Confederate overcoat question

[Griebz]

Hey All

I know this is a difficult question, but besides federal or jean... What are some i examples of a confederate overcoat. I stand and fall collar? What color wool
And cape length are all things i need ideas on. Civilian im assuming also correct. Need a new coat and only wanna buy once. Any help would be great.

Thanks

Pete Griebel

[Bear Flagger]

Like all thing Confederate it depends on who, when and where. For the winters of 61/62 and 62/63 the government had the Great Appeal to gather overcoats and blankets.

[Griebz]

My unit is ANV.. Picketts division. I assume that the government appeal for overcoats would mean that overcoats came from private purchase or from home. So a civilain wool coat ?

Regards

Peter Griebel

[Griebz]

My concern is that the typical medium gray wool coat with block I buttons might not be all too correct. I was thinking civilaian style in brown with a longer cape.

Peter Griebel

[packrat]

Civilian.......more leeway if its made by yourself,,,made a few, all were accepted at the events....and sometimes easier to part with for Forums and such. Paul Lopes

[Rufus]

There is reference in Cadet Grey and Butternut Brown about men dying captured federal overcoats in coffee or walnut hulls and then replacing the buttons. One soldier from the 2nd Ky cav, remarked that his captured overcoat turned black when it was dyed. General Forest even issued a General order that no captured items were to be worn unless the color was changed.

[Griebz]

I was def thinking civilian.. A brown wool with a longer cape .. No buttons.

Pete Griebel

[Bear Flagger]

The great appeals gathered all civilian clothing. A civilian style with coin or plain buttons would work well for early war events. If you live in a windy area jean cloth is like wearing a screen door, a lesson learned in the California desert the hard way. The coat length can be anywhere from knee to ankle length, the longer lengths can have a tab and button at the bottom makes a fine extra blanket.

[vamick]

Pete, heres what I did a few years ago..I had needed an overcoat for several years but had been doing without..I wanted to get a "higher end" federal coat and experiment with the walnut/natural overdye process when I came upon a "compromise" a verrry cheap fed overcoat from a lower end sutler going outa business. The wool was very good but it was sewn together with an artifical blend thread, back belt was wrong ect..so no need to take the extra step of an authenic dye..what to do? I got on the net and looked up samples of walnut/copperas ect natural dyed thread and fabric then got as close as possible with Rit Dye,,on mine I used 2 black and one brown mixed together in a clean trash can ( added an old horse shoe and other iron for fastness of color) in hot hot! water then I stirred this mess coat and all all day ( I removed the buttons reapplied after drying)....it came out a mostly black/brown that has mellowed to a mostly brownish/with black tinge..Ive worn it in all kinds of weather for 5 years now with the color still holding ( the rayon seams didnt take dye but they are hardly visable) the **** thing is very warm which fills the bill and without the back belt ect its not immediately "farby" in the future Im gonna try the authenic dye method on another more accurite coat but when the wind blows thats the last thing Im thinkin about! try it out!

[tenfed1861]

My advice is to avoid the Weller coat.IMHO,the Weller is far too often seen amongest CS reenactors.The Weller coat is documented to a Pvt. Weller of the 4th Kentucky Infantry,so kinda a western coat.If you want something different,try the blue-gray kersey English pattern greatcoat.That would have a fine look for mid-late war events.At the same time,you could go with a civilian overfrock.But the best advice is try to find the quatermaster records for your regiment you portray and see what comes up.Go to MoC in Richmond and see what research they may have.Good luck to you.