Was there an assassin on Grant's train?

[RJNorton]

Thank you to Rick Smith for sending this post. He sent it to me because I can upload the images to my server and then post them. These are images of men’s period clothing.

Rick writes:

"John’s use of the photo taken after David Herold had been living rough for 12 days may not be the best means of demonstrating that Herold was a sloppy dresser. Here are a few notes by way of explanation:

The sack [sacque]-style coat Herold is wearing is not corduroy material, but is twilled wool. I can see no signs of fraying, but it is stained. This is reasonably to be expected after he lived in the open for 12 days.

His vest (waistcoat) is of a military style. My feeling is that he acquired it in a trade with Willie Jett or while spending one night away with the Clarke family after crossing the Rappanhannock. The vest does have some buttons undone, but that is not unusual at all for the period. You can see in many photos of the time men with their vest buttons undone. This was an accepted style detail and also provided a convenient place to slip papers or wallets into – or even to pose a la Napoleon. It was all a matter of preference.

Herold’s hat may not seem to be stylish to the modern observer, but the rounded crown, narrow brimmed hat he is wearing was of a type favored by young men of the time. It is a little rumpled. He may have used it as a pillow, but it looks to be in good condition.

The necktie appears to be made of silk, a very common material for neck wear, and is narrow and frayed at the ends. Again, a style (even the fraying to achieve a fringed effect) like this was very popular among younger men.

His clothing seems to be of good quality, but has certainly been stressed by rough wear out of doors for a prolonged period. Which of us would want our appearance to be judged after living in the brush for over a week with no means of bathing, let alone keeping our clothes pressed and free of stains?

Sack Coat

Military Vest

Round Crown Hat

Frayed End Tie

Silk Tie