Union Army Uniforms and Insignia of the Civil War

Officer's Coats

Unknown Staff First Lieutenant	Unknown Second Lieutenant	Unknown First Lieutenant

Many photographs exist of officers wearing nonregulation coats. These are comfortable utilitarian body or sack coats with lapel collars. They were worn with shoulder straps and often have visible pockets, as seen in these examples. The pants worn by the first lieutenant appear to be the same color as the coat, suggesting that this may be a staff officer. The second lieutenant's lapels are velvet. These coats when they are not patterned on the simple enlisted men's sack coat were little different from those worn by civilians, except that they had military buttons and shoulder straps. It is possible that some trim, such as the pipping on the cuff of the first lieutenant, is in the branch color.