Atlanta Depot jacket pattern

[edwardwatson]

Does anyone make a pattern for an Atlanta/Charleston depot jacket? I've searched the AC and googled with no help.

[Iron Scout]

Re: Atlanta Depot jacket pattern

Edward,

Gordon Downie (past AC vendor) at one time had a pattern for the supposed Atlanta jacket. I had sent him my batch of photographs of the original too. Maybe do a search and see if you can look him up through the search function.

As I recollect though, he had mainly modified an existing pattern which is a huge problem in itself. I have seen a number of Charleston Depot jackets from some well-known vendors but have only seen one accurate reproduction based on direct examination of the original; that by Neal Sexton. To my knowledge, very few have actually examined the originals.

Regards,

Neill Rose
PLHA

[edwardwatson]

Re: Atlanta Depot jacket pattern

Thank you for the information. I've seen the one in the UDC Museum in Charleston, SC but have not examined it. I'm hoping the kind ladies will allow me to examine it next spring.

I emailed Charlie Childs and he said he would sell me a kit for $99.

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Atlanta Depot jacket pattern

Edward - What are you up to? I ask because the more I dig around (indoors) the more of the Charleston Depot influence I find in the Lower Cape Fear area. It starts with the big flags at the forts.

[Iron Scout]

Re: Atlanta Depot jacket pattern

Edward,

The ladies will not allow detailed inspections; however, contact me once the pattern arrives and we can discuss some additional details. Photographic and extant evidence points to the fact that Charleston may have had a six button pattern jacket prior to the five, both patterns of course with belt loops.

Neill Rose
PLHA

[edwardwatson]

Re: Atlanta Depot jacket pattern

I'm looking into the pattern because I have several ancestors that served in the Charleston area and thought they may have been issued Charleston depot jackets at some point.

[Ken Myers]

Re: Atlanta Depot jacket pattern

There is a Atlanta depot or Charleston depot coat at the Midway Museam in Midway, Georgia. Midway is just south of Savannah, Georgia. The coat belonged to a member of the Liberty Independent Troop. This unit stayed in the coastal area of Georgia untill April of 1864. They then went to the Atlanta Campaign. The trooper was wounded at Noon Day church.
I have not had a good look at the coat. It is folded up in a display case. The material is a rough wool salt and pepper look. You might want to contact them to see about looking at the coat.
Yours,
Ken Myers

[Iron Scout]

Re: Atlanta Depot jacket pattern

Ken,

Just FYI but David Chinnis has gone over this jacket very closely and actually was able to find the outline of the once present beltloops. The images were once on the photographs of original items folder on this board. May still be there. It's interesting to note that this jacket is a dead ringer (including textile) for the Lyon's jacket (the one in EOG) located at the Relic Room in Columbia.

One last thing, be careful in quoting from EOG ie. "salt and pepper wool". I know Jensen termed this originally but it's a gross misnomer. The fabric is actually a blue-gray wool/wool plains on a natural (now cream colored) warp. The fabric was once nicely face finished too.

Regards,

Neill Rose
PLHA

[Ken Myers]

Re: Atlanta Depot jacket pattern

Thank you for the reply. Is the coat a Charleston depot or a Atlanta depot? I ask this because I would like to see about getting a copy of this coat. I would guess that this coat was issued to the trooper out of Savannah. The reason I beleave this to be true is that he was not in Atlanta that long to be reissued a new uniform before he was wounded.
Please keep me informed about your quest to find a pattern.
Thank you,
Ken Myers
PS
If you are interested, I do have some copies of the Savannah Quartermaster Reports of uniforms on hand in late 1863. If you are interested in seeing them, I will see about getting you a copy.

[Iron Scout]

Re: Atlanta Depot jacket pattern

Ken,

I'm sure everyone would be interested in your posting any QM info. The jury is out on the whole "Atlanta" nomenclature honestly. It's a long story and one almost too much to post. However, there is a high possibility both jackets are from Charleston. We'll probably never really know for sure.

Cheers,

Neill Rose
PLHA

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Atlanta Depot jacket pattern

Neill,

By "blue-gray wool/wool plains on a natural warp" do you mean that the cloth was a two-color (b-g and natural) marled wool weft on a cotton warp, like a jeancloth? Or that the cloth was a plain-weave all-wool that used two colors of yarn? Just curious since I've always been enamored with the extant Atlanta Depot jackets and especially with the cloth they're constructed of.

In addition to the "salt and pepper" description of the Lyons jacket in EoG I have also read the Louisiana frock coat in Troiani's collection described as "salt and pepper" as well. After giving that coat the once-over last summer I was surprised to see that it was actually constructed from a dark olive green and natural all wool cassimere!

Brian White
Wambaugh, White, & Co.

[Iron Scout]

Re: Atlanta Depot jacket pattern

Great question Brian,

It's a b/g weft and cream colored warp. Both are wool. Both yards are rather fat too with the blue-gray one having a heavy mix of dark blue "slubs" throughout. Gordon Downie still has my pictures but David Chinnis (if he's still around) has many, many more. I've also discussed this fabric quite a bit with Tom Arliskas.

Yep, the salt and pepper thing makes me a little crazy...

Neill Rose
PLHA

[Clsinclair]

Re: Atlanta Depot jacket pattern

"Edward - What are you up to? I ask because the more I dig around (indoors) the more of the Charleston Depot influence I find in the Lower Cape Fear area. It starts with the big flags at the forts."
__________________
Garrison Beall


Garrison,

My ancestor was stationed in Charleston and he was twice sent to Fort Fisher. I have a picture of him in his jacket at http://www.claudesinclair.com/scv.html. I am still not sure of the depot of his jacket.

Regards

Claude Sinclair
South Carolinal

[Richmond Depot]

Re: Atlanta Depot jacket pattern

We looked at the Lyons Jacket two Winters past along with Neil Rose, Dave Chinnis and a couple of dozen other fellows.

The EOG caption does a dis-service to the actual color of the jacket. The fabric is in fact, a blue- grey wool weft spun on a natural wool warp. As Neil has described.

I have contemplated for several years reproducing this fabric as I have the blue-grey yarn, however, there seems to be a very small market for it and not enough demand to have a 100 yards woven.

If I remember correctly, the UDC Hall in Charleston actually has three of the Charleston Depot Jackets in their collection with one being a blue-grey Satinette ? Is that correct Neil ?

[FloridaConscript]

Re: Atlanta Depot jacket pattern

Scott,
put me down for an Atl/Charleston coat if you ever do a run. Are you temporarily out of the grey green satinette or is it gone forever?

thanks

Bryant Roberts