The mysterious four button jacket that has been found in dozens of images and existing examples can be found across the nation, yet no one has yet identified which depot, if any, they came from!  This is a plain, four button jacket with an exterior welted pocket.  The entire perimeter of the inside is overcast into place, and the jackets are fully lined in a heavy weight cotton osnaburg that is a spot on match to the original lining. These are, perhaps, our favorite jacket to reproduce and are a stylish way to break the monotony of the standard Richmond Depot jackets in the CS ranks.

Five examples of this type of jacket survive today, with most provenances of the jackets tying them to the Richmond area in the last two years of the war.  However, pictures of early war soldiers, and soldiers serving in the western and trans-Mississippi theaters of war have also surfaced, making the origin of these jackets even more difficult to ascertain.  Each surviving example is made from a slightly different jean material, but the pattern and general construction remains the same, suggesting some sort of depot origin. These jackets are also evident in dozens of original pictures of soldiers, as further evidence of their widespread use.

Our reproduction is based on an original in the Ross County Ohio Historical Society collection.  This particular jacket is made from a low quality plainweave jeancloth, that was likely originally light gray, but over time the cotton warp fibers have oxidized to a tan color, giving the coat its current appearance.  The jeancloth in our reproduction was custom woven for us by Family Heirloom Weavers and comes very close to replicating the original material.  Our reproduction jean is of a slightly higher quality than the original cloth chiefly because it is impossible to find a weaver willing to do as shoddy of a job as the original weaver did! The original jacket features a unique construction style which made construction easier for handsewing, but caused a small error in the collar which we have replicated exactly.  The original jacket currently has two remaining buttons, a cast brass Louisiana state button and an "I" shield federal eagle button.  In the interest of versatility, we have chosen the latter button for our reproduction, though for five dollars extra a cast Louisiana button can be added in the appropriate place. 

Special thanks to Dave Chinnis and the Ross County Historical Society for their assistance in researching this reproduction.

C.S. Four Button Jackets

Price $210.00

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