Blue-gray Kersey to Richmond?

[mike44thva]

Re: Blue-gray Kersey to Richmond?

Jon & Dick, thanks for the added info. I guess I was wording it wrong. I was trying to get a better idea of:

A- How long after the Sept. '64 letter would RCB have issued Royal Blue trousers?
&
B- Would the letter's reference to "blue cloth" include BG or just the Royal Blue?

Knowing that the Royal Blue was for trousers and the BG was for either jackets or trousers as well as kepis, you would think (there's that word again, sorry) there would have been more RB trousers than BG if the material was sent in equal quantities.

I apologize for my lack of clarity, and thanks again for your help.

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Blue-gray Kersey to Richmond?

I'd like to point to two original enlisted jackets made from blue-gray imported fabric, each of which can be dated to use in 1863. The jacket worn by Capt. E.S. Marsh, 4th North Carolina Infantry in the Pamplin Park collection and the unattributed 1st Sergeant's jacket in the Gettysburg Battlefield Visitor's Center & Museum.

http://pamplinpark.pastperfect-online.com/32996cgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=EED83EE7-F93E-4652-A165-314382084244;type=101

Dan Wambaugh and I had the good fortune to study the Gettysburg jacket in person last spring. While I was examining the interior I noticed that the very top of the sleeve and sleeve lining was re-stitched using a different thread than found throughout the rest of the garment, and by someone else (hand stitching techniques can differ wildly and noticeably). I pointed this out to one of the staff members who said they had never noticed it before; my opinion was and is that the war time owner of the jacket had deliberately removed the epaulettes and sewn the sleeve and lining back into place. Unfortunately it is not known exactly where on the battlefield it was found but it was found there. Because of the lack of epaulettes the staff wasn't sure if the battlefield attribution was correct, thinking it might have been a transitional later-war RD jacket or maybe an RDIII. I'll also add that the jacket is not made of kersey but rather a mixed blue gray broadcloth or melton. The jacket is also heavy with soiling and dirt, making it appear darker/grayer than it was originally (areas under the belt loops are unsoiled and still vibrant). The chevrons are hand sewn directly to the sleeves and cut from what believe is royal blue kersey. Some select photos below.


Detail of chevrons and fabric.


Detail of belt loop. This may not show the color different well, but the material under the loops is unsoiled blue-gray.

[DBURT]

Re: Blue-gray Kersey to Richmond?

Mike,

The letter by Lawton to Ferguson was written on September 21st 1864. It would have taken probably a month to land on Ferguson's desk - who was then in Liverpool. It has to be thought that Ferguson would not have contracted for anymore blue cloth from this date, but he would have still had contracts in place to supply it.
The Richmond Depot ledgers from the end of 1864 still show "English Blue cloth" and "Blue Trowsering", so blue cloth was still coming in up until the very end of 1864, which is as far as the records go unfortunately.

The bottom line is that Huse started to import huge amounts of cloth through S. Isaac Campbell & Co - both blue and blue grey- from December
1861. The first of this was shipped on the 'Economist' and 'Southwick' which arrived safely in early 1862. So to see a Confederate soldier early in the war- and certainly Gettysburg- dressed in a blue-grey jacket and blue pants would not have been uncommon according to the evidence.
The blue grey and blue cloth was still being received by the Richmond Depot right until the end of 1864.

As to the letters reference to 'blue cloth' this can only mean the sky, or royal blue for trousers. As Lawton's quote states in full: " You need not contract for blue cloth for pants, as the gray makes up to more advantage". In other words Lawton wanted the blue-grey for pants as well as jackets.

Dave Burt

[roundshot]

Re: Blue-gray Kersey to Richmond?

And don't forget this jacket which also has a Gettysburg attribution: http://www.floridaconfederate.com/Museum.html

[DougCooper]

Re: Blue-gray Kersey to Richmond?

There are any number of threads in the archives dealing with this, as well as the cloth coming into the Trans-Miss and Mobile very late. If a port was open (Wilmington) its safe to say it was coming in.

[mike44thva]

Re: Blue-gray Kersey to Richmond?

I forgot all about this, but the Virginia Museum of the Civil War in New Market, VA has a BG kersey jacket and light blue kersey trousers worn by Lt. Frank Littleton of the 17th VA who was killed at Sharpsburg. His pants are from when he was a 1st Sgt., which still have the stripe down the legs. The jacket is a 9 button front, looks just like an RD3, the buttons are 3 piece US Staff domed eagle buttons, and has trim around the collar & chevrons on the sleeves.

[poilu1917]

Re: Blue-gray Kersey to Richmond?

Mike,
Your initial question was, what is the best cloth to use for your Richmond Depot trousers for an 1864-1865 impression. Unfortunately your desired time frame spans a probable change in what the RCB utilized in large numbers. Here is my own opinion as to what to use taking into account all the research info that we know:

1863 (spring) - 1864 (winter 64/65) Richmond Trousers: Royal Blue Trouser Wool or Domestic Cloth
1865 (winter of 64/65) - End of the war Richmond Trousers: Blue/Grey English Army Cloth or Domestic Cloth

Of course, this is just my own recommendation. I hope this helps.

[DBURT]

Re: Blue-gray Kersey to Richmond?

Jon, that is exactly what the evidence seems to point out.

Dave Burt

[LWebster]

Re: Blue-gray Kersey to Richmond?

To answer the original question, large quantities cadet gray / army cloth / blue-gray kersey began to arrive long before Manchester-based James B. Ferguson began entering into contracts in January 1863. By way of example, on August 3, 1862, the steamship Leopard successfully delivered twenty-five bales of "Army cloth" to Charleston; the same day, the S.S. Minho likewise delivered to Charleston another ten bales of "army cloth." All of the bales were marked "WD," or War Department. While yardage per bale certainly varied, 300+ yards per bale was not uncommon. Using that figure, the thirty-five bales brought in by the Leopard and Minho would have equated to 10,850 yards of material, enough cloth (depending on the width) for 7,200 jackets (approx.) or 6,200 pairs of trousers (approx.) That's the product of two shipments on a single day in the summer of 1862. There are numerous other examples.

Great Britain was certainly not the only source for "army cloth." The textile manufacturing center of Verviers, Belgium produced huge amounts of cadet gray / army cloth for the South.

C L Webster