Shirts?

[Wild Billy Potts]

The first buttonhole machines were invented in 1862 from what I've read.

Sometime around that time frame for sure. I forget the date I read many years ago. Appearently the earliest machines had some kinks that took a few years to get fully reliable. Also it is my understanding that the old machines sewed buttonholes similar to the styles that were done by hand.

[Kentuckian]

Interesting, I've never seen a 19th cen. shirt w/ vertical buttonholes. Learn something every day. The first buttonhole machines were invented in 1862 from what I've read.

One example: Civil War Period Contract-made Federal Issue shirts - The collar button was horizontal, the placket buttons were vertical.

WBP is correct. Even though the machine buttonholes were around they were rare and the process wasn't really perfected until years later.