Perhaps no other piece of military apparel was as uncomfortable, chafing and functionally useless as the neck stock. But things that seemed foolish could have a legitimate purpose: A leather stock about a soldier's neck forced him to keep his chin up and look straight ahead. The artilleryman's neck stock (top) of glazed black leather features the device of an eagle surmounting a cannon and surrounded by trophies of arms (circa 1810-15). The central device of the early Federal-style eagle on the bottom stock is similar to the buttons worn by the US regular army from circa 1787 to 1800. A ribband in the eagle's mouth bears the proclamation "Liberty or Death."

 

Soldiers in America

American Military History through the Eyes of Don Troiani

By Pam Guthman

What do Bush Run (1763), Cowpens (1781), Tippecanoe (1811), and Antietam (1862) have in common? Several things: they are all located in America; they were all battles; they are important landmarks in American history; and, they are all cited in the newly released book Don Troiani's Soldiers in America 1754-1865.

This book of almost 200 photographs of rare equipment and uniforms from Troiani's personal collection, along with illustrations by this renowned historical artist, is supported by new information unearthed and presented by noted historical researchers Earl J. Coates (Jerry) and James L. Kochan.

Already, the book is receiving rave reviews. Says author and collector George C. Neumann, "In his newest book Soldiers in America, Don Troiani - in conjunction with Earl J. Coates and James L. Kochan - has rendered a great service by dramatizing the coverage and sacrifices by America's military to win and preserve our freedom. Troiani has effectively combined his superb art that includes his acknowledged accuracy of detail with surviving weapons and accouterments from his personal collection. Today, with the world in a complete state of change, this book is a significant reminder of the personal commitments that are fundamental to our survival."

Neumann, who has written four books on Colonial military history and one on country antiques, says Troiani's accurate renderings make history come alive. "We see what these soldiers went through, and the believability comes when viewing the photographs of the items from Don's collection."

Neumann also says it is a volume that offers easy reading and a quick reference in addition to being a beautiful coffee table book. "This book will get to the people who are advanced historians as well as those who have just a smattering of history. This book illuminates in text and illustrations just what's been done to make our country free, and keep it free."

According to co-author James Cochan, "the book is designed as a coffee table book, but it isn't a rehashing of material that is already out there. There is a lot of text and objects shown that are extremely rare and on the cutting edge. A lot is new and hasn't been presented before."

Kochan knows what's out there. He is the former curator at Morristown National Historical Park, "one of the largest Revolutionary historical sites in the US, with one of the finest collections of Revolutionary objects." Later he served as director of collections at Mount Vernon. Today Kochan is self-employed in the area of museum consulting, research and publishing. Of Troiani he says, "Don is an old friend, and we've worked together before."

It is from their long association that Troiani approached Kochan and Jerry Coates about working together on Soldiers in America. According to Troiani, "Stackpole, my publisher, asked me to do a companion book to my last one, Don Troiani's Civil War. That sold more than 55,000 copies. I came up with this idea. I've been wanting to work on a subject earlier than the Civil War."

Troiani decided to collaborate with Kochan and Coates because he had worked with both of them before and had known them for years. "They are the top in their field." Kochan is considered the preeminent authority on early American dress and accouterments from 1754 to 1848. Coates is one of the foremost scholars of uniforms and firearms of the American Civil War.

"I knew I'd get first-rate, primary research," Troiani continued. "They brought up material that no one has seen before."

Coates, former curator at the National Security Agency and current president of The Friends of Gettysburg National Park, said "I've worked with Don on quite few paintings in the past. I enjoy working with him because the research that I do comes to life in a figure he paints. I can have all my notes like `red trousers trimmed in blue' and then see it come to light in detail. That has always been exciting and a great deal of fun. Don brings the research into reality."

Kochan added that the book is not a chronological history of wars, but a series of independent essays that build upon each other. A lay person can pick up this work and understand it, while at the same time a military enthusiast could learn new things.

Troiani believes that anybody interested in early military history, uniforms, accoutrements, those who used them, why they used them, and how they used them will want to read this. So will collectors and anyone who likes history. "This book is for the very advanced individual as well as the novice. It isn't just about artifacts, but about the soldiers. There's quite a bit of human interest. A lot of the material is portrayed for the first time." This book gives the reader an idea of what it really looked like to be a soldier between 1754 and 1865. Coates hopes that it will also be of interest to military miniaturists.

Few relevant documents survive. "Maybe some scattered drawings and watercolors are around," Kochan said, "and a handful of uniforms - I can count them - and a few thousand manuscripts. These all help us reconstruct history accurately. But Don has always had a sense of the soldier. He's combined classic art with scholarship."

In addition to illustrations and text based on new findings, the book offers a rare opportunity to see premier, museum quality items from Troiani's collection, which Kochan and Coates believe is equal to or better than museum holdings.

"What the soldiers wore and used," Kochan said, "may seem quaint and archaic, but at that time period it was state of the art. As tactics changed, uniforms and equipment changed." Troiani's collection provides great insight into this area. Soldiers in America, based upon his collection, brings these insights to light.

While the book is very scholarly, it is written and illustrated as much for the newcomer as for the seasoned historian. Response from the Maryland Arms Collectors and others has been positive. The initial print run of 15,000 is nearly sold out; Soldiers In America is going into its second printing.

Loring Schultz, owner of Farnsworth House in Gettysburg, says, "We have hundreds of books here, but this book is a bestseller by far. It is a good perspective over the years of our military history. Until this book came out, you didn't know what the uniforms looked like."

Kochan spoke of one of his favorite illustrations, "A `Black Irishman' of the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment, Winter 1778-79." Kochan compiled information from France, records of the Continental Congress, deserter descriptions and British spy descriptions. Says Kochan, "As I was writing, I remembered a story of a description of a horse thief who was wearing the uniform, a French Lottery coat. We based the whole plate on that deserter's description. I later found a pension application in the 1830s from this deserter. It was fun detective work, and that uniform had never been illustrated before."

Uniforms and military relics that haven't been seen in other places are often seen in Troiani's private collection. Coates says that collection is "one of the best military collections in the world. People don't associate Don with the French and Indian War or the Revolutionary War. They think of him for the Civil War. One reason is that other Civil War collections can't come close to his. You could build a very credible museum around his collection and need no more. I'd love to work with it in a museum setting."

Troiani put together this collection from attending shows and flea markets, auctions and working with dealers, trading with museums and placing ads. He also goes digging for artifacts. That is how he found the USA belt buckle pictured in the Revolutionary War section of the book. "It's only one of three known. They're what Lafayette brought over from France for his men. I found it myself, under some leaves. I was at a Revolutionary War camp on the Hudson River in 1992. I went to a part of the camp where no one had searched before. I turned on my metal detector and got a reading right away, but it turned out to be only a tin can. About ten feet up from that spot I got another reading and thought it was another tin can. But it was the buckle and it had been in the same spot since 1781." Troiani says all three of the known belt buckles came out of this camp. One buckle was found a few months earlier than Troiani's, The other belt buckle was found two years later.

Troiani has completed two books and has two more in the works. One will focus on Revolutionary War buttons; the other, in conjunction once again with Coates, on Civil War regiments and uniforms.

While Coates and Kochan played a major role in Troiani's Soldiers in America, additional contributors included Rene Chartrand, Charles Cureton, Fred Gaede and Erik Goldstein. The forward was written by Brian Pohanka.

Don Troiani's Soldiers in America 1754-1865 sells for $55 and is available from Farnsworth House in Gettysburg (717/334-8838) or from Don Troiani, (203/262-6680). It is also for sale at bookstores and on the Internet.