Original Confederate Officer's uniform worn at 1st Manassas

[bAcK88]

For everyone's enjoyment, a very interesting piece of American history!

http://historical.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=6083&lotNo=52294#71867186973

[ScottCross]

Re: Original Confederate Officer's uniform worn at 1st Manassas

The coat looks totally civilian to me and the material does not match the trousers or cap, which do appear to be the same material.

[Silas]

Re: Original Confederate Officer's uniform worn at 1st Manassas

Nice mule ear pockets, but I'm not sure what to make of the rear pocket on the trousers. Looks pretty fine for hand stitching. Not that it cannot be hand done, but it looks very much like machined stitches. Haven't noticed a rear pocket on period sewn trousers. The tape in the bottom of the trouser cuffs is similarly suspicious.

Swallow tail coat was very popular with prewar militia and within the civilian ranks before the war. The 1840+ guess in the description works for me. Double breasted coats are under represented in the hobby for line officers. I'm surprised this one is in jean wool or some similar weave.

The coat may have been owned by this Confederate officer, but not necessarily worn during his short time in service or at Manassas which is very much implied, but not expressed. I'm more accepting of the coat as being his militia coat, but I'm not satisfied with the trousers as being his or something he wore in service. It's the stitching, the pocket and the tape which give me pause. They could have belonged to another member of the family later in time. The two items may have become consolidated many generations ago such that the last family members in line may very well believe both belonged to the same ancestor.

I'll let someone who knows more about caps discuss them.

That's my two cents. I think I'll stay out of this auction.

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Original Confederate Officer's uniform worn at 1st Manassas

I see some odd details in the trousers that I haven't seen in many original pairs of civilian or military trousers, namely the riveted buttons, piecing in the rise (in this case, very similar in shape to some piecing seen in J.T. Martin contract Fed. issue trousers), and the rear pocket. These details aren't necessarily wrong though. The riveted buttons are probably the most unusual and I have seen this identical attachment method in only one other pair of undated civilian trousers. Rear pockets are rare but not unheard of; there are one or two pairs of Fed. officer trousers pictured in Echoes of Glory with rear pockets, and a pair of war-time manufacture Schuylkill Arsenal trousers with an added rear pocket recently surfaced on eBay. The material on the inside of the cuff is simply a lining to guard against wear from the shoe/boot. This is not worked into "factory" enlisted military trousers but extremely common in civilian, private purchase military, and sometimes soldier modified military issue trousers.

What's more interesting to me is his forage cap. It's construction IMO has more in common with a kepi; lack of welts, facing or band around the lower edge of the cap body, and the inset crown which in this case is false and actually stretched over a metal ring! The cap lining doesn't jump out as original to me though.