ca. 1861-1865. Sack coat, waistcoat, and trousers of matching homespun jean twill, lined in coarse cotton osnaburg; mixed period buttons of brass, bone, and glazed ceramic; Southern manufacture.

Accompanied by an extensive report by historic textile and uniform expert, Fred Adolphus, that attest's to the uniform authenticity. This report is available upon request. 

A rare, complete three-piece Confederate uniform ensemble consisting of a sack coat, waistcoat, and trousers, all cut from the same coarse brown jean cloth and lined in plain-weave osnaburg. Excitingly, this uniform was recently discovered at an estate in Denton, Texas, where it had remained undisturbed at the bottom of a quilt chest for more than a century. These garments have never before been made available for acquisition, and this sale represents their first emergence onto the market. Though further research is necessary, the location of the uniform's discovery and the nature of its homespun construction strongly suggests it was worn by a Texas Confederate soldier. 

The use of brown jean cloth, hand-worked buttonholes, and osnaburg lining is strongly characteristic of Southern wartime manufacture, when homespun textiles and civilian materials were pressed into service for Confederate soldiers. The mixed button types: brass, ceramic, and bone, are typical of garments produced outside standardized depots, where local supply dictated construction. The overall butternut hue, produced by natural dyes, further situates this ensemble within the visual culture of Confederate service. Minimal overall wear suggests that the uniform may have been issued late in the war, or that its original owner’s service ended soon thereafter.

Surviving, matched three-piece Confederate uniforms of this type are exceedingly scarce, a consequence of the material shortages of the wartime South. 

The sack coat measures approximately 32 inches in length with a chest width of 22 inches and sleeve length of 34 1/2 inches, featuring notched lapels, two welt pockets with seven-inch openings, and two surviving brass buttons with hand-stitched buttonholes. An early patch repair is visible on the back, consistent with period field use. The waistcoat measures roughly 20 1/4 by 23 1/2 inches, with lapels, two welt pockets, and three surviving blue glazed ceramic buttons from an original set of five, as well as two additional decorative buttons affixed at the lapels. The trousers measure 44 1/4 inches in overall length with a 17-inch flat-laid waist (approximately 34 inches circumference), and retain five bone buttons at the fly and waistband; they exhibit a high waist, straight legs, osnaburg facings, and a tear in the seat.

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Militaria, Accouterment, Equipment, Uniforms]