Pvt John Blair Royal Jacket???

[Moonshine]

Hello all,

After reading the Jensen article on Confed. jackets for the (?) millionth time, there are some things that still confuses me on the "Royal" and mid war jackets:
? Where did those civillian buttons come from on his jacket?
? Was the
branch of service button in use at this time?
? Was this product one of the tailor copies Jensen makes reference to or was it an arsenal produced item?
? Was it possible for an infantryman to receive an artillery taped or piped item like the case was later in the war with the "Pemberton" jacket only contain block "I" buttons?

Thanks a bunch in advance,
Jim
Mr. Ross, Please sign your full name to all posts. It is the first rule of the forums- Justin Runyon, Moderator

[DougCooper]

Re: Pvt John Blair Royal Jacket???

Jim - recommend you give Becky and Tom Nall a call at Cotton City at 251-666-2792 or e-mail cottoncity@aol.com. they just examined this jacket in minute detail for the second time and have some interesting ideas on it's origin, construction and additional info.

[Jimmayo]

Re: Pvt John Blair Royal Jacket???

Can answer a couple of your questions.

I have seen Block letter buttons as early as mid 1862 sites. Can't speak for any earlier camps.

The confederate uniform regulations of June 1861 specify buttons for enlisted Artillery to have the raised letter A. It further specifies that infantry will have the same style button but with the regiment number substituted for the letter A. I got this from Tices Uniform Buttons of the Unites States book.

That said, it looks like they never got around to a complex regiment numbering system on the infantry button but just made them like the Artillery but with an I.

That would IMO make the wide spread appearence of the block letter buttons coincide with the start of the depot issue uniforms.

As for soldiers in one branch of service receiving another branch of service button, I think it was done on occasion. Hunted a late war NC cavalry camp once upon a time where most of the block buttons recovered were A and hardly any C's. Lots of sunbursts.

[Moonshine]

Re: Pvt John Blair Royal Jacket???

Thanks for the posts.

Mr. Mayo,
How about trim? I have an event coming up here in Calif. in April and was wondering if red trim for a Type II issued to an infantryman would work. Would a seamstress say HUH? with red trim and "I" buttons?

Mr. Cooper,
I did ask and got info on that jacket but that was a while ago. I think I threw away the email she gave me. Thanks for helping me remember who gave it to me in the first place.

Moderators... sorry about that one!

Jim Ross

[Yellowhammer]

Re: Pvt John Blair Royal Jacket???

According to sources at the MOC and research done by Vince Petty, the Royal jacket was assembled by his family from a kit purchased from the Richmond Clothing Manufactury.

Family letters to Blair Royal regarding the making of a jacket, match with the fine quality of construction evident on the jacket, certainly supports this hypothesis.