AMERICAN CIVIL WAR PENNSYLVANIA MILITIA W OWNERS NAME B. H. RICHARDSON CA 1855

Description

AMERICAN CIVIL WAR PENNSYLVANIA  MILITIA W OWNERS NAME B. H. RICHARDSON CA 1850-1860
VERY RARE UNIFORM NOT MANY IN EXISTANCE.
Here is your opportunity to own a beautiful displaying state of Pennsylvania militia coat from just before the Civil War, used by militia in the beginning of the Civil War. This is one of the beautiful coatee uniforms that were worn by New England state militias before the Civil War, and during the
beginning
of the War . This one was used by the state of Pennsylvania, as is evident by the Pennsylvania "NG" uniform buttons adorning the coat. The front of the coat has the double rows of 16 buttons. These buttons are the version that is listed as PA223b in Tice's button book. The buttons have the "NG" in the center with the wreath encircling the letters. The buttons have the Civil War maker's marking from the Horstmann & Allien firm. The cuffs of the coat have all 6 of the original cuffs size buttons intact. There are also 1 cuff size button on each side of the collar. The reverse of the coat has 2 of the original 4 buttons intact. The cloth of the coat is a beautiful red wool material that is trimmed in gold, blue and white. The lining of the coat as well, as the sleeves are still present with a nice aged milky tan color to the material. In the sleeve, it has the soldier's name that appears to be "B.H.
Richardson "written
in old ink. This is a spectacular looking original 1850s, Pennsylvania state militia uniform and it is possible to track down the name of the owner, but we will leave that for you.
While the colors blue and gray are almost iconically associated with the opposing ground forces of the Civil War, early in the conflict many regiments reporting for duty on either side were much more colorfully attired. Some rebel troops wore blue, some northern troops wore gray, units on both sides sported every shade of red, green, black, white or even tartan, and uniform patterns were almost completely non-standardized.
This discordant variety of military garb reflected not just diverse aesthetic sensibilities but, in some cases, ideological ones as well, and was a virtual barometer for the lack of strong central organization in either the Confederate or Federal camps. Uniforms for volunteer units were produced not according to the specifications of national war departments but to those of state militia authorities or even units themselves, and were issued not from central quartermaster depots but from local storehouses — or even ordered from tailors by individuals.
These disparate supply systems were not well suited to clothing the many troops that would ultimately be called into service for the war or to supplying them for the extended period it would last. And even the centralized mechanisms that were in place early in the conflict did not reflect the organization that would be required to outfit the two great military machines that eventually faced each other.