Mobile Mystery Jacket

[mnreb]

Hi,
Looking for information on this type of jacket. Really have not been able to find much searching the net. Pictures would be great, if they are somewhere to be seen.
Thanks,
Bill Feuchtenberger

[FloridaConscript]

Re: Mobile Myster Jacket

Bill,

there is a reason it is known as the "mystery" jacket. To my knowledge, the one in Gettysburg was one of those "here is grandpappy's confederate jacket" type of deals, and not much else is known about it.
From what I can gather, the "mobile" tag has been applied due to some photogrpahs of Mobile confederates wearing a similar jacket. I'm at work and will have to find the exact quote, but in Entrepot, by Lon Webster, there is an exchange between 2 CS QM staffers that say Mobile is not set up for manufacturing but for warehousing and distribution (Mobile saw some blockade running, but not as much as say Wilmington or Charleston) which may point away from Mobile as the source of this coat.
It does have several things in common with the 2 surving "Dept of Alabama" jackets: rough construction, wooden buttons, outside slash pocket, and the double row of top stitching. So an Alabama connection maybe plausable.* As you may know, this garment has long been lumped into the "AOT" jacket category.

* Alabama tried to cloth her troops as best the State could. Not as efficient as NC, but there are period newspaper accounts of the state shipping clothing to warehouses in Virginia for Alabama troops. Also, the 1st documented Peter Tait jackets to land in the South were purchased by Alabama for Alabama troops.
Now, all that said, want to know something that throws a huge monkey wrench into that line of thinking?? Yep, I bet you do.

The South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum has come into possesion of a jacket that just about matches the "mystery" jacket: rough cloth and rough construction. 7 wooden buttons, outside slash pocket, double row of top stitching. I'd to a soldier in the 4th SC Cav. who died in a hospital in Raleigh in April of 1865. The 4th spent most of their time in SC before heading up to Virginia in the Spring of '64 for the overland campaign. in Jan. '65 they were sent back to SC to help with Carolina's Campaign. At no time did they serve in the Western theatre.



so what does this leave us with? not a whole lot unfortunately, other than to keep your mind open regarding CS material culture. Ten years ago, if you had gone to the strictest Gettysburg LH doing a CS impression and worn a pair of English Army Cloth trousers, at best you would have been given the stink eye, most likely told to change your pants. The discovery of the McCrae papers has changed the game when it comes to CS use of imported English gear. Blockade Runners were bringing in thousands of yards of EAC (bales consisting of roughly 500 yards each) as early as 1862. Look at some of the manifests. tens of thousands of yards of cloth coming into southern ports by the end of the 1st quarter of 1863. Caleb Huse was in London cutting deals before 1st Manassas.

[LWhite64]

Re: Mobile Myster Jacket

Bry pretty much nailed it. There is a whole lot we just dont know about CS and for that matter US uniforms, and things we thought 20 years ago, 10, or even 5 years ago dont always survive new research, etc. I "think" the jacket is from a deep south depot, where? I have no idea. But the answer might be found tomorrow.

[dirtyshirt]

Re: Mobile Myster Jacket

I wish there was a "like" button on these posts. We found out here in Iowa a Confederate Shell Jacket, and no more is known about it than it was captured in Atlanta in '64. Lee has seen the pics. To the previous points, this jacket shares many characteristics with other ID'd jackets, but is just different enough to enter the "who flippin' knows" category, right along with the Mystery Jacket.

[slrebad]

Re: Mobile Myster Jacket

Thanks to all of you who replied, espcially to the gentleman from Florida. I just keep learning. One has to love it.
Thanks Again,
Bill Feuchtenberger
Co. H
1st South Carolina Volunteers
Co.F
10th South Carolina Volunteers
Pee Dee Light Artillery

[rebjeb04]

Re: Mobile Myster Jacket

I agree with Lee. This coat was probably made at one of the deep South depots, and filtered out throughout the C.S.A. in all directions. There is the example at Gettysburg, which I'am not certain of the provenance or origin, and there was one worn by an Arkansas cavalryman, Pvt. Bird I think, and it is on display at Gen. Sweeney's Museum near Springfield, Mo. There you have it as far as the northeastern theatre and the extreme trans-mississippi. I highly recommend this coat for it's versatility for almost any Confederate impression. Good luck with the research.

[dixieflyer]

Re: Mobile Myster Jacket

I also want to say there is one attributed to a soldier from Mobile serving in the ANV, and I want to say I remember some images of some AOT soldiers from West Tennessee wearing this jacket.
Seems to, unfortunately, be one of those jackets which we know was used, but doesn't seem to have enough CW street cred/provenance to really be welcomed at events, etc. A shame as it is one of my favorites.

Warren Dickinson

Warren Dickinson

[Coatsy]

Re: Mobile Mystery Jacket

I spoke with Bryant today. He is hopefully going to post some more information regarding the jacket from the 4th SC Cavalry solider.

Lee you comments CANNOT be understated: "and things we thought 20 years ago, 10, or even 5 years ago dont always survive new research, etc. I "think" the jacket is from a deep south depot, where? I have no idea. But the answer might be found tomorrow."

