31355 Federal in Sack Coat Advancing Loading, No. 1

For fatigue duty, Union soldiers were issued a sack coat (Army Regulations called these “Recruit Coats”). It was common, utilitarian, and entirely lacking military panache. It was also cheap. Ostensibly a simplified version of the frock coat, it was shortened to just below the waist and closed with four buttons. The coats were typically made from 12oz. wool flannel and were lined, while many commercial contracts were manufactured unlined. Sack coats were issued along with (rather than replacing) the uniform coat for the infantry. The fatigue sack coat was made in the millions between 1861 and 1865 and were used hard and worn until they quite literally fell apart.