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After sewing a sleep shirt for my young son this weekend, it left a question in my head regarding the use of these utilitarian garments in the military service. After the prerequisite searches, I found nothing of note, but has anyone out there found references to soldiers or sailors using sleep or night shirts in the field? Anything from, "Hey mother, can you send me my old nightshirt", to a diary account, etc. Just another of the strange ponderings I've had as of late.
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Ross L. Lamoreaux
rlamoreaux@tampabayhistorycenter.org
"...and if profanity was included in the course of study at West Point, I am sure that the Army of the Cumberland had their share of the prize scholars in this branch." - B.F. Scribner, 38th Indiana Vol Inf -
Re: Sleep shirts in the Army
I have wondered this myself about troops in garrison or winter camps.
The only reference I could find to night shirts was by John Billings in Hard Tack and coffee. He says troops in winter quarters did not "strip to the skin and put on night-dresses as they would at home". he says they were "satisfied, ordinarily, with taking off coat, boots, and perhaps the vest". He goes on to say that "Some however, stripped to their flannels, and, donning a smoking-cap, would turn in". He also mentions that "there were a few in each regiment who never took off anything unless compelled to" and "would turn in at night in full uniform".
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