Richmond Depot
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The Richmond Depot is a Confederate-issued jacket to troops in the Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War.
[edit] History
Richmond Depot jackets were not issued to western Confederates or the Army of Tennessee.
[edit] Design
Three types of Richmond Depot jackets were produced:
- The Richmond Depot Type I was issued late in 1861 or the beginning of 1862. The Richmond Depot Type I, was a jacket with a six piece body and two piece sleeves, with a nine button front, shoulder straps and probably belt loops. There were generally no buttons on the cuffs. The lining was probably a cotton osnaburg. The distinctive point about the first pattern jacket and the feature that distinguished it from the Type II, was that it was trimmed on the collar, shoulder straps and cuffs with either tape or piping. [1] Today, there are no surviving Type I jackets.
- In mid-1862, the Type I was phased out for the Type II. Due to scarce supplies, they were made of jean wool (a mixture of wool and cotton). There are several living examples of Type IIs throughout out the US, including in the Museum of the Confederacy[2]. The Richmond Depot Type II jacket is characterized by a nine-button front, no buttons on the cuffs, top-stitched edges, shoulder straps, belt loops on each hip, an unbleached cotton osnaburg lining and interior pockets. It has a six piece body and two piece sleeves. Generally, it has no trim, although examples with partial trim do exist. [3]
- The Type II was phased out in mid-1864 for the Richmond Depot Type III. This was the last Richmond Depot jacket issued to the Army of Northern Virginia. Seven of these jackets have survived, and there are a number of identifiable photographs that show them in use. Since these jackets were produced over a considerable period of time, and because they were made from materials available at different times, variations in the coat material and the number of buttons have been noted. [4]
