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  • 3 weeks later...
agate hunter

GLCC74 - 
Very nice collection. My focus is Coast Artillery, so I'm going after all the 1902 dress blues from troops who would have been stationed at a Coast Artillery fort (CAC, Medical, Quartermaster, Ordnance, Signal Corps, Engineer). So far I have a couple Coast Artillery coats and one Quartermaster private's coat.

Is the 1903-1909 1st Class Gunner's badge displayed on one of your artillery coats marked on the back? If so what Company is it named to?
I noticed on that coat too, you have collar cannons with no numbers below them, only Artillery NCO staff wore cannons with no numbers (your example as a 1st Class Gunner private would not wear them) - Coast Artillery only had the company number below the cannons on the insignia, while Field Artillery had the Regimental number and Battery letter on the cannons. 

OD- 
That is one hell of a cool Quartermaster Sgt uniform! Is it named at all?

I recently picked up a Quartermaster Private's coat, circa 1912. I need a chest cord however, if anyone has an extra let me know.


Here's a photo of my favorite 1902 coat, shown on the right. On the left is the soldier's earlier 1885 dress blue coat.

Both of these coats belonged to a soldier who was in the 30th Company, Coast Artillery, at Ft. Worden, WA.
He joined the army in 1891, serving in the Infantry until 1900 (he became a Sgt. in G/23rd Infantry, where he saw action in the Philippines).
Upon joining the Artillery Corps, he was with O/1st Artillery in Galveston, TX in 1900 during the hurricane there, he saved several lives during the hurricane and was awarded the Certificate of Merit Medal for his actions. 
In 1903 he joined the 30th Company at Ft Worden, where he mostly remained until retirement in 1920. 
He was 1st Sgt. for some time in the 30th Company, and a gun commander later on.

The Coast Artillery traditionally wore out the older uniforms of the army - evidence shows that they kept wearing the 1885 dress blue coat until about 1908 give or take a year (however they wore the 1902 caps with the older uniform). 

My examples are shown with the insignia and 1912 cap present when I purchased them. They were missing the collar and cap insignia.

The service stripes on the 1885 coat were removed and added to the new 1902 coat. 

I believe that at the time 1st Sgt. was a position versus an actual rank, his later 1902 coat shows just Sgt. stripes, with gun commander insignia, so he must have no longer been a 1st Sgt. in about 1915/16, the last year the dress blues were worn.


 

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agate hunter

Here's a close up of the 1902 dress blue sleeve of my uniform.
The Sgt. chevron is interesting, it appears to be the shape of a 1st Sgt chevron, with the Gun Commander insignia covering the diamond. 

The chevrons variations on 1885 and 1902 dress blues are a study in themselves, many colorful combinations and combinations, especially as the new 1902 regulations were coming into effect.

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agate hunter

Very nice, I would say it likely came from a soldier at Fort McKinley, Maine. The 30 is the soldier's number.
The 90th Co. began service at Ft McHenry, Maryland from 1901-04, then from 1904-1911 served at Ft McKinley, finally serving at Fort Mills on Corregidor 1911-16. 
These badges were authorized for wear from 1903-1909.

Here is a list with the histories of all Coast Artillery companies (after 1924 Coast Artillery companies became batteries of numbered regiments).
http://cdsg.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/FORTS/CACunits/CACcomp.pdf
 

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