Peter Tait Blue?

[JimConley]

Re: Peter Tait Blue?

While the method of poking a hole in the fabric and cording the buttons through the back is indicative of both British and 18th Century ( Rev. War garments) style, I have also seen this on Confederate Officers frock coats.

Scott,
The Elijah Woodward (9th KY Inf.) "Columbus Depot" jacket uses a similar method of button attachment.

From Geoffrey Walden's article:
"The buttons are Kentucky state seal buttons, fastened by passing the shanks through holes in the jacket and attached to metal rings on the interior, but these are believed to be later replacements."

[Richmond Depot]

Re: Peter Tait Blue?

Scott,
The Elijah Woodward (9th KY Inf.) "Columbus Depot" jacket uses a similar method of button attachment.

From Geoffrey Walden's article:
"The buttons are Kentucky state seal buttons, fastened by passing the shanks through holes in the jacket and attached to metal rings on the interior, but these are believed to be later replacements."

Jim,

I have seen the method you describe also on a couple of different garments, Usually a very small split ring will be employed to hold the button in place. I prefer the cord myself, much faster for button removal for polishing ( like anyone actually polishes anyway.) :p

[JacobReichwein]

Re: Peter Tait Blue?

I have also wondered the same thing. I have found that the Taits made by Richmond Depot more closely resemble the darker kersey that you see in the original coats. I honestly have no idea what the difference is though

[bholt61stny]

Re: Peter Tait Blue?

I have heard there is a Tait at the Citadel Museum and the Warren Rifles Museum too but I can't verify.

There is a Tait jacket(or at least something very similar to one) in the Warren Rifles Museum. It has red trim about 1 inch wide running down the front of the jacket on both sides of the buttons as well as about 2 inches up from the end of the sleeve. It also has red piping along the collar with what I think are Lt. insignia. It belonged to Richard Mauzy Blakemore, an Adjutant of a Batallion of Artillery organized March 13, 1864 as part of Gen. Forrest's Cavalry. I would post pictures, but I am computer illiterate and cant figure out how to.

[Richmond Depot]

Re: Peter Tait Blue?

These are from Brian and Bob. I have had to cut down on alot of the detail due to the file sizes. Without an in person visit, The red trim down the front and along the top of the collar seems to have been added post war.The red piping on the bottom of the collar almost appears to be original to the jacket time period, but not necessarily to the manufacture of the jacket.

Once again, without an in person visit, it is difficult to tell if this is a Tait style or RD III. The collar appears to be a Tait style, especially since it lacks the top stitching usually found on the collars of RD garments, but then again, not all RD garments ( IE: Henry Redwood Jacket) have top stitching on the collar. . If we could open the jacket, it might have a second row of stitching beside the buttons. Flipping it over, if a Tait style, it would have a one piece back. On an additional photo, that I haven't posted, is a photo of Adjutant Blakemore wearing the jacket, post war and one of the buttons is unbuttoned giving a view of the key hole style buttonhole.Again a charachteristic of Taits, but occasionally showing up in RD garments ( IE:AC Redwood Jacket) And there is a hook and eye present.

Appears to be a Tait variety.