Those Triangle Thingies

[RJSamp]

"Tuesday, June 23 [1863] Fort Curtis, Ironton, Missouri
...the camp was covered with rows of white tents. All these tents were the so-called shelter tents--small, miserable rags of canvas stretched over a horizontal bar resting on two forks and then secured to the ground on both sides with pegs. The open gable-ends can be closed with fitting triangles of canvas. Such a small tent is designed for three men, and each of the three carry the parts of such a tent, so that wagons are not necessary for the transportation of the canvas houses.

Eight cavalry regiments were camped directly around the fort....."

Page 177, Building Fort Davidson at Pilot Knob, "Marching with the First Nebraska" a Civil War Diary by August Scherneckau

[The 1st Nebraska infantry eventualy became mounted rifles]

[billmatt04]

Re: Those Triangle Thingies

Very interesting primary source. Though I don't have it in front of me, I know that Fred Gaede's book on shelter tents describes triangle end closures being available during the war, but that usually they were purchased and issued by state governments and were not part of the standard Federal issue. I will have to look at it again when I get home tonight.

[13thnhv]

Re: Those Triangle Thingies

Thanks for posting that info! I have longed for one for a while, but higher sources of authority on the topic stated they were "not authentic", not used during the war, so another myth seems to be busted. Maybe now they will appear in a dark corner of the vendor universe??

[RJSamp]

Re: Those Triangle Thingies

To be sure I about dropped my jaw when I read this contemporary diary (August is very judicious about writing often, putting down the exact date, even comments on not having paper for two weeks or lost some entries.....) citation.

The horizontal poles, forked sticks, and pegs reference (my guess is they are all WOOD) is another dynamite cite, sounds like MANY a reenactor camp (am sure on the march They would have cut down bushes and saplings by the thousands to replenish the supply on site).

.....that it is in a camp for THOUSANDS is a real eye opener (he writes of surveying the camps around the fort from a distance).

Logistically all of their equipment came out of St. Louis (he's on guard there for a few months)...if that's a help for where did those Triangle Thingies come from (if at all!?).

When I get to the Red River Expedition (they were in the northern prong of the campaign) or a battle it would be nice to find a citation on forming battle lines in 2 ranks with 3 band rifles and yellow trimmed jackets....

[FlatLandFed]

Re: Those Triangle Thingies

Verrrry interesting.

I will consult with the co-editor, Jim Potter, to make SURE he got this right. It was translated by a very nice German scholar who knew much about 19th century slang and whatnot but I am not completely positive she may have misrepresented what Augie was saying -- that is, were these just canvas "swatches" that the soldiers/troopers fashioned into triangles replete with button holes or were they made specifically as tent ends with button holes and so forth for shelter halves?

Supplied by the Territorial Government? Commercial contract?

Jim's research (he's a chief historian with the Nebraska Historical Society) is thought to be beyond reproach, but I'd like to get and then post a photocopy of that diary page to let others who speak Deutsch give it a go.

Stay tuned.
Paul Hadley
Lincoln, Neb.
He who sold his "tent ends" when he went over to the dark side ...

[Andrew Kasmar]

Re: Those Triangle Thingies

Hi,

Thanks for posting the information. I would be very inteterested in reading what others have to say on the subject. Thanks

Andrew

[John of the Skulkers Mess]

1st Neb.

Is this a reprint? New book?

The 1st, or part of it, fought at Cape Girardeau, MO. too....

[FlatLandFed]

Re: Those Triangle Thingies

Friend John,
The book came out from U of Oklahoma Press last spring.

For you fellow Masons out there, members of the 1st Regiment also were authorized to conduct a Traveling Lodge while in the area -- it was noted that at a meeting held with permission in a community's Lodge the federals recognized brethren from the area that they were sure were foes when outside the confines of the meeting. (Maybe some day we can add this element to event in that part of Missouri? I'll post more details about the Traveling Lodge at another time.)

Here's a photo of the Marching with the First Nebraska book. Part of its value, also, is that it is one of the few accounts of the regiment's transformation to a mounted force. Augie shares some interesting insights about his comrades and nation.

Enjoy.
Paul Hadley

[erik]

Re: Those Triangle Thingies

This is quite simple; 3 men = 3 shelter halves.
One to the left, one to the right and one to cover the direction of the prevailing wind.
This is all covered in Gaede's book.
All shelter halves when buttoned in to the end appear trangular. Even gum and painted blanklets do.
There were some, possibly, but very few who offered custom fittings for the end of a po9ssibly divergent set of shelter halves. Cover the of a shelter tent? Get another half, blanket, gum or painted blanket and sort it out.
These guys were not there lurking about camp with sheepish grins saying, "Hi soldier, new in town? Do you want to buy an end for your shelter tent? Only 3 pounds weight more. etc...........................
The proof is in the text supported by photographs.

Erik Simundson

[Citizen_Soldier]

Re: Those Triangle Thingies

Greetings,
"The open gable-ends can be closed with fitting triangles of canvas." is an interesting quote and if it proves to have been translated correctly could be evidence of triangular tent end pieces being used in the field. I infer that "fitting triangles" doesn't refer to just another shelter half being used to seal off the open end of the tent.

One thing we need to remember as historical interpreters is that there are no absolutes when studying nineteenth century material culture. Civil War historical interpreters tend to get so caught up in universal negatives. I agree with Erik that triangular shelter half pieces do not show up strongly in text or photographic evidence, but that doesn't mean we should completely disregard this quote.

This is a great thread so far and I've really enjoyed reading the contributions.

Darrek Orwig

[DocReynolds]

Re: Those Triangle Thingies

There is also a reference in letters from a Lt. of the 145th NY referring to a triangular end piece...but he mentions purchasing one. (I have to dig thro my files to find the section of the diary).

Pete Bedrossian
150th NY

[RJSamp]

Re: Those Triangle Thingies

This is quite simple; 3 men = 3 shelter halves.
One to the left, one to the right and one to cover the direction of the prevailing wind.
This is all covered in Gaede's book.
All shelter halves when buttoned in to the end appear trangular. Even gum and painted blanklets do.
There were some, possibly, but very few who offered custom fittings for the end of a po9ssibly divergent set of shelter halves. Cover the of a shelter tent? Get another half, blanket, gum or painted blanket and sort it out.
These guys were not there lurking about camp with sheepish grins saying, "Hi soldier, new in town? Do you want to buy an end for your shelter tent? Only 3 pounds weight more. etc...........................
The proof is in the text supported by photographs.

Erik Simundson

Erik: I was very exacting in typing in the quotation from the book......the quote is triangleS. "fitted triangles". That doesn't mean three shelter halves, as you wouldn't have fitted triangleS to close the endS. That's why I posted the thread....not three shelter halves with one end 'belled'....rather two shelter halves and fitted triangles to cover the open ends. Maybe we can get a 're'-translation of the diary....

[58 lorenz]

Re: Those Triangle Thingies

A photo I saved from AC at some time in the past:














Douglas Price

[woodsda]

Re: Those Triangle Thingies

Any info to go with the photo? It goes well with the thread!

[Linkstrap]

Re: Those Triangle Thingies

It appears to be part of an image from the LoC., titled 'Fort Burnham, Va. Encampment and earthworks'. (LC-B811-2498B)

http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cwpb/01800/01825r.jpg