C.S. Four Button Jacket

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 plain cotton osnaburg, the same as is used in original examples. 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. For material we offer any of our wide range of jean cloth, though we do recommend that customers stick to the standard sheep’s wool colors (gray, brown, tan) as that was what was used in the surviving originals. Dyed materials are not recommended for this garment. 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 a 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.