Tobacco and coffee were the two most-traded commodities across the Civil War battle lines. Confederate soldiers had access to Southern tobacco — most of the country's tobacco was grown south of the Mason-Dixon Line — but the Union blockade kept coffee out of the South. Federal soldiers had coffee — issued daily by the army quartermaster — but most quality leaf tobacco was Confederate. The result was a steady informal trade across the picket lines: a Federal soldier would float a small package of coffee across a stream on a tiny raft, the Confederate on the opposite bank would float back a package of tobacco. Officers on both sides knew about it. Mostly they looked the other way.

This W. Britain figure depicts a Federal company officer in regulation infantry kit — single-breasted dark blue officer's frock coat with the light blue rank shoulder boards (the light blue indicating infantry branch), the burgundy waist sash regulation called for between 1852 and 1871, the Chasseur-style officer's kepi with the gold Austrian knot, light blue trousers, and the M1850 staff and field officer's sword at his left hip. The pipe in his right hand catches him in a moment of informal camp downtime. The figure works as a regimental officer in camp scenes, headquarters vignettes, or as a small detail in a marching column. Pair this figure with Union Infantry Sergeant at Rest for an NCO-and-officer parade-rest pair; with Col. Henry A. Morrow for a regimental command vignette; or with Union Forever Marching Set for a marching column with the company officer alongside.

Scale: 1/30 (60mm). Matte-painted metal. W. Britain model 31369. From the American Civil War range. Single foot figure, supplied painted and ready for display.