confederate captain`s frock coat

The stunning Confederate frock coat shown here has an impeccable provenance as having been worn by Captain Robert Chisolm, Company A, 1st Battalion South Carolina Sharpshooters and later, Company E, 27th South Carolina Infantry. This coat was purchased directly from the Captain’s descendent and namesake, Robert Chisolm Cotton in 1993 and comes with a letter from Mr. Cotton attesting to that fact. The Captain’s name is written inside the coat and it has a complete ownership chain from the time it left Robert Chisolm Cotton’s possession.

Robert Chisolm formed his own unit in 1862 and was appointed as Captain of Chisolm’s Company 1st Battalion South Carolina Sharp Shooters. In 1863 the 1st Battalion Sharp Shooters were consolidated with the Charleston or Gaillard’s Battalion to form the 27th South Carolina Infantry. Except for a brief detail, Captain Chisolm served with his unit until relieved of duty in May of 1864, presumably so that he could serve as Judge Advocate for Courts Martial. The last record of the Captain appears February 27, 1865. The Captain survived the War and is last recorded in the April 1894 edition of Confederate Veteran as Major Chisolm, Chairman of the entertainment committee at the Birmingham Reunion of the United Confederate Veterans. At this time he was residing in Alabama. A copy of the photograph in the Confederate Veteran is shown here with the Captain’s coat.

The coat is adorned with very rare and desirable CS-1 Confederate staff officer’s buttons with the Courtney & Tennent backmark. It is one of only a handful of coats in existence with these rare buttons. Ten full size buttons adorn the front of the coat, the four lower were removed by the Captain in order to allow for his sash, which is also original, and his sword belt. Four of these same pattern buttons are on the coat’s tails. Two cuff buttons of the same pattern are on the left sleeve. All of these buttons are original to the coat. The buttons alone are valued in excess of $30,000.00.

The coat is exceptionally well tailored out of English woolen cloth. The cut, French button holes and style are easily recognizable as a Charleston, South Carolina made uniform and it was almost certainly made by C. Decau & Co. of that city. The cuffs, collar, breast and tails are piped in regulation branch of service color infantry blue.

The history, quality and condition mark this coat as one of, if not the best still residing in a private collection.