Officers' Overcoats
Staff Officer wearing Regulation Overcoat
Regulations were amended to allow officers to wear enlisted men's sky blue overcoats in order to avoid making them targets for sharpshooters. This officer wears the regulation officer's dark blue overcoat. The staff officer is wearing an embroidered U.S. in a wreath on his hat. The overcoat is dark blue and is closed by four throgs or frogs. It was also closed by an à échelle (longer lesser ornamented throng) at the neck, which is not well seen in this etching. The pocket is surrounded by black silk braid. The officer's grade is indicated by sleeve braid. Shoulder straps or epaulettes were not worn on overcoats. An eighth inch gold welt and dark blue trousers indicate a staff officer. The original print mentions that this was a surgeon, but as pictured any staff officer would appear this way.