Army of Tennessee jackets

[Devildog0311]

Gents,
I have been reading and looking at P.O.W. photographs of AOT soldiers. I read Arthur Freemantle's account about how the AOT boys preferred jackets and trousers sent from home, this observation was mid to late war. In the P.O.W. photos I looked at I never hardly saw a Columbus Depot jacket. I did see a lot of plain looking shell jackets. I am starting to wonder if AOT living historians are not putting too much emphasis on Columbus Depot jackets? I've noticed in most authenticity guidelines for AOT units, CD jackets seem to be the go to jacket but I question that, at least for Tennessee units. I would like to see others' opinions on the matter. I realize CD jackets were made in large quantities, but few are still in existence. If it were so common, why are their not many more surviving examples? Why the lack of CD jackets on AOT prisoners? I feel like homespun clothing may be under emphasized and there seems to be evidence they were still receiving homespun clothing late into the war, according to Freemantle, they preferred it. I look forward to the input.

Justin Connor

[rmilstead]

Re: Army of Tennessee jackets

Justin,
The situation with respect to the AOT seems to have been a lot more confusing (to us today) than that with the ANV where vast majority of the CS QM produced uniform clothing was the product of the Richmond Clothing Bureau. I am attaching the link to the Company of Military Historians on line publication of Les Jensen's 1989 article which discusses the supply model for the AOT.

http://www.military-historians.org/company/journal/confederate/confederate-3.htm

I am certainly not an expert in Western Depot uniforms and I am sure there has been supplemental research by others since Les published his article but my suspicion that because there are a lot more well documented Columbus Depot examples out there than documented Atlanta, Athens, Selma, etc. examples that has influenced what is picked up by Living History participants. That, the distinctive trim, and the fact that the major vendors have tended to advertise and make that type of jacket. The latter could be a "Chicken or egg" issue because that may be mostly what they are asked to make. Charlie Childs does have patterns for Dept of Alabama and Mystery Jackets which are Western Depot types. In a short survey of the better vendor web sites no one advertises an Atlanta Depot Jacket and unless research since Les's article has led to a definition of the product from the Athens clothing bureau that style seems to be something of a mystery itself (different from the "Mystery Jacket"). I presume one of the better vendors may be able to make an Atlanta Depot jacket if asked (or at least do something that looks close) but certainly not what is emphasized on their standard product lists.

Perhaps someone else here can chime in with other thoughts. Just my $0.02

Dick Milstead
Hardaway's Alabama Battery
The Company of Military Historians

[GenuineInformation]

Re: Army of Tennessee jackets

As with everything in this hobby, even more with the AOT--time, place, and unit make all the difference. Are you representing a soldier from the Arkansas, Missouri, or Texas? Hard to get stuff from home after Vicksburg falls. Are you representing a soldier from Tennessee? Hard to get anything from there after Chattanooga falls. Are you a Vicksburg parolee and/or soldier in Polk's corps? You were probably supplied from Demopolis or Meridian. Did you spend the winter of '63 or '64 in Dalton? You might be wearing a jacket sent from North Carolina. Are you an Alabama or Georgia soldier? Then you have a much better shot of getting something from home.

Larry J. Daniel's seminal "Soldiering in the Army of Tennessee" is really helpful here. Some units, like the Missouri brigade or the 10th South Carolina, are described as looking very uniform and crisp. Others are described as less soldierly-looking. So in addition to where a soldier called home, unit mentality, commanders' preferences, and esprit de corps also affected uniformity of dress.

When you subtract all of that, though, you have a large part of the AOT in 1863 and 1864 who were mainly supplied from Atlanta and Columbus. Based on that, the assumption that makes the most sense to me looking at the research is that what we call the Columbus Depot Jacket was being made at one or more locations in Georgia, and based on the number of extant garments, made in large numbers. The jackets of this pattern show up with Deep South provenance and do show up in photographs. In turn, it is an obvious candidate for a versatile jacket (they show up early and stay late) for the person who gets into this hobby and can afford one jacket. There's a great account of a federal soldier who reports Confederates captured in one of the Atlanta Campaign battles (Peachtree Creek, maybe?) in Hardee's corps were wearing gray jackets with blue trim. It's in Geoff Walden's article on the Columbus Depot Jacket, which I believe is now hosted by this site. It's also worth remembering that the vast majority of Hardee's Corps came from Tennessee, Kentucky, or the Trans-Miss, all of which were more or less severed from the Deep South by Summer 1864.

Prisoner of War photos are excellent for what they show, but there just aren't enough of them around to draw conclusions that you can apply to the entire AOT. You might see a lot of soldiers in one picture, but you're talking about a 50,000 + soldier army. Chances are those soldiers in the picture were from the same unit or captured in the same area, and don't necessarily represent a random sampling of the entire army.

That said, your point is well received that AOT interpretation requires clothes from home. Fremantle's account is probably as accurate as anybody else's. At the events I've attended in recent years as an AOT soldier, I've seen a goodly number of from-home and nondescript jackets in the ranks. Which raises the question...which events are you attending? Looking forward to meeting you in the field.

