3215

SUPERIOR QUALITY EARLY WAR CONFEDERATE UNIFORM

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:20,000.00 USD Estimated At:40,000.00 - 60,000.00 USD
SUPERIOR QUALITY EARLY WAR CONFEDERATE UNIFORM
JACKET OF CAPTAIN CUTHBERT H. SLOCOMB OF THE WASHINGTON ARTILLERY. A finely finished, early war Confederate Artillery captain's jacket of superior tailoring for the Washington Artillery of New Orleans, Louisiana. The single breasted jacket is made of extremely fine, steel gray wool broadcloth in a tabby weave. There are seven 22mm Louisiana state seal buttons on the front of the jacket. The buttons are backmarked, "SCOVILL, MF'G, CO. * WATERBURY *". They are likely of prewar mfg. due to the embargo on northern mfg. goods being sold to the South after hostilities began. There are 7 button holes w/ conventional stitching. The jacket body has 2" darts extending down from the collar & 8" darts extending up from the waist giving the jacket a tapered, fitted look. The 2 piece standing collar & collar lining are of the same cloth as the jacket. Red wool broadcloth piping surrounds the collar and extends down the front of the jacket. The bottom of the jacket is piped in the same red wool broadcloth. An interesting feature, worthy of note, is that the front edges of the collar are on the same line as the front edges of the jacket, unlike most jackets which have a step transition from edge to collar. 3 Horizontal gold braided bars are sewn to each side of the front of the collar denoting the rank of captain. They are rather crudely stitched unlike the rest of the jacket indicating they may have been an addition by Slocomb. The bars measure 2 5/8", 2 3/4" and 3" from top to bottom respectively. The jacket has 1 piece sleeves each measuring 6" across at the cuff & 9 1/2" across at the elbow. Each of the nonfunctional cuffs has 3 U.S. 15mm staff buttons w/ "EXTRA QUALITY" backmarks. 1 Button on the left cuff is missing. The cuffs are pointed using the same red wool broadcloth used as piping on the jacket. 2 Strands of gold braid are sewn to the cuff just above the red piping terminating in a sm. loop at the top. The breast lining is constructed w/ the same material as the jacket itself. The padded breast has 4 horizontal rows of hand stitching. The remainder of the body is lined w/ a black/green worsted wool mixture. On each side of the breast is a 6 1/4" wide horizontal slit pocket. The bag of the pocket is constructed of unbleached cotton osnaburg. The sleeves have a plain white cotton shirting lining. The jacket measures 20 3/4" up the back & 19" up the front from the base of the collar to the waist hem. The back sleeve seam measures 24". The profound rarity of this finely tailored jacket is enhanced by the fact that it is paired w/ a frock coat for Captain Slocomb likely made at the same time, by the same tailor. The frock coat & jacket are the exact same material w/ the exact same construction & detailing. They survive as possibly the finest known matched set of Confederate uniforms in existence. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: Les Jensen authentication letter. CONDITION: generally, this uniform jacket shows almost no wear on the outside & only scattered light wear to the lining. There is no fading or discoloration to the finely woven steel gray wool broadcloth. There are a few tiny moth nips scattered around the body of the coat. The piping remains a bold, crimson red. The 2 rows of gold braid on the sleeve, reminiscent of miniature galons, show tarnish but no wear. All buttons are present & have nearly all of their gilded finish remaining. All seams are quite tight. The green/black cotton lining has a few scattered holes & abrasions but is generally quite solid. Oddly, the blue/black wool cover of the hang strap at the neck of the uniform shows heavy moth damage. Sleeve linings show minor sweat stains. Captain C. H. Slocomb's jacket & its associated frock coat, likely made from the same bolt of cloth, represent 2 of the finest condition Confederate uniform coats extant. PROVENANCE: Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, Chicago, IL, to legendary collector George Markham in 1957 to the esteemed collection of Don and Judy Polifka in 1987. (02-13422/BF). $40,000-60,000.