stamp for what it is from others I have
seen.
The overall length is 43 ½”; the inseam;
measures 31”; and the waist measures approximately 29”.
Overall this is an excellent
specimen of the fairly rare Pattern 1882 Trousers which
are far above average in condition and would be almost
impossible to upgrade. (0309)
$900
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NO. 2
PATTERN 1884 TROUSERS:
This pair is in overall very good condition. A few
shades darker than the classic “sky blue”, the
difference in the hue is most likely nothing more than a
function of this particular dye lot. This is most
certainly a pair of regulation Pattern 1884 Enlisted
Man’s Trousers as they conform in every detail, to
include the unique peaked line of stitching at the mouth
of the front pockets, as illustrated in the No. 99 line
illustration of the Specifications for the Pattern
published by the Quartermaster Department on January 16,
1884.
It is worth noting the trouser cuffs
have the distinctive “spring” or flair described in the
period correspondence above – another indicator that
this pair was custom tailored for the soldier.
The material is overall clean and strong
with no weak points. There is some minor mothing with a
few small (less than 1/8”) holes scattered about the
trousers, but nothing that neither weakens the cloth nor
detracts significantly from the appearance of the
trousers. The extent of this mothing is shown in the
photographs below. Despite these few holes, this pair
is in far better condition than most surviving
specimens. All of the fly and suspender buttons are
present and intact, and all of the seams are intact.
Of special note, the inside of the
cotton waist band bears a partially legible
Jeffersonville Quartermaster Depot dated ink stamp (see
arrow in photograph below). While the entirety of the
stamp is not legible there is enough of the surviving
characters that I can recognize the stamp for what it is
from others I have seen.
The overall length is 38 ½”; the
inseam; measures 27”; and the waist measures
approximately 30”. (1102) $850
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NO. 3
PATTERN 1884 TROUSERS:
Like the pair listed as No. 2 above, this is a pair of
the US Army Pattern 1884 Trousers, discernible by the
unique peaked line of stitching at the mouth of the
front pockets as is shown in the original Quartermaster
Specification No. 99 drawing dated January 16, 1884.
This pair is in overall very good to
excellent condition. The material is overall clean and
strong with no weak points. There is no severe mothing
– no holes and only very minor moth tracking on the
surface of the material in some isolated spots. None of
which detract from the overall appearance of the
trousers. All of the fly buttons are present and
intact, and all of the seams are intact.
This pair of trousers features
non-regulation belt loops rather than suspender
buttons. The loops are made of the same light blue
kersey wool as the trousers, definitely original to the
period of use. Belt loops, while not incorporated in
the standard Quartermaster Department pattern, nor were
they considered regulation, had become fashionable – and
likely popular for utilitarian reasons – at the time
these trousers were issued. As noted above, these belt
loops are further evidence of the custom tailoring which
accommodated the individual soldier’s preferences.
Since the soldiers were not allowed to appear in public
in their shirt sleeves unless on a fatigue detail, the
belt loops would not have been noted in day to day
wear.
Both sides of the inner waist band and
the lining of both front pockets bears the name “POIST”,
most likely the surname of the soldier who wore these
trousers.
The overall length is 37”; the inseam; measures 27”; and
the waist measures approximately 30”. (1101)
$850
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