[LWhite64]

Re: Army of Tennessee jackets

Joe makes good points, but to add it also depends on WHEN, for instance at Chickamauga you have a lot of variables. Longstreet's Corps shows up largely wearing blue gray Richmond Depot Jackets, some Army of Tennessee units are wearing clothing from home, some are wearing Columbus Depots, and then you have State clothing thrown in for units from Georgia, etc. I have been able to piece together a few unit uniform profiles over the years. For Instance 4th Louisiana Battalion- Charleston Depot Jackets and Leggings. Bate's Brigade-Columbus Depot Jackets, Light colored hats, blue jean trousers, some cloth shoes. Orphan Brigade-Columbus Depot Jackets, Kepis. The key is always research research research.

[Enfield]

Re: Army of Tennessee jackets

I agree that "CD" jackets are most likely over represented in the hobby. There are very specific certain times, places, and units where "CD" jackets were likely widely issued, and possibly trousers to match. Period soldier images, surviving examples, and period writings make it clear that this style of jacket was widely produced and issued. But certainly not to the exclusion of all else. But it's like a lot of other things in our hobby - an item becomes THE "cool" item to wear, so then everyone has to have one, to the point where you have entire AoT units wearing the same jacket. Except for those few specifics mentioned above, that's probably not an accurate portrayal.

Geoff Walden

http://authentic-campaigner.com/articles/walden/cdjacket.htm

[Mississippian]

Re: Army of Tennessee jackets

Lee,

Where do you have the 4th LA Battalion getting jackets from Charleston? They were issued clothing while in MS just before heading to GA (including the leggings) do you have info saying it call came from SC?

One thing to remember is that the different depots may have had outside clothing contractors who could have provided good to multiple depots. For example, the Mississippi Manufacturing Company in Choctaw County MS made cloth and clothing for the Jackson MS depot until May 1863, when that depot was evacuated. Later they sent their goods to the Columbus MS & Demopolis AL Depots.

I guess the thing about Columbus Depot Jackets is that they are the most versatile Western government issue garment known. They saw service not just in the Army of Tennessee but also with troops in Mississippi and even some in the ANV.

Will MacDonald

[Palmyra Possum]

Re: Army of Tennessee jackets

Homemade clothing is definitely underrepresented in the hobby. Recently, I was reading the Reminisces of John Johnston, 6th Tenn. Inf., 7th Tenn. Cav. & 14th Tenn. Cav., from Tennessee Historical Quarterly (originally published 1954 & 1955). One thing that struck me was the large number of references to obtaining clothing from home, rather than through government sources. These weren’t just references to socks, shirts and drawers either, but apparently full suits of clothing. They also regularly mention going home for clothing and not just having clothing shipped to the field. These quotes begin at about the time he transferred from the 7th to the 14th:

I was at this time quite seedy. My coat was out at the elbows and I was in need of clothes for the coming winter. I thought it would be a good chance to go home… The remaining weeks of November were spent in the enjoyment of home and friends and in recruiting myself and my horse for future service. Almost everything we wore then was made at home. Excellent woolen and cotton cloth was made and dyed at home. Our people also manufactured, for the most part, their own boots and shoes, bridles, saddles and harness. I don't mean to say every farmer or family made all of those things but some were made by somebody and all were made at home. A good suit of homemade jeans clothes was about as neat and comfortable as any winter goods we wear now. Not as fine looking of course as regular dress goods but very neat looking and very comfortable. (November 1863)

When I got within a few miles of Somerville on the 7th, much to my joy and delight I met Will Wharton in the road who told me that the Regiment had been disbanded for six days, during which time all had permission to return home in order to secure clothing, horses, and supplies and he and I traveled joyfully home together. (April 1864)

I think the regiment must have reached the neighborhood of Henderson or Medon and that we were given permission to go home for a few days in order to procure clothing and other supplies for the approaching winter. (Late 1864)

The next thing I remember was that we were on our way home. We had been disbanded for twenty days and allowed to go home to get clothing and fresh supplies of horses and whatever else we needed. (February, 1865)

That last one really boggles my mind; disbanding a regiment for almost three weeks to go find clothes and horses. They must have been hurting.

I’ve also attached a picture of the jacket worn by Lawrence Talbot, 3rd Tenn. Cav. (as opposed to the character played by Lon Chaney in the 1941 movie, The Wolf Man), which was reportedly sewn by his mother when he enlisted in 1863. All of these references are well beyond the early war Great Appeals made once people realized the war was going to last longer than one issue of clothing, and well after the commutation period officially ended.

[GenuineInformation]

Re: Army of Tennessee jackets

Eric, great accounts. Another cavalry jacket in the Western theatre with a from-home connection is the William Howell jacket in the collections of the University of Mississippi.

Pictures of the jacket are posted in this thread: http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/...p/t-19753.html

William Howell was a private in the 3rd Miss. Cav. and was wearing that jacket at the Battle of Ezra Church in the Atlanta Campaign in July 1864--as you say, long after we think of the "commutation period" having ended. Totally from-home garment, made of some top shelf material.