Name/Title
Civil War Uniform CoatDescription
Blue and red Civil War wool uniform coat. Red collar and bottom of sleeves. Two crossed cannons on each side of collar. Two button holes at ends of sleeves, buttons are missing. Two buttons on the back of coat, near waist. Eight button holes on the front, five extant buttons. All buttons have pelicans on them. "Capt. G.G. Trull" sewn into the collar. Black cotton lining on the inside, white cotton lining on the inside of sleeves. Two rectangular raised pieces of fabric, one on each shoulder, possibly for epaulettes. Capt. Trull was in a couple artillery regiments during the war, so with the cannons on the collar this could be his uniform coat. One of his regiments also had Zouave inspired uniforms, explaining the red. He spent a lot of time in Louisiana, so the original buttons on the coat could have fallen off and he had them replaced with pelican buttons, the pelican being the state seal of Louisiana. However, the coat could also be a Confederate coat that Trull took home as a souvenir. George joined the Second Massachusetts Battery of Light Artillery on July 31st, 1861 as a second lieutenant. On December 18, 1861, he became a first lieutenant. On October 21, 1862 he transferred to the Fourth Massachusetts Battery of Light Artillery and promoted to captain. He mustered out in October 1865.Clothing/Dress/Costume Details
Article of Clothing/Dress/Costume
CoatClothing Sex
MaleTextile Details
Material
Wool, CottonColor
BlueMade/Created
Manufacturer
American, unknownDate made
1861 - 1865Time Period
Mid 19th CenturyPlace
Country
United StatesContinent
North AmericaLabel/Inscription/Signature
Type
LabelLocation
CollarTranscription
"Capt. G. G. Trull"Condition
Overall Condition
GoodCondition Detail
Fading, Missing Areas / HolesNotes
Holes throughout and some buttons are missing. Color has also faded in areas.Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
George G. TrullResearch Notes
Notes
George G. Trull was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1833. He worked as a machinist before the Civil War. He married Octavia J. Harvey (1844-1911) on January 11, 1859. They had two children Ethel Moore Trull Bird (1859-1937) and Harold G. Trull (1861-1863). Harold died of diphtheria. George joined the Second Massachusetts Battery of Light Artillery on July 31st, 1861 as a second lieutenant. On December 18, 1861, he became a first lieutenant. On October 21, 1862 he transferred to the Fourth Massachusetts Battery of Light Artillery and promoted to captain. He mustered out in October 1865 and returned home to Boston where he worked as a state constable. He died on December 27, 1880. This uniform has pelican buttons on it. This could mean that it is a Confederate uniform as the pelican is the state seal of Louisiana but have nothing to do with either of Trull's regiments. George spent a lot of time in Louisiana during the war, so he could have taken this uniform coat home as a souvenir. The coat does not have epaulettes on it, which it should have since George was an officer. The missing epaulettes would support the theory that it is not his coat, however, it looks like their may be a spot to attach them on the coat. However, he also could have just purchased the buttons and put them on his coat while in Louisiana. LCHA has some of Trull's papers as well.
