Medal of Honor Recipient's Uniform w/ Lincoln Mourning Badge

Historic regulation officer's uniform of John M. Deane, Civil War officer and Medal of Honor recipient. The frock coat is preserved with a black mourning badge and original black-crepe covered buttons, worn in accordance with official army directives to observe a mourning period following the assassination of President Lincoln in 1865. Importantly, this is likely the uniform Deane wore during the Battle of Fort Stedman, which occurred just weeks before Lincoln's assassination. At Fort Stedman, Deane took control of "an abandoned gun within Fort Haskell, called for volunteers, and under a heavy fire, worked the gun until the enemy's advancing line was routed." (Congressional Medal of Honor Society). For his heroic act of bravery, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

This uniform was originally part of an extensive archive of material belonging to John M. Deane that was venerably preserved and passed down to his descendants. Though he is best remembered today as being a valiant Irish Legion officer who received the Medal of Honor, Deane's service is also notable in that he assisted in escorting the famous 54th Massachusetts to Morris Island in January of 1864.

Few Civil War artifacts are so well-pedigreed and documented. Other lots related to Deane in this catalog include: lot 208 "LIST OF NEW 54TH MASSACHUSETTS RECRUITS," lot 407 "MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT'S 9TH CORPS BADGE," and lot 408 "MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT'S HAT INSIGNIA AND CORD."

This lot includes four uniform items :

1. Deane's black line-officer’s frock coat likely worn during the Battle of Fort Stedman and during the mourning period for President Lincoln.

This regulation infantry line officer’s coat is made of black material and has its skirt buttons draped in black crepe. The cuff and lapel buttons were likely covered also, but were subject to more wear and handling over the years. The coat is standard configuration for a line officer: single breasted, fastened by nine buttons on the front, all Infantry-I patterns marked by Macullar, Williams and Parker of Boston, dating 1861-1865. The cuffs are functional and carry three small Infantry-I buttons. The interior has the standard quilted body lining, skirt lining, and white sleeve linings, all in excellent condition. One of the sleeve's linings bears Deane's stenciled name and regiment. The seams are tight, we see no moth damage, only a little sweat staining at the armpits. Deane's promotion to major in May of 1865, when he would have began wearing a double-breasted coat, definitively dates this frock coat's service to the Civil War.

2. A small black mourning cockade that conforms with official army orders for the official mourning period of President Lincoln

This cockade consists of four overlapping circles of black crepe with a small white silk tie in the center, a combination seen in other Lincoln mourning badges. Both elements are sewn to a dark web backing, which in turn is fitted with T-bar pin on bar, sewn to the reverse. Wear of a coat decorated for mourning of President Lincoln, along with the cockade, is not only appropriate for Deane, who was dedicated to the cause and a “first responder” in 1861, but also in keeping with general orders for the army.

3. Deane’s blue officer’s vest, of typical wartime construction with standard buttons.

4. Deane's shoulder strap insignia indicating the rank of Captain. These straps were preserved in an envelope inscribed by Deane: "Captain's shoulder straps worn by John M. Deane (fatigue), 29th Regt. Mass. Vols."

John Milton Deane (1840-1914) was a 29-year old teacher when the Civil War began. Deane had served in the 3rd Mass Militia before the war, making sergeant in August 1860 and lieutenant in Co. G by February 1861. He is listed in the wartime rolls of the 3rd as “Ensign,” an alternative designation for 2nd Lieutenant and was one of the “Massachusetts Minutemen of 1861,” enrolling for active service in the 3rd Mass Volunteer Militia on 16 April 1861, and sailing to Fortress Monroe, where they were officially mustered into U.S. service for three months’ duty on 23 April in answer to Lincoln’s call for 75,000 troops for three month’s duty. During that time, they took part in evacuating and burning the Gosport Navy Yard and garrisoning Fortress Monroe. Deane mustered out of the 3rd MVM 22 July 1861 and in June 1862 was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the 29th Massachusetts, making 1st Lt. 12/29/62; Adjutant 11/1/63; Captain 6/8/64, and Major 5/15/65 with a later brevet to Major of U.S. Vols to date 3/25/65, mustering out 8/8/1865.

The 29th Mass. served in the Irish Brigade in the Peninsula Campaign and at Antietam, fighting at the Sunken Road. Transferred to the 9th Corps, they served in Mississippi and Tennessee in 1863, returned east and were briefly in the 5th Corps before rejoining the 9th again for Grant’s overland and Petersburg campaigns. Seeing action at Bethesda Church, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Weldon Railroad, and Fort Stedman, Lee’s last attempt to break the siege of Petersburg, where Deane was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for helping to man an abandoned artillery piece under heavy fire and aiding in the repulse of the Confederate attack. The regiment lost 4 officers and 53 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded during their service. Deane penned several of the regiment’s official reports for 1864 and 1865, and his letters have been published. He was credited with participation in twenty battles. In later years he lived in Freetown, Mass., where he was a member of Richard Borden G.A.R. Post #46, and died 9/2/1914

[Civil War, Union, Confederate, Abraham Lincoln, Corps Badges, Medals, Insignia, Shoulder Straps, Relics, Ephemera, Militaria, Accoutrement, Uniforms]