EXTREMELY RARE & VERY FINE, IDENTIFIED CONFEDERATE SHELL JACKET OF HUNTER B. SWAGER, KENTUCKY CAVALRYMAN IN JOHN HUNT MORGANS COMMAND.
inv # 02-14728

Hunter B. Swager (1841-1873) entered service into Company H, 1st Kentucky Infantry & later served in additional units in Virginia & Kentucky throughout the war until captured w/ Morgan’s command in August of 1864. He stayed captive as a POW until his release from Camp Douglas, Illinois March of 1865. Swager’s brother, Charles Moore Swager (1842-1871), served in the 1st & 2nd Kentucky Infantry & was wounded multiple times, captured, escaped upon arrival at Camp Douglas, joined the Confederate Secret Service in Canada & participated in the famed St. Albans raid into Vermont. This jacket is not unique as an absolutely identical jacket is seen in an image of Kentuckian Thomas Bronston Collins of F Company, 11th Kentucky Cavalry (also under Morgans command) at the Kentucky Military History Museum & shown in provenance link.

Jacket is extremely well made w/ buff cavalry trim & 18 battle beads (same as the Collins jacket) on both sleeves. The jacket is of high quality tailoring w/ well-padded silk blend lining, 9 button faced w/ antebellum 14mm imported buttons w/ applied fouled anchor. There is a unique scalloped cut pocket on left breast & again, identical to that pictured on the Collins coat. Body of coat is made from fine gray wool. Sleeves are lined w/ a soft tan woven linen. Classic Confederate shell jacket w/ 9″ bulbous elbows & 5″ cuffs, 32″ waist which no doubt fit the 5’7″ cavalryman quite well. Rarely are Confederate enlisted uniforms found in such remarkable condition & family provenance. A fragment of a tag found in pocket reads “HUNTERS REBEL / COAT HE WORE IN MORGAN COMMAND FOR…”. Unattached accessories: a sm. file of research accompanies this lot.

Read More on the identification of this jacket 

Early War Photograph of Another of “Morgan’s Men” Wearing Identical Unique Military Jacket