"Tait and Co Army Contracts"

[5th Texas]

Below is another excellent article by Dave Burt from the United Kingdom's ACWS. Dave is currently involved in a thorough study of British military exports to the Confederacy. I think we can expect more interesting and important information from his work:

http://www.acws.co.uk/archives/military/petertait.htm

[jacobite8749]

Re: "Tait and Co Army Contracts"

A little research will show that a book published in 2005. namely:

Peter Tait: A Remarkable Story by John E. Waite
ISBN: 0955037905,
Price: €30.00 or £20
Published: Milnford Publications, June, 2005

This is indeed a remarkable book. "It describes his years in Limerick, as a manufacturer of army uniforms, using powered sewing machines, as a Deputy Lieutenant and, for three consecutive years, as Mayor of the City; It sheds significant new light on his supply of uniforms to the Confederate States during the American Civil War, on his involvement in blockade running, and on his ultinmate disastrous relationship with Alexander Collie, who is exposd as the perpetrator of extensive frauds both during and after the War; and brings to life Tait's campaigns for elections as an MP for Limerick in 1868 and for Orkney and Shetland in 1873".

It does indeed shed new light and is well worth a read. It will mean that those jackets, of which there or 9 or 10 documented, may need to be looked at in perhaps a different light. Some will no doubt be Tait's Confederate contract, via Collie, but some may his Alabama contract and some will have to perhaps classified as being of other British manufacture, namely Hebbert or Crombie or others.

Dave Burt is indeed working hard at an illusive subject. Sorry Dave had to put this in before we started to re-invent the wheel, again.