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3217

REMARKABLY HISTORIC CONFEDERATE ARTILLERY OFFICERS

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:15,000.00 USD Estimated At:30,000.00 - 50,000.00 USD
REMARKABLY HISTORIC CONFEDERATE ARTILLERY OFFICERS
SACK COAT OR BATTLE JACKET WORN BY CAPTAIN CUTHBERT H. SLOCOMB OF THE WASHINGTON ARTILLERY. An extraordinary Confederate Artillery captain's sack coat, sometimes referred to as a battle jacket. It was worn by Captain Slocomb likely throughout most of the war while serving with Confederate forces as part of the Washington Artillery of New Orleans, Louisiana. The single breasted sack coat is dark gray with brown tones throughout and is made of a woolen jean twill with a cotton warp and wool weft. There are 4 Confederate, State of Louisiana pelican buttons, down the front of the coat. 3 Of the 21.5mm buttons are backmarked, "HYDE & GOODRICH .NEW ORLEANS.". The remaining button is a locally mfg. button with a blank channel back. The 4 button holes are of conventional stitched style. The top button is sewn 6 1/4" below the collar seam and the lowest button is 8" from the bottom edge of the coat. The 1 piece rolled type collar and its lining are made of the same cloth as the coat. The collar is 2 1/4" wide at the front and 3" wide at the rear. Red wool moreen piping in a tabby weave surrounds the collar and extends down both sides of the coat and around the base. The collar features 3 red wool moreen bars sewn directly to the collar denoting the rank of captain. The bars are 3/16" wide and taper in length from 3" to 3 1/4". The collar is interlined with the same material used to line the sleeves. The sack coat has 2 piece sleeves each measuring 6" across at the cuff and 9 1/2" across at the elbow. Each of the nonfunctional cuffs has two 14.5mm Louisiana state seal buttons with blank backmarks. The cuffs are pointed using the same red wool moreen used as piping on the coat. There is 1 outside pocket on the left breast set at a slight angle. The pocket flap is 6" long and 1" wide. The top edge is piped in the same red wool moreen piping as seen throughout the coat. The pocket is of the same material used in the coat. The outline of the pocket stitching is visible on the outside of the coat and forms a 7 1/2" deep bag with rounded edges. The breast lining is constructed of the same material as the coat itself and extends back 2-3" from the edge of the front. The sleeves have an unbleached cotton osnaburg lining. Other than the sleeves and the very front of the coat, the body of the coat is unlined. On the inside right is a 7 1/2" x 8" patch pocket with rounded corners that appears to be attached wrong side out. Most seams of the coat are reinforced with a gray and white plaid cotton material. Each reinforcing strip is approx. 1/2" wide with its edges turned under. The coat measures 27" up the back and 25 3/8" up the front from the base of the collar to the bottom of the coat. A very important Confederate uniform being 1 of the very few surviving sack coats. Captain Slocomb likely wore this coat throughout most of the war. It shows a repaired bullet hole scar at the top of the right breast and amazingly, appears to show another bullet hole from a wound received in the opposite shoulder. Period accounts state that Captain Slocomb was seriously wounded in the breast at Shiloh and again seriously wounded in the shoulder at Jonesboro. Upper linings of both sleeves show the remains of blood stains on the cotton osnaburg material. An intensely historic Confederate uniform that attests to the bravery of its owner and the hardships of the American Civil War soldier. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: Les Jensen authentication letter. CONDITION: overall this uniform is in extraordinary condition given its age and heavy battlefield use. A general overview of the sack coat shows many tiny flaws and holes throughout the body of the coat commensurate with extended field use. Many of the holes have obvious field repair stitching. 2 Patched and sewn holes at opposite shoulders appear to be bullet wounds. There is wear and minor losses to the left rear bottom of the uniform, likely caused by equipment rubbing against the fabric. The 3 buttons at the front and 2 on each sleeve appear to be original to the coat and are undamaged with much of their gilded finish remaining. 1 Button on the front is a period field replacement sewn with the same type and color of thread used to attach the others. The moreen piping throughout the coat retains vibrant color and shows negligible wear except at the aforementioned left rear bottom of the uniform where losses have been incurred. There is a 3 1/2" opening at the rear collar seam. The lining shows overall wear with a few smaller holes and rubs on the surface of the material. The cotton seam covering material has a few worn through spots. Sleeve linings are intact but show significant blood stains from battlefield wounds along with expected sweat stains. The general color of the uniform cloth and lining shows little or no fading and presents as it would have been seen on many battlefields throughout the South during the war. 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. (02-13425/BF). $30,000-50,000.
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