Union Brigadier General Samuel Ryan Curtis’s Frock Coat

Brigadier General Samuel R. Curtis had this US Model 1861 colonel's frock coat custom made at the beginning of the Civil War when he commanded the 2nd Iowa Infantry. Curtis was quickly appointed Brigadier General and wore this coat during the Battle of Pea Ridge in northwest Arkansas on March 7 and 8, 1862. Curtis's victory at Pea Ridge helped the US maintain physical and political control of the state of Missouri throughout the war and earned Curtis a promotion to Major General.