Original "Charleston Depot" Jacket For Sale

[GreencoatCross]

http://www.oldsouthantiques.com/os1884p1.htm

Is it truly a product of Charleston depot? Who knows. It has similar and dissimilar characteristics to the two alleged Charleston jackets published in Les Jensen's "Confederate Issue Jackets." Not only is this one made from entirely different material, it appears to have a four-piece body, six buttons as opposed to five, and wool cord trim on the cuffs/collar that appears to have been green. The facing along the bottom reminds me of the same present in some jackets from North Carolina.

[LWhite64]

Re: Original "Charleston Depot" Jacket For Sale

Very cool. I have often wondered if the so called Atlanta Depot Jackets somehow were connected to SC, given the similarity in the collars, etc. I dont doubt that this is a "Charleston" Depot jacket. The idea that one particular pattern was only made from one material in the CSA is hard to accept. Although there is no originals or photographs, records show that the Columbus Depot did receive Kersey, so what are we to make of that then? This is a very interesting looking jacket, just wish there was some ID to it.

[dirtyshirt]

Re: Original "Charleston Depot" Jacket For Sale

This also shares some similarities with a North Carolina ID'd jacket that Ben Tart shared some information with me about several years ago. The belt loops particularly I remember taking about. Very cool jacket.

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Original "Charleston Depot" Jacket For Sale

Lee and Brandon, you are both spot on with your observations. It's also curious that this jacket does not come with an inspection report from Les Jensen or other experts as other garments sold by Old South have had in the past.

While we're on the subject, I've always thought that the belt loops on these jackets were intended to be used as shoulder loops but weren't for some reason. Of course this might not have been the case but they're just so strangely shaped for belt loops.

[Citman05]

Re: Original "Charleston Depot" Jacket For Sale

I've always thought that the belt loops on these jackets were intended to be used as shoulder loops but weren't for some reason. Of course this might not have been the case but they're just so strangely shaped for belt loops.

I was just thinking the same thing. They seem very long, like they were cut to go across a shoulder. They also seem to start wide and taper a bit towards the top, again like a shoulder strap. Is there a color associated with the trim near the cuffs?

[dirtyshirt]

Re: Original "Charleston Depot" Jacket For Sale

I wouldn't be surprised if those were cut to be used as shoulder straps. I wish we could get closer images of the shoulders to see if by chance they were removed from the shoulders, but I doubt they were. I have never seen belt loops that big. I wish we at least had a date on the jacket. Reason is, that ID'd NC Jacket was used from mid to late '62, was longer waisted, narrower elbow, pieced facings and was made of at least 4 different shaded grays. We had thought it was a jacket styled almost as a transition between the NC Sack coat and the Tucker jacket which is much baggier and full cut. I guess we'll just never know these things.

[Dan Wambaugh]

Re: Original "Charleston Depot" Jacket For Sale

Brian,

Recall too that the Spaulding jacket had a belt loop that was basically a shorter epaulet (I think 1 1/2" chopped off the bottom.) To me it would make sense to have them be the same: one pattern piece, one guy off the in the corner making up four per jacket.

[roundshot]

Re: Original "Charleston Depot" Jacket For Sale

It is also very similar to the Alfred May jacket [61st NCT] which is of BG Kersey but has belt loops. This jacket was originally 6 button but 5 extra buttonholes were added later. Les Jensen and Ben Tart believe this to be a NC pattern although the 61st did see some service around Charleston. These photos are from the NC Museum of History in Raleigh. More pictures can be found under 'artifacts' on the website, keyword(s) "Confederate jacket."

[brown]

Re: Original "Charleston Depot" Jacket For Sale

I don't see the Charleston style collar.
Also the description lists it as a 4 piece body and a 6 piece body at different times. The pictures don't show whether or not there is a seam under the arms, but clearly the seams to the sides of the back suggest either a six piece body or the false six piece bodies that lack the seams under the arms.

[Gallinipper]

Re: Original "Charleston Depot" Jacket For Sale

Good observation. The problem is that the jacket was so badly deteriorated on one particular part of the collar, there was no way to know what it looked like originally. (And, as fate would have it, that was the same side that could have been used to compare with Jensen's so-called "Charleston Depot" pattern.) What you are looking at is the NCMOH's reconstruction of the jacket to the best of their abilities. Apparently they did not feel comfortable giving it a "Charleston Depot" (per Jensen) collar, although IMHO they did a fantastic job with it. When I first saw it years ago, it was in pretty poor shape.

[FloridaConscript]

Re: Original "Charleston Depot" Jacket For Sale

From talking with some folks that are pretty sharp on Charleston stuff, I think this jacket has more evidence pointing to NC manfacture than it does Charleston.

[Clsinclair]

Re: Original "Charleston Depot" Jacket For Sale




James Sinclair was stationed in Charleston with the 7th SC Battalion from 1861 to 1864. Note the collars and the 6 button front. James coat does seem to have belt loops. There appears to be a difference at the bottom but that could be a result James having on a tight fitting jacket.

[Prodical Reb]

Re: Original "Charleston Depot" Jacket For Sale

Since Roundshot brought up the May jacket thought I'd post a few that I took while looking at the jacket. You can plainly see that it is a 3 piece body, 2 front panels and 1 back panel. There is no seam down the center of the back panel. Sleeves are each a 1 piece sleeve.
As for the restoration of the collar you can see the diff in the original cloth and the restorers cloth.
The 3rd pic is an interior pocket.
The belt loops were just 2 pieces each sewn together then sewn on the jacket w/raw edges exposed.
The last pic shows good detail of the ther difference in button hole stitching which supports the case that they were done at separate times by different people. All 11 of the buttons are original CSA buttons with correct backmarks but the maker escapes me and I cannot make it out on my pic.
The BGK kepi came from Scott & Fenny @ Richmond Depot