Name/Title
Man's Wedding VestEntry/Object ID
1981.12.4Description
One wedding vest made of silk with green ivy embroidery along the bottom, pocket edges, and center with buttons. It contains a front and stand-up collar made of satin-weave silk and double pockets. There are ten fabric-covered bone disk buttons, and 12 buttonholes run along the front. To adjust the fit, there are two pairs of tiebacks on either side of the center of the back.Context
When gifted alongside other articles of clothing from the Chesnut family, this vest included a note in the pocket which reads: "The Wedding vest of James Chesnut of Mulberry." Mulberry Plantation, located near Camden, South Carolina, was home to the Chesnut family. It was first established in the 1760s by James Chesnut of Virginia before it was passed to his brother, John (1743–1818), who owned additional property in Camden. After John's death, these properties were left to his son, James Chesnut Sr. (1773–1866). After marrying Mary Cox (1775–1864) in 1796, James served terms in both the South Carolina House of Representatives and Senate and transformed the moderately successful indigo and tobacco plantation into a thriving cotton plantation. Together, James Chesnut Sr. and Mary Cox had 14 children. James Chesnut Jr. (1815–1885) was their only son to survive them.
While there were three possible James Chesnuts of Mulberry Plantation, family tradition suggests that James Chesnut, Jr. wore the vest when he married South Carolina native, Mary Boykin Miller (1823–1886) in 1840. James later managed Mulberry Plantation and served as a Democratic senator, Civil War officer, and aid to Confederate President Jefferson Davis (1808–1889). Due to their socially advantageous marriage and the connections of Mary’s father, Governor Stephan Decatur Miller (1788–1838), the couple solidified their place within elite society.
Mary is now remembered for "A Diary from Dixie," the extensive journal she kept during the Civil War and likely wrote at Mulberry Plantation. Seeking to reconcile the South’s loss, she revised her narrative throughout the early 1880s and framed it as a battle for states’ rights. "A Diary from Dixie" was posthumously published in 1905.Clothing/Dress/Costume Details
Article of Clothing/Dress/Costume
VestClothing Sex
MaleTextile Details
Material
SilkColor
Off-WhiteDimensions
Width
16-1/4 inLength
22-1/2 in
