From: Mike Ventura <mike.ventura@comcast.net><br><br>
Date: Thursday, January 06, 2005 1:19 PM<br><br>
To:   Nick Medich <NICKMEDICH@aol.com><br><br>
SUBJECT: IMPORTANT!!! - Uniform information<br><br>





With several battalions and brigades yet to hold annual meetings, Capt. Doug Cooper, AAAG, FCD has been <br>diligently working (we're talking DAYS here, folks) on creating a "supply system" for your troops that will<br> soon be the envy of the hobby. Doug has single handedly developed a system that will allow your soldiers to<br> be among the best and most accurately dressed in the field at an investment level that, up til now, was<br> virtually impossible.<br>
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You all should have received an email from Doug in the last day or so listing the APPROVED vendors (to this<br> point, anyway) of the First Confederate Division. The list includes the best makers in the hobby and you and<br> your soldiers cannot go wrong in ordering from any of them.<br>
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To that list, we neglected to include Ben Tart of Tart, Brantley and Benjamin<br>
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www.bentart.com/<br>
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Ben Tart is and has been one of the finest makers of reproduction clothing for several years. And, Ben has<br> been on of THE finest makers of reproduction period cloth in the hobby. All of his fabric is made to period<br> standards, AND only vegetable dye - true to the CW period is used.<br>
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Doug Cooper has just had a very positive conversation with Ben Tart. Ben, as well as some other historically<br> accurate makers, is willing to work with us to make sure that our soldiers are properly attired without<br> having to sell their first-born.<br>
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IN LOTS OF 50 OR MORE...<br>
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Ben Tart will sell an accurately constructed Columbus Depot jacket made of period correct jean wool material<br> for $160.00. This is $25 less than normal retail. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST COLUMBUS DEPOT JACKETS IN THE<br> HOBBY! Compare Ben's price of $160 with Blockade Runner's $129 PLUS $20 for correct Indigo Wool Trim =<br> $149.00. Tart's CD jackets also come with correct buttons, which the Blockade Runner jackets do not. For $11<br> more than an incorrect Blockade Runner Columbus Depot jacket, a soldier in your brigade or battalion can<br> have one of the best that is available. And, it is a garment that should last for years and years.<br>
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Ben Tart will also provide correctly made trousers also of jean wool for $100.<br>
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Ben makes his jackets and trousers in the period correct standard sizes as were required by the Confederate<br> Quarter Master Department. These are NOT custom fitted garments, which would not be period-correct.<br>
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Ben can produce quickly and expeditiously, as he has geared up to increase his production.<br>
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So, how do we put together a bulk order to come up with "50 or more" to get the pricing?<br>
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Each brigade or independent battalion should have an Acting Quarter Master. This is a period correct task<br> for the AQM. Let you AQMs function as AQMs.<br>
Brigade and battalion quarter masters should make this information available to each subordinate unit and<br> determine how many men want to place an order.<br> 
Sizing information will be provided and a deposit (to be determined) will be required.<br>
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Ben Tart is making his Columbus Depot style jackets out of three different period materials, which is very<br> accurate. Ben is happy to provide samples for your brigade or battalion to examine. Contact him through info<br> on the web site (above) and identify yourself as a unit commander in the First Confederate Division and ask<br> Ben to send you a sample to see.<br>
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Let your men know that we are creating great opportunities for those that want to improve their impressions,<br> or new men coming in to your units.<br>
<br>
Mike Ventura<br>
Major, Chief of Staff<br>
FCD<br>