Choosing A Jacket For Your Confederate Impression

by William Chapman

There are a lot of options out there for Confederate jackets. It can be daunting trying to select a style that would be best for your impression. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration when researching which jacket would be best for you. What would be best for the theatre of the war that you reenact? What would be best for your unit or your event? This article should help to provide a general overview of some jackets you might consider and help you choose the right one. ***Note: More information will be added to this article as it becomes available, please check back!***

Richmond Depot Jackets

Time period: 1862-1865

Area of issue: Richmond depot jackets appear commonly in Army of Northern Virginia usage. Because of the location of the depot, Richmond depot jackets were not commonly issued outside of the Army of Northern Virginia.

Patterns: RD jackets were made in three basic patterns over the course of the war. The type I was first issued in 1862 and was probably phased out of production later the same year. It is charachterized by the use of piping and shoulder straps. The type II was issued starting in 1862 until 1864. The type II is identifiable by its lack of trim and piping, use of belt loops and shoulder straps, and plain muslin lining. The type III is the plainest of the RD jackets and was issued starting roughly in 1864. Type III jackets have no shoulder straps, belt loops, or piping.

Note: There are many period immitations of RD jackets that commonly appear in photographs, original examples, etc. These are commonly classified as RD jackets because of their style, however, they were often made by tailors, etc., rather than by the actual depot.

For more information: A Survey of Confederate Central Government Quartermaster Issue Jackets Part 2 by Leslie Jensen or see p. 134-137 of the Confederate Echoes of Glory.

Commutation Jackets

Time period: 1861-1865

Area of issue: The term "commutation jacket" refers to any jacket that was made at home and either issued to the troops through the Commutation system (see below) or sent by relief societies, etc. Therefore, commutation jackets were worn in almost all theatres of the war.

Patterns: The Commutation stystem was enacted early on in the war in order to keep up with the huge demand that the depots could not always answer to. Commutation jackets are a very wide-ranging category because they were all home-made. Patterns range from very elaborate to quite simple. The best way to choose what details are most appropriate is to research the commutation jackets that were in use in your area/unit.

Notes: ***This category includes untrimmed frock coats***

Columbus Depot Jackets

Photo from Lazy Jacks Mess.

Time period: 1862-1865

Area of issue: CD jackets were commonly issued to units from Kenucky, Georgia, Mississippi, etc. They were common in the Western theatre and the Army of Tennessee.

Patterns: The Western counterpart to the RD jacket is the CD jacket. CD's are similar in style to the RD pattern, only they commonly have a pointed "tail" extending a few inches from the back and they also bear facing on the collar and cuffs that corresponds with the branch of service. Type I CD's are evidenced to have had six-button fronts and interior pockets, whereas the Type II commonly has six or seven butons and one exterior pocket.

For more information: Confederate "Columbus Depot" Jackets: The Material Evidence by Geoffrey Walden or see p. 143 of the Confederate Echoes of Glory.

Four Button Jackets

Photo from Old South Antiques

Time Period: Roughly 1863-?

Area of issue: The four button jacket's origins are foggy, but all but one of the six surviving originals can be documented to the Richmond area. Army of Northern Virginia and some limited Trans-Mississippi usage would be appropriate.

Patterns: It is not clear wether these jackets were made to a specific pattern or not, they do have some consistent details between the ones that still exist today. The defining details of the four button jacket are: four buttons (duh), a pocket on the right side, and a longer and looser body than a shell jacket. Two of the jackets that are documentable to the Richmond area have blue facings on the collar.

For more information: The Mysterious Confederate Four-Button Jacket by John Stillwagon or p. 138 of the Confederate Echoes of Glory.

Peter Tait Jackets

Time Period: 1864-1865

Area of Issue: Peter Tait Jackets were manufactured in Limerick, Ireland and run through the Federal blockade to be issued to Confederate troops. They appear in all theatres of the war.

Patterns: The Peter Tait Contract jacket is charachterized by being fully machine sewn (with the exception of the buttonholes, of course), having a five piece body, and blue or red facings on the collar. Tait jackets were often issued with the English "script I" style buttons.

For more information: See "Peter Tait: The Man, The Firm, and the Uniforms supplied to the Confederate States." by David Burt in the September/October 2008 issue of Civil War Historian Magazine.

Charleston Depot Jackets

Time Period: ?-1865

Area of Issue: The two surviving Charleston jackets are linked to South Carolina troops.

Patterns: The Charleston jacket is made of blue-gray kersey wool with an unbleached muslin lining. It has five buttons down the front, shoulder straps, and belt loops.

For more information: The Charleston Depot Jacket by Leslie Jensen (scroll down).

Jackets From Taylor's Department Depots

Time Period: 1861-1862 for some depots; 1863-1864 for others.

Area of Issue: These jackets were issued to troops serving in the Army of Tennesse and the Trans-Mississippi and Western theatres.

Patterns: For this category, I have lumped the jackets from several smaller depots in the Louisiana/Texas/Arkansas/Mississippi area. These include jackets from the Baton Rouge (a small state arsenal that was out of operation by 1862), Shreveport (established in 1863), Huntsville, and Jackson. These jackets are all fairly simple and plain in appearance with some minor variations between them. Huntsville made shell jackets from all-cotton jean cloth produced in the state penitentiary. Most of these jackets have blue facings on the collar, five or six buttons, and a breast pocket of some kind on either side.

For more information: Uniforms of the Trans-Mississippi, Part 2 by K.C. MacDonald or see p. 140 of the Confederate Echoes of Glory.

Houston Depot Jackets

Time Period: ?-1865

Area of Issue: Trans-Mississippi

Patterns: The Houston Depot jacket is characterized by being made of blue gray wool kersey (possibly), has six or seven buttons, and has a longer waist than the Richmond or Columbus depot jackets.

For more information:Evidence For Houston Depot Jackets by KC McDonald

North Carolina Shell Jackets

Time Period: 1862-1865

Area of Issue: prob. Army of Northern Virginia

Patterns: This jacket is fairly simple and follows the same basic pattern as the Richmond depot.

North Carolina Sack Coats

Time period: 1861-1862

Area of issue: North Carolina State Troops

Patterns: This coat is cut like a sack rather than a shell jacket ans it hangs loosely around the body like a Federal fatigue blouse. It is characterized by black stripes on the shoulders.

Comments

[Sandy]

Wow! So many jackets! For some reason I pictured there being only one or two different types. VERY informative article, young William!

[william]

Thank you very much! There are many more than the ones I listed here. Especially once you get into state militia...

[Brad]

There's only one thing I found wrong with this article. The NC sack coat was issued from 1861 to about mid to late 1862. It was replaced by the shell jacket in 62 although many NC troops were still wearing the sack coat at Sharpsburg in September of 62. Other than that I found this article to be very well written and very informative.

[Brad]

There's only one thing I found wrong with this article. The NC sack coat was issued from 1861 to about mid to late 1862. It was replaced by the shell jacket in 62 although many NC troops were still wearing the sack coat at Sharpsburg in September of 62. Other than that I found this article to be very well written and very informative.

[William]

Thanks, I will be sure to change that.

-Wm.

[viagra]

These include jackets from the Baton Rouge (a small state arsenal that was out of operation by 1862), Shreveport (established in 1863),