Need a Shelter Half?

[CJDaley]

We have a few shelter halves in stock and ready to ship:

http://www.cjdaley.com/shelterhalf.htm

[DougCooper]

Re: Need a Shelter Half?

If you have ever tried to make one of these things then you know that $95 is a heckuva deal for a one done right. They come in real handy, whether pitched with a comrade or simply used as a lightweight extra layer for sleeping on campaign. Weighs less than another gum blanket or army blanket. Millions were produced, and every federal soldier should have one. Good for late spring-summer 62 on in much of the east, and by late Dec 62 in most of the west. Not real popular at first, but their worth was soon realized. While you are at it, grab a copy of Fred Gaede's outstanding book: The Federal Civil War Shelter Tent from Joe Hoffman at the Skillet Licker.

[HighPrvt]

Re: Need a Shelter Half?

Chris tried to order one via your online billing. Couldn't get the expiration date to change, so it wouldn't accept my card....

[CJDaley]

Re: Need a Shelter Half?

Chris tried to order one via your online billing. Couldn't get the expiration date to change, so it wouldn't accept my card....

Our store is open at 11am today, you can call there and order one via phone, you can call tomorrow or call me any day next week. You can also just send a regular e-mail and I'll be happy to help you out. Thanks for your interest.

[bhutton]

Re: Need a Shelter Half?

Chris,
Would not accept my card online order so I ordered (2) with a money order I' ll send it out tomorrow to your Scotland address ,one question the order confirmation print out indicates no tax or shipping charges is this correct #100050519354079094

Thanks
:) Bob Hutton 67th NY

[13thnhv]

Re: Need a Shelter Half?

Hey Chris, I own two of your shelter halves.......and am ultra pleased with them. Is there any way to obtain end flaps for them as my messmates all have end flaps I am wind up sleeping in an icy wind tunnel at times. Thank you much! Joe

[CJDaley]

Re: Need a Shelter Half?

Hey Chris, I own two of your shelter halves.......and am ultra pleased with them. Is there any way to obtain end flaps for them as my messmates all have end flaps I am wind up sleeping in an icy wind tunnel at times. Thank you much! Joe

Good to hear from you Joe, if you find an original end flap for me to copy, I'll be happy to make the first one for you for free!

[CJDaley]

Re: Need a Shelter Half?

Chris,
Would not accept my card online order so I ordered (2) with a money order I' ll send it out tomorrow to your Scotland address ,one question the order confirmation print out indicates no tax or shipping charges is this correct #100050519354079094

Thanks
:) Bob Hutton 67th NY

Out of state mail orders are not charged shipping (sorry Pennsylvanians) and the price listed on the website includes shipping.

[13thnhv]

Re: Need a Shelter Half?

Greetings Chris!, I was referencing the Civil War Collector's Encyclopedia Vol II by Francis A. Lord page 195 ......"Some shelter tents also included a three-cornered piece of cloth to close one end of the tent". Volume I page 277 contains a photograph showing a "shelter or 'pup' tent" clearly displaying a closed end of apparently similar material to that of the body of the tent. Perhaps an original example does not survive to this day, but it appears "they had 'em". Maybe a suitable field fix would be a gum blanket draped over an end. Can anyone elaborate on this desirable feature of a typically uncomfortable "dog", at least in colder months?

[Terry Sorchy]

Re: Need a Shelter Half?

Joe,
I looked at the pic and to me it looks like it is a winter hut appearing just over a small hill. The chimmney is visible. It could be one shelter half buttoned to one side and the other to the other side. And the hut would accomodate 4 or 5 men.
Cheers
Terry Sorchy

[GreencoatCross]

Re: Need a Shelter Half?

Would a field-alteration be out of the question? It might kill some time in camp, like I'm sure this common tent did:

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8345

Brian White
Wambaugh, White, & Co.

https://www.wwandcompany.com

------------------------------

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https://www.westernindependentgrays.org/Vicksburg/

https://www.fortwayne2007.com

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Re: Need a Shelter Half?

It has been my understanding that the aforementioned "end piece" was the M1865 shelter endpiece, which was not issued until after the war. The majority of photographic evidence shows the use of gum blankets, wool blankets, and extra halves as the closures for most uses in the field, as well as diary and journal accounts of using tree branches, logs, and fencing for the same purpose. Out of respect for Dr. Lord and his groundbreaking series of books, there are alot of small mistakes in identifying objects, as well as dating them . Each reprint of the volumes includes numerous updates as those more knowledgeable piped in.

[13thnhv]

Re: Need a Shelter Half?

Thank you, Fellow Members, you have indeed enlightened me. Field mods it will be. Regards, Joe

[dahoude]

Re: Need a Shelter Half?

I too believe that any end piece was merely just another shelter half, or a gum blanket, blanket improvised for such purpose, and not an actual end piece that was manufactered. Below is a letter home from Oliver Ormsby, Co. E, 149th NYSV. You will see he mentions each man was furnished with one piece, about 6' square, and three people buttoned them together to make a shelter, so I would assume all three pieces are the same shelter halves, and not a special end piece made for such.

Dan



Harpers Ferry, Md

October 10th 1862

Dear Friends;

Wrote to you last from Frederick City. We received orders to march the same day for Harpers Ferry. We started back to the city and got on a big train of wood cars and started at 6 pm, arrived at 10 pm. We marched up a big hill on the Maryland side of the river, laid down on the ground and slept till morning. We are encamped within a half mile of the late battleground of Harpers Ferry. There are a number of Rebel graves on our camp ground. There is one within three rods of my tent. There is a small board stuck in the ground with the name of John Knight, Dixie Artillery from Page Company Va. Killed September 15, 1862.

We are within a half mile of Harpers Ferry. I went down the other day to see this famous town. Nearly all of the buildings are damaged and a good many are burned down. I saw the little engine house where John Brown was taken prisoner. I then went up on the opposite side of the river from the ferry. You can see the country for miles around. From here, as far as you can see are the tents of our army. In the fields around our camp are soldiers baggage, wagons, artillery, etc. I forgot to write in my last letter that we had to leave our knapsacks in Washington when we left for Frederick. Just before we got in the cars the regiment was ordered to throw off their knapsacks and take their blankets and overcoats. They were in such an almighty hurry that they would not give the men time to take anything out of them so hardly any of the men have a change of clothes. A good many of them left their money in the sacks but they didn't happen to catch me for I expected we would have to leave them. Before we left Arlington Heights I took everything I needed and put them in my pockets. As a result I have a clean shirt to put on which is more than the rest of them can say. They have promised to send them on to us if we stay here any length of time.

We have been furnished with tents since we arrived here. Each man has a piece about 6 ft. square. Each piece is fixed so they can be buttoned together. Three men make a tent by buttoning two pieces together and stretching them over a stick about 6 feet long which is placed in two crotches about four and one half feet high. The sides are fastened down by wooden pegs The third piece is fastened at one end of the tent which leaves one end open. We get coffee, hard crackers, and smoked bacon for breakfast, salt beef, crackers and boiled beans for dinner, coffee, meat and crackers for supper. We also get boiled rice and molasses every third day for dinner. The meat is generally very good but this morning we got bacon that was full of maggots so we did not eat any bacon this morning. There are plenty of settlers around here so if you have any money you can get fresh bread, apple pies, etc. Enough to keep one full. My health has been first rate ever since we left home. I received the Standard and expect another tonight. Please write as often as you can and about everything you can think of. Write about how Ned, Nell and Rover and how all of my friends are doing.

From your Loving,

Oliver