Peter Tait Great Coats

[Reb13thva]

Good Evening Gents,

I'm siting here pondering the Great Coats provided to the Confederacy by Peter Tait & Co. To my knowledge None of the 50,000 Great coats that Tait was contracted for in Dec. 63', survived the war. I do know that their are a few Great coats made of the English Cloth that did survive, but none that can be specifically attributed to Tait. Without a surviving original to go off of my next question is up to much debate, but here it goes. Do you believe or is their any evidence to support these coats having some of the same construction details as The Tait Shell jackets. The double Line of machine stitching, 5 piece bodies, Key hole buttonholes ect. If their is an image out their that someone has seen of a possible Tait I would love to see it.

Your Most Obedient servant

[DBURT]

Re: Peter Tait Great Coats

James,

Although "50,000 Greatcoats" were mentioned in James Tait's initial letter to the Confederate government in December 1863, none of these coats were made. The actual contract agreed by Colin McRae in London in July 1864 just specified jackets, trousers and boots and omitted the caps and greatcoats. The only greatcoats made by Tait were delivered in his separate contract with Alabama, and these were sent in kit form so it is highly unlikely that they would have had the embellishments that a factory made greatcoat would have had, like the double row of machine stitching.
Greatcoats were bought by Caleb Huse through S. Isaac Campbell & Co from late 1861 onwards. These would have been made in grey kersey as indeed all British army greatcoats of the time were.

Details of greatcoats, Tait & Co, SIC & Co and more in our new book, out in March 2014.

Dave Burt, England

[Reb13thva]

Re: Peter Tait Great Coats

Thank you very much for the reply, I am looking forward to your book as well

Your Most Obedient servant