I've often thought about how the Confederate Quartermasters distributed the various letter buttons, state seals, and wooden buttons to be sewn on jackets. Was an effort made to match  up a jacket with I or C buttons to a soldier in the infantry of cavalry? About a year ago, I saw what appeared to be either a Peter Tait jacket, or a Richmond Depot style jacket with imported CS officer eagle buttons sewn on. I thought that this style of button looked strange on an enlisted man's jacket.

This jacket was on display at the Civil War Railroad Museum in Kennesaw, GA.

Roy Queen

Roy,

I think, as the war wore on, and brass buttons got scarce, the soldiers transferred buttons from one jacket to the next. I've seen surviving examples where the buttons are attached to the jacket with one piece of heavy string.

Thank you Bill! I'm sure if state seal buttons were available, most soldiers would have preferred to wear these to having to wear the various letter or wooden buttons. I've never thought about recycling buttons from a worn out jacket to a newly issued one. That would make sense. Thanks again!

Roy Queen

Quote :

Roy wrote :  About a year ago, I saw what appeared to be either a Peter Tait jacket, or a Richmond Depot style jacket with imported CS officer eagle buttons sewn on. I thought that this style of button looked strange on an enlisted man's jacket.

Roy,

Keep in mind, the Richmond clothing Bureau was selling completed jackets, kits, and yard goods to officers, when it became almost impossible for them to procure clothing from civilain sources. The jacket you saw may well have been worn by an officer mid to late war.