“Wilson” C.S. Trousers

Price $190.00

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Make sure you have a current size chart on file with us before ordering.

Important! Before ordering, read this article about proper trouser sizing! “Waisted Talent

Reproduction of trousers worn by private Samuel Wilson, Company C 6th Alabama Infantry. Family tradition holds that Wilson was wounded at Gettysburg and recuperated at Wayside Hospital/General Hospital No. 9 in Richmond until his discharge for disability in August 1863. Wilson would remain in the hospital until Oct. 10th when he received his back pay and clothing account balance, minus $29.30 in “clothing assistance” and a sum likely stolen by the pay clerk (there is approximately a $5 discrepancy on Wilson’s final pay voucher!). The clothing referred to on the pay voucher likely included Wilson’s unusual trousers and a shirt described by two historians as both “hickory stripe” and “British stripe.”

The original pair is made from an incredibly tightly woven walnut colored wool/cotton jeancloth with osnaburg pocketing and interior facings. Remaining buttons are white bone. The trousers are very heavily machine sewn, usual for Confederate examples but not completely unheard of. A nearly identical pair in mustard-tan satinet resides in a suburban Chicago collection and a third pair that shares some characteristics with the others was worn by Major Benjamin Green, CS Engineers. The similarities in pattern and construction methods leads us to believe that all three pairs may have shared the same point of origin but where that was is not known.

Our reproduction of pvt. Wilson’s trousers are available in both tan on natural cotton denim and mixed brown on tan wool/cotton jeancloth. The unique features found on the original trousers are incorporated here and include a closed buttonhole fly, narrow button fly, darted seat, no rear vent or adjustment belts, diagonal machine top-stitched pocket openings, and extensive machine sewing. Price per pair is $165.