James Cooper’s Frock Coat and Clothing Worn By Soldiers
During the Civil War military uniforms did not always look exactly the same like they do now. Confederate jackets were usually a shade of grey or butternut (a yellow-brown color). Their trousers were grey, butternut, or blue. U.S. uniforms were were more standard than the Confederates. U.S. coats and pants were often dark blue. The best way to learn about Civil War uniforms is to look at examples of coats and pants soldiers wore! Remember when you examine the coat to consider who made it, who wore it, and why it was worn.
FROCK COAT
Description by Joanna Stephens, BOFT's curator
This is one of only two jackets in our collection that were worn at the Battle of Franklin. This is a true treasure in our collection. James L. Cooper was in the 20th Tennessee, a regiment that had many men from Middle Tennessee (including the three Carter sons from the Carter House). James Cooper was from Nashville (the son of a famous painter). Cooper was friends with Tod Carter, who was also in the 20th Tennessee, and it is incredible to think that the last time James Cooper saw his friend Tod, he was wearing this jacket.
·We strongly believe this coat was made in Nashville. There are several clues that lead us to think that. (The fabric on the outside of the coat is home-made, so it had to come from nearby James Cooper’s home, and the fabric on the inside of the coat is nearly identical to a coat at the Tennessee State Museum. Maybe the same person made both of these coats!)
·This coat has just returned from our textile conservator. We had it conserved, cleaned, stabilized, and prepared for display in the new Carter House Museum. We want to make sure that this coat is around for another 150 years. What do you think people 100 years from now could learn from this coat?
Image is of Brigadier General Jacob D. Cox, a U.S. general in command at the Battle of Franklin. You can see his insignia on the shoulders of his jacket.
Want to learn more about Tod Carter? Listen to the TENN in 20 Podcast episode on Tod! Find it on your favorite podcast app, or here: boft.org/podcast
Questions:
1. What can this coat tell us about James L. Cooper?
2. The buttons on the coat are U.S. buttons, not Confederate buttons. How do you think James' coat may have gotten U.S. buttons.
3. James and his family saved the coat after the war was over. It was most likely saved because of the memories associated with it. If you were to save an article of clothing from your closet, what would it be and why?
4. This coat was worn by James during the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864. What can this tell us about James' experience during the battle?
5. James was a lieutenant (officer) in the Confederate army. Officers were distinguished from enlisted men (soldiers who were not officers) by insignia on their uniforms. James' insignia have been removed. Can you give the definition of insignia?
Answers:
1. The coat can tell us lots of information. Most notably, it can tell us James' size. A taller person would wear a larger coat then shorter person. It can also tell us about how much money that person had. The nicer the coat, the more money it cost.
2. Because this jacket was made at the beginning of the Civil War, there were limited supplies available. Many early Confederate uniforms have U.S. buttons. So although this seems strange to us, it is common to see Southern uniforms with U.S. buttons; they were simply more readily available.
3. Let us know your answer!
4. James was probably not severely injured in the torso during the Battle of Franklin. There are no bullet holes or injury marks on the jacket.
5. Insignia is a badge or mark used to distinguish a military rank or other special job or position held by a soldier.
Vocab Words:
Regiment: A group of soldiers in an army.
Textile Conservator: Someone who repairs and takes care of fabrics.
Officer: A soldier who is in charge of other soldiers. Officers can be all different ranks, such as corporal or captain.