Finely Tailored Id’d Union Infantry Colonel’s Regulation Frock Coat and Pants Worn by Col. Charles Russell Codman of the 45th Massachusetts Infantry

Finely Tailored Id’d Union Infantry Colonel’s Regulation Frock Coat and Pants Worn by Col. Charles Russell Codman of the 45^th Massachusetts Infantry – This uniform set is one of the best tailored examples we have encountered; both the coat and pants exhibit hand and treadle machine work. The coat and pants remain in near untouched and pristine condition, with virtually no insect damage, with the exception of a very small area of very slight insect tracking and two or three pinholes, in one pants leg. The coat exhibits all of the construction and style elements that one looks for in a war period, Union, officer’s frock coat: constructed of fine quality, indigo-dyed, English broadcloth wool; “ballooned” elbows; brown, polished cotton-lined skirt pockets; dark green, satinette lining; interior, brown polished cotton-lined, breast pockets; the sleeve linings are constructed of a fine grade, of plain, white linen and are hand sewn in position; the skirts are unhemmed; gathered shoulder area at the juncture with the top of the coat; regulation, officer’s Eagle “I” buttons – 18 coat size (double-breasted, two rows of seven on the front, with four buttons on the back skirts) – button back marks are war period “D. Evans of Attleboro, Mass.”; regulation, Eagle “I” cuff buttons on functional sleeves – also back marked “D. Evans of Attleboro, Mass.”; all buttons are original sews; high quality, war period, full colonel of the infantry, rank straps on each shoulder; skirt length and body length are approximately the same.

The officer, regulation pants are those that adhere to the 1862 and later, Civil War, U.S. Army regulations; the fine grade of wool composing the pants are sky blue in color, with a narrow, dark blue, branch of service welt along the exterior seams of both pant legs. The interior of the waist area is lined in a white linen, with Col. Codman’s name, inked on the interior of the watch pocket lining. The interior of each cuff of the pants’ legs is lined with a fine buckram and leather section, as often encountered in Union military, officer pants, with two, tinned, sheet iron buttons on either side of the cuff for affixing a strap to go under the officer’s boot arches. The size adjuster straps on the back of the pants are sky blue wool, lined in a brown, polished cotton, with a black-painted, brass, adjuster buckle on one strap – this buckle has the raised letters – “Paris” and “1862”. Codman must have needed some expansion of the waist in the pants, as there is a V-shaped, brown cotton wedge, hand-sewn into the waist, placed just between the two points of attachment of the size adjuster bands. There are two, sheet iron, black-painted suspender buttons on the back of the pants and two pairs of the same type of suspender buttons on the front of the pants. There is one, black-painted, closure button at the top of the waist, with five, fly buttons – all are of the same variety as the suspender buttons. On either side of the front of the pant legs is a slash-like, vertical pocket, lined in white linen. We obtained Col. Codman’s frock coat and pants from the family friend of a Boston attorney who had handled the Codman estate, a number of years ago and had gifted our source, the Civil War coat and pants, as well as the WWII uniform of the grandson of Col. Codman, Colonel Charles R. Codman, who served, during WWII, as an aide to Gen. George S. Patton. Apparently, the family was not interested in keeping the uniforms, so they gave them to their attorney, who, in turn, gave them to our source. This fine, Civil War, uniform set has never been on the collector’s market before.

Colonel Codman appears to be wearing this same frock coat and pants, in one of the accompanying images we have attached to this posting. Codman, a 32-year-old, Boston lawyer, initially joined the elite, Boston Independent Corps of Cadets; although not in this unit long, Codman, with the Corps of Cadets, was assigned guard duty at Ft. Warren, in Boston Harbor, overseeing Confederate officers held as prisoners. (We currently have in our inventory, an identified, Corps of Cadets chapeau de bras – this officer must have been acquainted with Col. Codman). Codman left the Corps of Cadets in July, 1862 and was commissioned into the Field and Staff of the 45^th Massachusetts Infantry, in August, 1862, achieving the rank of Colonel, in October, 1862 – the uniform dates to this time period. Col. Codman would serve until he mustered out in July, 1863. During his service, Codman and the 45^th Mass. would be sent to Beaufort, then New Bern, North Carolina; the regiment would be engaged in combat at Kinston, New Bern, White Hall and Goldsboro. During their time in North Carolina, the regiment would sustain 19 killed in action and 32 deaths by disease.

