Confederate enlisted coat ID'ed 12th Ga.

[VMI88]

Beautiful jacket!

 

Regarding the gray vs. butternut discussion, it's interesting that almost all references to butternut I've read come from Federal accounts. Most Confederate accounts -- including official depot records -- reference gray cloth. My theory is that the Federals simply referred to dingy gray uniforms as "butternut" as a term of derision and because they didn't have the opportunity to see them when newly issued. Yes, butternut dye is documented to the period but its widespread use in depot-produced Confederate uniforms is not.

[Varmint]

An absolutely stunning jacket. Thank you so much for posting. Fascinating history of his military service with the 12th Georgia.

 

Jules

[veteransfootlocker]

Thank you guys! I really appreciate all the kind words on this truly one of a kind item.

 

 

Jon

[ReverendJake]

I can't even imagine finding such an astounding piece! A 150 year old field uniform direct from the family. Congratulations!

[Patriot]

I can't even imagine finding such an astounding piece! A 150 year old field uniform direct from the family. Congratulations!

 

Operative word here is "Confederate". If this were a Yankee coat, it would not even come close in terms of value or rarity.

[pjm]

Brilliant piece..anyone has pictures to post of a GA soldier in a similar jacket?

[kabar44]

This is a fabulous jacket. However, there is nothing in the construction or patterning to attribute it to being a Richmond Depot/ Clothing Bureau produced piece.

[1944]

Congrats on a Fantasic Piece of History you got there and Named to a Soldier it sure is an Extremly Scarce Collectors Item over 150 Years Old

an Outstanding Collectors Item and Thanks for sharing it with us Very Impressive High End Collectable going into Thousands upon thousands of Dollars i have seen Jackets over the Years Sell for Massive amounts of Money between $60-80,000.00 Thousand Each.

 

I dont think i could ever afford to be able to Collect Civil War Items sure would love to have just one Uniform fully Complete for a Display but it is something i could never be able to afford to Collect this is more for the Unique High End Collectors Corner Thanks for sharing this Piece of American History with us.

 

Regards

Tomás.

[kabar44]

While this was written many years ago, it's still a good guide for the beginning researcher of CS Clothing,

 

http://www.military-historians.org/company/journal/confederate/confederate-1.htm

 

 

Enjoy.

[horsa]

The diversity in Confederate uniforms is far greater than those worn by the Union. Material shortages in the Confederacy are responsible. Some uniforms were imported from England, some made in the South and made under contract to the government, some made by women who considered it their patriotic duty to contribute sewing to the Cause.

 

The buttons on this jacket appear to be Confederate locals, that is made "locally" in small shops. Sometimes Confederate uniforms carry prewar Southern buttons made in the North, and these are readily identified by higher quality diework and often backmarks.

 

I admire any collector who has the confidence to collect textiles and especially Confederate uniforms. There are I think textile labs utilized by cautious collectors to verify the authenticity of flags and uniforms. It's not unusual for some sellers to fake a uniform by taking a postwar reunion coat and making it "genuine" by replacing the postwar buttons with wartime ones.

 

Enlisted jackets are more rare than officers. This seems not to make sense, until you remember that a sizable portion of enlisted wore nothing that could be called a formal uniform...and then after the War wore their jackets home and then wore them out. The poverty in the South postwar almost guaranteed that only a small number of enlisted uniforms survived. I suspect that perhaps only a few hundred enlisted Confederate jackets are still around, including those in museums, and that may be too high a number. These homespun uniforms are, for me at least, the ultimate relics from that War.

[ScottG]

I remember reading somewhere that at the time of the surrender (Appomattox) there were enough new uniforms to cloth the entire Army of Northern Virginia. There was also a fairly substantial amount of food, ammo and other supplies all located in North Carolina. The issue was the Confederacy itself, these items were for N.C. boys only and thus were not used. I am sure that there was more to this but again, just something I read a long time ago. Scott.

[Mitter2k1]

That is an amazing coat! Thanks for sharing this piece of history with us.

[Hardtack]

Truly amazing and inspirational. What pattern is this coat, Richmond Depot III?

[dan_the_hun84]

Holy Moses! Beautiful piece of history!

[uberguido]

wow this is sharp!

[Kiernyc]

I echo everyone when I say, this is truly amazing. How it survived this long is unfathomable! Thank you for sharing it!

[scottiques]

Amazing coat!

 

Scott

[airborneaviator]

Absolutely amazing coat, not only confederate but Id'd,. Its amazing, is it a RD III, it looks like one.

[fstop61]

Beautiful jacket-I'm amazed how much action Young saw during the war. Eatonton is right down the road from me-perhaps I'll make a trip there and pay my respects. Thanks for posting.

[confederateplanet]

I love this stuff. I always dreamed of owning an EM Confederate jacket. Sadly, they are very very rare as Im sure you know. There are over 1,000 Confederate frock coats still in existance but only a handfull of these enlisted mans jackets. Thanks for sharing this.

[439th Signal Battalion]

I remember reading somewhere that at the time of the surrender (Appomattox) there were enough new uniforms to cloth the entire Army of Northern Virginia. There was also a fairly substantial amount of food, ammo and other supplies all located in North Carolina. The issue was the Confederacy itself, these items were for N.C. boys only and thus were not used. I am sure that there was more to this but again, just something I read a long time ago. Scott.

 

I have enjoyed this thread immensely. As with all the others, thank you for posting images of this jacket and the biography on its owner for quality discussion and comment!

 

ScottG, I believe that you are correct in your assumption about there being a surplus of material in NC at the end of the war and although I am not sure if my facts are 100% correct, I believe that this stemmed from the fact that Governor Zeb Vance and Jefferson Davis did not get along for various political reasons.

 

My Confederate ancestors were in the Army of the Tennessee with the 29th and 58th NC Regiments and when Longstreet's entire corps went west in the fall of 1863, I understand that they were outfitted entirely in new uniforms from Governor Vance in North Carolina, while my kin in the 29th and 58th NC were largely neglected by the state, filthy and in sore need of new uniforms and equipment.

 

 

[Okie96]

If you don't mind my asking, how did you manage to come by such a remarkable piece. Incredible that it still exists. The Smithsonian is supposed to have the largest civil war uniform collection but it still only has around a dozen C.S.A. uniforms. As for the hoarding of supplies, I recall learning that Georgia had plenty of boots, blankets and other equipment that the Army of Northern Virginia desperatly needed but they never let the stuff out of the warehouses. They would only let it out to Georgia troops.

[TrenchfootJoe66]

I think that's an Atlanta Depot jacket, judging from the square collar and the 7 button front. Not all that unusual for a GA rgt, even one assigned to the ANV. The state of GA could have easily shipped them north for issuance to its states troops. Not unheard of at all.

It could be easily mistaken for a Richmond Depot coat save for the collar and the number of buttons.

[Infantry Grunt]

If you don't mind my asking, how did you manage to come by such a remarkable piece. Incredible that it still exists. The Smithsonian is supposed to have the largest civil war uniform collection but it still only has around a dozen C.S.A. uniforms. As for the hoarding of supplies, I recall learning that Georgia had plenty of boots, blankets and other equipment that the Army of Northern Virginia desperatly needed but they never let the stuff out of the warehouses. They would only let it out to Georgia troops.

 

I have been in the Gettysburg Archives where they gave me a personal tour, and I want to say they had about five confederate jackets. They also had a VERY large assortment of firearms, furniture, and diaries of men and women from the civil war. I should make a post some time about my visit there...

[drbill]

Beautiful piece of history and a one look original!! Congrats and thanks for sharing it with us!!!