[FloridaConscript]

Re: Mobile Mystery Jacket

As of April 30, 1864 Maj. William Barnwell was the Supervisor of Quartermaster Depot at Mobile. The following text is from a letter dated May 26, 1864 to Quartermaster General A.R. Lawton:

I will require for Genl Maury's command 2,500 jackets, pants, shoes, drawers and shirts. Please order same to be forwarded to me from Major Cunninghams or Major Dillards Depots. In addition to clothing I will require 100 wall tents. I have all the facilities for manufacturing all the stores required, provided I am placed in possession of the material. I wrote to Major Cunningham QM Atlanta to furnish me kersey, sheeting, and osnaburgs, he replied that the limited supply of material on hand just now will not justify the employment of other operatives or seamstresses. I must therefore rely upon being supplied with clothing from other manufacturing depots, by your orders.....the steamers Donegal and Mary are expected here about 1st or 2nd June and Major Helm informs me by letter that he will forward by said vessels a large assortment of stores for our Department--should I recieve stationery will respond to the wants of Genl. Polk's command according to your endorsement.

The above was taken from Entrepot by C.L. Webster III page 159-160.

Interesting stuff here to say the least! A list of the stroes that Barnwell inherits on April 30 1864 is listed and there is a large quantity of patent thread and harness buckles along with leather. Webster suggests there may have been a harness manufacturing operation present.

It is clear though that by Spring of 1864, Mobile was not a clothing manufacturing facility.

Also, Lee White, did you notice he requested KERSEY from Atlanta? Not cloth, not jeans, not cassimere, but KERSEY. Yea, I thought you'd dig it the most!

[Bob McDonald]

Re: Mobile Mystery Jacket

Although I can't provide "the answer", as Lee phrased it, I can clarify a few points. I acquired the shell jacket in question and matching trousers in about 1985, and transferred it to the Gettysburg NPS Collection, along with the infantry-banded jean kepi with which the uniform is displayed, perhaps three years thereafter. A few points:

The jacket and trousers are indeed a "suit", clearly being matched and having been together since the war. The kepi, however, has NO direct association with the uniform. The cap was acquired from a different source, about two years after the "suit."

I believe that the uniform was never issued or worn, it having most likely been secured from stores and retained as a souvenir by some enterprising federal. (It just has that "feel.") It is in essentially "mint" condition, with all original wood sew-thru buttons on the original threads, including the trousers having a buttoned adjustment belt on the reverse rather than a buckle.

There is absolutely NO accompanying provenance with the uniform. Most particularly, it has no historic relevance to Gettysburg or the ANV. It is at the park simply because they desired to have such an example of a CS enlisted man's uniform.

Indeed, any geographic/source attribution is purely speculative. There is, however, reasonable basis to associate the uniform with the "Department of the Gulf" based on fabric and pattern similarities with the several surviving "Department of Alabama" (Jensen terminology) shell jackets. Considering the spectrum of surviving CS enlisted men's jackets having reliable provenance of which I'm aware, the uniform at Gettysburg - I've always disliked the "mystery" title - certainly suggests "deep South", Trans-Miss. or, perhaps, AOT more than it does ANV. The latter association, IMO, seems rather unlikely. Concurrently, though, the uniform also, IMO, could hypothetically be associated with any of the coastal states between GA and TX.

I hope this clarifies some issues.


Bob McDonald

[brown]

Re: Mobile Mystery Jacket

I know this thread is more than two years old, with the recently link to it and the good information it contains, I thought I'd add a post.

Lee White and I were researching the 5th Company Washington Artillery many years ago. We found a number of images, several of which were positively dated to 1865 and the others had no date associated with them, which show the individuals wearing what appear to be these jackets. Seven button front and slash pocket. Of course, after losing their guns at Nashville, the 5th Company was sent to Mobile Bay, adding a Mobile connection to the style.

As an aside, P.D. Stephenson wrote about dressing up before going into town in Mobile. Among his mess, they only had one red trimmed jacket, so they took turns wearing it.

[bill carson]

Re: Mobile Mystery Jacket

Remember - there WAS an actual clothing depot at Demopolis Ala., also, to further explore, I read in "Cadet Grey and Butternut Brown", by Thomas M. Arliskas, original documents referring to other unnamed depots in Mississippi. There were also depots in Arkansas and Louisiana, as well as, of course, Houston and Huntsville, I believe, in Texas ( re: the penetentiary uniforms ) Additionally, I have recently read that the Columbus depot(s) and Mississippi and Alabama depots produced kepis of their own particular manufacture. So it seems that the "Mystery" depot is the RULE rather than the exception! Erik V. Gorr

[teufelhund]

Re: Mobile Mystery Jacket

Does anyone recall a story about a wooden box that was found inside a theater that was being rennovated that contained 10 unissued Confederate jackets/uniforms? It has been quite a few years ago. I seem to recall that the uniforms were of the style of the Mobile Mystery jacket, but I cannot find anything on line. Perhaps the story was a hoax or is it true???