ARTILLERY FROCK COAT OF CONFEDERATE CAPT. HUGH R. GARDEN, PALMETTO LIGHT ARTILLERY.
inv # 02-13595 

 Click here to read more

Hugh Richardson Garden (1840-1910) entered the war April 9, 1861 as an infantryman but by early ’62 had organized and recruited his own company of 150 men to be officially known as the Palmetto Light Artillery. He fought in most major actions of the Army in Northern Virginia: Blackburn’s Ford VA (July 18, 1861), 1st Bull Run VA (July 21, 1861), Rappahannock Station VA (August 23, 1862), 2nd Bull Run VA (August 28-30, 1862), South Mountain VA (Sept. 14, 1862), Sharpsburg VA (Sept. 17, 1862), Fredericksburg VA (Dec. 13, 1862), Gettysburg PA (July 1-3, 1863), Bristoe Campaign (Oct. 9-22, 1863), Mine Run Campaign VA (Nov.-Dec. 1863), The Wilderness VA (May 5-6, 1864), Spotsylvania Court House Va (May 8-21, 1864), North Anna VA (May 23-26, 1864), Cold Harbor VA (June. 1-3, 1864), Petersburg Siege VA (June 1864-Apr. 1865) & Appomattox Court House VA (Apr. 9, 1865). Garden has a long illustrious biography prior to and after the Civil War, he was among the Southern elite and member of the South Carolina aristocracy. After the Civil War Capt. Garden practiced law and later in New York City was active in the newly founded New York chapter of Confederate Veterans. A file accompanies this lot with more in depth biography. This double breasted frock coat is trimmed with red collar, cuffs and edging plus 23 SC state seal buttons. The coat is identified in contemporary ink “H. R. Garden P. L. Art.” (Palmetto Light Artillery) on the inside of the right tail pocket. The original large coat buttons on this frock are back marked “Horstmann Bros. & Allien / NY”, the cuff buttons are Scovill, and these buttons postdate the war, the coat definitely has the style & materials consistent w/ wartime production including large bulbous sleeves 7 3/4” at elbows tapering to 4 3/4” at cuffs. The waist is not cut as narrow as usually seen war time and the tails are slightly shorter than usually seen war time. 3 Braids of quatrefoil on sleeve are consistent with war time production with red cuffs though 3 braids generally represent Colonel. The regulation red faced collar has no rank insignia but it is bordered with bullion trim braid. This is a very difficult coat to date, it has every appearance of being war time with minor tailoring differences as noted and the post war buttons could be later changes. Regardless, this is a stunning artillery frock coat worn by Capt. Hugh Richardson Garden.