Camp Randall Quartermaster
Original Civil War Uniforms

ORIGINAL SHELL JACKETS
Federal soldier wearing an issued Artillery shell jacket. Notice how ill fittings his trousers are, even thu his stripes indicate he is the company quartermaster!


H.E. HARKNESS CAVALRY SHELL JACKET (Private Collection)
Standard issue cavalry issue shell jacket.  Made by
H.E. HARKNESS it  has the standard twelve button front, trimmed in yellow wool twill tape.
This jacket has the regulation "pillows" and "V" cut in the back.
The collar has the regulation two double strips of yellow trim.  (Notice how the trim running down the front of the jacket is "slopppily put on).

The jacket is fully lined of a brownish type "jean" cloth with muslin sleeve linings. This type linning was tipical to most federal shell jackets. The is an interior breast pocket on the left side of the coat.
The maker's stamp, "H E HARKNESS, is put on so poorly, it is almost illegible.  The inspector's stamp is put on almost on top of the maker's stamp.  It is impossible to even know who inspected this jacket! The muslin sleeve linnings are hand sewn in
The cuff is trimmed in yellow twill tape with a functional scuff opening. Two small eagle buttons are used to button the cuff.
ST. LOUIS ARSENAL ARTILLERY SHELL JACKET   (Private Collection)
St. Louis Arsenal artillary shell jacket. It has an eleven button front instead of the standard twelve. The jacket is trimmed in red wool twill tape
The jacket has the standard "pillows", but is cut straight across the back instead of the standard "V" cut found in almost all other manufacture's shell jackets.
The collar on a St. Louis shell jacket has the two strips of trim, BUT only a single strip each.
The linning in a St. Louis jacket is made of a cotton drilling  material and the sleeves are lined in muslin.
This coat has no arsenal stamp or inspector's stamp. (Although I have seen St. Louis jackets with the arsenal stamp in them) It only contains a size marking in the right sleeve lining. The muslin sleeve linings are hand sewn in.
Sleeves on a St. Louis shell jackets are trimmed in wool twill tape, but do not have functional cuffs. The two eagle buttons are just for "decoration".