A Charlotte Depot Shell Jacket?

[Mississippian]

Re: A Charlotte Depo Shell Jacket?

Well, Navy Yard, not really a ship yard. Charlotte made a lot of parts and equipment for the C.S. Navy there because of the railroad network and it was safe from Federal raids. Kinda the same deal with the Selma Alabama Navy Yard.

Will MacDonald

[mosbysgirl]

Re: A Charlotte Depo Shell Jacket?

OK. I get that but I am still unclear as to the existence of a "Charlotte Depot. " Was there a governnment run distribution facility run out of Charlotte? Sorry for the confusion.

[woodsda]

Re: A Charlotte Depot Shell Jacket?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]44657[/ATTACH]In my opinion, the NCMI buttons on the Amzi Leroy Williamson jacket were *not* those first placed on the coat when manufactured. Williamson was conscripted in April 1863, at age 30, mustering into Co. B, 53rd Regiment NCT. By that time, the state was making and issuing large volumes of uniform "suits", which almost assuredly carried state seal buttons.

At the time they were photographed by Time-Life for EOG, the Williamson jacket and forage cap, the John Kennedy Coleman (6th SC) RD 3 jacket, the Hugh Lawson Duncan (39th GA) Tait Jacket and NC issue trousers, and the John Calvin Zehring (4th TN) "Milledgeville" jacket were within my care.

I believe that a small but significant number of enlisted men, when issued new jackets, would transfer buttons from their earlier jacket based on their own preference. The Coleman jacket is an excellent example of this, as it almost certainly left the Richmond clothing depot with standard branch of service buttons, most likely block I's. When I obtained the jacket - via only one "picker" away from the family - 8 of the 9 South Carolina state seal buttons were in place, all on "original" thread, and virtually all being somewhat flattened from field service. It seems evident that Coleman preferred to maintain the "visibility" of his state association, transferring the buttons from the garment being replaced.

Williamson, age 28, appears in the 1860 federal census as living with his wife and two young children in the Eastern Division, Mecklenburg County, Charlotte post office. When, where and how he acquired the NCMI buttons is unknowable. (It is even possible that these were post-war additions, but I rather doubt that.) Most importantly, however, it is my strong belief that their presence on the jacket can tell us nothing as to which North Carolina facility made the uniform. (Per family remembrance, the trousers had been with the jacket and forage cap until at some time borrowed for modeling for a town-square veteran memorial statue, the trousers being lost in the loan!)

I hope these thoughts are of some benefit.


Bob McDonald

I found this searching the web for North Carolina Buttons and thought it was appropriate for this post. It seems that this NCMI button was dug around the Stephenson Depot in Virginia prior to the Gettysburg engagement. Ewells corps was involved which included Rhodes Division and the 53rd NCT. This would lead me to believe that these buttons could have been original to the jacket. Just my thoughts.

B4260 North Carolina button, Hornets Nest Rifle Corps button, "HNRC", Scovills & Co. rmdc, (22.6mm)
Dug button, recovered: Stephenson's Depot, Virginia. http://www.relicman.com/buttons/zArc...thCarolina.htm.

[roundshot]

Re: A Charlotte Depo Shell Jacket?

This is not the NC Military Academy button that is on the Williamson jacket. Rather this is the Hornet's Nest Rifle Corps button worn by members of a Charlotte organization that became Co. "B" of the 1st NC Volunteers (Bethel Regiment). In March 1862, the famed Bethel regiment reorganized as the 11th NCT and members of the initial company of Rifles could have gone most anywhere.

As far as where Williamson got the NCMI buttons, Greg Mast told me a number of years ago that Williamson had a relative at the school (brother, cousin, uncle?) and that was a possible source. But who knows?

Thanks for resurrecting an interesting subject.

[MANavy]

Re: A Charlotte Depo Shell Jacket?

I have been reading through lots of threads here and elsewhere. I am trying to do an authentic yet generic impression of a 3rd North Carolina State Troops infantryman. I now wear a plain 9-button, six piece body jean wool shell jacket without shoulder epaulettes. The thing is my unit often fall in with a western theater Tennessee unit and therefore I did not opt for the NC depot jacket. My question is, would my type of shell jacket be found within a NCST regiment or were the State Troops using North Carolina depot jackets only?

[oldreb1343]

Re: A Charlotte Depot Shell Jacket?

There was no uniform depot in charlotte during the war. There was however textile mills! The uniforms that came from nc were never made in a “Depot” they were produced by women side society’s, textile mills, tailors Etc. The only time there was something close to it was a uniform factory in Raleigh somewhere near the adjutant generals office that was used from 61-mid 62. So the style of cut of the jacket differ from each one. If you had 100 jackets made in nc at the same place, none of them would match exactly the same. The only depot the state had was the one in Raleigh in the later parts of the year that was used by the central government not the state. And even then it was only a storage warehouse not a manufacture. It was burned by Johnston in 65

[woodsda]

Re: A Charlotte Depot Shell Jacket?

This is interesting, found searching around the net.

https://libres.uncg.edu/ir/wcu/f/2005HogsedDaryle.pdf

[oldreb1343]

Re: A Charlotte Depot Shell Jacket?

To anyone following this here’s. Link to a article on nc garments

https://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?46986-North-Carolina-Issued-Garments-amp-The-State-Quartermaster-Dept