Identified Uniform of the 1st Company Connecticut Governor’s Foot Guard
 
“..The First Company Governor’s Foot Guard was organized in October 1771 and is the oldest military organization in continuous existence in the United States. Although other organizations may have been formed at an earlier date, the First Company is unique in its record of unbroken service.
Hartford, in 1771, was remote from larger towns. It was a small town of 3,000 inhabitants, with few churches and schools. The journey to New York or Boston took three days in a stagecoach which ran but once a week. Small as it was, Hartford was not lacking in public spirit. A group of leading young men in Hartford decided it was time to organize a select company for the purpose of escorting the Governor and General Assembly at the General Elections after an unfortunate incident in 1768, when a “trainband” made a farce out of the escort duty. Certainly another reason for the decision was that a company from East Hartford actually did escort duty in 1769 and 1770. Accordingly, Samuel Wyllys and others petitioned the General Assembly.
The petition was granted by the Assembly, and Samuel Wyllys, a young man of 32, was elected Captain, William Knox, Lieutenant, and Ebenezer Austin, Ensign. The company was known as the Governor’s Guard until 1775. At that time a second company was organized in New Haven which caused the name to be changed to the First Company Governor’s Guard. Still further change was necessary in 1778 when the Horse Guard was chartered. From that time on, the original company bore the name of the First Company Governor’s Foot Guard.
The uniform of the First Company, as far as can be determined, is the same as the original one, and it has always been greatly admired wherever it has been seen. Tradition hold that the uniform was copied from that of the Coldstream Guards, the personal body guard of Queen Charlotte. The uniform consists of a scarlet coat, the tails of which are faced with buff, and a black velvet frond crossed with silver braid. The vest and breeches are of buff, and the leggings are black velvet. The hat, or busby as it is known, is of bear skin with a shield in front bearing the State Coat of Arms and supports a red and black feather plume on the side. Enlisted men wear white cross strap..”
(Source-https://portal.ct.gov/MIL/Organization/Governors-Guards/1GFG/1GFG-History)
 
This uniform is an original 1st Company Connecticut Governors Foot Guard coat dating between 1850 to 1860 and through the Civil War. We are able to determine this by several factors, the first being the construction of the coat itself. It’s made from scarlet wool broad cloth, white linen lining, black velvet facing trimmed in silver lace and adorned in silver flat coin buttons with a “SCOVILL Mg Co : SUPER FINE” back mark (according to McGuinn and Bazelon’s  “American Military Button Makers and Dealers; Their Backmarks & Dates” this back mark dates between 1850-1860 with a note that the majority were produced in the early 1850’s). This coat has been assembled entirely by hand with very fine precision hand stitches. The other determining factor is the two names listed in the right arm sleeve lining, which are, “R. D. Burdick” , and “E. M. Carey”.
“R. D. Burdick” has been identified as “Rollin D. Burdick”, who was born on August 19th, 1830, in Middle Granville, New York, to David and Julia Burdick. According to the “Governors Foot Guard, First Company, Enlistment Book, 1859-1907”, Burdick enlisted in the 1st company Connecticut Governors Foot Guard on August 2nd 1862, and is present with the company for the remainder of the war. After the war, in 1866, Burdick is marked as present on the roster for the 1st Company footguards Veteran Corps, and remains active in the veterans corps until 1874. Burdick passed away on February 20th 1919 and is buried in Hartford, Connecticut.
 The other name listed in the coat is the initials E. M. Carey, who is identified as,” Edward Manton Carey”. Edward was born April 28th 1834 in Thompson, Ct., to George S. and Sarah A. Carey. The U.S. City Directories from 1850, have him listed as living at 846 Main St. Hartford, Ct. and was working as a bootmaker. According to his service records he mustered into service in  Co. A of the 1st Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, on April 16th 1861 in New Haven, Ct. The 1st was a 3 month regiment and was attached to the first brigade, of the first division, in the Army of Northeastern Virginia under the command of Brigadier General Irwin McDowell. While serving with the army they were engaged at the battle of 1st Manassas on July 16th 1861, where Edward is listed as present during the battle.  After the battle the regiment would return to New Haven on July 31st 1861, where Edward, along with the remainder of the regiment, mustered out of service, since their 3 month enlistment was completed.
On August 23rd 1861, according to the “Governors Foot Guard, First Company, Enlistment Book, 1859-1907 , he enlisted into the 1st Company Connecticut Governors Foot Guard.  The Foot Guard was a state militia, which by their charter, forbid them from leaving the state. While in the footguard,  Edward would enlist into Co. L of the 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery on February 7th 1862, and remained with Co. L for the remainder of the war, until mustering out on February 13th 1865. 
At the end of the war, Edward returned home to Hartford, Ct. where he resumed his work as a boot maker until sometime between 1868-1869, he moved to Pontiac, Oakland, Michigan and would remain there until his death on April 17th 1915, 11 days shy of his 81st birthday.
Over the course of our research, we have accumulated several scans of original documents, photos, Census Records, Military Rosters, Service Records, and other various types of documents, all of which, we used in determining the identity of the names in this coat and the possibly year it was made. All of our research we have collected related to this garment will be sent with it once purchased.