Food for Thought

[mike86002000]

We may be talking about more than one jacket. Surratt bought one, described as drab, in Canada. He had another, the red Garibaldi, made for him in Montreal. I just noticed that the quote above in "John Surratt: Rebel, Lincoln Conspirator, Fugitive", refers to one he bought in Canada, (the Canada jacket?). The, probably red, Garibaldi jacket was made for him, by John J. Reeves. He waited there for some time, for it to be made, according to Mr. Prindle. All this, and the pictures he posed for with Mathew Brady, makes Surratt appear to be something of a "clothes horse".
I've looked at the photos of Surratt in his Papal Zouave uniform and the other jacket, supposed to be like one he wore in Elmira, carefully, (some will say obsessively). They are, of course black and white photos, but I compared the shade of the costumes to the armrest on the chair. The jacket of the Zouave uniform was mostly light blue, with red trim. It appears to be mainly lighter than the chair. The red trim, however, seems to match the chair. The other jacket seems to match the chair. If A=B, and B=C, A=C. I think only that the chair and other jacket, may have been red. This would make it probably the red Garibaldi jacket. I don't mean to assert that this is absolutely the case. I think, perhaps, it is.
I don't think the jacket in the photo is supposed to actually be either of the jackets. It was probably supposed to look like the Garibaldi. I don't think the Zouave uniform is the one he wore escaping arrest by them. It is a Papal Zouave uniform. Both were probably bought for the photo shoot. Remember Surratt escaped arrest by leaping into a pile of excrement, and was a foul deserter after that. I don't think he would have worn his uniform while trying to make his getaway to Egypt. If he was wearing a Papal Zouave uniform when he was returned to the U.S. It was, hopefully, a fresh one. It seems odd since he was still a deserter.
By the way, the tasseled head gear in the photo of the Zouave uniform is authentic. I've found pictures of similar, worn at least by officers. It isn't exactly a fez. A kepi style cap was more common.
Mike