Charles Codman was born to well-to-do parents, in Paris, in 1828; they would return to America and reside in Boston, where Codman attended Harvard, graduating in 1848, and admitted to the bar, in 1852. He would practice law for a short time, then enter the business world. After his service in the 45^th Mass., Col. Codman would serve in the Massachusetts Legislative House of Representatives and in the Massachusetts Senate; he ran, unsuccessfully, for the mayoralty of Boston and was involved in the “Mugwump” movement during the Grover Cleveland presidential campaign. Col. Codman’s grandson, Charles R. Codman, would serve, during WWII, as an aide to Gen. George S. Patton.

Charles Russell Codman

FORTY-FIFTH REGIMENT
MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEER MILITIA
(INFANTRY) NINE MONTHS

45th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment

45th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union army during the American Civil War. The regiment trained at Camp Meigs in Readville, Massachusetts before traveling to North Carolina, where they fought in the Battle of Kinston in December 1862, and in skirmishes in and around New Bern, North Carolina in the spring of 1863. They suffered heavy casualties in battle and due to fever. In June they returned to Boston, where they patrolled the streets to quell any draft riots, and were discharged on July 21. They were commanded by Colonel Charles R. Codman (1829-1918).

Charles Russell Codman (October 29, 1828 – October 5, 1918) was an American military officer and politician who served as commander of the 45th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment.

Early life

Codman was born on October 29, 1828, in Paris while his parents, Charles Russell and Anne (Macmaster) Codman. He was educated in private schools, including at one of William Augustus Muhlenberg‘s model schools on Long Island. He graduated from Harvard College in 1849 and thereafter studied law in the office of Charles G. Loring. Codman was admitted to the bar in 1852 and practiced for a short time before entering the business world.^[1]

Personal life

On February 28, 1856, Codman married Lucy Lyman Paine Sturgis, daughter of Russell Sturgis, in Walton-on-Thames.^[1] They had nine children, five of which (Russell Sturgis, John Sturgis, Julian, Anne Macmaster Cabot and Susan Welles Fiske) survived into adulthood.^[1][2] Anne Macmaster (Codman) Cabot was the mother of Paul Codman Cabot and Charles Codman Cabot.^{[3][self-published source]} Russell Sturgis Codman was the father of Russell S. Codman Jr. and Charles R. Codman.^[4]

The Codmans resided at the Col. Charles Codman Estate in Cotuit, Massachusetts, and spent their winters in Boston. Codman’s Cotuit home was constructed in 1867 on Bluff Point. The Victorian Stick mansion was built by Charles L. Baxter based on John Hubbard Sturgis‘s plans for Andrew Lovell’s Red House.^[5] Codman also resided for many years at 123 High Street in Brookline, Massachusetts.^[2]

Civil War

On March 12, 1861, Codman enlisted in the Union Army as captain and adjutant. In 1862 he was commissioned into the Boston Cadets at Fort Warren. Following President Abraham Lincoln‘s July 1, 1862, call for three hundred thousand soldiers, the Cadets began recruiting a nine month regiment. Codman was selected to be commander of this regiment, which was to be known as the 45th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. Codman led the regiment during the Battles of Kinston and White Hall, as well as in skirmishes in and around New Bern, North Carolina. On July 21, 1863, the 45th Massachusetts was discharged from service.^[6]

Political career

Codman served on the Boston school committee in 1861 and 1862, in the Massachusetts Senate in 1864 and 1865, and in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1872 to 1875. He was the Republican nominee in the 1878 Boston mayoral election, but lost to Democrat Frederick O. Prince 52% to 47%. In 1884, Codman joined the Mugwump movement in support of Democrat presidential candidate Grover Cleveland due to his opposition to the Republican nominee James G. Blaine. The Democrats support of low tariffs led Codman to join the party for good and in 1890 he ran for the United States House of Representatives as an Independent Democrat.^[1]

Other work

Codman was president of the Harvard Board of Overseers in 1880, 1881, 1879, and 1880. He also served as president of the Massachusetts Homeopathic Hospital.^[1]

Death

Codman died on October 5, 1918, at his home in Cotuit.^[2]

 Col Charles Russell Codman VVETERAN

BIRTH

28 Oct 1829

DEATH

5 Oct 1918 (aged 88)

BURIAL

Forest Hills Cemetery and Crematory

Jamaica Plain, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USAAdd to Map

PLOT

Hawthorn Path, Lot 1734