This Confederate infantry major’s coat was until recently on display at the Texas Civil War Museum, has been professionally conserved for stabilization and display, is solid and has strong color on the body and trim. The coat is regulation gray with solid blue collar and pointed cuffs, double-breasted, arranged for two rows of seven large buttons each on the front, two at the rear waist and one more at the lower end of each pocket opening in the tails, and three smaller buttons on each non-functional cuff. All the buttons on the coat are US General staff, something not uncommon on Confederate officers’ coats. The two on the tail pocket openings are missing and the middle button on the wearer’s right side is loose, but with the coat. Most are Horstmann backmarked, along with a couple extra-quality and a Scoville, and the loose button by Steele & Johnson.

The blue collar is lined with black and measures 1-1/2” high at the rear seam.  As might be expected on a coat intended for field wear there are no galloons on the sleeves. Rank is indicate by a single five-pointed star measuring 1” across sewn near the front of each side of the collar, made of small bullion coil thread, showing a muted gold and black, possibly tarnished silver, with coils crossing over the front, anchored at the center of each by a small sequin. The blue cuffs are about 2” tall around the back of the sleeve and rise to 4” tall points at the front. Two of the cuff buttons are on the blue; the top one is on the gray material.

There is scattered light mothing overall. A few larger spots were backed with matching fabric and blend in very well. None are very noticeable. Most of the small nips were unobtrusive and were left alone. The left cuff has an irregularly shaped area about 2”x2” with a smaller spot next to it that was backed. The right cuff has small nip on the edge also backed. A small ¾” x 1” hole near the button second from the bottom on wearer’s right has been backed, as small ¼” hole on the upper right skirt. The upper left sleeve has a small triangle and a smaller spot on the rear of the forearm, and a small ¼” hole on the upper right front of the skirt. The collar has a couple of small nips on the wearer’s right and a couple of wear spots on the left, which have been left alone. A few other spots were likely backed as well, but so professionally done as to escape notice.

The interior of the body was padded and both body and skirts lined with a brown cotton.  The lapels show wear along the edges. The interior edge of the coat body, between lapel and body lining, on the wearer’s right has had areas of moth damage backed. None of it shows on the ouside. The same section on the left is much better, with just smaller nips, was left alone, with one small ½” square of the interlining exposed behind the third buttonhole from the bottom. The sleeves were lined in white with a layer of brown added for the last 2” at the cuff. There is a single interior pocket in the left breast. The two tail pockets are accessible from the outside. Most of the body lining of the body is there, but shows holes and some shredding exposing the lining and was conserved by adding a layer of stabilitex (a thin, nearly transparent, neutral polyester gauze netting) over it to stabilize and protect it down to the waist. The lining of the skirts shows larger losses, but was less subject to further wear. On the wearer’s right it is largely intact in the front, and shredded or missing in the rear, though the interior pocket is in place. On the wearer’s left it is missing a strip at the lower front and some spots at the upper front, near the waistline, but the rear portions are largely there, if showing some holes. The interior pocket is present on this side as well. The sleeve linings appear to be mostly there, though with losses.

This is an impressive looking coat, unidentified, but worn by a field grade officer who would have served in the front lines with an infantry regiment.  [sr] [ph:L]

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