Black Jean Wool Jackets

[historyboy8]

Hello I have recently come across a jacket made of Black jean wool which the 14th Louisiana uses. I can't find anything on it though can any one help me out??

[JimKindred]

Re: Black Jean Wool Jackets

Based on the little information you have provided I doubt there is much anyone can tell you.

One of the basic rules we have one the forum is that your sign all posts with your first and last name. You can create an automatic signature in your profile.

[brown]

Re: Black Jean Wool Jackets

Is this an original jacket you have seen or a reproduction jacket? Always a good idea to start with original garments when looking into unit specific impressions.

[SouthernGent23]

Re: Black Jean Wool Jackets

He is talking about a reproduction jacket. I have tried to help him out on research outside of here, and help him overall with the impression to no avail. Maybe someone here can help him more than I.

[BobbyHughes]

Re: Black Jean Wool Jackets

He is talking about a reproduction jacket. I have tried to help him out on research outside of here, and help him overall with the impression to no avail. Maybe someone here can help him more than I.

I believe a bunch of us have

[JimConley]

Re: Black Jean Wool Jackets

The only black reproduction jean that I know of is the logwood jean by County Cloth, which is no longer in production to the best of my knowledge. Keep in mind, too, if this is indeed the material you may be referring to, it will fade with exposure to sunlight to a green, then what might be called an olive color, and finally to a khaki/tan/butternut.

The only photographs that I have located within the Library of Congress Selected Civil War Photographs collection depicting Confederates wearing uniforms/clothing that are PERHAPS dark enough to be considered "black" are the dead of Gettysburg from the second day's actions on the Confederate right.

Keep in mind, all of the attached clips below are from the same photograph. But, there are others near the Rose Farm that also show fallen Confederates wearing very dark jackets and trousers.

TITLE: Gettysburg, Pa. Four dead soldiers in the woods near Little Round Top.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: 1863 July
CALL NUMBER: LC-B811- 252
REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-DIG-cwpb-00878 DLC
SOURCE: http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/.../~ammem_YucI::

[coastaltrash]

Re: Black Jean Wool Jackets

The Louisiana jacket in reference is not black, it's blue.adark indigo blue.

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Black Jean Wool Jackets

Description of dark clothing worn by Alabamians at Gettysburg towards the bottom of this page: http://www.blueandgraymarching.com/laws-brigade.html

A corroborating account was written by Cpl. Julian Dodge of Co. F 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters. Sometime on July 5th his company was in the vicinity of Houck's Ridge/Devil's Den and were permitted to explore the immediate area. The regiment had faced off against Law's and Robertson's brigades, with Co. F in particular retreating northeast across the open fields of the Slyder farm before crossing the Slaughter Pen and the "Devil's Kitchen" in the woods between LRT and BRT, finally coming into the ranks of the 83rd PA and fighting among the infantry. Dodge noted in a letter home that while searching the area for trinkets they came across "a number of men wearing uniforms so dark as to appear black....upon closer inspection we found them dressed in the coarse uniform of the rebel. Capt. Murry bent down and cut their buttons." The buttons that Capt. Samuel Murry removed were two and four-hole wood "Gibson Bros." style and are still retained in a private collection. None of Dodge's other surviving letters are quite this descriptive so it seems that the appearance of the CS casualties made an impression. While I can't know for sure, it's possible that the sharpshooters came across the bodies pictured in the Gardner photo taken at Gettysburg.

[LtCol0802]

Re: Black Jean Wool Jackets

There is an original Washington Artillery jacket (Sergeant's chevrons) in Memorial Hall (not on display) that I have examined closely and it appears to be black wool on a brown warp. It has no blue in it I can detect. It has both shoulder straps and belt loop. Always made me wonder if this what was pictured in those photos of the 5th Company.

LtCol John Owens USMC (ret)

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Black Jean Wool Jackets

Here is the jacket of Sgt. James Gasquet, 5th Co. Washington Artillery. I have never seen it in person but it does appear to be black. Tangentially, it also has a speckled look to it reminiscent of some fashion fabrics of the time and similar to an original tunic in storage at the Gettysburg Battlefield Museum that has a tenuous attribution to the Louisiana Tigers.

Photograph is courtesy of the Confederate Memorial Hall Museum. http://www.confederatemuseum.com/

[Cpt Boone]

Re: Black Jean Wool Jackets

I have examined the WA jacket pictured above a couple times and photographed and measuered it. It is just as John says, Black on a brown warp. Tried to get Pat Kline to make the material but it never came out as it is a strange finish/weave. The warp is visible on the back, but not on the front with the exception of wear areas.

[teufelhund]

Re: Black Jean Wool Jackets

The Bernard jacket and cloth was copied a few years back. The original was a black/very dark grey jean material. Here's a link to some info and photos. The jacket was stolen from the Petersburg museum years ago:

http://www.12thvirginia.org/images/BernardUniform/index.htm