There are few Confederate frock coats in such beautiful, original condition as the example shown here. The dark, cadet grey outer body and the inner liner are in virtually perfect condition. The coat exemplifies the very finest in tailoring and is made from the very best material of the period. The eight piece body is made of kersey that still retains virtually one hundred percent of its nap. A pocket lined with brown sateen is set into the coat’s inner left breast. The one piece ballooned sleeves are lined with white sateen. Each sleeve is adorned with three, cuff sized, eagle staff officer’s buttons. The buttons are so tightly sewn to the cuff that I cannot see the back mark. Pockets, lined with brown sateen, are set into the tails; the tail flaps retain three Horstmann & Allien NY three piece eagle staff officer’s buttons. One button is missing from the lower right pocket flap. I will be happy to replace this missing button with the correct Horstmann & Allien NY button should the purchaser wish me to do so. Of the seventeen buttons, five have been resewn, but with the exception of the Steele & Johnson, I am certain as a person can be, judging from condition and color, that the four resewn buttons are the coat’s originals.

The collar and breast are piped with a bead of cream colored cloth, and a chevron of the same color outlines each cuff. The cream color indicates that the wearer was on the general staff. The coat’s collar is adorned with a single, embroidered and sequined star, denoting the wearer as a Confederate Major.

The body liner is made of green sateen. The body liner, sleeve liner and pocket liner are in virtually perfect condition. The coat is hand sewn throughout. Seven Horstmann & Bro, Allien NY, three piece staff officer’s buttons adorn the left breast and six Horstmann & Allien NY and one Steele & Johnson buttons adorn the right.

The collection number "1920.1061a” is inked onto a narrow cloth strip and sewn inside the collar. The coat had a red sash with it when purchased that had the number "1920.1098” sewn into the same type of cloth strip. My experience with institutional collection numbers tells me that the "1920” is the year acquired and the 1098 and 1061a are collection inventory numbers. Unfortunately the history between institution and modern collectors was not kept up, so I do not know for certain whether the sash and coat were worn by the same Staff Officer, or if they are merely from the same institution. The designations being thirty-seven numbers apart suggest to me that they were not worn by the same officer; therefore, the sash was sold separately and is not available.

I have owned nearly fifty original Confederate uniform pieces and have examined as many more, yet I can say that I have never seen a better coat, both for original quality of construction and current condition, though I have seen three that are its equal.

The coat has had no restoration whatsoever other than the resewn buttons mentioned above. Very few major’s frocks exist and none are better than this example.

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